What was supposed to be a simple dinner with a good friend turned into a birthday party, with my girlfriend and some friends surprising me at Bashan Restaurant, one of my favorite NELA restaurants. The restaurant from Nadav Bashan and his wife Romy, resides in the northern Glendale hamlet of Sparr Heights and features food that belies the relatively basic decor, a dichotomy that more or less matches the Grilled Skirt Steak, which costs $26 or is available as part of a 3-course, $40 prix fixe menu that runs Tuesday through Thursday.

This was one of the better skirt steaks that I’ve enjoyed in L.A., with a winning sear and a rosy pink core. A vivid poached egg yolk was nice and runny in the middle, more or less doubling as a sauce. Pickled shallots, micro parsley, a wild thatch of frisée and Peppadew peppers provided plenty of textural contrast, and the tangy Sherry Dijon vinaigrette that graced the accompanying salad added enough acid pop to balance the savory meat. I’ll remember the friendly surprise most in the future, but may have enjoyed Bashan’s steak most at the moment.