Discovering The Deck at Hollywood & Highland

Back in April as I was rushing between screenings at TCM Film Fest I noticed something interesting at Hollywood & Highland. Just outside the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres was a new food court but instead of the usual fast casual chains it was populated by independent spots showcasing unique fair. I was curious but I had movies to catch so I stuck with theater popcorn as my main sustenance throughout the fest. Lucky for me, I was recently invited to preview all the new spots at a special event celebrating The Deck at Hollywood & Highland and was excited to try them out.

I brought along my good pal Mary and we each grabbed a glass of wine and made our way through the restaurants. There are seven eateries in total – Fist of Fusion Island Grill, Jinya Ramen Express, Mamacita, Pokinometry, Wafflejack, Whealthy and Coldstone Creamery – and we managed to try almost all of them and I must admit I was surprised that Fist of Fusion Island Grill was my favorite discovery. I’m not the biggest fan of Hawaiian cuisine (it’s a bit too sweet for me) but I loved the two items I sampled.

The Spam Musubi was the perfect combination of sweet and savory and the Island Chicken Taco was a tasty hybrid of Hawaiian and Mexican cuisine. I can definitely see myself snacking on these between screenings at next year’s fest.

I also was quite fond of my dish from Jinya Ramen Express.

They’ve got a build it yourself ramen bar and I went to town loading mine with crispy pork, cilantro, garlic, corn and lots of other goodies. As the sun went down it got a little chilly and the ramen was the perfect way to warm up.

Now, I love poke so I was excited to try out Pokinometry.

The build it yourself poke bar did not disappoint and I had a delicious bowlful of goodness. Mary is gluten-free and she was happy to discover their were plenty of options for her and she too enjoyed a hearty bowl of poke.

As for dessert there was only one choice for me…

Wafflejack. Their churro waffle did not disappoint. Loaded with cinnamon sugar it was a tasty end to the night.

I can’t tell you how excited I am that The Deck is now open. Conveniently located outside the  TCL Chinese 6 Theatres it’s going to be my go to spot every-time I head to the movies. As for next year’s TCM Fest all I can say is goodbye popcorn!