Brand New Eateries to Check Out in Los Angeles

This is a periodic compilation of notable restaurant openings throughout Los Angeles. Take note of these under-the-radar places from the Valley to the South Bay, from the Westside to the San Gabriel Valley. Let’s dive right in.

© [Official Photo]
Lao and Thai dishes at Owl Owl in Signal Hill.

May 20, 2021

Boyle Heights— Come into Boyle Heights Bar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to 20 beers on tap and a full liquor lineup. Breakfast options include chilaquiles with eggs, omelets, and chicken and waffles, while lunch and dinner bring a shareable shrimp platter, a birria torta, chicken wings, and more. 3717 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles.

South Gate— Anaheim’s Soup Shop is now serving its line of Vietnamese noodle soups and rice dishes at the El Paseo South Gate Shopping Center. Some of the more creative menu items include the sauteed scallion elote (a Vietnamese-Mexican mashup) and chicken wings with a mango habanero sauce. The shop is open until 1 a.m. daily. 5840 Firestone Blvd., Ste. 102, South Gate.

Van Nuys— Cousins Christopher Davis and Trever Hairston opened a second location of T & C’s Tackle Box Southern Seafood & More in the Valley. Expect to find “reel good seafood” including decked-out po’ boy sandwiches and fried seafood “tackle boxes” that come with a choice of sides (like fried okra and cilantro rice) and sauces (like spicy tartar and pepper ranch). 7141 Kester Ave., Los Angeles.

Signal Hill— Fast-casual Owl Owl serves a good-sized menu of Thai and Laotian dishes. Thai hits including som tum (papaya salad), moo ping (grilled pork skewers), and pad thai are on the menu, alongside Laotian kao piek (chicken tapioca noodle soup), kao poon (red curry noodle soup), and Lao sausages. 2201 East Willow Street, Ste. B, Signal Hill.

Glendale— It’s hard to say what’s more enticing on Glenwood Smokehouse’s menu — the slew of starters or the array of smoked meats. Proteins include beef brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork, while appetizers run the gamut from onion rings to pimento cheese with crackers and yuzu kosho deviled eggs. 152 South Brand Blvd., Glendale.

May 4, 2021

Burbank— Find Irish-style fish and chips at the Auld Chip Shop. In addition to battered and fried cod, haddock, and rock fish, the restaurant serves a line of savory pies (shepherd’s pie rooster pie, lamb’s pie) and standbys like Malay chicken curry and bangers and mash. 4007 Riverside Drive, Burbank.

Westlake— Named after the iconic Filipino dish made from pig’s head and chicken liver, Sisig offers a tight menu of Pinoy hits like barbecued chicken, pork, and beef, along with crispy pata and of course sisig. Save room for taho (silken tofu in a brown sugar syrup) and tamales for dessert. 1714 West Temple Street, Los Angeles.

Hancock Park— Anan serves fast-casual Vietnamese food in a stylish dining room. Every bowl of the restaurant’s signature pho bo (beef noodle soup) features a different cut of beef — from tenderloin to brisket and flank. The pho dac biet includes all of the aforementioned cuts, plus some beef meatballs. 318 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.

Highland Park— Look for Miguel’s Mariscos Y Sushi truck near Avenue 53 on Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Highland Park. On the menu is Mexican-style sushi rolls and seafood prepared both traditionally and creatively with Flamin’ Hot Cheeto flourishes. 5250 York Blvd., Highland Park.

Glendale— Armenian-style grilled proteins paired with fresh salads is what it’s all about at Tava House. Look for lamb chops, veal chops, and baby back ribs in addition to more standard meats like lule kebabs. 1110 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale.

March 31, 2021

Koreatown— It’s starting to feel like summer around here and Big Ant’s BBQ is here to satisfy LA’s barbecue cravings. Though the original location in Glassell Park is a traditional brick-and-mortar, this second outlet operates from a hut in a Koreatown parking lot. The menu is mostly the same with plenty of meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork) and composed dishes like a brisket burrito and a pulled pork sandwich. 3076 West 8th St., Los Angeles.

Rosemead— New on Garvey Avenue is Golden Delight, a stylish restaurant specializing in “modern” Vietnamese dishes and “traditional” Chinese food. Expect to find deconstructed pho (with noodles, broth, and meats served separately), along with Hoi An chicken rice, stir-fried lobsters, and wonton noodle soup. 8479 Garvey Ave., Ste. 101A, Rosemead.

Studio City— Perched high on the Hollywood Hills is Five On The Hill with chef Kee Yu at the helm. The approachable menu includes sure-fire hits like truffle garlic fries and roasted bone marrow, while the complimentary starter of fire-roasted “drunken nuts” was inspired by Yu’s favorite childhood snack in Korea. 555 Universal Hollywood Dr., North Hollywood.

Venice— At Tikka Taco, chef Kamran Gil serves up Desi flavors fused with the kind of comfort food LA loves: tacos and quesadillas. Instead of corn or flour tortillas though, Tikka Taco embraces scratch-made roti flat breads. 1425 Ocean Front Walk, Los Angeles.

Arcadia— From red braised lamb or pork to crispy duck and spicy chicken, the menu at No. 1 Express boasts quite a few signature dishes. The early word is that the iconic Shanghainese red braises are the specialties to hone in on. 713 W. Duarte Rd., Ste. F, Arcadia.

March 10, 2021

Sun Valley— Cape Green Restaurant brings the cuisine of Cape Verde, an archipelago off the coast of West Africa, to Los Angeles. The cooking here draws influences from Portugal along with West African traditions including the national dish katxupa — a stew brimming with hominy, cassava, choirzo, pork ribs, and sweet potatoes. The ghost kitchen operates Thursday through Sunday for dinner only. 13346 Saticoy Street, North Hollywood.

Chatsworth— The woman behind Hoodbaby Soul Food is Sade Royal, an LA native looking to share her take on soul food to San Fernando Valley residents. The all-day spot serves fried chicken over red velvet waffles for breakfast, fried fish for lunch, smothered pork chops for dinner, and more. 21418 Nordhoff St., Los Angeles.

San Gabriel— Operating in the former Nha Trang space, Tam’s Noodle serves up Cantonese classics from congee to curry with fried fish balls and chicken wings with salted egg yolk. Best of all, the restaurant makes its egg noodles in-house from scratch. 120 North San Gabriel Blvd., Ste. J, San Gabriel.

Santa Clarita— Japanese bakery the Loaf, which comes from the same folks behind Okayama Kobo in Anaheim, specializes in sweet and savory breads and pastries using imported flour from Hokkaido. 24450 Main St., Unit #160, Santa Clarita.

West Covina— Build-your-own Filipino feast at Jun’s Kitchen where the steam table is filled with a variety of homey dishes daily for diners to mix and match. Swing by on Saturdays for crispy lechon sold by the pound. 1559 E Amar Rd., Ste. C, West Covina.

February 24, 2021

View Park/Windsor Hills— At first glance, Jerusalem Chicken seems like another roasted chicken slinger, but look closer to find Palestinian-style preparations including chicken stuffed with rice and chicken served with caramelized onions and potatoes. 4448 West Slauson, Los Angeles.

South Gate— With locations in Orange, Costa Mesa, and Chino, Nguyen’s Kitchen makes its LA debut with an outlet in South Gate. The menu of Vietnamese-inflected hits includes banh mi, garlic noodles with jumbo shrimp, and crawfish pasta. 5840 Firestone Blvd., Ste. 120, South Gate.

Alhambra— Beloved Hong Kong-style restaurant Cafe Spot is under new ownership. Renamed New Haojing, the early morning to late-night restaurant boasts over 300 Cantonese dishes that are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 500 West Valley Blvd., Alhambra.

Sun Valley— Nuyo Bodega brings New York-style Puerto Rican cooking to Valley denizens. The menu spans traditional takes like slow-roasted pork shoulder and bacalao fish fritters, along with vegan-friendly offerings like the chickpea stew and an oyster mushroom “steak” with guava barbecue sauce. 13346 Saticoy Street, Los Angeles.

Arcadia— Located inside the H-Mart, Kyodong Noodle specializes in Chinese-Korean jajangmyeon (noodles in a black bean sauce). Also on the limited menu is sweetly sauced fried chicken, seafood noodle soups, and sweet and sour pork. 1101 Huntington Dr., Arcadia.

January 21, 2021

Koreatown— Croque, a concept dedicated to croque monsieur from Romuald Guiot and Aline Parolin, is operating from a K-town cloud kitchen through the pandemic. The classic croque comes with ham, Swiss cheese, and a béchamel sauce, while the vegan croque includes charcoal bread, tofu, vegan mozzarella, and a vegan béchamel sauce.

Lawndale— King of Wings is open just in time for the Super Bowl. On the menu are crowd-pleasing standbys like pizza, potato skins, mozzarella sticks, and of course, fried chicken wings in flavors like Thai chile and salsa verde. 14406 Hawthorne Blvd., Lawndale.

South Los Angeles— Find southern Thai fare near the USC campus at Mee Dee Thai Kitchen. In addition to the house-special fried chicken are unique desserts including a Thai tea cheesecake and Thai tea canele. 358 West 38th Street, K2, Los Angeles.

Pasadena— Gozen Shun opened in the former Osawa Delicatessen space on Cordova Street. The Japanese restaurant serves a similar menu to its predecessor including rice bowls, udon noodles, and small bites like fried chicken and tempura. 851 Cordova St., Pasadena.

Redondo Beach— Farmers market purveyor Little French Bakery opened a permanent shop in Riviera Village. Not to be missed is the glass case chock-full of sweet and savory French pastries, baguette sandwiches, and gelato. 1820 South Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach.

January 7, 2021

Canoga Park— Caribbean fare goes completely vegan at Jamin’ Vegan near the western edge of the San Fernando Valley. Meatless proteins come flavored with jerk spices and rich curries, while coconut rice and plantains are served on the side. 22213 Sherman Way, Los Angeles.

Highland Park— Find the Homies food truck parked on York Boulevard on weekday evenings starting at 5 p.m. and on weekends starting at 8 a.m. The menu features pure comfort fare like breakfast burritos, cheese steaks, and weekends-only biscuit sandwiches. 5043 York Blvd., Los Angeles.

Lomita— The menu at fast-casual newcomer Awesome Kitchen is packed with Korean classics including spicy rice cakes, bibimbap, and DIY braised pork belly wraps. 1963 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. B, Lomita.

Pasadena— South Indian fare makes its way to Old Pasadena in the former Chutney space at Chakra Indian Kitchen. The extensive menu includes nearly a dozen biriyanis, Indian-Chinese dishes, and dosas. 45 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

Santa Monica— La Puglia, an all-day restaurant, bakery, and cafe, brings a slice of southern Italy to Santa Monica. Swing in for lighter fare and caffeine in the mornings, or stop in for pizza, pasta, and heartier mains for lunch and dinner. 1621 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.