New LA SpireWorks™ Version of Turkish Döner

Editor’s note:  Please see the Local Food Eater post: for detailed menu description (//localfoodeater.com/invite-build-meal-spireworks-vertical-spit-roasted-meats/)(www.SpireWorks.com )

(Darien Morea with photos by Gerry Furth-Sides  ) SpireWorks™ is a new, very well-thought out restaurant concept. It brings the Turkish love for Döner, that being seasoned ground meats cooked around a huge skewer, at which point the browned cooked parts are sliced off thinly for serving (and then the parts underneath get browned and cut in turn) in several forms sure to please all guests.

There are both Beef and Chicken versions and the SpireWorks™ Döner is juicy and delicious.  There is also a Vegan Kofta that is moist and tastes of the vegetables, not fillers.

SpireWorks’™ genius is to update the concept from a Turkish specialty to a broadened “Döner American Style.”

The order board above when you enter the front door looks like a classic Train Station Board with “travel spot” destinations from which to choose your döner.You pick the New York version, or the Bangkok, or the Carolina BBQ, or the Instanbul, etc.  All versions cost $9.50 at this time.

The interior is also designed to give you the experience of being in a train.

You can have the Döner in a either a sandwich , as a salad, in a bowl or as a salad and rice bowl combo with Wild Rice on the bottom, salad on top, the meat and then a dozen or more different toppings that represent the place you picked.

New York skews towards a deli so there is the meat (you can mix the two if you want), saurkraut that is homemade and great, Russian dressing, fried beet slivers, slices of fresh Parmesan and more.

They have the most amazing sesame seed bread that they created – I’d go there just for that.  (and this is bread baked by a Drago, the local baker, after being researched all over Europe)

(photo by Eddie Lin)

Along with the main dishes, small whole smashed skin-on fried potatoes.  The perfect little potatoes are served with a sprinkling of your choice of dry spice mixture.

Each batch of Twice Cooked Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes are boiled, smashed, and flash fried to golden perfection and entreat guests to create their own layover flavor with five available Shakers. These proprietary seasoning mixtures developed by Chef Kuniko were inspired by the Japanese shaker (Furikake), the ubiquitous rice flavoring from her native Japan.  They are as refined and possessed of a depth of flavors as the rest of the menu.

I had the Za’atar and the Furitake. This sounds so simple but to make it as perfect as they are is a revelation – I have NEVER had better tasting potatoes in my life. It’s the type of potatoes they are using, which you’ve never had before. They are simply worth a trip here if only for them.

Each batch of Twice Cooked Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes are boiled, smashed, and flash fried to golden perfection and entreat guests to create their own layover flavor with five available Shakers. These proprietary seasoning mixtures developed by Chef Kuniko were inspired by the Japanese shaker (Furikake), the ubiquitous rice flavoring from her native Japan.

Lastly they have little desserts which are slices of jelly-roll sponge cake with mousse fillings in various flavors such as Dulce de Leche and Fudge. These are only $1.00 each and make for a light ending.

They have a variety of cold coffee drinks and a thick yummy Latte to drink and soft drinks.

Three movie house down the street on Broxton make SpireWorks™ an ideal destination for the after-show crowd, especially since the restaurant is open until 10 p.m.  I think one hot coffee would be a good idea to add, so you can come in just for dessert and coffee after an evening show.

There is both outside patio seating and comfortable inside seating. The lighting is bright and diners will find it easy to hear each other even when it’s busy. I’m looking forward to my next “trip.”

SpireWorks™    1061 Broxton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024 T: 424.220.6299  www.SpireWorks.com 

SpireWorks™ will be open daily from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm. For more information about SpireWorks™, please visit www.SpireWorks.com.