@benhundreds has a knack for knowing exactly what the people want.
First, it was the perfect graphic hoodie, courtesy of his street style brand @thehundreds . Now, it’s the refined American dining Los Angeles didn’t realize it was missing. The clothing line co-founder swore he’d never open a restaurant, but after pulling off @familystylefest , a first-of-its-kind fusion of fashion and food, his denials stopped making sense.
Two years later, @thebenjaminhollywood arrived: a love letter to classic American dining with a throwback sensibility, housed in a classic 1930s Art Deco space that nods to Hollywood’s decadent Golden Age. But beyond the luxe banquettes and clubby charm, it’s also a new community pillar in a city still recovering.
In the wake of devastating wildfires, Los Angeles’s restaurants have emerged as venues for bringing people together, or for tapping into a long-standing network of Angelenos. Now, Shenassafar is inviting locals into his newly opened joint, made possible by that same network of culinary creatives. If you’d like to try out the Benjamin, just do what Shenassafar does when he tests out a new spot: order the entire menu and a martini.
Read his conversation with CULTURED at the link in bio.
Photography by @rickronson
For those of you that know me, you know how much I love retail. I’ve always wanted my own store and for the last 18+ years I had one.
I built a store with my best friend. A store that made a difference in people’s lives, a store where a community was built, a store that was being paid attention to by people all over the world. We watched strangers make new friends, become best friends, and fall in love. We watched people laugh, and we watched them cry. We built a place that was safe for kids, teenagers, and adults alike. RSWD wasn’t just a store where you went to shop. It was much bigger than that.
Fairfax and Rosewood was home too many of us. A lot of us grew up on that corner. We went from being kids to adults. For many of us, I think that the closing of our shop symbolizes the closing of the chapter of our childhood.
On the last day of the of the shop, I took my son to experience it one last time. We hung out with the guys for a couple hours, had some lunch and talked some shit. On our way home, he looked at me and said, “Dad, that was really cool. I liked being a part of the crew and hanging out.” That’s what going to our store was all about.
#RSWD #REALRSWD
I’ve been getting asked for years when I’m opening a restaurant. I never wanted to open one. I know how hard it is. I know what goes into it. I’ve seen my closest friends do it over and over again. It’s a lot of work. My answer has always been, “I throw a food festival, that’s the closest I’ll get to it.”
Last year, something changed. My gut told me it was time. I’m not sure why, or what happened, but that feeling was there. I talked to Jared. I talked to Bobby. I talked to all my closest friends and family. It was time.
Jared came to me in October to show me a space he liked. I walked in and knew it was the one. Half a year later I’m ready to announce my first restaurant, @thebenjaminhollywood
🎥 by @_johnnychang
The 3 best meals I ate in Tokyo are…
1. Aji No Nakamura was the kind of meal that I’m gonna be thinking about for a very long time. Traditional Kyoto-style cooking with an almost spiritual level of precision and care. Nothing loud or performative — just incredible dashi, pristine seasonal ingredients, and a deep sense of balance and subtlety in every course. Every dish was absolute perfection. This Izakaya blew me away and was my favorite meal of the trip.
2. Kunn was one of the best tasting menu experiences I’ve had in 2026. Only 4 people working in the whole restaurant. Chef Haruhiko cooking the food, his wife handling all the wine and drinks and two people helping out in the kitchen. The chef’s precision behind this smoked omakase dinner is something I’ve never experienced before. Nothing flashy, nothing wasted, just 30 years of running a quiet little restaurant that you’ve never heard of. The food, the drinks, the hospitality. Such a beautiful experience and one I’ll be thinking about for the rest of the year.
3. Komiyama-Nishiazabu is the Yakiniku restaurant I’ve always dreamt about. An entire tasting menu centered around A5 Wagyu Beef, executed with the same precision and restraint as an elite sushi counter. Every course felt intentional: smoke, charcoal, fat, texture, temperature. Nothing excessive or trying too hard. Just quiet mastery and obsessive attention to detail. If you know me, you know this is exactly the way I like to eat.
I could argue Tokyo is the best food city in the world. Not because it’s flashy. Because nobody cuts corners. The respect for craft is everywhere — in the silence, in the pacing, in the details nobody posts about.
I’ve been going to Tokyo for almost 20 years. It’s one of my favorite cities. Every time I go, I fall in love with it all over again. This time was no different.
I spent 6 days and 6 nights shopping, eating, and exploring this magical city. I haven’t been this inspired in years. I saw parts of the city I hadn’t seen before (thank you Sean and Brandon), I found and ate more incredible food (thank you Julia, Taka and Andre), and the best part of it all is that ran into so many friends and familiar faces.
I love Tokyo. It’s a city that every person should visit at least once. Honestly, it’s a city every person should visit once a year.
Slide 6 - Narukiyo
Slide 8 - Tonkastu Maisen Aoyama
Slide 10 - Katsudon-ya Zuicho
Slide 18 - Harajuku Gyozarou
QUARTERLY REPORT - Q1 ‘26
I get asked daily where my favorite places to eat in LA are, so I’ve decided to make a quarterly list of everywhere I’ve eaten from January to March in LA, RANKED, and share them with all of you. My goal is to do this at the end of every quarter. Over the last few months I’ve eaten at over 50 restaurants and these were my top 20. For those you wondering, yes, my restaurant will always be on my list!
1. Dunsmoor
2. Ceviche Project
3. Lielle
4. RVR
5. Kato
6. Chainsaw
7. Funke
8. Park’s BBQ
9. Saffy’s
10. Holbox
11. Raffi’s
12. Morihiro
13. Pizzeria Sei
14. Queens Raw Bar
15. Sushi Tomoki
16. Hojokban
17. Gjusta
18. Little Fish
19. Nersses Vanak
20. The Benjamin
Honorable mentions to Max and Helen’s, Cafe Telegrama, Mae Malai, El Ruso and Ohana Superette.
Notes from the past couple weeks of meals…
Lielle is the best new restaurant to open in LA in the past two years. Fried artichokes are back at Funke and are a must order. Does Telegrama make the best pancake in the city? Name a better restaurant than Dunsmoor right now, I’ll wait. Pine and Crane is a perfect lunch. I love Raffi’s and Hamlet’s Kitchen is like eating kabob in my uncle’s backyard. Sushi Tomoki is a top valley sushi spot and worth a visit.
When it comes to knowing LA, @benhundreds is kind of that guy. The co-founder of @thehundreds spent two decades shaping Southern California streetwear before opening @thebenjaminhollywood and the cocktail bar above it, @barbenjaminhollywood .
Swipe to see the places that shaped his taste. Comment “BEN” and we’ll DM you his full list 🔗
Bites and notes from the past couple weeks…
Ohana Superette is worth all the hype. Maybe my favorite lunch in Silverlake right now? Gjusta is the best lunch on the Westside of LA. There is no argument to be made here. I love RVR. If you haven’t had El Ruso lately you should go. Their flour tortillas are S tier. Sitting at the pizza counter at Mother Wolf is the best seat in the house. Kato made the best “filet-o-fish” I’ve ever had in my life. The Maison Premiere x Bar Benjamin cocktails slapped.
Notes from eating in LA the past month…
Our new dry-aged ribeye from Pat LaFrieda might be one of the best steaks you’ll find in the city. You’ll love our new Thai Town Chicken salad. Ceviche Project is one of the best restaurants in LA and deserves more praise. The spaghetti pomodoro at Etra should always be ordered. Wednesdays are for fried chicken and waffles at Max n Helen’s. Weekend lunch at Queens is one of my favorites. Hojokban might be the best new Korean restaurant in the city. Broken Spanish is the best Mexican restaurant on the westside. Chainsaw just gets better and better. Sushi K has the best pound for pound omakase in the city, don’t @ me.
