A stroll through Chinatown feels like slipping between the shifting planes of timespace. 

An urban stage blending heritage and hype, where ancient roots are sold as medicine besides stands slinging iridescent brass knuckles, bootleg Monchichis, and real turtles. 

Where bright pagodas, private tongs, and moongates glower across the street at mixed use abominations and Tesla’s Incel Caminos in hot pursuit of a shortcut to Dodger Stadium. 

Where super famous lamb dips, cornstarch-coated shrimp, and almond cookies rub up against heritage pork belly lechon, asada-laden vampiros, and mad pizza scientists trying to reinvent L.A.-style pies.

A QUICK HISTORY

As that dude said to Jack Nicholson, “It’s Chinatown.”

But it’s not L.A.’s first. 

The first recorded Chinese residents of the tiny, rough town of Los Angeles were arguably two men named Ah Luce and Ah Fou, said to have arrived in 1850, with L.A.’s first Chinese neighborhood growing as the population slowly did on a street called Calle De Negros, located a few steps southwest of today’s El Pueblo monument on Olvera Street. 

Frequently mistreated, maligned, and discriminated against, this small community counted around 200 Chinese residents when it was devastated on a single night in 1871.

Following a tong gunfight in which a white man was shot in the crossfire, a mob said to be more than 500-strong lynched, robbed, tortured, and murdered between seventeen and twenty Chinese men and boys, who had nothing to do with the earlier shooting, amid the destruction of many homes, buildings, and businesses in what is too seldom remembered as the Chinese Massacre.

Despite the horrible damage and fear facing this terrorized community following the racial violence, as well as blatant anti-Chinese discrimination in both the media and government policy that forbade Chinese people from becoming citizens and owning property, and restricting immigration, L.A.’s Chinese population grew along with the city. 

In 1880, L.A.’s first official Chinatown was established over what was said to be the remains of the village of Yangna, with roughly 3,000 inhabitants by 1900. As that Chinatown fell into disrepair and ill repute over the next three decades, other Chinese centers of life and Chinatown-like developments grew in Downtown, with the original Chinatown being razed starting in 1933 for the building of Union Station.

With many of Downtown’s Chinese residents increasingly pushing north of Downtown, L.A.’s “New Chinatown” replaced a neighborhood once known as Sonoratown and later, as L.A.’s Little Italy. The project came to fruition under Chinese-American engineer Peter Hoo Soo, who met with a Santa Fe Railroad agent, and along with several local Chinatown families, formed the Los Angeles Chinatown Project Association and purchased railroad land through their U.S.-born children, as Chinese-born Angelenos could not buy land until the 1950’s.

As it developed, Chinatown’s blend of Chinese cultures and working-class residents were increasingly being addled with set-designed attractions meant to satisfy a growing number of tourists to the area in the 1930’s, such as Central Plaza, with its pagoda roofs, catchy street names, and paper lanterns.

This blend of commerce and culture remains a draw to Chinatown today, with art galleries, festivals, whimsical shops, mini-malls, clubs still revered for their punk-history, some of L.A.’s most cutting-edge restaurants, Cantonese classics and excellent pho and banh mi shops continuing to draw visitors and locals alike to stroll through the neighborhood. 

Meanwhile, those who call Chinatown home are in an age-old fight against the forces that seek to take advantage of its land, locale, and red-hot restaurant scene, by blocking the sun from the sidewalk with single-unit apartment towers. 

Chinatown Community for Equitable Development was founded in 2012 to counter the proposed opening of a Wal-Mart in the neighborhood, continuing the battle today to keep Chinatown thriving as a real, healthy, self-guided community with affordable housing and a healthy environment that’s safe from developers’ schemes.

Here’s where we love to go in Chinatown.

Our Recommended Restaurants

Old-School 

PHOENIX BAKERY

Entering its 88th year and still owned by the founding Chan family, Phoenix Bakery is usually people’s first stop in Chinatown, whether they be Sunday regulars or first-time visitors from afar. They come for the almond cookies, they come for the sticky sugar butterflies, and they come for the cakes, from banana tres leches and the bakery’s signature, fruit-packed and almond-bedazzled strawberry whipped cream cake. It’s easy to come here, get in line, place your order, and spend just a little while going home with boxes of goodies.

You’ll probably add some things you didn’t initially come for. Red bean buns. Guava cheese danishes. Wintermelon pastries. Moon cakes, if it’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Go ahead L.A., Phoenix is a legendary part of your city and life is short.

969 North Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

YANG CHOW

Los Angeles rule #423: You must go to Yang Chow at least once in your life. And you must order the slippery shrimp. Yes, everyone must do it. 

Just take a look at the walls for the evidence. There’s Steve-O posing with a server. And Karen Bass. And Andy Garcia. And Flavor Flav. Richard Simmons. And some rando named Jay Flats. What do they all have in common? Slippery shrimp at Yang Chow. And a tendency to wear giant clocks around their necks.

One of Chinatown’s most famous dishes and among L.A.’s most addictive, the slippery shrimp will hit your table, blinding you with an impressive orange gloss, and striking you dumb with their magic taste, especially when combined with the housemade chile oil. Crispy batter of fried cornstarch with insane levels of flavor, popping shrimp that taste like steak of the sea, a multitude of herby, tangy, mysterious, and vaguely spicy notes hitting your palate with just the right hit of salt. 

Yang Chow has other classics your table will like sharing. Like mushu pork wraps, beef-and-broccoli, Three Musketeers lo-mein, and egg drop soup. But your municipal obligations start and end with the shrimp. Or as Richard Simmons may have put it, “yeeeeeah boy!”

819 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

PHOENIX INN CHINESE CUISINE

There are more than two dozen Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, yet none are like Phoenix Inn.

What separates this low-key corner spot (that you’ve probably driven by countless times looking while looking for parking) is a full dessert case full of barely sweet Chinese confections like black sesame custard-filled mochi with jasmine green tea wrappers, durian rolls brimming with the king of fruits, and a beverage menu stocked with coconut milk-based tapioca drinks, including one with with tender young coconut jellies.

This is in addition to their unique menu that has something for everyone, like an aromatic hot and sour soup filled with silky scrambled egg and soft tofu, Peking duck with crispy skin that can hold its own against some of the best in the San Gabriel Valley, Hakka-style pork belly that melts in your mouth, and XO Noodles that scream "wok hei" (that smoky flavor of char from high-heat wok cooking). You can have everything either in half or full portions too, depending on how deep you’re rolling. 

301 Ord St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

WON KOK

Protect Won Kok at all costs. It’s been open for more than 50 years and just may be the most affordable and delicious restaurant in Los Angeles. It’s the kind of spot where the Chinese servers joke with their Latino regulars in Spanish and where each dumpling goes for $1 plus tax. It recently became viral on TikTok for all of these reasons, so if you see a line forming outside their dim sum window on New High Street, now you know why.

It’s worth the hype if you love no-frills and filling shrimp-packed har gow washed down with a never-ending kettle full of tea. For under $10, you’ll leave full and caffeinated, which in this economy is priceless.

It’s just as solid for dinner and perfect if you want to treat a large group of people without breaking the bank. The menu's star is French-style beef, a heaping plate of blistered red and green bell peppers sizzling with velveted, peppered beef.  

210 Alpine St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

PHO 87

The oxtail pho at Pho 87 is the type of soup to cure your hangover when the lines are too long at your local menudo spot. This Chinatown icon has been open since . . . you guessed it, 1987, and the skateboard decks and Dodger jerseys that adorn the walls let you know this place is as unapologetically L.A. as it gets. But the main draw here is its broth; floral and fragrant, with a slight sweetness and a little tang. The meat in their oxtail pho falls off the bone and turns transcendent after the handfuls of fresh mint, basil, bean sprouts, freshly squeezed lime juice, and sliced jalapeños that come on the side. If you choose to mix in (and you should).

1019 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Our Recommended Restaurants ~ New-School

FIRSTBORN

A restaurant like Firstborn was so desperately needed in Chinatown. Anthony Wang, who formerly worked at Destroyer under Jordan Kahn and at Ink under Michael Voltaggio, is giving Chinese-American food the refined treatment it deserves. On February 7th, they’re switching over to a prix-fixe only four-course tasting menu at $68 a person, which will make it one of the more accessible tasting menus in the city.

It’ll pick up where his previous menu, comprised of small plates, left off: Duck sausage en crépinette with red braised daikon; grilled sous vide short rib with black garlic, cabbage and leek terrine, yuxiang, and pepper jus, and for dessert, vanilla sponge cake with red bean paste and oolong cream.

Wang’s cultishly beloved “Chongqing fried chicken” dish has evolved to his current, fried boneless leg of chicken with morita chile crisp and pickled cucumbers, available as a supplement. 

978 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

LASITA ~ FAR EAST PLAZA

We always want to share what is unique to Los Angeles and what you can't get anywhere else. In a city stuffed with options, Lasita is a great example of a restaurant that is unique to the city for the way it takes Filipino food to another level.

Located in Far East Plaza, Lasita has been serving the neighborhood the best Filipino food around with an excellent and inviting staff behind it all. Offering the tastiest rotisserie chicken; pork belly lechon; pancit;, chicken fat rice, and addicting sauces, the restaurant will have you smiling as you keep eating and eating. Get comfortable and get familiar, you'll be returning and be known by the staff in no time.

727 N. Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012

CAFÉ TRISTE

For those of us who love binging on “I Love L.A.” and swear to “only drink natural wines” because adulterated wines give you a headache, Café Triste on the northernmost end of Chinatown is your happy place.

Opened by the folks behind Psychic Wines in Historic Filipinotown, the aesthetics associated with a natural wine bar are firing on all cylinders here: mid-century dining tables with a tiny kitchen, wines that demand a conversation with your server, killer sourdough bread and olives, and a caña-sized cheap beer (in this case a $4 Budweiser).

It’s an excellent first-date spot that proves Chinatown is not just a space for great fried rice and cookbooks, but also a very cool natural wine bar as well. 

980 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

LASORTED'S CHINATOWN

LaSorted's newest location feels like it has occupied its Chinatown block for over a century, then passed down to multiple generations. That's because every single square inch of the tiny restaurant is covered in some kind of Dodger artifact from the lifetime collection of owner Tommy Brockert.

"I take great pride in being from L.A.," Brockert tells L.A. TACO. "Why not do a Dodgers theme and just own it?"

The best way to describe LaSorted's pizza is nostalgically upscale, serving hard-baked pies that remind you of an actually delicious, hybrid sourdough version of perhaps the Shakey's or other nameless neighborhood pizza parlor you grew up eating. The sides are also part of that drive down memory lane with wings, amazing fries, salads, and beer on tap. LaSorted's chef and culinary director, Edward Lott, is also responsible for this L.A.-style pizza parlor appeal, since he was also born and raised in Lynwood and South L.A.When all is said and done, it'll be one of the cheapest lunches in Chinatown too, with their oversized $4 cheese slices.

984 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

AMBOY QUALITY MEATS

Amboy Quality Meats & Burgers is a Far East Plaza-based burger joint from Eggslut founder, chef, and burger connoisseur Alvin Cailan, led by fellow Filipino-American Chef Ria Dolly Barbosa (formerly of Petite Peso). Cailan leaned on years of experience, sampling hundreds of burgers from all over the country, to create a straight forward menu consisting of burgers, and L.A. staples like chili cheese fries and hot dogs.

The Amboy DH is a decadent cheeseburger reminiscent of steakhouse and fine dining cheeseburgers that were popularized during the early aughts. The burger features a thick 10oz burger patty made with a blend of 28-day certified Angus dry-aged chuck and brisket that’s ground in-house and seasoned liberally with just salt. The burger patty is then seared in a sizzling hot cast iron pan until it develops a barnacle-like crust while being basted with butter. It’s then transferred over to a plancha where it’s topped with two slices of American cheese, burger sauce, pickles, and caramelized onions.

The dry-aged blend of meat gives this burger a rich and slightly earthy flavor that closely resembles a good steak. In a burger world where paper thin smashburgers rule, the Amboy DH stands out as arguably one of Los Angeles’ best cheeseburgers.

727 N. Broadway No. 117, Los Angeles, CA 90012

SHOPS WE LOVE

CHUNKY ART & GIFTS ~ CENTRAL PLAZA

Chunky Art & Gifts is the creation of the married artist team known as Yellow Mascot Studios. It’s store is a veritable Pee-wee’s Playhouse of the couple’s cute, plump and original cartoon characters, gracing t-shirts, stickers, red envelopes, jewelry, toys, and more, all made by AAPI makers and artists. Alongside this you’ll find clever works dedicated to local heroes (like a t-shirt with a chubby Ohtani and Decoy on it) and art prints with messages both political (such as “FUCK ICE, BE NICE” and “Not your Model Minority) and adorable (Catbus! A teddy bear sleeping on a SPAM musubi). In any case, it’s a beautiful corner of creativity that’s totally original and 100% Disney-free.

LANG ~ CENTRAL PLAZA

Lang is a stylish boutique dedicated to Asian-founded indie designers and labels. And we kinda want everything in there. 

This list includes but is not limited to: a Street Fighter skate deck featuring a pixelated Ryu punching a car to death (not a Waymo); a canvas print that resembles a stylized matchbox and says “Shoppers are lovers;” a shirt with photos of Hong Kong groceries on the back; a selfie in the mirror that says “You Are Pretty” (mom always thought so); a Choirhead zip denim jacket from Hong Kong; ethical eco gem jewelry; Bonnie Clyde sunglasses; bamboo camo mesh gloves; and basically everything else. 

441 Gin Ling Way Los Angeles, CA 90012

PRESS FRIENDS

Ran by married duo Joan Lee and Sean Hernandez, Press Friends is a full-service print shop offering options like fine art screen-printing, risograph, and collectible art. The shop has been around for almost a decade, as the couple got their start in Mid-City before moving to Chinatown. Their clients range from independent artists to large brands, for which they create concert merch, zines, and tour posters.

According to Lee, going to your local print shop means getting to interact face-to-face with someone who will experiment with materials to get things just right for your taste–while a “giant faceless company online” just won’t.

Even if you’re not searching for a print service, stop in to check out their sick selection of artwork and merch from local creatives.

502 Chung King Ct. Los Angeles, CA 90012

NEO HAPPYLAND, INC. ~ BAMBOO PLAZA

With a constant influx of new arrivals and restocks, Neo HappyLand Inc. has been faithfully supplying the Gundam lovers of L.A. with collectibles–along with DIY kits and other anime memorabilia. Established in 1994 by a couple from Hong Kong, the shop is now run by their son and daughter-in-law.

Operator Natalie Wan prefers building miniature homes and small model kits (which are also sold at Neo HappyLand) over the Gundams they have become so popular for. The store has been a DIY haven for their regulars despite the gradual dwindling of overall foot traffic, Wan tells L.A. TACO.

Like most small businesses, the pandemic led to a dramatic decline in clientele, but the increasing closures of shops in Bamboo Plaza and minimal foot traffic have lowered the number of faces Wan notices from her spot behind the counter. In today’s attention economy built on instant gratification, Neo Happyland proves that creating something with your own hands is a powerful, worthwhile feeling that many L.A. locals still seek out. 

988 N. Hill St. #108, Los Angeles, CA 90012

SUPERIOR POULTRY

You can spot Superior Poultry from blocks away on Broadway, thanks to its rooster mascot looming atop the building, a pillar symbolizing some of the freshest meat on L.A.’s market. Known as the only live poultry spot in Chinatown, the shop is a staple for local chefs aiming to minimize the time between slaughter and plating. 

The current owner has run the place for about 50 years now, and the staff are all veterans, too. Most have been working there at least a couple of decades. While the brown chicken (#2) is their bestseller, they also offer duck, guinea hens, and more.

If you’re planning to cook this weekend and have time to visit Chinatown, try replacing megastore prepackaged chicken for Superior Poultry’s cuts and see why they are revered as treasured community staples.

750 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

EASTERN PROJECTS GALLERY

On the corner of College Street and North Broadway, Eastern Projects Gallery opened in 2016 and has since exhibited artwork belonging to various communities dear to L.A., many of the artists’ pieces commenting upon their respective cultural upbringings and fractures within their local communities. Each show is only displayed for six weeks before the gallery is renovated over the course of two weeks to accommodate the next set of art pieces. 

Currently on display is San Diegan-Tijuanense artist Rodrigo Angel Jimenez-Ortega’s “IT IS WHAT IT IS,” a collection of oil paintings blending “video games, cartoons, and culture.”

With over 70 works “exploring identity and memory,” Jimenez-Ortega’s subjects range from retro gaming graphics to depictions of police brutality. The collection will be available for viewing until February 28. 

900 N. Broadway Suite 1090, Los Angeles, California 90012

The exhibit is free to view. Public Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.