Looking back at 2021, it will soon become chaotic. On the one hand, we will pass these 12 months, but on the other hand, this year is still characterized by screaming meetings in the car and Target's tantrums. But if there is a constant that allows us to go through all of this, it is exciting meals, especially new restaurants from Los Angeles. It seems that the entire deck is leaning on them. This year’s new restaurant is an epidemic-born pop-up store turned into a physical store, a historic place with a brand new concept, and a dozen other places reminding us why we should be in a certain place. The place to eat is not as special as our sofa. Here are the 15 best new restaurants in Los Angeles.
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Morihiro should appear on the to-do list of every sushi lover. Whenever you want to know "Where should I take my unpleasant mother's birthday?" As the crown jewel of Atwater Village, Morihiro is the best food— -The $400 omakase can go head-to-head with celebrities in Los Angeles. But there is also a great six-piece nigiri sushi set ($65), scatter bowl ($75) and vegetarian rolls ($45), all of which are as important as the technicians sticking 6-inch acrylic to your stubby Details, biting nails. In other words, a lot. Fermented monkfish liver is served with small white corn still wrapped in its shell, and chestnut cream puffs are topped with dark chocolate. The waiter explained each dish meticulously, most of the tableware was made by the chef himself, and a spoon of wasabi is placed under each fillet-Morihiro’s sinusitis trump card, which makes every piece of sushi come alive in your mouth . In past visits, we have eaten sea bream, red sea clams, fatty tuna that melts like butter, and the chef’s personal favorite silver-skin herring.
When Moo's opened a physical store in Lincoln Heights in July, the situation of over-the-counter orders was like a lunatic asylum. They have established a fan base through the pop-up store, lined up a few hours before opening, and by early afternoon they were sold out. When we lined up for the first time, we waited more than two hours to get the food, but we would wait three hours. That's because Moo's is not only the best barbecue in Los Angeles, but also one of the best barbecues we have eaten anywhere in the country. They focus on the flavors of Central Texas, which means sirloin is king. Although the brisket is more juicy than most of the versions we have eaten in Texas, Moo's excellent products are not limited to bacon. Chef and owner Michelle and Andrew Muñoz are natives of East Los Angeles. Through cream, smoked spices, dill sweet potato salad and excellent tres leches bread pudding, they incorporate countless elements to make Moo's feel like a unique Los Angeles experience . Plus, now you can book a few days in advance and skip the line altogether.
The chirashi pop-up store that was once a humble pandemic era is now thriving in Virgil Village, becoming a half-Thai, half-Japanese food experience. This is such a special place, you can't wait to book it for every anniversary, graduation, and casual celebration. All the vulgar rituals that restaurants usually perform—accepting orders and forcing you to pay at the end of the night—are pre-processed through the online reservation system. There are three different dining options here, from sashimi takeaway boxes to mature sushi omakase, but Kinkan’s masterpiece creme de la creme is a tribute to grandmother. This is a ten-course set meal, described as "Japanese flavor, the embodiment of Thailand", including grilled fish made into rose shapes, curry crab meat in two ways, and tea cups filled with ikura. This is a redesigned restaurant, a lovely experience that feels more like an intimate evening with friends than a transaction between people and businesses.
Los Angeles has no shortage of excellent Thai restaurants with a large following and greater praise, but Holy Basil reminds us that there is always another place to change the subject. Located in a small food court on Los Angeles Street, Holy Basil first caught our attention with the name Yum. This is a monthly dinner series that debuted in 2020 and focuses on Bangkok-style street food. In the end, they moved to the current window ordering space and produced a concise and clear menu full of dishes such as Thai fried pho, green curry and Tom Yum Goong soup. You might think these things can be found on Thai menus across the city, you are right, but dining at Holy Basil is like trying it for the first time. Every dish here is herbal, fragrant, and unabashedly spicy.
Lasita does not accept reservations and does not provide formal table service. At this Filipino rotisserie/wine bar in Chinatown, you are not under pressure to make a decision and you can just wander around. Want to drink biodynamic wine on a date and then add some food if you like it? Move forward. Maybe you are with four friends and have not eaten anything since breakfast. Go directly to the main booth and order all the garlic chicken, pork belly ribs, dipping sauces and sauces that can fit on your table. In Lasita, the only rule is that there are no rules, (although we insist that you order pancakes). These are always the best parties.
As you walk past Agnes’ huge barn door in Pasadena, don’t panic if you suddenly feel an idyllic euphoria. There is a complete market and cheese shop in the front, a stove in the back filled with hot meat, and huge wooden rafters soaring above the restaurant and backyard. This restaurant is not the first restaurant in Los Angeles to incorporate the nostalgia of the Midwest, but it is the only restaurant that goes all out. A native Midwester is in danger of yelling, "There are cheese curds and puppy food on the menu?!" No one is special. Biting on a dish like cornbread puffs with silky chicken liver mousse and roasted potato dumplings on it tastes exactly like roasted potatoes, which may cause visceral flashbacks. If you didn't grow up in the Midwest, or can't even point it out confidently on the map, who cares? You will still eat very delicious food.
When we ate at Mazal for the first time, we were reminded why having dinner with a great company is so much better than just having dinner. This is the restaurant where we came out of the pandemic-surrounded by friends, delicious food and a general atmosphere of friendship. As we continue to visit, our love for this completely vegetarian Israeli restaurant in Lincoln Heights has only increased. You know that a meal at Mazal is a success. At some point, every inch of your table is filled with some kind of dipping sauce, salad, and a basket of hot pita bread. Everyone in your party will tear, dip and dunk, and order bottle after bottle of natural wine. When you look around all the other tables on the terrace in the alley with lights, you will find that they are all doing exactly the same thing.
You will spend a lot of money on Crudo e Nudo. This is just a fact. But unlike when you buy a modular sofa from Craigslist, send it to your home, and find that the spring is broken, these dollars will not be wasted. The focus here is on sustainable sourcing and waste reduction. This means that herbs and vegetables come from farmers’ markets. Plastic products are never allowed in the store. The kitchen works with local fisheries and private friends to find seafood that is perfectly suitable for them. This sounds a bit like a book report on paper. But you will eat clams steamed with wine and fruity olive oil, beautifully plated oysters, and oysters decorated with purple wildflowers. If the locally sourced oysters were thrown back on Santa Monica’s main street without screaming "I am a responsible international man, living my life in a big city", we don't know what will happen.
When this cozy underground French bistro opened in Beverlywood in June, it felt as if the entire universe was trying to attract us. In warm weather, Olivia Rodrigo released a breakup album, and at Bicyclette, we got a silky smooth potato mousse, which we can wear like a reformed dress. Bicyclette is run by the LA power duo behind Republique and specializes in French home cooking. You will find heavy-tasting dishes such as Burguignon beef ribs and caramelized onion tarts-essentially everything that tastes like it was designed to be eaten by candlelight in the European countryside in the early 1700s. Without snails, a meal is incomplete. This is a wonderful snail dish, served in a white-hot ceramic glass, and is a semi-landscape and semi-spiritual cleansing bath. Do we always crave French food that tastes like Julia Childe's own butter injection? Not really. But when we do, we will go to Bicyclette.
This year is a roller coaster. As we all know, tears shed in our eyes instantly, and the hippo-shaped pressure ball on our desk also saw some movements. During those difficult days, we were attracted to Ggiata at lunch time. The East Hollywood Sandwich Shop has completely returned to the neighborhood branch in the tri-state area. You will see sandwiches filled with things like crispy chicken steak dipped in a spicy vodka sauce, parmesan meatballs, and rich roasted balsamic chicken with roasted red peppers. Although there are some traditional cold cut options on the menu, most of the sandwiches here feel more like entrees on bread-an important attribute in our book. Technically, this operation can only be performed, but if you need immediate comfort, check out the small counter on the wall of the adjacent alley. This is a great place to post, eat sandwiches, then go out and feel much better about your life.
This Mexican restaurant was one of the first new restaurants we visited when it reopened in the spring. Stepping on the roof terrace is like climbing into the ethereal garden of happiness after the pandemic. You will find lush niches full of secret stalls, a huge freestanding bar decorated with shiny green marble, and unparalleled views of the city center. This international transplant (its original site in Mexico City) makes Los Angeles look like a million dollars. If you have been in hibernation, it will set the perfect tone for an important night in the city without feeling At a loss. In other words, Cha Cha Cha is more than just beautiful aesthetics—the food and cocktails are also great. We like the unpretentious hongos tacos. Steak pa'taquear is essentially a self-built taco station filled with New York steak, burnt tomatoes and nopales, and blue denim tortillas. But if you don't get terraza tostada, then you are doing it wrong. Served with translucent tuna and crispy coriander, it is one of our favorite single dishes this year.
If Gigi's is a sexy new Hollywood restaurant, then Horses is a sexier and newer Hollywood restaurant. This French-style attraction located in the old Pikey space of Sunset retains the crimson booths, worn-out wooden strips and the feeling that everything is possible tonight, which makes this place a local suspense since it was called Ye Coach & Horses Almost a century ago. But despite the long history of this space, Horses offers many new talents. First, they tried to make the horse decoration look avant-garde. Seasonal food elevates it from another Hollywood martini place to an important anniversary or birthday dinner destination. From the radicchio Caesar to the lovely Cornish hen with dandelion panzanella, the Horses menu is full of delicious surprises.
We don't often get excited about the hotel lobby restaurant, but The Barish is a major exception. This Italian restaurant is located on the first floor of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and every pore exudes the real old Hollywood charm. You will find Art Deco chandeliers, leather benches and a large marble bar hanging from the ceiling, just begging customers to sit down and drink a martini. The menu helmed by Nancy Silverton has many outstanding dishes, such as ricotta pizza with pillows, steak tartare with mustard seeds and kohlrabi, and macaroni with goat cheese, even in July. Enjoy the holiday sweating. If you are looking for high-end dinner venues in Hollywood, then Barish is your ideal choice.
When the Korean Panchen stall Shiku, run by the team behind the now-closed Baroo, opened in the Grand Central Market at the end of 2020, we had a few questions. In other words, what the hell? However, embracing the masses is a power. Take the photo of Bernie Sanders flight instructor as an example. This photo was posted on our Twitter for a month. Likewise, by leaving its more experimental roots behind, Shiku represents a new chapter in Baroo’s family tree, which is easier to understand in every respect, placing familiar favorites such as galbi-jjim and marinated chicken in On the same menu as the super-specific regional Panchen. We saw more types of kimchi here than we thought, plastic containers filled with spicy bright red corn kernels, and wild mountain vegetables studded with sesame seeds. Therefore, although Shiku does not provide the same avant-garde, laser-focused fermentation as its past iterations, it can do something revolutionary: bring excellent Korean cooking directly to the mainstream.
Even if your interest in restaurants is somewhat casual this year, you may have at least heard of Gigi's. Due to the sexy space on the side streets of Hollywood and the crowd with more IMDB credits than Friends Reunited Actors, this high-end French attraction is one of the most watched Los Angeles opening ceremonies. A good night here is a night featuring a large entrance, loud costumes, rounds of oysters and martinis, and at least eavesdropping on an adjacent table, trying to figure out how to make Ayahuasca across the world boundary. It's easy to write this place as an ordinary tourist attraction, but Gigi's broke the convention because their food is delicious. The daily crudos are fresh and interesting, the caramelized onion cheeseburger is perfect to share on a date (or eat it for yourself while sitting at the bar), and the mustard steak and fries are one of our favorite versions in town. Yes, the fact that the Avengers are sitting on a table doesn't hurt either.