Mother’s Day took on added meaning with the birth of my daughter in April 2017. We weren’t ready to celebrate my wife’s first Mother’s Day in a restaurant setting right away, but made her second chance count, enjoying brunch at Here’s Looking At You. This was the first brunch ever from chef Jonathan Whitener and front of house partner Lien Ta at their seasonal, genre bending Koreatown restaurant. Bonus: their soundtrack included legendary ’80s dance tracks like Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time,” New Edition’s “Cool It Now” and Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You.”

Every dish delivered on a high level, but I was particularly impressed with HLAY’s Coconut Waffle ($16). This griddled tour de force featured lacy coconut batter with crispy edges, savory koji cream, sweet blueberry compote loaded with plump berries, tart ume, smoked maple syrup, and a light powdered sugar dusting. The ethereal texture and multi-layered flavor elevated this waffle to the top of my Waffle Mount Everest.