The Los Angeles Restaurants We Loved This Month

I simply had to pay my respects to…

… longstanding Fairfax Chinese institution Genghis Cohen one last time before they leave their home of 42 years at the end of the month. Although the owners have a temporary new location leased nearby, it was hard saying goodbye to the original ruby-hued space, decked out with paper lanterns, giant dragons, and a retro-fabulous live aquarium. The menu covers all of the New York-style Chinese American classics, and soon, my lazy Susan was groaning with mini dumplings, massive egg rolls, molten crab rangoon, shrimp fried rice, kung pao chicken, and much more. I know Genghis isn’t going away forever, but it still felt like the end of an era — one I’m committed to sending out in style.

— Jamie Feldmar, Resy Los Angeles Editor

In my opinion, the best Thai food in all of Los Angeles…

… can be found at Night+Market. I love meat, but their spicy vegan larb is probably my favorite thing on the menu. My other go-to is the panang beef curry with housemade roti and a side of jasmine rice. If I had to choose my last meal on earth, this would be it.

— West Caster, Resy Sales Executive

It’s one of Long Beach’s best-kept secrets…

Tucked inside a nonprofit cultural space that hosts everything from sound baths to meditation classes, Union @ Compound blends community, creativity, and seriously good food. I stopped in for a breezy lunch and the banh mi is a must — crispy and delicious bread, flavorful pork, and just the right amount of heat. And the salads are always fresh, colorful, and satisfying. Come for a delicious meal, stay for the good vibes and inspiring art all around you.

— Jonathan Toobi, Regional Manager, Los Angeles

When Koreatown’s tiny, brilliant tasting menu spot Kinn closed…

… I thought I’d never get to taste chef Ki Kim’s succulent octopus again, but it recently resurfaced in a special collab menu with a guy chef Kim told me he really admires: chef Tian Yong of Bistro Na’s in Temple City.

Ushering your family or date into Bistro Na’s spectacular red and gold dining room is a pretty huge flex, since it specializes in imperial Manchurian cuisine — the diet of emperors and empresses and their families. Bistro Na’s is known for dishes like roast duck; crispy shrimp with chile, hawthorn, and garlic; and braised Kurobota pork belly. Chef Tian’s skillful manipulations of tofu into well-sauced and seasoned dishes like the secret tofu and tofu skin salad make me happy, since tofu is one of my favorite things in the world and often wrongly maligned as boring (“You wouldn’t know what to do with me,” I picture tofu whispering to its detractors …).

Pro tip: The special menus are well-worth checking out. Ours featured a bluefin tuna gimbap, crystal dumpling with cordyceps flower topped with salmon roe, a crispy lotus root sandwich with shrimp and caviar, scallop with morels and honey peas, and, of course, chef Ki’s tender octopus with kumquat sauce, which he’s now dishing up differently at his new spot, Restaurant Ki.

— Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

To celebrate my 31^st birthday…

… I enjoyed some of the best pizza in all of L.A.: Quarter Sheets. On Wednesdays and Sundays, the restaurant offers “bar pies,” which are full, thin-crust pizzas, in addition to their usual Detroit-style pan pizzas, served by the slice. Needless to say, we got both. As for dessert, the princess cake is an absolute must, paired with their homemade ice cream. I went last year for my 30^th, this year for my 31^st, and you can bet we’ll make it a three-peat next year, too.

— West Caster, Resy Sales Executive

A good friend of mine was gearing up to move out of town…

… so we started revisiting one of our old reliables in Echo Park: Quarter Sheets. We went a bunch when it first opened in 2022 and loved it, but it had been a while. As per usual, we split a salad and slices of pepperoni pizza, vodka pesto, and whatever Sicilian corner special was currently on the menu, followed by an order of that killer princess cake. The tradition will have to continue next time she visits.

— Sara Ventiera, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

Sometimes, it feels like the only Arts District options…

… are full-tilt meals or a food truck. But the brand-new Happies Handmade, a Hewitt Street smash burger joint, balances the scales, with a warm wood interior and chill booths, a fast-casual style of service (you order at the counter), and crazy-good smash burgers with beef tallow spread.

Grab your tray full of crispy fries — these are substantial, hand-cut slices that stand up to the sauce, and are served up casually in a paper carton. Get soft-serve sundaes heaped with passion fruit sauce (the seeds are such a satisfying crunch), or drizzled with rich caramel and peanuts. Fried chicken tenders, a wild fish sandwich, and breakfast are on the way, but this is absolutely worth checking out during their soft opening if you’re a smash burger aficionado with a soft spot for sundaes.

— Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

First time dining at…

… Greekman’s, and certainly not the last. I’ve had some pretty good lamb burgers in my life, and this one might take the cake. That and their chicken and shrimp souvlaki had me wishing we could go back in time and start the meal over again. I went on a Thursday and they had a live jazz music playing to add to the vibes. 10/10 would recommend.

— West Caster, Resy Sales Executive

Ode to a dynamic duo…

On my last visit to Juliet, the perfect pair turned out to be the delicious croque madame (smoked ham, green chile béchamel, and a sunny-side egg) and the refreshing salade classique with market greens, fennel, and red wine vinaigrette.

— Adriana Garza, Senior Restaurant Success Manager

The first item on my trip to Los Angeles…

… was a stop at Chateau Marmont, for a mix of jaw-dropping architecture, elegant setting, and very good food. As soon as you step in, you’re in a stunning French gothic (yet glamorous) lounge.

I started off with their Gardener’s Gimlet, a vibrant green cocktail (Condesa orange blossom gin, cucumber, and lime juice), which was perfect for that warm spring day. We got some truffle fries to share (perfectly crispy and savory) and then the Dungeness crab-stuffed avocado — think an avocado on a bed of crispy, chilled lettuce, with a crab filling of fresh corn, tomatoes, parsley, and sprouts — and linguine and clams for entrées. For dessert, we got their cheesecake, which was delicious.

— Jordan McKosky, Senior Software Engineer

After a walk around the Franklin Canyon duck pond…

… I decided to grab brunch on the patio at Sweet Butter Kitchen in Sherman Oaks. The Valley staple was packed with folks lingering over croque madame, mimosas, and huge plates of brioche French toast. My date and I split the breakfast burrito and the Mia’s Breakfast set (eggs, pancakes, bacon or sausage). Both came with slightly sweet chicken apple sausages that I’ve been craving for the past few weeks, and the fluffy buttermilk pancakes were hands down some of the best I’ve had in a long time. I actually want to go back right now.

— Sara Ventiera, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

More Los Angeles staff picks, right this way.