endorffeine chinatown los angeles far east plaza coffee cafe 9 at 9 sprudge

Jack Benchakul opened his coffee shop Endorffeineย in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza last year, after transitioning out of aย career as a biochemist. The plaza is bustling with food and drink options, including big names like Andy Rickerโ€™s Pok Pok and Roy Choiโ€™s Chego. Soย it makes sense that Benchakul would want to keep his coffee shop open into the evening. โ€œI knew that, once created, Endorffeine would serve two functionsโ€”coffee bar by day, and intimate food service at night,โ€ he says. But instead of just extending hisย hours, he’s come up with a creative idea: to offer a reserved-seating, coffee-oriented dessert-and-cocktail nighttime course.

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endorffeine chinatown los angeles far east plaza coffee cafe 9 at 9 sprudge
Jack Benchakul works magic at one of Endorffeine Coffee’s 9 events.

Called simply “9”โ€”a reference to the number of available seatsโ€”the evening program featuresย a seasonally driven menu that seems simple, but is actually intricate both inย the coffee cocktails and the desserts. Benchakul, who is from New York but whose parents are from Thailand, adds thatย the number nine is lucky in Thai numerology, and โ€œbecause I was raised on Thai cuisine, there are always Thai flavors present in the edible courses, as well as in the cocktails.โ€

endorffeine chinatown los angeles far east plaza coffee cafe 9 at 9 sprudge
The first course.

The intimate crowd size and the cafe’s bright lights add to the experienceโ€”youโ€™ll feel as if youโ€™re in a science lab where you can really observe the food and be able to note all the details. Just like in the daytime, when Benchakul is the only one making the coffee drinks, at 9 he is cook and bartender, making and assembling all the food and cocktails. He says he learnedย about food during his time working at a pharmaceutical company. โ€œDuring my career as a biochemist in San Francisco, I attended culinary school in the evening and on the weekends. Later, I staged at Mietteย patisserie and at Rubicon restaurant in my spare time.โ€

endorffeine chinatown los angeles far east plaza coffee cafe 9 at 9 sprudge
The second.

The three courses at 9ย are each paired with a cocktail. For the fall menu, the programย starts with an Indian black tea soup and black sesame-date dumplings, teamedย with a sparkling coffee blossom gin drink. The flavors are mild, andย the interesting textures and mellow sweetness act asย a nice introduction to the courses. Up next isย smoked-persimmon khao tom mut with fried mung beans, paired with a sparkling cascara lager. This course brings out the seasonal aspect of the menu and is a bit more savory than the first. The last course is the most playful and unusual: pandanusaquafaba meringue and a tamarind-tofu mousse paired with a Thai chili sake. The meringue is the most unexpectedโ€”it’s almost like a sweet, airy cracker that melts in your mouth.ย Benchakul utilizes various imported and hard-to-find ingredients toย make the experience what it is. โ€œAndy [Ricker, of Pok Pok] has always been generous whenever he returns from a trip to Thailand; he’s my de facto coffee blossom supplier. I’ve also been fortunate to have wonderful regulars who chronically gift unique edibleโ€”and drinkableโ€”items to me.โ€

endorffeine chinatown los angeles far east plaza coffee cafe 9 at 9 sprudge
And the third.

To look out (and sign up) for future 9 events at Endorffeine,ย follow Benchakulโ€™s Instagram account. โ€œBeginning in 2017, I will launch a Monday evening cocktail-plus-savory-edibles menu,” he says. “Teas and coffees, in all forms, will continue to play a prominent role in the cocktails.” Stay tuned.

Endorffeine is located at 727 North Broadway #127, Los Angeles. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Tatiana Ernstย (@TatianaErnst) is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.

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