Publicist Rembrandt Flores picks his top places in Los Angeles

I chose to live in LA because I honestly believe it’s the best place on Earth. The weather is phenomenal throughout the year, which keeps me outdoors and pumped full of Vitamin D. You can go to any restaurant and find food options that are free of gluten, sugar or dairy.

I also love that LA is so expansive. One minute I can be swimming in the ocean, then having a bite at Soho House in Malibu, followed by hiking up Runyon Canyon Park, before looking at Jeff Koons’ sculpture at The Broad.

 

The next minute I could be bumping into celebrity friends at a party and walking the red carpet of a movie premiere. And that’s just in one day! Where else can you do that?

I co-founded Entertainment Fusion Group (EFG), a full-service entertainment marketing and public relations agency, in 2002. We help brands, products and personalities build and grow through positive messaging in media.

Our job is to make these brands relevant and eventually turn them into household names. We’ve represented companies like Asics, LG Mobile and Tinder, and currently work with Diageo, Ubisoft, WE tv and SBE.

Most importantly, we throw the hottest parties in LA and organize big events all over the country. We are the ones behind everything, from the Rolling Stone Super Bowl extravaganza to the post-Oscar party Prince held at his house. I’m working all the time, but I love it.

LA is a great place to live as a PR executive because it’s at the forefront of all that is cool, sexy and relevant. So many trends and icons have started in this City of Angels — they call it that because I do believe this is heaven on Earth.

 

---

SATURDAY

9AM

After going through emails and social media, I put on workout gear and go to Erewhon Market (7660 Beverly Blvd) – a super-healthy grocery shop near my house – for a Health Warrior Chia Bar in chocolate peanut butter and a bottle of Generosity Water. Because of its high alkalinity, it’s better for you than regular bottled water.

Then I’m off to Training Mate (7825 Santa Monica Blvd) in West Hollywood for a circuit training class, my favorite workout at the moment. The owners hail from Australia, and I love their laid-back attitude and accents! It’s an insane session, but it’s really good for someone like me who has serious ADHD.

After the grueling workout, I drive to Earthbar (8365 Santa Monica Blvd) to refuel. I almost always get a Chocolate Supreme smoothie, because my eyes and brain think it’s a delicious dessert instead of a healthy drink. Occasionally I get a G Spot (get your mind out of the gutter), because it has a ton of protein as well as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and peanut butter. It’s so delicious it even tastes a bit naughty.

Midday

This is the time I usually take business meetings on weekends. I’m a workaholic, I can’t help it. I head over to Zinqué (8684 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood), a hip French bistro located on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. It has a great outdoor patio which is perfect for weekend lounging, with an outdoor fireplace to boot. I order the salmon tartine, which is just the right amount of fish and crème fraiche on a perfectly toasted Poilâne bread from Paris. C’est magnifique! A glass of rosé is the perfect complement. This spot is never too loud and never too quiet, which makes it the perfect spot for my Saturday meetings or catch-up work on my laptop.

2PM

After meetings, it’s time to clear my head and get inspired – so I hit up one of the many local museums. I tend to gravitate towards modern, whimsical, contemporary and street art, so I’m fond of visiting the Gagosian Gallery (456 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills) and the Ace Gallery (5514 Wilshire Blvd). I also just went to the Rain Room at LACMA (5905 Wilshire Blvd), and I must say that it’s something everyone should see once in their lifetime. Tickets are hard to come by, so make sure to plan way in advance.

5PM

I get a haircut every weekend, and there are only two places I go to. First stop is Legends the Barbershop (431 N Fairfax Ave) on Fairfax where I get my impeccable fade by JayR Mallari, who also happens to cut the hair of NBA star Stephen Curry. And yes, I am a Golden State Warriors fan since I grew up in Los Gatos. Then Nine Zero One Salon (8469 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood) on Melrose Place, which is owned by my friends Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee. This salon is an oasis and I could spend the whole day here. I get my hair colored or a bit more styled by my fellow Pinoy, Florido Basallo, who counts Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin as regular clients.

8PM

On Saturday nights I always crave sushi, and my go-to spot is Sugarfish (101 South La Brea Ave) on La Brea. They have several locations all over Los Angeles, but this one is closest to home. While most diners just go with one of the three omakase selections, I prefer to order à la carte. I get an order each of albacore belly, unagi, uni and ikura, plus a blue crab hand roll and lobster hand roll. I know that sounds like a lot, but I eat all of it and, believe it or not, still have room for more.

After dinner, I give in to my sweet tooth and get in line over at Milk (7290 Beverly Blvd). I get a customized ice-cream sandwich with one chocolate-chip cookie, a peanut butter cookie and half a scoop of coffee ice-cream (since I’m trying to be healthy). I really hope my trainer doesn’t read this, as he’ll probably know why I haven’t lost any weight lately.

10PM

Saturday nights in LA are for letting loose, so what better way to do that than head to the newly opened Nightingale Plaza (643 N La Cienega Blvd)? This new crown jewel of the SBE hospitality group is where everyone wants to see and be seen. Just last month, this club hosted the Entertainment Weekly Emmy party where every celeb was in attendance. This place is major!

 

---

SUNDAY

9AM

I wake up later than usual and make a quick jaunt to the Melrose Place Farmers Market (8400 Melrose Place, West Hollywood). This place has the freshest produce – all organic, of course – so I usually munch on some berries to wake me up.

For a proper breakfast, I head over to République (624 South La Brea Ave) on La Brea. Pastries are the first things you see upon entering the restaurant and I can never resist, so I get a couple (but dare not list them here, because my trainer will kill me).

I also order a Green Shake with kale, green apple, cucumber, parsley, celery, avocado and pineapple. To balance it out, I pick the incomparable Breakfast Sandwich that has a perfect fried egg, pork sausage and melted American cheese. This thing is several bites of heaven – but wait, I order more! I get the Adobo Fried Rice made with pork belly and fried eggs. I’m Filipino after all, so I have to get my silog fix some way, somehow.

Midday

I stop back at home to play with my dog Diesel in the yard for a bit. This is my version of morning exercise to work off what I just ate, while I figure out with whom and where I’m supposed to go for lunch. There are so many great lunch spots in LA but I usually go to Joan’s on Third (8350 W 3rd St) for their egg salad sandwich, The Sycamore Kitchen (143 S La Brea Ave) for their scrambled egg and chorizo sandwich with melted Swiss cheese (which makes my stomach smile).

Right now I’m also really liking Sawyer (3709 W Sunset Blvd), a restaurant my friend Jay Milliken opened a couple months ago. I love the fish tacos, lobster roll and a carrot ginger cocktail that’s made up of all healthy ingredients like ginger and turmeric, but with a splash of vodka. It’s like detoxing and re-toxing at the same time. I am truly praying that my trainer doesn’t read this! Sometimes I need a cheat day, or two.

After lunch I walk around the Melrose Trading Post (7850 Melrose Ave), a few blocks away from where I live. It opens every Sunday, and I always find something that excites or inspires me. I recently purchased a vintage Chanel piece of art that was owned by Karl Lagerfeld himself! There’s something for everyone here – art, jewelry, clothes, furniture, music.

5PM

With my lunch digested after shopping, I hit Runyon Canyon (2000 N Fuller Ave) for a late-afternoon hike. I like to go later in the day when it’s not so hot (this is so LA). Runyon is great because it’s convenient, and there is always a good celeb sighting such as Jared Leto or Amanda Seyfried. And I can bring Diesel along! I’m embarrassed to tell you that I am very LA and I drive there. I don’t walk anywhere except to get my mail. I’m very active, but I drive everywhere to be active. I know, I’m such a cliché. I currently drive a BMW M4. I’m a speed demon, so I tend to own sports cars.

7PM

Sunday dinners are great, because this is when I get to actually entertain at home. I usually tell my guests to bring a main course while I provide a simple green salad and desserts like ice-cream, which I have delivered from Wanderlust Creamery (18511 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana). My favorites right now include Smoked Chocolate and Ube Malted Crunch. How can you be Pinoy and not want some of that?

My friends and I will then walk to Ysabel (945 N Fairfax Ave, West Hollywood) for a nightcap to end the weekend. We love it there because this place is totally unassuming from the outside, but once you step inside it is absolutely magical at night. It’s mostly outdoors with an amazing garden-like feel, so it’s the perfect place for light bites and drinks.

It doesn’t hurt that there is always a young and good-looking crowd there. I mean, who doesn’t want good eye candy while imbibing, right? I order the Jannine (Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Pimm’s sous-vide with strawberry, ginger, cucumber, Thai basil and celery bitters) or the Kali (Château La Coste Bellugue Rosé, Giffard Pamplemousse and Lichi Li with lemon, rose petals and strawberries). It’s the perfect way to end a very eventful weekend in this amazing city.