OF THE TWO hummus plates on Saffy’s menu, one is an advanced course in subtle contrasts: chickpeas blitzed to weightlessness; a dollop of lemony, long-simmered fava beans; and a pool of good olive oil to unite them. But then there is the hummus tahini. A quenelle-shaped garnish of green zhoug, the Yemeni hot sauce, brings in acidic jolt, but the real clincher is the handful of Lebanese pine nuts. The cost of exquisite pine nuts — long and tapered, buttery and hinting of resin — has lately skyrocketed. I’d rather eat three of these than a handful of the short, squat, tasteless variety. The same details uplift grilled lobster brushed with green harissa; woodfire-kissed shawarma shaved from the spit to order; and skewered lamb herbed with dried mint and marjoram, then lightened by minced sweet peppers.

Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis’ third restaurant, in an Art Deco space across from the big blue Church of Scientology building in East Hollywood, follows their downtown successes with Bestia and Bavel. Given Saffy’s focus on kebabs and a dozen or so Californiainflected small plates, it may have appeared that the couple was striving for something more casual. One can argue how “casual” may be best defined these days; I certainly wouldn’t label Saffy’s as inexpensive. And really, given the ambition on display, Menashe and Gergis don’t quite seem capable of a stripped-down, laid-back style of restaurateuring. It’s largely to our benefit. Check out their small daytime bakery next door for excellent ham and cheese biscuits.

• 4845 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles, (424) 699-4845, saffysla.com