color, variety, activity: dining chinatown
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Picture a busy Downtown street, sidewalks crowded by street vendors, musicians, newspaper stands, camera-toting tourists, office workers and long-time locals. Imagine active storefronts with proud owners eager to make a sale, delivery trucks jostling for space in crowded alleyways, and busy restaurants trying to get through the lunch rush. Where can you find that scene in Downtown Los Angeles today?
You’re going to have to venture north of the 101.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Sidewalk activity in Chinatown is unmatched anywhere else in Downtown during the day, and many eateries are open until 4am.
It can be a bit tricky for Chinatown newcomers to sort through the bad restaurants and find the more appetizing places. A debate has been brewing among Chinese food fanatics: Is the real action in the San Gabriel Valley, or can Chinatown hold its own?
Absolutely, and we’ve made a list of Chinatown’s best to steer you away from the stomach-turning dives. Let us know in the comments if we’ve missed your favorite Chinatown restaurant.
-Dining Institutions West of the 110 Freeway
Full House Seafood Restaurant
Hands-down my absolute favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Full House offers it all: excellent service, mid-range prices, clean venue and delicious food. A sign on the door proudly proclaims “We Open Till 3am”.
Above everything else, I have to recommend the orange beef with jalapeno slices. Your mouth will dance and sing! But like the sign says, this is a seafood restaurant, so be sure to try their shrimp, lobster or crab.
963 N Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-617-8382
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
This is the hotspot for mid-priced, traditional Chinese food until the wee morning hours (4:00am closing time). Seafood is their specialty, but there are a number of standard meat and vegetable options.The restaurant is clean and the service is a little lacking, but not outside the realm of acceptability.
To give you an idea of the place’s character, Mayflower is known for its birthday celebrations and friendliness. On a recent visit there was a large family celebrating a birthday with a huge cake. The waiters and owners sang “Happy Birthday” a number of times. Classic.
685 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-625-0588
CBS Seafood Restaurant
Daily dim sum from 8:00am to 2:00pm. Their dinner menu is a little pricey (compared to other Chinatown restaurants), and seafood is their specialty.
700 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-617-2323
Lucky Deli
This is the type of Chinese food that I grew up with in the San Gabriel Valley [ed: Updated]. Greasy, unimaginative, quick and cheap. I’m a little too health-conscious to eat here, but if that’s your thing (I can appreciate that), this is the spot.
706 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-625-7847
Yang Chow
This eatery has a wall full of signed headshots of local politicos raving about Yang Chow’s signature dish — the slippery shrimp. Yes, the dish is delicious. No, it’s not authentic. But does it really matter?
Also, a great place to take squeamish out-of-towners.
819 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-625-0811
Hop Louie
In Chinatown’s Central Plaza, eating at Hop Louie is like stepping back in time. The 1940s restaurant still smells like a place where the host asks if you prefer smoking or non-smoking.
Though the food isn’t particularly amazing, a lunch special will cost you about $4.87, including tax. Whoa!
950 Mei Ling Way
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
213-628-4244
Won Kok
Won Kok has a draws a huge after-hours crowd since it closes at 3:00am daily. The restaurant is filthy but the food is great and cheap.
210 Alpine St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-613-0700
Empress Pavilion
Though it’s gone through some changes recently, this is still the grand dame of Chinatown dim sum. It’s always crowded and Zagat-rated.
988 N Hill Street #201
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-617-9898
Non-Chinese Options in Chinatown
Pho Hoa
Chinatown is home to a number of Vietnamese restaurants, mostly specializing in pho. Pho Hoa has superb authentic food and keeps a full house. Even the building’s facade is right out of Ho Chi Minh City.
818 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 485-0074
Homeboy Bakery / Homegirl Cafe
Recently opened to great fanfare, the nonprofit Homeboy Industries’ new cafe trains ex-gang members and at-risk youth with job skills to succeed in the working world. Although I can’t speak from personal experience, it’s oft described as offering “latin flavors with a contemporary twist.”
130 W. Bruno Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
323-526-1254 x 301
Authentic Thai Cuisine
Oh, man is it ever. Although I think “Amazing Thai Cuisine” would’ve been a more fitting name. Let me recommend their Tom Yum Gai and Pad See-Ew. You won’t find it better anywhere else in Downtown. They offer free delivery if you’re in the neighborhood.
637 N Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-613-1115
authenticthaila.com
Spring Street Smoke House
Dynamite barbecue in a spicy-tangy sauce in the most unlikely location. Spring Street Smoke House is favorite among local firemen and police officers. Dive in to the ribs or tri-tip, but keep lots of napkins handy.
640 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-626-0535
Philippe The Original
Home of the French dip — unless you believe Cole’s is the true originator. Philippe’s has been a Downtown institution for decades, and the restaurant is always packed. Some of the more charming touches are the original wood chip-covered floors and $0.10 cups of coffee (which has been raised only $0.05 since the place opened in 1908). Make sure to get your sandwich double-dipped!
1001 N Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-628-3781
18 comments
great list…i always want to explore chinatown more, but because of having a few negative experiences with dim sum, find myself hesitant. i think i will try some of these restaurants.
man how do i wish that we had a street car that could take you from the historic core to chinatown at 2am when the bars are closing and you are too drunk to drive. that will be the day!!
Great info, Rich. Thank you very much. I spent Christmas day having Dim Sum in Chinatown and enjoyed it very much. We are so lucky to have all the great ethnic food nearby (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hispanic, etc.).
I will be trying some of the restaurants in your article very soon.
Happy New Year,
Eric (White Boy)
Have been having Authentic Thai delivered to the Historic Core for a year now, always excellent.
Don’t forget the Filipino restauratant “Asian Noodles” … across the street from Spring Street Smokehouse and next to Authentic Thai. It’s terrific.
What????? no mention of the plum tree inn??? Great food super clean and amazing service. C’mon.
Tony, I ate there once and had probably the worst experience in Chinatown eating. It did cross my mind to add it in, though!
ocean seafood has always been our choice for dim sum in chinatown.
charm thai is also in the area, and also delivers to historic downtown. there’s a mexican restaurant next to it that i’ve never tried. (or is that next to authentic thai?)
Jim, the Mexican restaurant is next to Charm, and it’s called Colima Restaurant. I’ve never eaten there as I always go to El Paseo, but I should definitely give it a shot before I move.
I was thinking of adding Charm, but they never answer their phone anymore (hence my preference for Authentic Thai)! I was hoping they didn’t go out of business… I should check on that.
Wow, after reading this blog post and Chris’ comment about Authentic Thai delivering all the way into downtown (I’m in OBD) I ordered immediately :). My husband and I loved it. Thank you for making us aware of this great Thai place! also, website is http://www.authenticthaila.com/
I would like to add Battambang at 648 New High. It has gone through a few reincarnations and is off the beaten path between Broadway and Spring… but it is one of the rare Cambodian Restaurants outside of Long Beach, and is really good. Maybe Cambodian is less accessible here than Thai or Vietnamese because of the more bitter/sour flavors… but also that could be due to the smaller population of immigrants… anyway I hope that this place stays alive.
Pho Hoa like a lot of Vietnamese places in the area is okay, but doesn’t compare to anything in OC.
Lucky Deli is our go-to place for take-out… steamed buns, duck/chicken, and har gao/siu mai are great. Most of their steam table stuff is nasty but the dim-sum in metal treys is pretty good.
There are better steam table places south on broadway from there and also New High… one is associated to CBS I think? But these might only be of interest if you need to eat on 2-3$ a day.
I would say Mayflower is my favorite sit-down place in Chinatown. For faster noodle and dumpling eats it would be Kim Chuy in the Wing Hop Fung Plaza… for a more relaxed setting for outsiders maybe Full House.
Also there used to be (or still is?) a pretty good Indonesian place on the north end of Broadway close to the 110-north entrance.
are los angeles pizza company and bbq king considered chinatown?
Wow, that’s an omission. Thanks, Celia!
I’m bookmarking this posting. Thanks for the tips. john
great list! I need to spread my wings more and try a few of these out. Thanks!!
I ordered Thai food tonight from the newish hole in the wall restaurant at 726 S Hill called City Thai Cuisine. Their food is delicious and cheap. They have a pretty extensive menu, are open every day till 9 p.m., and they deliver! Anyone else try it?
Thanks, m. I’ll check them out. Looks like they deliver, too!
i take a bit of offense against the comment about lucky deli and how it is very much like the food that is indicative of the san gabriel valley - cheap, greasy, unimaginative, etc. the san gabriel valley is full of amazingly good, great chinese food that can be healthy, cheap, quick, and still good. places like the kitchen, the alhambra outpost of phoenix inn, savoy kitchen, triumphal palace, etc. i’d suggest that before you say something like that about a whole eating destination, you do some research.
^ #17, I agree. That was a little overzealous editing on our end.
I had originally stated that was the type of unhealthy Chinese food - I grew up with - in the San Gabriel Valley, and I occasionally find myself out there for dim sum and noodles and such.
Nowadays the San Gabriel Valley is a hotbed for Chinese cuisine, both authentic/traditional and contemporary.
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