Chef Jonathan Kim grills salmon perfectly and places it on a bed of carrot and lemon puree. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

With an exciting design and inclusive, playful atmosphere, the restaurant at the hotel Mama Shelter in Hollywood has brought on one of my favorite chefs, Jonathan Kim, of Water Grill, Providence, Bashan and Sunset Marquis to helm the kitchen.

Housed in the historic 1926 building formerly known as the Hotel Wilcox, the Mama Shelter concept came to Hollywood in 2015 after a history that started in 2008, when the first hotel and restaurant opened in Paris. Serge Trigano, who also created Club Med, launched the Paris location with his sons Jérémie and Benjamin. Now there are Mama Shelters on three continents, nine countries and 14 cities.

I stayed overnight in the hotel, and my friend and I toured my corner room before dining. A welcome message on a large mirror that said, “Mama Loves You Jill” touched my soul – my mother passed away in 1992.

Designer Thierry Gaugain created cozy rooms with a hint of cheekiness. Lights on either side of the king size bed were adorned with small Darth Vader masks to diffuse the light. At the workspace were two scripts, “Swingers” by Jon Favreau and “The Big Lebowski,” with a flat screen television on the wall. Underneath was a small refrigerator with complimentary bottles of water, a bowl of fresh fruit and a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

The lobby area is whimsical with candy machines, tabletop games, an extra-long foosball table and colorful chairs. We then ventured up to the rooftop restaurant which offers 360-degree views of Los Angeles. My friend Deborah and I sat at a table looking out towards the Hollywood sign. The menu on the rooftop is a little more casual than Kim’s restaurant downstairs, so we shared a crudite plate of fresh vegetables with a red bell pepper dip with a glass of sparkling orange wine. For views looking towards the west, an arrangement of comfortable day beds offers a place to relax and unwind while listening to live music.

After enjoying our aperitif, we returned to the lobby level and enjoyed dinner in the main dining room.  Our server highlighted some of Mama Shelter’s French, Asian and American inspired dishes that Kim and his team prepare nightly. When he brought out two thick slices of housemade milk bread on a plate with soft spreadable butter, I knew we were in for a delightful culinary adventure. Kim uses this bread for his Wagyu sandwich topped with chili aioli and taro chips.

The wine menu offers an interesting selection of French, Italian, Greek and even a bubbly wine from Lebanon. Cocktails are named “Rebel Without a Cause,” made with Kaiyo Japanese Whiskey, and “Fools Who Dream,” made with New Amsterdam Gin, Lillet Blanc, Prosecco, lemon and thyme.

We ordered glasses of Santa Barbara County Diatom chardonnay to enjoy with appetizers. Winemaker Greg Brewer’s chardonnay has a slight saline essence. He named it Diatom for the oceanic diatomaceous earth where the chardonnay grapes grow. I appreciated the notes of apple, pear, graham cracker and baking spices.

The menu offers gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegetarian and vegan options. Small plates include a market lettuce salad topped with mint, tarragon, micro flowers and an avocado vinaigrette. The vegan polenta gnocchi are topped with a nettle pistou made with olive oil, green nettle leaves, maitaki mushrooms and sprinkling of cheese.

We ordered the rhubarb red hamachi crudo adorned with a kaleidoscope of colors of basil seeds, sliced cucumber and jalapeño in lime juice. It was superb.

When the tender braised short ribs and Faroe Island salmon arrived, they were also visually spectacular. What made the short ribs striking were the bulls-eye watermelon radish wafers. The beef was cooked for hours and served with black and green garlic and a fava bean salad.

The salmon was served on top of a thick carrot and lemon puree, which was slightly sweet and earthy in flavor and was enhanced with pickled ramps, thin turnip medallions and cilantro.

Other entrées on the menu include fried chicken with a bacon and chili jam and kimchi; and a plate of shrimp agnolotti with asparagus, chili crisps, Thai basil and pea tendrils.

Save room for dessert because they offer some winners. We enjoyed the chocolate cake with chocolate sorbet and toasted coconut. They also make ice cream and sorbet here, and the flavors included avocado, strawberry olive oil and coconut Oreo.

After dinner, we walked by the open kitchen and applauded Kim and his culinary team. The chef proudly introduced each member of his team and said they all work very well together. He is so happy to be working at Mama Shelter in a large kitchen with such a talented crew. They nourish and uplift every diner’s soul with their thoughtful and flavorful presentation. $$ 6500 Selma Ave., (323)785-6669.