After years of anticipation, Singapore's xiao long bao specialist Paradise Dynasty just made its Los Angeles debut. The restaurant opened on Friday, November 21, at the Americana at Brand, in the former Din Tai Fung space. Joining Paradise Dynasty at the Americana is Le Shrimp Noodle Bar, a sister restaurant serving shrimp broth noodles. This is the second U.S. location for Paradise Dynasty, which made its stateside debut in 2021 at South Coast Plaza;
You're here for the pizza, so start with a cheese slice: Like a French omelet or a pilsner, there's nowhere to hide with a plain pie. Bub's version is pristine with bright tomato sauce tempered by dried herbs and sourdough tang throughout. They don't claim to be New York style, and that's wise: the pie is a little puffier with a tart crust that yields rather than shatters.
One of my favorite things to eat when I'm in Thailand is leng saap, a tower of pork ribs drowned in an aggressively spicy blend of fish sauce, lime, and Thai chiles that's often served with cubes of pork blood. It's a dish that's hard to come across in Los Angeles, but I enjoyed it recently in an unlikely place: Haemaru Sullungtang in Koreatown.
On L.A.'s heat map, you'll often find the hottest temperatures concentrated in the San Fernando Valley. But despite this reputation, there are still plenty of places worth ducking into for more than a blast of cool AC. Home to roughly half of L.A.'s population and dozens of neighborhoods, the Valley boasts a parade of sushi restaurants along Ventura Boulevard, a thrilling Thai food scene, long-standing burger shacks and plenty of breweries, wine and cocktail bars. And arguably the best restaurant in the region just reopened its doors after remodeling its dining room.