A Week of Los Angeles Chinese Food Traditions
A route through counters, bakeries and dining rooms traces how different Chinese food traditions shape a city’s everyday meals. Follow the dishes and the stories behind them, from Cantonese dim sum to Beijing street food.
🥟 Monday, Start With Dim Sum
At ixlb Dimsum Eats on Sunset Boulevard, a counter devoted to Cantonese dim sum in Los Angeles offers a focused opening chapter for anyone tracking where to eat across the city. Start with the dumplings. Choose dine-in or takeout before ordering, and check the current hours before setting out.
🍚 Tuesday, Neighborhood Comfort
On Glendale Boulevard, Coral Reef Chinese Restaurant offers a neighborhood counterpoint to the first day’s dim sum for a hunter who wants the ordinary rituals as well as the headlines. Keep the choice flexible. Pick dine-in or takeout first, then ask what the kitchen recommends today.
🥮 Wednesday, Two Bakery Counters
In Chinatown, Long’s Family Pastry and Queen’s Bakery make a useful pairing for an eater who wants to compare traditional Chinese pastries across two neighborhood counters. Two cases, different choices. Choose an egg tart first at Long’s, then walk to Queen’s and look for buns or cookies.
🦐 Thursday, A Chinatown Signature
Beneath the Bing Wong Hotel, Yang Chow carries a family restaurant story and a signature dish into the middle of this week of Los Angeles Chinese food. History is on display. Order slippery shrimp first, then give yourself time to notice how a single plate became part of the restaurant’s story.
🍜 Friday, Beijing Dumplings
Downtown, Peking Tavern brings Beijing street food and handmade dumplings into a subterranean dining room, a change of register for the eater who collects stories as carefully as dishes. Save room for noodles. Try house-made hand-pulled noodles and consider a Chinese-spirit cocktail alongside them.
🌶️ Saturday, A Mala Bowl
On South Western Avenue, Pixiu Mala Hongtang brings customizable mala hot pot and richly spiced broths into the week for a hunter who enjoys choosing the direction of a meal. Give the broth attention. Ask about the mala broth first, then decide how to customize your bowl.
🍲 Sunday, Settle Around Hot Pot
On West Washington Boulevard, Hot Pot House centers its meal on fish maw and chicken broths, a different kind of shared-table finish for those following Chinese food traditions across the city. End with warming broth. Ask about the fish maw and chicken soup before deciding how to order.
