Brand new restaurants open every day across the Southland, usually without too much fanfare. This periodic compilation spotlights some of the most notable and under-the-radar places that have popped up recently. From the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay, from the Westside to the San Gabriel Valley — let’s dive right in. For the biggest restaurant openings in town, check out this companion list.
Rosemead— The arrival of Mogu Mogu Onigiri Shop is good news for all SGV residents, especially those still mourning the closure of Jichan’s. The new Japanese rice ball specialist offers a varied slate of fillings, including Spam, pork belly, and tuna, and vegetarian options like baked eggplant and sh*take mushrooms. Japanese fried chicken rounds out the snacky daytime menu. Order ahead online to avoid a lengthy wait. 3365 Walnut Grove Avenue, Ste. B, Rosemead, CA 91770.
Hanco*ck Park— Craving Claw is here to satisfy seafood lovers unafraid to get their hands dirty. Specializing in Louisiana-style “seafood boilers,” the restaurant allows diners to select an array of seafood (crab, shrimp, mussels, clams, snow crab, king crab, Dungeness crab, lobster, and crawfish), along with an accompanying sauce and add-ons like potatoes, corn, and sausage. The restaurant will offer an all-you-can-eat option starting August 1. 5820 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038.
Boyle Heights— Pho Family and Sushi recently closed, and in its place is SIS Cafe Asian Fusion, a low-key spot serving Taiwanese fare and cold drinks. Everything is priced at $15 or under on the affordable menu, including pork chop rice with a sunnyside-up egg, beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, and silken tofu with a thousand-year-old egg. 1025 N. State Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033.
San Fernando— It’s possible to dine well without breaking the bank at Mama Lila Restaurant, a Salvadoran spot making waves in the Valley. For a hearty start to the day, get the plato tipico, which comes with two fried eggs, plantains, beans and rice, and cheese, or swing by on Mondays and Wednesdays for $2 pupusas. 2041 Glenoaks Boulevard, San Fernando, CA 91340.
West Covina— Some of LA’s best Filipino cooking is found in West Covina, and the latest addition to the thriving scene is Helen’s Kitchen. Owned by Charmaine Dizon, the restaurant highlights her mother Helen’s recipes including classic Filipino dishes like pares (braised beef stew), silog (traditional breakfast), and halo-halo. 116 N. Vincent Avenue, West Covina, CA 91790.
June
Temple City— Los Angeles is home to many solid Vietnamese restaurants, and Kim Hoa Hue is one of the best. The Central Vietnamese specialist recently opened a second location in Temple City; the original restaurant is on Garvey Avenue in El Monte. The menu at the new branch is familiar, chock-full of Hue classics like bun bo Hue, banh bot loc (tapioca dumplings), and banh nam (steamed pork and shrimp “cakes”). Get the Hue combo to try a bit of everything. 9082 Las Tunas Drive Temple City, CA 91780.
Burbank— Bagel Boss, a chain of bagel shops based in Long Island, New York, just opened its first California store. The Burbank location’s menu is similar to the ones on the East Coast, offering bagels and Flagels (flat bagels) that come in two dozen or so flavors, a variety of schmears, bagel sandwiches, pastries, and omelets. 3116 W. Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91505.
Pasadena— The long-vacant Ding’s Garden across from Pasadena City College has been converted into Dumpling Wei, a Northern Chinese restaurant from the same folks as Northern Cafe, serving an identical menu as the local chain. The approachable menu of pancakes, noodles, dumplings, and rice is sure to appeal to the diverse neighborhood. 1535 E. Colorado Street Pasadena, CA 91106.
Monterey Park— Banh Mi Hoa Phat, the San Gabriel Valley’s latest banh mi slinger, specializes in crispy pork belly sandwiches made on squat baguettes. The sandwiches include pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, sliced jalapenos, and a container of savory sauce made from pork drippings for dipping or drizzling. 301 N. Garfield Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754.
Winnetka— On the menu at Bacolod Chick’n Inasal are specialties from the city of Bacolod on the northwest coast of Negros Island in the Philippines, including grilled proteins like chicken, pork, and fish served with pickles and garlic rice. Batchoy, the menu’s lone noodle soup, comes with egg noodles, beef, and pork liver. 20504 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306.
May
Beverly Grove— The restaurant group behind the chain of Shin Sen Gumi ramen spots recently opened a new store called Torisoba Tonsho serving three types of chicken ramen: original, dan dan (spicy), and lemon butter. Every bowl features whole-grain noodles ladled with chicken broth that’s blended to create a foamy, airy texture. Sides include karaage, chicken gyoza, avocado chicken salad, chicken tempura, and a miso-teriyaki chicken bowl. 349 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Redondo Beach— A selection of Taiwanese and Chinese specialties is on the menu at Dumpling Mix, the South Bay’s newest dumpling contender. The nearly dozen varieties, including celery-pork, beef-onion, and corn-chicken, can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried. Stir-fried noodles, noodle soups, fried rice, and appetizers, along with an impressive slate of teas round out the menu. 705 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.
Valley Village— Valley Village newcomer Vivi Ristorante specializes in traditional Italian pizza and pasta served in a cozy and casual dining room for lunch and dinner. The lunchtime-only panini are layered with a choice of steak, grilled vegetables, turkey, or salami on homemade rosemary focaccia. The pizza and pasta selections — all made in-house — are available all day. 5424 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, San Fernando Valley, CA 91607.
3rd and Fairfax— Monterey Park’s Xi’an specialist Noodle Art just opened a second location at the Original Farmers Market. The menu is pared-down compared to the San Gabriel Valley flagship, but lists many of the best-sellers, including two kinds of “hamburgers” and “pita bread soaked in lamb soup.” 6333 W. 3rd Street, Ste. 508, Los Angeles, CA 90036.
Pasadena— Quiet East Green Street just got hotter with the arrival of Sichuan Street Food. With a whole section of the menu dedicated to bullfrog delicacies, along with crowd-pleasing favorites like dan dan noodles and twice-cooked pork, there should be something for everyone at this Pasadena newcomer. 1035 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106.
April
Northridge— Find Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings at the Northridge Fashion Center food court. The Chinese hand-pulled noodles specialist, rumored to be owned by the same folks behind 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle in Arcadia, serves up combo meals and a la carte options to mall-goers. The “house special” meal is priced at $16 and includes a bowl of Lanzhou beef noodle soup, four pan-fried dumplings, and a choice of Thai or taro milk tea. 9301 Tampa Avenue, Ste. FC-5, San Fernando Valley, CA 91324.
Sawtelle— Jamaican culinary specialties abound at Jerk Stop, which is tucked into a quiet West LA strip mall in the former All India Cafe space. The tight menu features the island’s greatest hits, including four kinds of soups (cow foot, fish tea, chicken, red peas), a plethora of patties, ackee and saltfish, braised oxtails, curry goat, and of course, jerk shrimp and chicken. 12113 Santa Monica Boulevard, Ste. 205, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
North Hollywood— Bodega Delights is a family-owned delivery and takeout spot that marries Dominican flavors with New York City bodega culture. Its line of Dominican-inspired empanadas, sandwiches, smoothies, and bowls promises to transport diners to the vibrant streets of the Dominican community in Washington Heights. 5528 Satsuma Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601.
Monterey Park— TP Banh Bao, a growing chain of Vietnamese steamed bun restaurants, just opened its first LA location. The signature bánh bao comes filled with nearly a dozen different stuffings, including the classic with ground pork and hard-boiled egg, barbecue pork, vegetarian, and salted egg yolk. 122 S. Atlantic Boulevard, Monterey Park, CA 91754.
Long Beach— Swing into La ‘Croque for well-made French sandwiches and pastries from owner Claudette Pentz. She flipped her beloved restaurant, Happy Cow Kitchen, into the weekends-only shop selling a slate of sandwiches priced under $15. The signature croque-monsieur has ham and Gruyere on sourdough toast, while the “carpretzel” comes with tomatoes, olive oil, pesto, and sheep’s milk cheese on a pretzel roll. 371 Redondo Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90814.
March
West LA— The latest must-try omakase for serious sushi fans is Mori Nozomi, which is located in the former Mori Sushi space on Pico Boulevard. Behind the seven-seat counter, chef-owner Nozomi Mori (no relation to Morihiro Onodera of Mori Sushi) serves a menu of around 20 courses featuring nigiri and prepared dishes. 11500 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064.
Temple City— Those in the mood for homey Taiwanese fare served in an unfussy room will do well at All-In Cafe. While the exterior signage promotes popcorn chicken and beef noodle soup, the restaurant’s menu includes much more, like rice dishes (braised pork, pork chop), deep-fried delights (cheese sticks, onion rings), and tea-based drinks. The All-In Combo comes with a melange of deep-fried items, including popcorn chicken, oyster mushrooms, squid balls, sweet potatoes, and fish cakes. 5953 Temple City Boulevard, Temple City, CA 91780.
Silver Lake— The Persian pop-up Azizam, which was founded in 2021 by Cody Ma and Misha Sesar, is now operating full-time from a Sunset Boulevard storefront in Silver Lake. Open from noon to 4 p.m. from Thursday to Monday, the restaurant serves a smattering of mazeh (small cold dishes), like smashed green olives and a duo of yogurt dips, along with “hot dishes,” like braised beef and rice meatballs and turmeric-braised chicken. The house-made breads and sweets are an absolute must-order. 2943 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Pico-Union— There is no shortage of excellent ramen to be had in every corner of Los Angeles and the latest newcomer is Ramen Akira. Chef Akira Imamura prepares several kinds of ramen broth, including pork shio, pork shoyu, and chicken. In addition to noodle soups, the restaurant serves rice dishes and crowd-pleasing small bites like gyoza, karaage, and spicy tuna on crispy rice. 2716 W. Olympic Boulevard, Ste. 101, Los Angeles, CA 90006.
Beverly Grove— Longtime fans of the 35-year-old Greek restaurant Le Petit Greek, which closed in late 2023 and was replaced by Phil Rosenthal’s incoming old-school diner, can head to Greek Eats. Owned and operated by the same folks behind Le Petite Greek on Larchmont Boulevard, Greek Eats serves most of the original menu, including gyro sandwiches and kebabs, in a fast-casual setting. 8236 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
February
Lincoln Heights— Pop into Trattoria Daly for hearty red sauce Italian American fare. The familiar and affordable menu includes antipasti like fried calamari and Caesar salad, Roman-style pizzas, and plenty of pasta including fettuccini Alfredo, rigatoni amatriciana, and penne a la vodka. 2423 Daly Street, Los Angeles, CA 90031.
West Hollywood— It looks like hot focaccia summer 2023 is trending into spring 2024 with no signs of waning. New to the stacked sandwich scene is Mamie on Santa Monica Boulevard. The shop’s two dozen or so sandwiches are all prepared on house-made schiacciata bread using Italian-imported flour. 7900 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046.
Torrance— With four locations in Orange County and one in San Diego, Japan’s Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai is finally available in LA, with an opening scheduled for March 1. Every bowl of the signature Kitakata ramen contains wavy and chewy hand-crumpled noodles, clear pork broth, and slices of chashu pork. 4338 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, CA 90505.
Monterey Park— lives up to its straightforward name with nearly a dozen different kinds of porridge and over 30 varieties of noodles on the menu. In addition to its two namesake items, the grab-and-go spot’s deli case offers a few desserts like silken tofu with ginger syrup and slices of sponge cake. 349 E. Garvey Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91755.
Inglewood— LA’s many Persian restaurants tend to offer done-up dining rooms and full service, but the all-new Kuku Cafe is bringing something different with a casual setting and counter-only service. The menu features familiar hits like beef shawarma served in a wrap or over rice, crispy saffron rice topped with chicken and barberries, and kuku, a Persian frittata with herbs, walnuts, and barberries. 318 N. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90302.
January
Westwood— Find Lima Nikkei in the fancy food court located above the new 99 Ranch Market in Westwood. The casual spot from chef Jason Yamaguchi prepares Japanese Peruvian cuisine using fresh seafood flown in from Japan and custom nori from Okinawa. 1360 Westwood Boulevard, Ste. 110C, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
Downtown— Deep-fried seafood is the thing to get at Hushpuppies, a new fish-fry joint catty-corner from the former Ace Hotel on Olympic. The lunch specials start at $13 and include fried-to-order shrimp or fish (sole, red snapper, catfish, salmon, seabass), one side, and the restaurant’s signature hushpuppies. 310 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
Rosemead— Prince Dumpling has the potential to surpass Din Tai Fung in xiao long bao prowess, says Eater LA contributor Kristie Hang. Folks are lining up for a taste of the classic soup dumplings, prepared within a glass-encased open kitchen, along with unique takes filled with lobster and Spanish ham. 8801 Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA 91770.
Burbank— There is no shortage of great Armenian flatbreads to be found in and around Northeast LA. The latest newcomer, Grtnak in Burbank, prepares two versions: Lahmajo Perfection and Lahmacheesy Twist. Also, find khachapuri on the succinct menu. 2128 North Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91504.
Lomita— Long Beach’s Poke and More just opened a second location in the South Bay. The Hawaiian-style poke shop sells tuna and salmon varieties topped with classic condiments like sea salt and Aloha shoyu. In addition to 15 kinds of traditional poke served over steamed white rice or by the pound there are Hawaiian dishes like loco moco and beef ribs. 1928 Pacific Coast Highway, Lomita, CA 90717.
