A pho-inspired mojito is on the menu at Phorage in West Hollywood

By Hadley Tomicki

Feb. 10, 2020 7 AM PT

Here are some of the notable restaurant openings around Southern California:

Phorage

Phorage has a new location now open in West Hollywood. In addition to dishes such as Washugyu pho, fish sauce wings and Jidori chicken clay pot, there are cocktails from bartender Devon Espinosa, including a pho-inspired mojito and a cafe sua da-inspired cocktail with mezcal.

Phorage, 7326 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 366-2644

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang will open Friday at the Line Hotel in Koreatown. The disco-era-themed dance club, which comes from Mark and Jonnie Houston, includes updates on 1970s-style cocktails, live performances, and vegan dishes from Josiah Citrin and Richard Archuleta such as grain burgers with cashew cheese.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 3531 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 381-7411

Town Hof & Thanks Chicken

Town Hof & Thanks Chicken is open in Koreatown for fried chicken and beer. The pub’s menu also includes rib-eye steak skewers, stir-fried noodles with octopus, and jokbal and bossam combo plates.

Town Hof & Thanks Chicken, 1144 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles

Lokels Only

Lokels Only is now open in the Arts District in downtown. The events space and marketplace contains several regularly scheduled pop-ups from concepts such as the Ricans Food, Q’s Chicken, Papa Pancho’s Tacos and Uncle Johnny’s Burgers.

Lokels Only, 1801 E. 7th St., Los Angeles

Birrieria La Vaca Brava

Birrieria La Vaca Brava is open in Van Nuys from the owners of Mariscos El Mazatleco. The truck sells tacos, burritos and quesadillas with birria de res.

Birrieria La Vaca Brava, 7117 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys

Taqueria Gardena

Taqueria Gardena is open in Gardena. The menu includes asada and pastor tacos, while regular specials include pork belly fries, Mexican fried rice, and pozole with mushrooms and seaweed. There are also local and Mexican beers on tap.

Taqueria Gardena, 1630 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, (424) 340-2599

Café the Barn

Café the Barn is open in Koreatown. The menu of creative comfort foods includes pastries, kimchi paella, udon miso carbonara with mentaiko and fried wonton nachos.

Café the Barn, 228 S. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 315-5149

Hot Spring Chicken

Hot Spring Chicken is open on the Venice Beach Boardwalk for organic hot chicken in sandwiches, on fries and as tenders, as well as in burgers with green, black, red and yellow buns.

Hot Spring Chicken, 1425 Ocean Front Walk, Window D, Venice, (323) 446-9941

Savoca

Savoca is open downtown at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. The menu includes handmade bucatini and agnolotti, plus scrambled eggs cacio e pepe, roasted branzino, pizza and bistecca Fiorentina.

Savoca, 900 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 765-8630

Shaq’s Big Chicken

Shaq’s Big Chicken, from former Laker Shaquille O’Neal, is open across from the Americana at Brand in Glendale. The menu includes fried chicken tenders, sliders and sandwiches, including the Charles Barkley with mac and cheese.

Shaq’s Big Chicken, 252 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken has a new location in Santa Ana. The Memphis-based chain serves fried chicken with sides such as fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, coleslaw and chess pie.

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, 102 N. Sycamore St., Santa Ana, (949) 336-3936

Khan Saab

Khan Saab will open in Fullerton on Feb. 19 for elevated takes on dishes from Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The menu includes pomegranate-braised brisket; fried butter chicken; coconut masala with black tiger shrimp; Wagyu keema pav sloppy Joes; and halal steaks, including a wood-fired bone-in tomahawk. All of the cocktails will be alcohol-free.

Khan Saab, 229 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 853-1081

These restaurants have closed:

Mercado Taqueria is closed after two years in Studio City.

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream is closed after one year on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice.

Hurry Curry is closed after 35 years in Mar Vista.

Five Leaves is closed after 10 months in Hollywood.

ROC Kitchen is closed after seven years on Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles.

More restaurant news:

A location of Flour Shop by Amirah Kassem, the New York-based bakery known for its rainbow-colored candy-filled explosion cakes, is under construction in Beverly Hills.

Flour Shop, 9495 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills

Jumbo Dim Sum House plans to open soon in downtown Los Angeles. The menu will include ramen, brisket lo mein, pork XLB and siu mai.

Jumbo Dim Sum House, 808 W. 7th St., Los Angeles

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