The 8 Best Places to Eat and Drink in Los Angeles' Chinatown, According to Local Experts

The southern California neighborhood is getting a boost of revitalization, thanks to a new generation of business owners putting their heritage first.

Stepping through one of Los Angeles’ historic two Chinatown gates and into Central Plaza is like going through a time warp. Red lanterns hang overhead as much of the colorful original buildings retain their essence from when this planned community opened in 1938 as America’s first modern Chinatown, a major step since Chinese immigrants had been recorded in the area since 1852. 

“It’s not exactly a time capsule, but it is a slice of a moment in time,” Steven McCall, a docent and board member of the Los Angeles Conservancy told Travel + Leisure. “It was conceived as an organic Chinatown and has retained that integrity. Even though it’s not very big, it’s very uniquely original.”

Fittingly, there’s something distinctly Hollywood about the area, almost like a backlot set in yesteryear. Gift shops hawk tchotchkes of every kind, while a wishing well invites passersby to toss in their coins to the many surfaces, like a game of chance. While other Chinatowns in the U.S. are bustling and ever-changing, there are just a handful of mainstays that have been preserved within this neighborhood that somehow exist on an island of its own.

Strategically sandwiched between Dodger Stadium to the north and Downtown and Little Tokyo to the south, and right near the intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways, Chinatown is pretty much smack dab in the center of the greater L.A. area. Yet folks — visitors and locals alike — just haven’t been coming.

In the last decade, there's been a slow but steady effort to reinvigorate the area, led by a new generation taking Chinatown’s legacy into its own hands. For example, Samuel Wang and his business partner Lydia Lin purposely chose the neighborhood for their tea shop Steep LA. “We chose Chinatown because we understood what it was going through,” Wang told T+L “I’m not an activist type, but I care about my culture and my people.” Though he didn’t grow up there, he was drawn to the enclave, so much so that he also lives there now, bucking the trend.

“We don’t have people wanting to come to Chinatown,” he said. With so many Asian neighborhoods in the nearby San Gabriel Valley, from Monterey Park to Rowland Heights, there was no need for the Asian community to trek to Chinatown. The pandemic only heightened the isolation.

But Wang saw it as an opportunity. “We were like, let’s use this as a way to get people to understand that it’s viable for Chinese Americans to have a business here, especially since it’s so central to everywhere," he said. "There’s no better place to have a Chinese tea shop than in Chinatown.”

A designer by day, Wang sees Steep LA more as a passion project, though it's also grown into a community hub since it opened in 2019. Now an integral part of the Chinatown community, Wang even created his own 88-page travel guide to the neighborhood called Chart (available at steepia.com) highlighting 43 area businesses and putting the profits back into the neighborhood through the East Wind Foundation.

“Chinatown is like a small town in a big city,” he said. “We all know each other and we really care about how we’re doing because it’s small.”

So we talked to the insiders to find out the top eight spots for visitors to best get a sense of both the historic and burgeoning Chinatown.

Phoenix Bakery

“Almost every Angeleno who's ever worked downtown and had a birthday party has had a cake from this place,” McCall said of Phoenix Bakery, which was founded in 1938. In fact, its main sign even heralds its “famous birthday cakes.” Opened by the Chan family, the shop was originally known for its almond cookies, using generations-old recipes. But these days it is best known for its fresh strawberry whipped cream cake, with a thick layer of fresh berries in the middle.

Insider Tip: While the signature strawberry whipped cream cake can be ordered in sizes from 6 inches to a full sheet, slices are also available at the shop. Wang also suggested the wintermelon cakes.

Yang Chow

In a two-room former diner under the Bing Wong Hotel, Yang Chow first welcomed diners in 1977, opened by five Yun brothers. The restaurant quickly made a name for itself serving Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine, especially becoming known for its slippery shrimp entree — lightly fried shrimp with a sauce that’s both sweet and spicy. While there are now also locations in Long Beach and Pasadena, the Chinatown one on North Broadway remains the most iconic.

Insider Tip: Both McCall and Wang called out the trademark slippery shrimp, while McCall mentioned the dry sauteed string beans.

General Lee’s Cocktail House

Originally opened as Man Jen Low back in 1880 as one of Chinatown’s first restaurants, General Lee’s has remained a part of Los Angeles’ persona through all of its eras, even becoming a favorite of the old Hollywood set, including Frank Sinatra. Nowadays it’s become a hip hangout honoring its heritage, including odes to its Asian roots with menu items like green tea shots.

Insider Tip: Wang recommended cocktails with baijiu, a clear Chinese liquor usually made of sorghum, as well as drinks made with tea.

Full House Seafood

Wang called Full House Seafood on Hill Street a “very traditional” Cantonese restaurant. The diverse all-day menu serves everything from sea cucumbers and bird’s nest soup to porridge and clay hot pots.

Insider Tip: The pan-fried clams with black bean sauce and the sizzling steak with black pepper sauce are among the highlights, Wang said.

Paper Plant Co & Thank You Coffee

Sharing a space in Chinatown Central Plaza, stationery shop Paper Plant Co (owned by Japanese Brazilian Friedia Nimura) and Thank You Coffee (run by Jonathan Yang, Matt Chung, and Cody Wang) made their joint debut in 2022, representing the new generation honoring their roots. “One of the reasons we’re here operating in Chinatown is that we hope to remind people that Chinatown is still here, and it’s significant not only in its historical role in Asian American history but because of its living history,” Yang wrote in a recent Instagram post. Though they also have an Anaheim location, this one has extra purpose since “some of the senior citizens that paved the way for our generation still live here and are in need.”

Insider Tip: Browse greeting cards created by Nimura along with Japanese-style stationery, from pens to notebooks, and sip on drinks like the matcha latte and orange kumquat soda.

My Dung Sandwich Shop

There’s something sweet about the rustic charm of My Dung Sandwich Shop. Located inside Yue Wa Market, you have to duck under hanging bananas in front of the shop to get a good look at its menu of banh mi sandwiches, from grilled pork or beef to the special with cold cuts and Vietnamese-style meatloaf. Served on warm bread with mayo, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled carrots and daikon, and pate, the little shop has remained a local favorite while also luring in food critics, impressed by its flavors.

Insider Tip: Wang said you can’t go wrong with any of the banh mi here. The establishment is cash only. Expect long lunches during peak hours.

Far East Plaza

Even though Far East Plaza food mall was built in 1976, Wang credits its resurgence around for breathing new life into the neighborhood around 2015. “In a way, the plaza kind of reinvigorated Chinatown, even though most of it wasn’t Chinese,” he said. The longest lines these days are still at the Nashville-inspired food truck-turned-shop Howlin' Ray's Hot Chicken, which opened in 2016. Also on site: Endorffeine coffee shop, Filipino Lasa, Chinese comfort food Qin West Chinatown, Vietnamese Thien Huong, and Cambodian-inspired Kim Chuy.

Insider Tip: Skip the Howlin’ Ray’s Hot Chicken line by ordering ahead on Postmates, Wang advised.

Steep LA

Of course, there’s also Wang’s own shop, Steep LA, which he co-owns with Lin. “There's enough boba shops in this world now,” he said. “We want people to know that there’s just tea, so we wanted to build a good tea shop.” By day, the simple menu serves premium hand-picked tea from China and Taiwan in four categories: black, green, oolong, or pu-er. By night, the space transforms into a bar, Steep After Dark with drinks like Early & Often, which mixes Aperol with white tea, and Oolong High with Daiyame shochu and oolong. Also on the menu: black truffle lu rou fan and short rib bao. “People come in and are like, is this a coffee shop?” he said. “We’re like, no, a tea shop can look like this too!”

Insider Tip: Growing up in Taiwan, Wang admitted his favorite tea is still Oolong, though he also sips Steep black tea.

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