Grant Smillie & David Combs Founders of EP & LP South East Asian Restaurant
b'E.P. & L.P - the restaurant-rooftop-bar -place-to-be-seen that Smillie and his fellow Australian business partner David Combes built from scratch in West Hollywood - counts the likes of Al Pacino, Matt Damon and Jerry Bruckheimer among its star-studded clientele.
Such heady success is no small feat in a city that is notoriously difficult to impress. It was built on business acumen, creative nous, two years of hard work and an investment of about five million dollars. "When I started the project, I didn\'t have grey hair," Smillie reflects.
A cornerstone of the overnight success story of E.P. & L.P., located on North La Cienega Boulevard near iconic Melrose Avenue has been its food offering. "We believe there was a gap in the market in the way that Australians do a spin on modern Asian. Louis Tikaram (formerly Longrain, Sydney) is a real asset."
Being a pair of Aussies in Tinsel Town \\u2013 where casting agents and barflies alike drink up the Antipodean accent and work ethic \\u2013 certainly hasn\'t hurt. "Americans love an Aussie," Smillie says. "They love the way we work, and our spirit and integrity. They really like risk-takers and go-getters."'