This must be Chinatown
After a late-evening Amtrak back to L.A., I rolled my suitcase into Union Station and spotted a display featuring historic photographs of businesses emblazoned with Chinese characters. It turns out, as I learned while reading the text, my feet were on the hallowed ground of Man Jen Low, a three-story chop suey-style restaurant that existed in the 19th century.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
“The neighborhood is gone, but the memories of the community remain,” read the display, part of an exhibit called “Where You Stand: Chinatown 1880 to 1939.”
While L.A.’s Chinatown is now less than a square mile, snug between Elysian Park’s Dodger Stadium and neighboring Lincoln Heights, it used to be much bigger. For generations, it was home to families who struggled to find permanent housing elsewhere due to redlining laws. Over time, one Chinatown became three — Old Chinatown, China City and New Chinatown — and tourism became a key strategy for surviving economically. If you visit the Chinese American Museum, you’ll find old brochures and ads that describe Chinatown as a spectacle and show families exoticizing themselves to fulfill the fantasies of outsiders. For 50 cents in 1941, one could see “Outstanding Chinese talent! Magnificent oriental pageantry!”
Today, there’s tension around the question: Who is Chinatown for? There’s a fight to protect the neighborhood’s existence as a working-class immigrant ethnic enclave. Over the past decade, many Chinatown businesses moved to the San Gabriel Valley, where there is a larger Asian base. Some neighborhood staples have rapidly dwindled, like the swap meets that once spanned an entire block.
At the same time, a transformation has been underway — the longstanding Far East Plaza buzzes with energy from businesses like Filipino joint Amboy Burgers, cookbook shop Now Serving and craft coffee shop Endorffeine, all launched by new generation of Asian American creatives. A number of new projects vow to protect Chinatown’s history, such as a new mixed-use development that plans to preserve the facade of the historic movie house Kim Sing Theatre.
On an afternoon in the neighborhood, I couldn’t help but feel that Chinatown can be for everyone. A group of 50-something aunties pulled their vegetable carts on wheels. As the “45 bus” stopped at Broadway and College Avenue, a flurry of people got off. Kids left the rec center to finish their homework while tourists trickled past street vendors with hats and knickknacks on display, not too far from jewelers and a sugarcane juice stand. Classic institutions such as Phoenix Bakery and Yang Chow still stand the test of time.
William Gow, author of “Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community,” explained in The Times that it’s easy for people to forget how Chinatown helped reinvent Southern California. “Too many people dismiss Chinatown’s pagoda-style roofs, fortune cookies and wishing well as inauthentic representations of Asia and Asian Americans,” he wrote. “Instead, we should embrace them as reminders that neither the popular image of Los Angeles nor the city itself would have developed as they are today without Chinatown.”
There’s plenty to see on a walking tour of the neighborhood — learn where it’s been and where it is headed.
Showing Places
(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Sample a modern sisig at Lasita Rotisserie & Natural Wine
Chinatown Restaurant
In the center of the the Far East Plaza is Lasita, a modern interpretation of Filipino American fine dining food. Walking in, the lighting is dim, just enough to make the evening feel romantic. The chairs and table booths are all wood, with colorful paintings adorning the walls.
Chase and Steff Valencia and Chef Nico de Leon have developed a Filipino menu with dishes like pork belly lechon and chicken insasal. I was pleasantly surprised at how many vegan-friendly options there were — my favorite was the ginataag kalabasa, a roast kombucha with a lentil coconut sauce. If you come with a party of eight to 10, you’ll be served the “Pamilya Style” set menu, a thrilling feast for $52 per person.
Chase and Steff Valencia and Chef Nico de Leon have developed a Filipino menu with dishes like pork belly lechon and chicken insasal. I was pleasantly surprised at how many vegan-friendly options there were — my favorite was the ginataag kalabasa, a roast kombucha with a lentil coconut sauce. If you come with a party of eight to 10, you’ll be served the “Pamilya Style” set menu, a thrilling feast for $52 per person.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Learn about L.A. history you won't find in textbooks at the Chinese American Museum
Downtown L.A. Museum
While most people only learn about Chinese immigration through a line in a history textbook, the Chinese American Museum — the last remaining original Chinatown building on Olvera Street — tells the whole story.
In an exhibit on the first floor, there is a trilingual timeline in Spanish, English and Chinese tracing events that shaped Chinese American history, from the involvement in the American Civil War to L.A.’s first elected Chinese American council member. The second-floor recreation of Sun Wing Wo’s General Store — operated between 1891 and 1948 for local Chinese to purchase silks, furniture and other imported specialty goods — stands out with its traditional medicine shelves.
Chinatown was once three neighborhoods, and maps in the museum remind us of how highways have cut through and diaspora have expanded the Chinese American community to other areas like Monterey Park. There are gem artifacts, including a ribbon from a visit by former Chinese First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, as well as activist pamphlets. It’s odd seeing displays with words like the outdated “oriental” — but it reminds us of the resilience of people who have relied on their skills, talents and resourcefulness to survive over generations.
In an exhibit on the first floor, there is a trilingual timeline in Spanish, English and Chinese tracing events that shaped Chinese American history, from the involvement in the American Civil War to L.A.’s first elected Chinese American council member. The second-floor recreation of Sun Wing Wo’s General Store — operated between 1891 and 1948 for local Chinese to purchase silks, furniture and other imported specialty goods — stands out with its traditional medicine shelves.
Chinatown was once three neighborhoods, and maps in the museum remind us of how highways have cut through and diaspora have expanded the Chinese American community to other areas like Monterey Park. There are gem artifacts, including a ribbon from a visit by former Chinese First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, as well as activist pamphlets. It’s odd seeing displays with words like the outdated “oriental” — but it reminds us of the resilience of people who have relied on their skills, talents and resourcefulness to survive over generations.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Slow down with a kung fu tea ceremony at Steep LA
Downtown L.A. Teahouse
If you’re looking for a place to slow down, modern tea room Steep LA is the place. Gather a couple of friends to share a pot of oolong or pu-er looseleaf tea in kung fu tea style; each pot is timed to steep for 60 seconds at 98 degrees Celsius. If the weather is nice, you can borrow one of the shop’s many books focused on tea culture in Taiwan and read it outside in the patio. The back corner has an array of teapots, ceramics and T-shirts with funny Chinese memes by local Asian American designers.
While it’s best known for teas, Steep’s “after dark” cocktails should not be missed. The Verdancy drink with black tea plantation rum, lime, pineapple and coconut, along with hints of pandan and nutmeg, is refreshing and somehow reminds me of Christmas. While sitting at the bar, snack on chewy tofu crisps with house garlic sauce and enjoy a conversation with the many artists who gather in the space regularly.
While it’s best known for teas, Steep’s “after dark” cocktails should not be missed. The Verdancy drink with black tea plantation rum, lime, pineapple and coconut, along with hints of pandan and nutmeg, is refreshing and somehow reminds me of Christmas. While sitting at the bar, snack on chewy tofu crisps with house garlic sauce and enjoy a conversation with the many artists who gather in the space regularly.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Stock up on Asian ingredients at LAX-C Supermarket, a.k.a. 'Thai Costco'
Chinatown Food Market
I’d been hearing about this famous “Thai Costco” and I was not disappointed. Inside Asian and Thai marketplace, you’ll find fresh vegetables, shelves stocked with curry pastes, dried noodles, Asian snacks (like tom yum flavored shrimp chips), jasmine rice in bulk, and rows upon rows of frozen food (including restaurant-quality pork butt). In the back, there are huge Thai Buddha statues for sale, as well as discounted rice cookers and ceramics.
If you’ve worked up an appetite after all that shopping, stop by one of the fresh food vendors out in front. Mae Ting’s coconut cakes and papaya salad are not to be missed. The street stall has been at the locale for over 15 years and, after a long bike ride, there’s something grounding about making a stop there for shelter and sweets.
If you’ve worked up an appetite after all that shopping, stop by one of the fresh food vendors out in front. Mae Ting’s coconut cakes and papaya salad are not to be missed. The street stall has been at the locale for over 15 years and, after a long bike ride, there’s something grounding about making a stop there for shelter and sweets.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Meet your favorite cookbook author at Now Serving
Chinatown Bookstore
Community, learning and welcoming vibes are at the heart of Now Serving, L.A.’s beloved cookbook shop. Ken Concepcion, a former fine dining chef, takes great care in curating a lineup of speakers that grace the tiny space inside the Far East Plaza. Currently on the calendar: popular blogger Justine Doiron, a.k.a. Justine Snacks; chef Matty Matheson of “The Bear” and former Times cooking columnist Ben Mims.
Beyond the inspiring talks, you can easily spend an hour at Now Serving browsing the shelves, flipping through the glossy, colorful pages of hardback covers you probably won’t find at Barnes & Noble. Pick up a compelling magazine like “Cuadernos” “Cherry Bombe” and “Compound Butter.” Interspersed between piles of books are cases of culinary supplies such as Japanese knives and spoons, tweezers, and an assortment of chili and olive oils.
I’ve nearly cried in this shop, as I discovered bits and pieces of what I call “home.” Whether it’s Georgian, Palestinian, Tibetan, Burmese dishes, seeing them on a page — with instructions on how to recreate them — takes me down memory lane through my past adventures. The curation feels like both a reunion and a discovery.
Beyond the inspiring talks, you can easily spend an hour at Now Serving browsing the shelves, flipping through the glossy, colorful pages of hardback covers you probably won’t find at Barnes & Noble. Pick up a compelling magazine like “Cuadernos” “Cherry Bombe” and “Compound Butter.” Interspersed between piles of books are cases of culinary supplies such as Japanese knives and spoons, tweezers, and an assortment of chili and olive oils.
I’ve nearly cried in this shop, as I discovered bits and pieces of what I call “home.” Whether it’s Georgian, Palestinian, Tibetan, Burmese dishes, seeing them on a page — with instructions on how to recreate them — takes me down memory lane through my past adventures. The curation feels like both a reunion and a discovery.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Sip a hand-brewed Scandinavia roast at Endorffeine
Chinatown Coffeehouse
With its floor-to-ceiling glass windows and just one man brewing coffee at the island station, stepping into Endorffeine can be intimidating. But don’t let that push you away.
Inside, you’ll feel chill, literally, as the room’s humidity is controlled to reduce the moisture in the air. Opened in 2015, the coffee shop is the brainchild of biochemist Jack Benchakul, who meticulously brews every cup, often kneeling down instead of using mirrors so that he can walk around and get a better field of vision. The water chemistry is unique in each brew, as it is carefully sourced and pH-controlled. There can easily be a 45 minute wait for a hand brew.
When asked why there was such intention with the design, Benchakul says that “transparency” was top of mind and that “there’s an intimacy to it.” Despite receiving plenty of accolades over the years — including a spot on The Times’ 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination — don’t walk into Endorffeine and say, “I’ve heard this is the best coffee in Los Angeles.” Benchakul will feel a lot of pressure.
“There’s no such thing as the best,” he says. “I don’t believe that — I honestly don’t. I think this is our expression of coffee.”
Inside, you’ll feel chill, literally, as the room’s humidity is controlled to reduce the moisture in the air. Opened in 2015, the coffee shop is the brainchild of biochemist Jack Benchakul, who meticulously brews every cup, often kneeling down instead of using mirrors so that he can walk around and get a better field of vision. The water chemistry is unique in each brew, as it is carefully sourced and pH-controlled. There can easily be a 45 minute wait for a hand brew.
When asked why there was such intention with the design, Benchakul says that “transparency” was top of mind and that “there’s an intimacy to it.” Despite receiving plenty of accolades over the years — including a spot on The Times’ 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination — don’t walk into Endorffeine and say, “I’ve heard this is the best coffee in Los Angeles.” Benchakul will feel a lot of pressure.
“There’s no such thing as the best,” he says. “I don’t believe that — I honestly don’t. I think this is our expression of coffee.”
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Slurp a comforting bowl of of pho at Gigo’s Cafe & Deli
Chinatown Pho / Noodle House Restaurant
“Careless Whisper,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Like a Virgin” play while I’m sitting at a table at the family-run Gigo’s Cafe & Deli. The playlist feels almost as familiar and comforting as my piping hot bowl of pho.
Standing behind the counter near the white-bellied laughing Buddha statue is Regina, one of the co-owners. She grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to California more than 20 years ago, speaking Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and English.
With a drop in tourists and her elderly regulars moving out to the San Gabriel Valley or passing away, Regina says that restaurant attendance in Chinatown isn’t what it used to be. A lot of investors are coming in and making land prices higher. “I love Chinatown and I want to stay here,” she tells a customer.
I post a picture on social media and Regina tells me she’s still trying to figure out how to get more young people to come in, as she’s unfamiliar with Instagram. “Your generation is really important. We need you to come support Chinatown,” she says.
I will do so gladly. The tofu in my bowl of pho was just right — slightly fried on the outside, still soft on the inside. And the whole dish was only $10.50. Another menu secret? The boba that you can add to your Thai tea is excellent.
Standing behind the counter near the white-bellied laughing Buddha statue is Regina, one of the co-owners. She grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to California more than 20 years ago, speaking Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and English.
With a drop in tourists and her elderly regulars moving out to the San Gabriel Valley or passing away, Regina says that restaurant attendance in Chinatown isn’t what it used to be. A lot of investors are coming in and making land prices higher. “I love Chinatown and I want to stay here,” she tells a customer.
I post a picture on social media and Regina tells me she’s still trying to figure out how to get more young people to come in, as she’s unfamiliar with Instagram. “Your generation is really important. We need you to come support Chinatown,” she says.
I will do so gladly. The tofu in my bowl of pho was just right — slightly fried on the outside, still soft on the inside. And the whole dish was only $10.50. Another menu secret? The boba that you can add to your Thai tea is excellent.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Stroll through Los Angeles State Historic Park, a vast open green space in the city
Chinatown State Park
In this 32-acre park, a peaceful respite in the city, dogs wander on leash among the deergrass and people run on the circular bridges and stone walkways. You get a sense of calm as you listen to the sounds around you: the rumble of the nearby Metro A Line and hands slapping spikeballs on a net. Stay at the park until sunset and you’ll get a glimpse of the first twinkle of the L.A. skyline before a security guard drives around and tells you that the park is closing.
Home to Los Angeles’ first public works project — the Zanja Madre, an aqueduct that brought water to El Pueblo from the Los Angeles River — the park hosts concerts, movie nights and even puppet festivals. On Thursdays, you can find the LA River Farmers’ Market from 3 to 7:30 p.m. on the side near North Spring Street. There, you can drop off your food scraps with LA Compost before grabbing some local fruits and veggies for the week.
Home to Los Angeles’ first public works project — the Zanja Madre, an aqueduct that brought water to El Pueblo from the Los Angeles River — the park hosts concerts, movie nights and even puppet festivals. On Thursdays, you can find the LA River Farmers’ Market from 3 to 7:30 p.m. on the side near North Spring Street. There, you can drop off your food scraps with LA Compost before grabbing some local fruits and veggies for the week.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Check out the work of artists before they blow up at Eastern Projects Gallery
Chinatown Art Gallery
On the corner of North Broadway and East College Street, a neon sign with the words “Eastern Projects” flashes behind a glass window. This contemporary art gallery is Rigo Jimenez’s “love letter to L.A.” — as the founder and manager, he’s passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented, emerging artists that live in the city. Past exhibitors include street art pioneers Chaz Bojorquez, Alex “DEFER” Kizu, Shepard Fairey and Mister Cartoon.
With the challenge of homelessness, Rodriguez says it’s been difficult to balance concerns of safety and inclusion at Eastern Projects, but he hopes the gallery can be a space for everyone. “I’ve had people buy art that have never bought any art before in their life, and that’s kind of like a triumph in itself,” he said.
With the challenge of homelessness, Rodriguez says it’s been difficult to balance concerns of safety and inclusion at Eastern Projects, but he hopes the gallery can be a space for everyone. “I’ve had people buy art that have never bought any art before in their life, and that’s kind of like a triumph in itself,” he said.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Try the art of perfume-making at the Institute for Art & Olfaction
Chinatown Nonprofit
Yellow mandarin, geranium, sandalwood, cardamom and gardenia are just some of the notes in perfumes you can learn to dissect at the Institute for Art & Olfaction. Founded in 2012, the institute has trained thousands of scent enthusiasts and aims to make the art of scent more accessible to people in Los Angeles. On the shelves along the walls, there are more than 200 reference scents in glass bottles, inviting first-timers to dream of their ideal combination.
The magic of the classes is how they encourage you to trust your instincts — instructors ask participants to smell different scents and immediately shout out what comes to mind. IAO also invites specialists with their own perfume lines to give lectures focusing on a particular ingredient, and offers online classes to help people deepen their technical and scientific knowledge of perfumes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations of droplets. You might just create something transformative.
The magic of the classes is how they encourage you to trust your instincts — instructors ask participants to smell different scents and immediately shout out what comes to mind. IAO also invites specialists with their own perfume lines to give lectures focusing on a particular ingredient, and offers online classes to help people deepen their technical and scientific knowledge of perfumes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations of droplets. You might just create something transformative.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Find a plant friend at KimThai Garden
Chinatown Plant Shop
Pussy willow, kumquat trees, chrysanthemums. You’ll find all the flora you need to prep for the Lunar New Year and beyond on the racks of this affordable, indoor-outdoor plant shop. KimThai offers a range of indoor houseplants as well as larger trees and striking modern pots for all your gardening needs. If you’re not sure what plant is suitable for your space — perhaps your office gets limited sunlight — ask one of the knowledgeable staff members.
Aside from plants and pottery, the shop carries sculptures, crystals and T-shirts from their clothing brand, PlantDrip Los Angeles.
Aside from plants and pottery, the shop carries sculptures, crystals and T-shirts from their clothing brand, PlantDrip Los Angeles.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Have a slice of "not too sweet" strawberry cake from Phoenix Bakery
Chinatown Bakery
Most known for its strawberry cake, a light and spongy confection featuring layers of strawberries and whipped cream on the inside and toasted almond chips on the outside, Phoenix Bakery has endured as a Chinatown institution since 1938. On the glass windows below the signature teal green pagoda, you’ll find a painting of Sing Song, a shy little cartoon boy holding a Phoenix bakery box. The number “86” is painted in red, marking each year that‘s passed.
The refrigerator near the entrance holds dozens of customer orders, while the cases display sweets like winter melon cakes, almond cookies and an array of tiramisu, matcha, napoleon, and mango pineapple cake slices. Late brothers Fung Chow and Lun Chan served the community for decades, and their family still runs the bakery today. The shop gets busy during high seasons like the Golden Dragon Parade and Mid-Autumn. Make sure to put in a custom order for wedding or birthday cakes.
The refrigerator near the entrance holds dozens of customer orders, while the cases display sweets like winter melon cakes, almond cookies and an array of tiramisu, matcha, napoleon, and mango pineapple cake slices. Late brothers Fung Chow and Lun Chan served the community for decades, and their family still runs the bakery today. The shop gets busy during high seasons like the Golden Dragon Parade and Mid-Autumn. Make sure to put in a custom order for wedding or birthday cakes.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Grab a char siu bao from Long’s Family Pastry
Chinatown Dim Sum
On Saturday mornings, next to Shang Lee’s poultry, there’s a long line of people waiting to pick up their breakfast from Long’s Family Pastry. They’re all eager to choose from an array of dim sum options made fresh — pork shumai, har gow, turnip cakes, Chinese fried doughnuts, sesame balls, sponge cakes, char siu buns, custard pineapple buns and more. Most items are less than $2.50.
If you’re someone else who is a fan of dipping your Chinese doughnuts into hot fresh soy milk, sadly, they don’t have that here, but they do have an assortment of drinks in a fridge near the entrance, along with a big cart of almond cookies. Make sure to bring cash or you’ll have to spend a $10 minimum on card, which might not be too hard. Also, the Buddha cookies are for ancestral rituals, not for human consumption.
If you’re someone else who is a fan of dipping your Chinese doughnuts into hot fresh soy milk, sadly, they don’t have that here, but they do have an assortment of drinks in a fridge near the entrance, along with a big cart of almond cookies. Make sure to bring cash or you’ll have to spend a $10 minimum on card, which might not be too hard. Also, the Buddha cookies are for ancestral rituals, not for human consumption.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Eat a po’ boy at Little Jewel of New Orleans
Chinatown Deli
Walking into Little Jewel, the walls are decorated with fleurs-de-lis and posters nodding to the restaurant’s New Orleans heritage. A purple, gold and green “Parade Route” sign is next to giant cutouts of Blue Plate’s Real Mayonnaise along with stern warning about alligators. Each table has Acadian staples like bottles of Crystal hot sauce and creole seasoning to add to your food. To your right is a blackboard covered in the handwritten menu: catfish po’boy, turkey broiler and craw mac n’cheese.
After working in the film industry, Louisiana transplant Marcus Christiana-Beniger and his partner, Eunah Beniger, discovered the former Hoy King restaurant building. Blessed with a grandfathered smoker that was likely used for Peking duck, Little Jewel serves a variety of meats on imported breads from Leidenheimer Baking Co. and Gambino’s Bakery back home. The restaurant is a time capsule of sorts, capturing the neighborhoods and people that Christiana-Beniger grew up with and lost after Hurricane Katrina.
Christiana-Beniger eventually hopes to have a brunch jazz bar lounge with French Quarter elements. Be ready for things to be decadent and messy: “There’s no way to look dainty and dignified when you’re sloughing down gravy,” he said. “The [New Orleans food here] is about expediency. It’s about value. It’s about it’s about gravy. It’s about fried stuff. It’s about pigging out.”
After working in the film industry, Louisiana transplant Marcus Christiana-Beniger and his partner, Eunah Beniger, discovered the former Hoy King restaurant building. Blessed with a grandfathered smoker that was likely used for Peking duck, Little Jewel serves a variety of meats on imported breads from Leidenheimer Baking Co. and Gambino’s Bakery back home. The restaurant is a time capsule of sorts, capturing the neighborhoods and people that Christiana-Beniger grew up with and lost after Hurricane Katrina.
Christiana-Beniger eventually hopes to have a brunch jazz bar lounge with French Quarter elements. Be ready for things to be decadent and messy: “There’s no way to look dainty and dignified when you’re sloughing down gravy,” he said. “The [New Orleans food here] is about expediency. It’s about value. It’s about it’s about gravy. It’s about fried stuff. It’s about pigging out.”
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Make a dish or vase with your hands at Clay CA
Chinatown Pottery
When Gabriela Forgo opened this natural-light-filled ceramic studio, she hoped it would become a place where people could come together and connect. The creatives at Clay CA range from tech workers who quit their jobs at Google, to kids just beginning to explore new mediums, to senior citizens who have gone on to have their pieces displayed at local museums. The process of making something out of clay, Forgo believes, is “very community-oriented and organic.”
In the airy space, pottery wheels are next to shelves upon shelves full of pieces waiting to be fired in the kiln. For experimental artists and hobbyists, the studio offers tiers of memberships ranging from $30 to $195 per month, which offer up to 24-hour access to shelf space, firing space and a variety of glazes, tools, and other equipment. There are wheel throwing courses for beginners, and programming will soon include lamp wiring, biodegradable textiles and furniture building. On Sundays, the Clay CA staff puts on free sculptural workshops at Los Angeles State Historic Park. What’s lovely is that work from the studio often overflows into the neighborhood — you’ll find Clay CA ceramics being used at nearby businesses like Thank You Coffee and Steep LA.
In the airy space, pottery wheels are next to shelves upon shelves full of pieces waiting to be fired in the kiln. For experimental artists and hobbyists, the studio offers tiers of memberships ranging from $30 to $195 per month, which offer up to 24-hour access to shelf space, firing space and a variety of glazes, tools, and other equipment. There are wheel throwing courses for beginners, and programming will soon include lamp wiring, biodegradable textiles and furniture building. On Sundays, the Clay CA staff puts on free sculptural workshops at Los Angeles State Historic Park. What’s lovely is that work from the studio often overflows into the neighborhood — you’ll find Clay CA ceramics being used at nearby businesses like Thank You Coffee and Steep LA.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Try an iconic (and massive) burger at Amboy
Chinatown Burgers
Burgers made at Amboy are treated like prime steaks. One of the most popular items, the Fancy DH, is ground in-house from prime cuts of dry-aged meat, then topped with a garlic mayo confit. Owner and chef Alvin Cailan is no stranger to the power of comfort food — he was also the owner and creator of Eggslut, a food truck that quickly became a must-include on any list of Los Angeles eateries.
Situated in a snug corner spot inside Far East Plaza, Amboy (which is Tagalog slang for “American boy”) also serves special menu items designed by Cailan. The Krabby Patty Kollab is a Fancy DH burger with umami burger sauce, wakame seaweed salad and provolone cheese, served in a Happy Meal-style commemorative box as part of a 25th anniversary celebration for SpongeBob SquarePants.
Situated in a snug corner spot inside Far East Plaza, Amboy (which is Tagalog slang for “American boy”) also serves special menu items designed by Cailan. The Krabby Patty Kollab is a Fancy DH burger with umami burger sauce, wakame seaweed salad and provolone cheese, served in a Happy Meal-style commemorative box as part of a 25th anniversary celebration for SpongeBob SquarePants.
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(Solomon O. Smith / For The Times)
Find something uniquely upcycled at East/West Shop
Chinatown Clothing Store
A small, eclectic outpost in the Far East Plaza, East/West Shop is a hidden treat for those looking for handmade, recycled and “re-energized” clothing crafted by locals. Veteran designers Dennys Han and Erin Wignall Han created the company as a way of battling fashion waste in the garment industry. Through the shop and the brands they carry — East West Stuff, Gentlemen’s Fight Club and Opus Footwear — they aim to educate people about what goes into making clothes. (Erin created an illustration showing the life cycle of a single garment that lives on a curtain in the shop.)
At East/West Shop, you’ll find items like hair clips made of cloisonné (a handpainted enamel) from a Chinatown shop that closed down, handmade quilt coats and vintage sweatshirts embroidered with the brand’s rose logo. It’s best to revisit the store often — upcycled items are often snagged as they’re put up for sale.
At East/West Shop, you’ll find items like hair clips made of cloisonné (a handpainted enamel) from a Chinatown shop that closed down, handmade quilt coats and vintage sweatshirts embroidered with the brand’s rose logo. It’s best to revisit the store often — upcycled items are often snagged as they’re put up for sale.
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