LAGuide
LA’s New Restaurant Openings
photo credit: Jakob Layman
If you tried to keep track of every new restaurant and bar in LA, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the openings that seem like they have the most potential. Although, keep in mind, we make no promises about the places we haven't visited yet. Go forth and be a pioneer—or just keep up with our Hit List to see which new restaurants we checked out and loved.
APRIL
Another big restaurant comeback story for 2024: Cobras & Matadors, the neighborhood Spanish spot that was one of 2022's best new restaurants, has quietly reopened in the former Spartina space on Melrose after shuttering early last year. Several of our favorites from the old menu have made their way back as well, like the garlicky gambas, crispy green lentils with shredded bits of jamón, and the excellent roasted chicken bathed in tangy jus.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Ever heard of a tiki bar on top of a hot dog stand? Neither had we until Lucky Tiki. This secretive, reservation-only West Hollywood spot is located above Tail O’ The Pup and is accessed by buzzing a hidden intercom inside a pickle barrel on the first floor. Inside you’ll find a tropical paradise full of beaded entryways, bamboo huts, and cocktails served in treasure chests and edible sandboxes. Reservations are already booked out for months, so plan on setting up every watilist notification possible.
We’ve eaten many smashburgers at this job, and we agree with a lot of you: if you’ve had one, you’ve (mostly) had them all. But Ban Ban Burger looks different. This Sawtelle spot from the Tuk Tuk Thai people is making Thai-inspired smashburgers (woah), with creations like a wagyu laab burger with mint gremolata, and a grapow-seasoned smash topped with a runny egg. Also on the menu are panang fried chicken sandwiches, plus laab fries, and pandan milkshakes.
Nardo West Hollywood (Nardo *Beverly Grove* if we’re being technical) is the second location of an upscale Italian spot from Huntington Beach. The specialty is Neapolitan pizza, which comes in nearly 20 varieties, plus calzone and fried pizza options if that’s your thing. Besides the standard margherita, there are pizzas topped with cured chorizo, mortadella, and smoked mozzarella. There’s also decently sized pasta, small plates, and protein menus if you prefer calamari, lasagna, and a milanese cutlet.
Westfield Century City Mall is becoming something of a ramen hub with its newest addition: Ramen Ochi. It’s the first U.S. location of the Japanese ramen chain, known for its award-winning “sanju broth” made with pork, beef, and chicken. Their signature Nikutama ramen is finished with pork belly, chives, fish cake, and a golden egg yolk that gets mixed in. A few tsukemen options are also available, as well as karaage and some plump-looking gyoza.
If you like food on sticks and a variety of drink options, Kushiba seems like your kind of place. This Echo Park izakaya from the chef behind Shibumi specializes in Japanese kushikatsu, deep-fried skewers popular in Osaka. Kushiba fries up things like shrimp, “wieners” wagyu, and shitakes— that you order a la carte or as a six-skewer omakase. There’s also beer, sake, and Japanese whiskeys to pair, plus appetizers like potato salad with smoked eel.
Originally a food truck and roaming pop-up, onigiri specialist Supamu finally has a permanent home in the former Michin Dak space in Koreatown. The casual walk-up stand serves a unique style of onigiri from Okinawa, which involves rice and nori sheets folded up with fillings, sandwich-style—take your pick of things like grilled spam, tamago, spicy tuna, and fried soft shell crab.
The people behind Ktown’s Tokki have pivoted with a new concept in the same space called Danbi. Well, it’s not all that new—it’s still a Korean small plates spot as before, just with an overhauled menu. The relatively short list of dishes includes thinly sliced pork jowl, charcoal-grilled bone marrow, and a sexy-looking uni bibimbap. The drinks menu is twice as long as the food, featuring everything from makgeolli-spiked espresso martinis to unfiltered rice wines and Korean beer.
Vespertine is back and seems unrelatable as ever. Located in its original, undeniably cool building in Culver City, the experimental fine dining restaurant will serve a “multi-sensory” 16-course tasting menu titled “The Origin of Everything,” for $395 per person. There will be fungi, algae, and fish sourced from the deepest, darkest ocean. There will be aged dairy calf raised strictly on its mother’s milk, and also papaya juice. (All of these are real.) Expect an atmospheric, synth-heavy soundtrack in the dining room, too.
Unlike the weekend lines at its Venice location, All’Antico Vinaio moves fast. Less than six months after opening its first LA location, the viral sandwich shop from Florence now has a second branch in Koreatown, where you can order focaccia panini filled with cold cuts, stracciatella, and creamy truffle spread (without the Westside crowds, we hope).
Venice’s Coucou just opened a second location in West Hollywood, which makes sense to us. This French-ish spot has a chic bistro look and serves oyster platters, steak frites, and their so-called “perfect martini.” (We’ve had the one in Venice, and it lives up to the name) Also, their signature soft serve sundaes are off-menu, but still available.
Anyone in the Hancock Park/Hollywood area has likely seen this building and thought, “When is this place going to open?” or “Sushi from Germany? Hmm.” Well, after two years, Sushi Palace is finally happening. The German chain specializes in showy dishes like caviar-topped wagyu nigiri, beetroot-stained cut rolls, and tuna tartare with a little quail egg on top. There’s also stuff that’s not remotely sushi-related, like burrata over diced avocado.
This popular smashburger spot has a new location right on the Venice Boardwalk, and you can expect the same tight menu as the Beverly Grove shop: two smashburgers available as a single or double, plus a grilled cheese and fries. The Oklahoma burger—topped with a mountain of onions mushed into the salty patty—is our favorite.
Burgette is a Parisian-inspired burger spot next door to Santa Monica’s Bar Monette (owned by the same people), and likely the only place in LA serving a salmon belly smashburger. If that grabbed your attention, so will most things on their menu: wagyu smashburgers with bone marrow butter and raclette, fried chicken cordon bleu with asparagus relish, and the namesake La Burguette with “Parisian sauce” and mimolette. Small plates, charcuterie, and a sexy chocolate croissant dessert are also up for grabs.
The owner of Larchmont’s Le Petit Greek has moved to a new spot on West 3rd Street called Greek Eats. For a small counter-service spot, the menu is huge. They're making spanakopita, giant cubes of lamb souvlaki served with fries and tabbouleh, and a gyro section with various meat options, plus grilled halloumi.
We don’t have too many details on this coffee shop, so we can’t answer the cliffhanger question. Here's what we know: it’s in Montrose and one of the owners runs Footwork Coffee Service, a roaming DJ/coffee/pastry pop-up. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more details, but feel free to snoop for yourself on Instagram.
MARCH
Wax Paper’s Chinatown location closed last year, but now it’s back open for business, serving the same NPR-host-named sandwiches and fancy swirled soft serve. Our favorites remain the Ira Glass with sharp cheddar, avocado, and a mountain of sprouts, and the Larry Mantle, a hefty Italian sub with bologna, salami, and pecorino.
The people behind Park’s BBQ have opened a more casual, pork-focused Korean barbecue spot called K-Team, which sounds like a new Marvel series on streaming. The K-Team menu is short and sweet, with six pork cuts and three beef, including pork collar steak, thick-cut pork belly, and beef brisket. The sides look great, too, including kimchi stew, spicy acorn noodles, and bubbling steamed egg.
In other spinoff news, the Iki Ramen folks just launched this new handroll concept across the street from their Hollywood location. The food looks like a whole lot of seafood luxury wrapped in nori: lobster, minced toro, and uni topped with caviar. Handroll set menus and a la carte sushi and sashimi are also available.
Ever seen a photo of a sandwich and feel butterflies? That’s what happened when we saw the French-style ficelle at La ‘Croque in Long Beach. This “European-style” sandwich spot specializes in croque monsieurs, but there’s also a vegetarian sandwich with avocado and sun-dried tomatoes, a pesto-y caprese on a pretzel roll, and the aforementioned ficelle: a cherry-walnut-orange-flavored baguette filled with prosciutto, brie, and French butter.
There’s a new strip mall sushi spot in Koreatown that’s caught our eye: Hato Sushi. The menu is huge, the nigiri looks enticing, and so does the $80 omakase. Expect traditional nigiri like toro, hotate, and shime saba, busy rolls full of crispy onions and tempura, hot udon, and appetizers like karaage and gyoza.
Who is Guac Daddy? We may never know, but here’s what we do know about this casual taquería attached to the Los Feliz theater. There’s sidewalk seating, virgin mango mojitos, and a large menu of tacos, California burritos, vampiros, and, their specialty, Baja-style tacos with shrimp or fish. If you’re not into seafood, they've got options like asada, birria, mushrooms, and even bulgogi.
This popular cookie pop-up has a full-time home in West Adams. Operating as a walk-up window, Fleur et Sels stocks over 20 different flavors, including sea salt chocolate chip, caramelized butter pecan, and lemon poppyseed crinkle.
Echo Park’s beloved Cuban bakery closed due to family drama in late 2023, but now it’s reopened under new ownership—could this be the baked goods feel-good story of the year? Among the new owners is a former pastry chef at Quarter Sheets (and founder of DC ice cream shop Milk Cult), but you can still expect their classic guava cream cheese pastries and cubano sandwiches on the menu.
photo credit: Sylvio Martins
Remember Kogi? If you inhaled a short rib burrito at one of their trucks over the last decade-plus, of course you do. The chef behind the iconic Korean taco operation has a new concept that fires up in Palms starting at 5pm. The charcoal-powered street taquería serves tacos and burritos on housemade tortillas, with asada, al pastor, chicken, and grilled mushrooms as protein options. Like the Dodgers, Tacos Por Vida is doing a few spring training pop-ups in late March before fully opening in April. Check their IG for dates.
Layla is a new Jordanian restaurant on the ground floor of the Sonder Beacon Santa Monica hotel that looks like a romantic spot to split some mezze. While the mezze looks good (with puffy, freshly baked bread), it's the bigger dishes that left a twinkle in our eyes: short rib kabobs, neatly stacked piles of stuffed grape leaves, lamb tagine, and grilled-until-charred sea bass with blood orange chermoula.
Located in the former Mori Sushi space in West LA, Mori Nozomi is a woman-owned, high-end omakase that runs for $250 per person. There is one service each night, Thursday through Saturday. We don’t know many details about their menu, but based on their social media, expect glistening nigiri with things like surf clams, thread-sail filefish, and marbled toro. Reservations required.
The people behind the Roger Room and Bar Lubitsch have a new spot called The Moon Room. This cocktail spot in Beverly Grove promises to be “chic as f*ck,” and if it’s anything like its sibling bars, the drinks will be good. The space itself is sleek, dark, and a smidge risque, with checkered floors, all-black walls, and tons of paintings of naked people.
Located behind Dada Market (home to Little Fish) is Dada Echo Park, a Berlin-inspired cafe that—based on its social media presence—feels too cool for you? What does this post mean? We don’t know. But we do know it’s a big restaurant space with two bars to sit at, an analog sound system, and cocktails.
We can’t say this restaurant’s name aloud and keep a straight face. But besides that, these breakfast sandwiches look good. Muffin Can Stop Us now has a total of three locations, including this latest one in Downtown. It’s a very yellow counter-service spot where you can order english muffin egg sandwiches with crispy bacon, breakfast sausage, or pastrami. Tater tots, pastries, and various busy coffee drinks are also available.
A slow morning at this Monterey Park shop sounds like a great start to your day. Congee & Noodles House serves, well, congee and noodles. The congee menu, however, is very enticing, with options like shrimp, pig liver, beef filet, and abalone to choose from. There’s also a very juicy-looking hainan chicken rice that caught our eye.
Located on a busy stretch of Santa Monica in East Hollywood, Chick’N 82 is a food stand that serves Korean-style popcorn chicken a few ways. Everything is under $12: a bucket of plain nugs, nugs over rice or salad (or both), and nugs over rice coated in several lashings of spicy mayo.
We see taqueros, tamaleros, and entire food trucks dedicated to mariscos in LA, but we don’t see enough gorditas. At least we now have Gorditas La Baja in Norwalk. Originally a street vendor, this gorditas specialist opened a brick-and-mortar in the neighborhood serving a short eight-item menu. These thick-looking gorditas come stuffed with things like chicharrón verde, chicken tinga, and chorizo with potatoes.
Hear ye, hear ye: The champions of our Smashburger Power Rankings have a new location in Van Nuys. Expect the same menu as the other outlets, featuring a very good fried chicken sandwich and their signature smashburger with lacy edges and grilled onions pressed into the patties.
It’s clear that we, collectively, haven’t emotionally recovered from Souplantation’s recent demise. Fortunately, this spot in Rancho Cucamonga—a copycat concept located in a former Souplantation—offers the same concept every Little League team knows all too well: AYCE salad and buffet at reasonable prices, including soup, pizza, pasta, soft serve, and more. Soup N’ Fresh is already drawing hour-plus lines, even though it’s still in its soft opening phase.
Pali Wine Co. has rebranded itself as Neighborhood Winery, but it’s more than just a name change. The Arts District wine bar is serving a Jewish deli-inspired food menu to pair with its natural wines, like a savory kugel, caviar-topped latkes, and a classic reuben. Look for a wide range of colorful new bottles too, like a sparkling cider-wine hybrid made in collab with Benny Boy Brewing.
There is no shortage of Italian sandwiches in LA, but these ones come on wheels. Operating out of a converted school bus, Sì Roma in Glendale sells a short menu of paninis served on fluffy-looking “Italian-style baguettes.” Fillings include things like Sicilian pecorino, housemade pesto, and the usual cold cuts such as mortadella, salami, and prosciutto cotto.
Chef Kang of Seoul Night by Chef Kang, Chef Kang Food Rehab, and Haneuem by Chef Kang (you get the point) now has Dasom...by Chef Kang. According to their Instagram page, this casual Ktown spot specializes in “legit Korean cuisine,” with dishes like pork belly kimchi stew, oxtail soup, and spicy marinated raw oysters.
Kikata Ramen Ban Nai is a ramen chain from Japan that’s already gained a following in Orange County and is now expanding to LA with its first location in Torrance. Kikata does a few things differently, like using Chinese-style shina soba (a slightly chewier, thicker noodle), and their signature shio broth comes spiked with green chili. Expect nine bowls on the brief menu, including tsukemen, spicy miso, and tan tan ramen, plus some appetizers.
Here’s what you need to know about this new conveyor belt sushi spot on the second floor of Gardena’s giant Tokyo Central supermarket: you order off a touch tablet, the sushi is made with real wasabi and red vinegar from Japan, and the waits are reportedly very long. The menu features a range of premium nigiri, plus hand rolls and cut rolls stuffed with spicy tuna and shrimp tempura. There’s even a separate menu of wagyu sushi menu to explore, too.
Chatterbox, the dark cocktail spot in Downtown’s Theatre District with pool tables, live music, and pinball machines, has been rebranded as The Grayson. We’re still waiting to hear more details about any drink or decor changes, but what we do know is that it’s still serving Fabby’s Sandwicherie’s incredible tortas until midnight. That should be enough of an excuse to come check it out.
John Waters, Anthony Bourdain, and Sal’s Place have one thing in common: they’re all Provincetown, MA legends. This Italian institution has a 75-year history, and, following an extended pop-up last year, is putting down (semi) permanent roots with a location in Weho: Sal’s will spend six months on the West Coast and six months back in P-town, snowbird-style. The Weho location boasts an old-school look with linen curtains and pinstripe booths and a menu of dishes like lobster alla vodka pasta and citrusy endive salad.
Located at the old Madeo address in Weho, Stella is an Italian restaurant by a big-name Toronto chef who drizzles Canadian olive oil on burrata. (Apparently, Canada produces some very good olive oil.) But that’s just one of the interesting things on Stella’s menu, which features wagyu beef tongue carpaccio, aged peking duck in blood orange ragú, and bowls of su filindeu—a thread-like Sicilian pasta in lamb and chicken broth.
Azizam is a term of endearment in Farsi, and good Persian food is the key to our hearts. In other words, we’re into this former pop-up’s new look. At their new daytime cafe in Silver Lake, Azizam is offering various mazeh plates, like yogurt drizzled with mint oil and marinated olives, as well as dishes like sibzamini (fried potatoes with sumac and parsley) and beef kofteh. There’s hot tea, creative drinks, and plenty of baked goods, too, including a Persian mille-feuille layered with pistachios and cream.
This popular taco truck now has a brick-and-mortar in West Whittier. Tacos La Carreta is a Mazatlán-style taquería, which means mesquite grill and drippy chorreadas with asada and a big splatter of salsa. Vampiros, papa locas, and tacos on flour or corn tortillas are also on the menu.
photo credit: Leah Ferrazzani
Semolina & Ferrazzani’s Pasta & Market
We feel an urge to throw our money at this small shop in Pasadena. Part artisanal pasta vendor, part sandwich counter, Semolina & Ferrazzani is a place to peruse imported vinegars, Italian cheeses, and tiny piles of freshly made bucatini. For lunch, the counter makes a short list of sandwiches with things like calabrian chili butter, mortadella, and pickled fennel. There’s housemade Italian ice, too.
Provecho Calimex pops up at the Mar Vista and Marina Del Rey farmers markets, but now you can stop by its first brick-and-mortar cafe in West LA, too. This all-day Mexican spot is known for its loaded breakfast burritos, but they also do a bunch of other stuff, like enfrijoladas, chilaquiles, and veggie burgers for the plant eaters out there.
Urban Dessert Lab is a vegan dessert shop from New York with a new location in West Hollywood. It claims to be the world’s first oat milk ice crème shop (note the accent) with flavors like salted pecan, strawberry shortcake, and cinnamon apple crisp. We’re particularly intrigued about the brûléesants: sugar-coated croissants that are torched until crackly and served with vegan whipped cream.
FEBRUARY
Origin is from the same people behind Quarters, and we’re crossing our fingers that wait times will be shorter at their new spot (at least for a while). The retro-themed restaurant lets you order meats a la carte or as part of set menus, which go from $90 (feeds two) to $235 (feeds six). Expect the usual offerings like brisket and galbi, plus less common finds, like marinated short rib patties.
Pez Coastal Kitchen is the more upscale, more seafood-forward sibling of Downtown’s Pez Cantina. The menu at this Old Town Pasadena restaurant is less heavy on Baja-style mariscos and leans Mediterranean, with a whole fried fish served in a piccata sauce, spaghetti alla chitarra tossed with manila clams, and bistro-y black mussels a la bouillabaisse.
Tarantino fans, movie nerds, or just anyone in Los Feliz who needs a coffee will enjoy this funky ‘70s-themed cafe. Pam’s Coffy is attached to the recently renovated Vista Theater (owned by Mr. Tarantino himself) and dedicated to the 1973 film Coffy (if the branded mugs didn’t give it away). You can drink a butterscotch cafe au lait out of a bright yellow diner mug, eat a $5 bowl of cereal, or sneak into the secluded movie nook to watch an old film.
Union is a modern Filipino restaurant inside Long Beach's Compound, a non-profit arts & wellness space. The menu is—wait for it—a union of many influences. There’s cassava patatas bravas, fried chicken bao buns, and pancit tossed in butter and black garlic.
This popular tsukemen spot on Sawtelle in West LA—synonymous with long lines and intense pork broth—now has a new location in the Arts District. Apart from Tsujita’s signature dip noodles with slices of char siu, the casual Japanese spot does ramen and fancy rice bowls adorned with thighs like pork belly, salmon roe, and runny eggs.
Kavahana is a Smorgasburg vendor with a new brick-and-mortar in Santa Monica—arguably the perfect part of town for their concept. This bright green cafe whisks kava nectar, a frothy root drink that’s been consumed in Hawaii and the South Pacific for centuries and will reportedly help you chill out. You can order your nectar neat or mix it with matcha, ube, and fresh coconut water.
33 Taps is one of our favorite sports bars in Los Angeles, and now, conveniently, there’s a new location just across the street from Crypto Arena in DTLA. It’s the biggest one so far, with fifty TVs and a three-sided jumbotron (in case the fifty TVs weren’t enough screens). Oh, there’s also a separate arcade room with pinball if you don’t care about the game.
Fast-casual tahdig is something we can get behind. Kuku Cafe in Inglewood does just that, plus other Persian and Middle Eastern dishes like braised lamb shank on dill rice, falafel, and shawarma wraps. Their golden, chicken-filled tahdig comes as a perfect portion for one, seasoned with cinnamon and rosewater. Kuku is a walk-up window, so feel free to grab a Persian lunch to-go or enjoy it on their outside patio.
photo credit: Sylvio Martins
Thai Town’s Pa Ord has a spin-off concept called Roasted Duck by Pa Ord. (Can you guess what they sell?) This strip mall poultry shop on Hollywood Blvd. is a short walk away from the original Pa Ord and lets you enjoy duck in many ways: sliced and turned into a spicy salad, served over rice, or tossed with noodles. Or you can get a duck set for one to three people with a side of rice or egg noodles. Cash only.
Shor is a flashy new restaurant in Hawaiian Gardens with an upscale Indian–Pakistani-Afghan menu. Expect stylized versions of classics, like dahi puri, Afghan mantu in spiced yogurt sauce, and rolled dosa the size of your forearm. Shor is a halal restaurant, so it’s booze-free, but you can explore the exotic water menu, which features a $1000 bottle of rare Japanese H20.
If Liberace opened up a Miami Vice-themed lounge, it would probably look like Flamingo Bar. This very pink, very campy queer bar in the Arts District is complete with a disco ball, white tiger statue, and pink neon checkered tiles everywhere. If you’re looking for a dance, drink, and disco soundtrack in the area, look no further.
A cafe that specializes in avocado toast sounds like a skit out of The Californians, but Bravo Toast has loyal followers to back it up. This Weho spot has a new cafe space in Silver Lake with busy drinks like strawberry matcha and maple macadamia lattes. The food menu is where the excitement is, though, with a pancetta and egg scramble on toast and the green goddess avo with burrata.
This Koreatown spot specializes in yubuchobap—vinegared rice, meat, and seafood stuffed into fried bean curd pockets, which makes for a very portable lunch. Kingyubu fills its yubu pouches with things like tuna mayo, bulgogi, and eel—most cost around $6. There’s fusion-style sushi like caterpillar and rainbow rolls on the menu, too, if that’s your jam.
B & T Deli is so Santa Monica, but in a good way. This plant-based sandwich shop on Montana sources its ingredients from farmers market and turns them into very attractive subs, like the Wanda with roasted eggplant, horseradish aioli, and spicy calabrian chilis. You can build your own sandwich, too, and tack on one of their “scrumptious sides,” including celery root salad or tabouli.
Mamie is an Italian daytime counter spot in West Hollywood that bakes bread and pizza. If Panera tastes like cardboard to you, you can get your salad-sandwich fix here with prosciutto and fig jam paninis and arugula-tuna salads dressed in a dijon vinaigrette. Roman-style pizzas are also up for grabs.
There’s a new fish fry in town called Hushpuppies and we’d like to get to know them. This Southern counter spot in Downtown serves hushpuppies (duh), as well as catfish, jumbo shrimp, and salmon nuggets. Sides include things like braised collard greens, parmesan truffle fries, and macaroni salad.
The Culver Steps looks like every other “mixed-use development” in the neighborhood, but we like its growing number of food options, including Afuri Ramen. We're fans of this Tokyo-based ramen chain (the original location is in the Arts District), especially for its light, acidic yuzu shio broth. Afuri also does a bunch of other things well, like crispy gyoza and spicy karaage.
Koreatown’s Sabores Oaxaqueños is one of the best Oaxacan restaurants in LA, and it now has a second location in Melrose Hill. For our emotional stability’s sake, we hope the parking situation is a lot better, but what you can certainly expect are Mexican breakfasts and Oaxacan staples like tlayudas mixtas, soft memelas, and whatever type of mole you’re feeling today.
Nice & Sweet is a short and sweet name for a bakery. Located in Hollywood, this bright and sunny shop offers a revolving menu of cakes, breads, and pastries, such as raspberry lemonade bars, coffee eclairs, and fresh baguettes they use for sandwiches. (We’re still waiting to see a sandwich menu.)
The kabob wizards behind Mini Kabob now have a Mexican fusion restaurant in Silver Lake called Mideast Tacos. Located on Sunset, this fast-casual spot grills Armenian-style beef, chicken, and shrimp shish kabobs, which get stuffed into tacos, quesadillas, and hefty burritos. A lot is going on in these tacos, like the chicken option with sumac, thai basil, and creamy toum arból sauce. There’s also a falafel taco for the plant-based eaters out there.
Nico’s is one of those cool, minimalist wine shops that looks like an art gallery, but this Atwater Village spot also has something else going on—a basement wine bar. Called Baby Battista, the dark bar pours natural wines, spritzes, and a short list of beers. Expect small plates and snacks, too, including Bub & Grandma’s baguettes with yuzu butter, tinned fish with a side of Ruffles, and a build-your-own charcuterie menu.
For the coffee nerds reading this: Nam Coffee started as an Orange County-based roaster selling Vietnamese robusta beans. For those who just care about caffeine: They now have an East Hollywood cafe serving traditional Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, plus fun-sounding drinks like coconut ube lattes and salted cream iced tea.
Zozo is a restaurant inside a furniture store (really). This Mid-City spot looks like a Parisian cafe sprouted up in the linens section of a Crate & Barrel, and it’s serving a one-of-a-kind menu with Mexican, French, and Native American influences. You can peruse fancy tablecloths from your seat and eat escargot with iberico jam, turkey meatballs in a red chile pepita sauce, and maize cakes topped with fish roe.
To those who understand and/or care about cryptocurrency, this one’s for you. Bitbokki is a clubby pocha in Koreatown where you can earn Bitcoin while you eat. On orders of $100 or more, you earn 10% of the total bill in cryptocurrency, which is cool, we guess? We’re more interested in the food, though, which includes forearm-length Korean omelets, army stew, and many tteokbokki options.
We’re sad Silver Lake’s Needle is gone, but at least we like its replacement. BBQ + Rice is opening its fourth location in Sunset Junction, where you’ll find Korean fried chicken and rice bowls with bulgogi, spicy pork, galbi, and an optional fried egg. All of the bowls run between $11-12, so it could be a quick, affordable lunch option in the area.
Cardinale du Vin is going for the whole Euro bar-cafe thing, so you can “start with coffee, stay for wine” and maybe get a little work done on your laptop in between. Ooh la la. This minimalist, gray space in Pico-Robertson has an L-shaped bar to order French wines, oyster platters, and jambon beurre sandwiches.
Operating out of The Naughty Pig in Weho, Super Rad Sub Shop is a sandwich shop inspired by the bodegas and delis of Queens, New York. Mornings at this pop-up entail classic BECs and the Mini-Mart Special with housemade chorizo, cheese, and fried egg in a sesame bun. The lunch menu looks great, too, with a chopped cheese (naturally), chicken parm sandwich, and the cold cut-stuffed Greco sub.
