Best Restaurants In Chinatown
Whether you're hankering for traditional dim sum or looking for the most innovative spring roll in town, Chinatown is a veritable paradise of delicious tastes. With many restaurants open late, and a wide range of cuisines, you'll be sure to find something delicious beneath the paper lanterns and neon.
Ramen Champ
727 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 316-8595
www.ramenchamp.com
Re-opening after a hiatus, this Far East Plaza spot is now helmed by Yoshimasa Kasai and offers terrific and authentic Chinese fare. The rare Chinatown restaurant with a hip and trendy vibe, including an artsy black and white wall mural, the diminutive counter-service Ramen Champ now features these delicious ramen choices: tonkotsu tan tan with a Sichuan meat sauce, vegan ramen with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms, and tonkotsu broth with chashu. Former owner Alvin Cailan's famous runny hard-boiled eggs are still a part of the menu.
Yang Chow
819 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0811
www.yangchow.com
Always busy, this white-tablecloth-traditional old school style restaurant is renowned for its popular Mandarin-Szechuan dishes. Excellent seafood is one of the main landmarks here, including their famous Slippery Shrimp - fresh shrimp inside a garlic-redolent sweet batter, deep fried. But, make sure not to miss the Kung Pao Squid or the Sizzling Scallops, either. Traditional green tea and fortune cookies are a part of the package at this classic spot on Chinatown's main street.
Ocean Seafood
750 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-3088
www.oceansf.com
Crowded with dim-sum lovers on weekends, Ocean Seafood is a purveyor of seafood dumplings and fresh fish culled from tanks in the restaurant. From sugar cane shrimp to deep fried taro root dumplings, Hong Kong style dim sum is the ultimate dining experience here. Baby bok choy and walnut shrimp are among this comfortable, cavernous restaurant's specialities.
Foo-Chow
949 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 485-1294
www.foochowla.com
Famous for its appearance in Jackie Chan's Rush Hour, Foo-Chow offers a classic dining experience in a large, no-frills room. The large menu includes renowned dishes like scallops in orange sauce, and exotic eats such as fried jelly fish and vegetables, are balanced by standard fare like wonton soup and moo-shu chicken.
Golden City
Golden City
960 N Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 253-2660
Golden City is a Chinatown classic, with superior renditions of classic Chinatown fare from Peking duck to fried pork and fried tofu. Seafood it a specialty here, with items like walnut shrimp and spicy squid menu highlights. Large servings and a discount lunch menu are highlights of this comfortable, expansive dining spot, where soup and rice are included with most menu items.
Hop Louie
Hop Louie
950 Mei Ling Way
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-4244
www.hoplouiela.com
From the neon trimmed exterior to the slightly worn red carpet on the stairs leading from the bar to the restaurant, Hop Louie exudes a funky, slightly mysterious vibe. Lunches are a specially good bargain, and include soup and rice. Opened in 1941, the second floor dining area has a view of the bustling streets, crispy egg rolls, and tasty fried rice. The cocktails are potent, and the building itself iconic.
Chego
727 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 380-8680
www.eatchego.com
Serving up both richly flavored rice bowls and noodle dishes, celebrity chef Roy Choi's modern Asian cuisine combines Western-style dishes with Eastern-style tastes. Chego is tucked deep inside Far East Plaza, a casual spot serving signature dishes in voluminous bowls. Try the kung pao noodles or the kochujang-glazed pork belly; there's also Choi's Ooey Gooey Fries, beer-battered and crispy, thick with cheeses, chiles, and pickled garlic. Dessert? Unlike many traditional Chinese restaurants, Choi has gone all out to satisfy a sweet tooth: the Sriracha bar features chocolate, caramel, spiced candy-coated peanuts, a spicy ganache and a crunchy rice base.
New Dragon Seafood
Old Chinatown
934 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-6050
www.facebook.com
A plain-wrap dining room doesn't detract from classics like won-ton soup and chow mein; crab, shrimp, and squid dishes are popular and tasty. Enter the New Dragon through a narrow hallway to enjoy a late night dish or a large, multi-course family-style dinner. Named one of the top Chinese restaurants in the U.S., the restaurant includes low salt and low fat dishes on its extensive menu; service is friendly and brisk.
