Put your name down at Paradise Dynasty, then pass the wait time with holiday shopping at South Coast Plaza.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Where to eat while you’re holiday shopping
You’ll likely find yourself at a mall in the next few weeks, shopping for holiday presents, supplies and decorations.
The mall food court was my weekend refuge as a teenager. A friend or classmate was always going or coming, so I could always catch a ride. It was a free place to hang out and the food was relatively affordable, especially on my abysmal weekly allowance.
As an adult, I try to avoid the food courts and their fluorescent lights that seem to age me more than time ever does. The steam trays full of overcooked noodles and rubbery chicken and the weary shoppers slumped over Styrofoam containers of said noodles and chicken leave much to be desired. For the most part, it’s the same short list of chains in every mall. You know the pizza one, the orange chicken one and the place with the kebabs. If that’s your jam, more power to you. The allure faded for me along with my adolescent acne.
Find the best gifts for travelers, creatives, gadget geeks, food lovers, book fans, white elephant parties and more in our gift guide.
But in advance of this year’s holiday shopping season, I put together a list of restaurants I actually enjoy visiting, that happen to be inside a mall, across the street or a short drive or walk away.
If you’re going to be stuck shopping, you should at least eat well.
Showing Places
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Manna Cafe near the Grove
Fairfax Coffee American Korean $
Manna Cafe is a coffee shop that happens to serve wine and beer too, plus pastries and a short menu of food that you wouldn’t expect from your neighborhood coffee shop. Shakshuka, tacos and kimchi fried rice are all featured. The sourdough grilled cheese is the ideal lunch break while shopping. It’s decadent enough to feel like a reward but also highly portable. Built on grilled, golden sourdough bread spread with mayonnaise, it’s full of sharp, gooey Fiscalini cheddar cheese that melts into chopped kimchi. And yes, when we’re talking grilled cheese, mayonnaise trumps butter, every time.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Original Farmers Market at the Grove
Fairfax Italian American $
The Original Farmers Market is crammed with places to eat. And the line at Pampas Grill Churrascaria never seems to die down. My two current favorites are the Friends & Family Pizza Co. and Thicc Burger. The first is from Roxanna Jullapat and Daniel Mattern of Friends & Family bakery in Hollywood and pizzaiolo Tony Hernandez. It’s a first-rate slice shop with pies on crisp, thin crust. The rapini and sausage dotted with globs of ricotta is hard to resist as a full meal or snack. And just around the corner is a chopped cheeseburger with fried honey mustard pickles at Thicc Burger. The Screwburger beats the classic cheeseburger with its mess of chopped burger patty, cheese and caramelized onions on a bun. And the fried honey mustard pickles are made with pickles from nearby vendor Kaylin + Kaylin pickles. Crispy, zingy and totally addictive.
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Yardbird at the Beverly Center
Beverly Grove Southern $$
It’s been years since the Beverly Center had anything resembling a food court. Without a main food hub in the mall, there are a slew of restaurants around the ground-floor perimeter, including Eggslut and some fast-casual chains. When I learned that a location of the James Beard Award-nominated Yardbird was opening at the center back in 2018, I was surprised, and grateful. The Lewellyn’s fried chicken and cheddar cheese waffle are just as crisp and juicy as the plate I had at the original location in Miami. But there’s more than fried chicken, with salads, shrimp and grits and four takes on an Old-Fashioned. The dining room is spacious enough to house a large party if you’re with the kids and service is usually quick if you’re short on time. Why there isn’t a line out the door like the other locations around the country remains a mystery.
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(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Hai Di Lao at Westfield Century City
Century City Chinese $$
I’ve recommended this hot pot restaurant for every occasion, including a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. The couple that hot pots together, stays together, right? The same rings true for the couple that survives the parking lot at the Westfield Century City and shops together for an extended period of time while hangry. Hai Di Lao is the perfect respite. Relax over steaming vats of hot broth and lose yourself at the sauce bar. Swish around your favorite proteins and noodles in the broth until they are cooked to your liking,, then dunk them into the ramekin of sauce you just fashioned yourself. Repeat until you feel like a human being again and try to remember where you parked your car.
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(Jo Stougaard)
Casaléna near Westfield Topanga
Woodland Hills Italian Mediterranean $$
This is the type of restaurant you want in your neighborhood. Less than 10 minutes south of the Westfield Topanga, Casaléna is spacious and inviting, and most diners seem like regulars. The menu is varied enough for everyone, with pizza, pasta and a slew of appetizers and entrees you’re likely to find at a good steakhouse. The blistered snap peas are a standout, blistered as advertised but with a good crunch. They’re served over a tangy tomato agrodolce with punches of even more acid from bits of preserved lemon and pickled onion. A mess of crumbled Marcona almonds adds another layer of texture and mint leaves bring some welcome freshness. Even if it’s your first time in, and you’re only here for a bowl of cacio e pepe before you hit the nearby Nordstrom, you’ll be treated like a regular.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Man Eating Plant at Westfield Topanga
Woodland Hills Vegan $
The first time I had food from this vegan restaurant, it was operating out of an old school bus at Smorgasburg, the Sunday market at the Row DTLA in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s one of a handful of restaurants that recently opened second or third locations at Topanga Social, a food hall inside Westfield Topanga. (It should be noted that the mall has a traditional food court, with the usual food court suspects such as Sbarro and Shake Shack, on the other side of the center). Out of all the vendors at Topanga Social, Man Eating Plant comes the closest to its original format in both quality and consistency. The garlic noodles are assembled to order, with fresh, springy noodles tossed in a garlic confit sauce that’s both sweet and hot with garlic. They’re embellished with all the condiments you might want in a bowl of noodles: shallot jam, tender stems of gailan, pickled mustard greens, sliced shiitake mushrooms and plenty of crispy garlic, crispy shallots and chili crisp for heat and crunch. It’s a superb bowl of noodles eaten anywhere, and your best option for lunch or dinner in both food courts.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Max's Restaurant near Glendale Galleria and Americana at Brand
Glendale Filipino $
With the new Din Tai Fung at the Galleria and plenty of food options at the Americana, you won’t go hungry. But I’m partial to Max’s Restaurant, a short walk across Broadway from the Bloomingdale’s. It’s a chain that originated in the Philippines in 1945. The pork and vegetable lumpia taste like the ones my Filipino friend’s grandmother made in middle school, completely encased in a delicate golden wrapper that shatters on contact. A whole chicken ($20) is only $5 more than the half , so my family usually gets the whole one.. The skin is like glass and the meat underneath perfectly tender. Mounds of white rice are studded with sweet bits of fried garlic. And if you’re in the mood for something sweet, skip the doughnuts and cinnamon rolls from those chains in the mall and order the halo halo. With ice cream, fruit, sweet beans, ice and various jellies, it’s a party in a glass.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Juny's Baked at the Shops at Santa Anita
Arcadia Bakery $
This place is so new, it’s not listed on the mall’s website or directory. I promise it does exist. It’s a small, extremely well-lit cafe on the first floor behind the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. The display case beckons with all manner of golden pastries, small cakes and brownies. The woman behind the counter lets me know that the “special croissant” is the shop’s signature baked good. It’s a flattened croissant that tastes like garlic bread with a dollop of sweet cream cheese in the center. The sweetness of the cream cheese is a shock against the garlicky base, but by the third bite, I get it. The egg salad inside the croissant sandwich is on par with my favorite konbini in Tokyo and the croissant is nice and buttery. For a snack, there are warm chicken bites. They’re breaded and fried, similar to croquettes, but with a filling that’s more shredded chicken than bechamel. Like little protein balls. Protein. That’s good for shopping, right?
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
Asadero Chikali near Citadel Outlets
East Los Angeles Tacos Mexican $
Most visits to Asadero Chikali don’t involve a trip to the nearby outlet mall. But it’s a three-minute drive from the Citadel Outlets, and any time is a good time for tacos. The handmade flour tortillas are exemplary, slender but sturdy, buttery and mottled with toasty brown bubbles. I could eat a stack on their own. They sell them by the half-dozen or dozen, so eat some tacos now and buy some tortillas to take home. My current favorite taco duo is barbacoa and carne asada. The strands of barbacoa are tender and tangled, the juices spilling out and down my arm. And the carne asada tastes of the mesquite grill it’s cooked on. When asked if you want your tacos “chikali style” (weighted down with a spoonful of guacamole and beans), the answer is always yes. And don’t forget to take advantage of the condiment bar before you go. No visit is complete without a plastic baggy full of pickled onions and a cup of the green salsa.
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(Sohyun Lee / For The Times)
Morongo Casino Resort & Spa near Cabazon Outlets
Riverside American Japanese Mexican Chinese Steakhouse Seafood BBQ
The Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is that tall building about half a mile east of the outlets, visible from the freeway. If I’m anywhere near this stretch of the 10 freeway, this is where I’m eating. The Marketplace by Fabio Viviani may be my favorite hotel buffet. It’s set up as a large room with multiple stations that each have their own signage, kitchen crew and menu that changes weekly. You walk up to the counter, order your dish and wait for it to be assembled. There’s Texas-style smoked brisket, fresh corn tortillas for tacos and, on my last visit, an excellent birria pho.
Or there’s the Cielo steakhouse on the 27th floor, with its white tablecloths, chandeliers and a beautiful view of the nearby mountains. It’s decidedly fancier and pricier than the buffet, but if you feel like rewarding yourself, this is the place. The miso-glazed sea bass and crab cake feel extra indulgent. Both hotel dining recommendations will require a time commitment. If you’re in a rush, there’s always In-N-Out Burger down the road.
Or there’s the Cielo steakhouse on the 27th floor, with its white tablecloths, chandeliers and a beautiful view of the nearby mountains. It’s decidedly fancier and pricier than the buffet, but if you feel like rewarding yourself, this is the place. The miso-glazed sea bass and crab cake feel extra indulgent. Both hotel dining recommendations will require a time commitment. If you’re in a rush, there’s always In-N-Out Burger down the road.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Butcher's House Brasserie near South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa French $$
It’s a good sign when the French chef is speaking French to the stylish couple at the bar, who look like they arrived from Paris that morning. Butcher’s House Brasserie is a small French restaurant located about an eight-minute drive from South Coast Plaza. It’s in the OC Mix, that sprawling shopping center with high-end design stores that also housed Taco Maria before it closed earlier this year. There’s excellent French onion soup with bits of melted cheese you can pick off the bowl and a grilled Sweet Gem salad if you want something on the lighter side. The burger is a leaning tower of dry-aged beef, Nueske bacon and Comte cheese on a very good brioche bun. The showstopper is the wood-fire grilled organic half-chicken, served in a piping hot pan drenched in garlic and lemon with crispy roasted Yukon gold potatoes. It’s a fine place for a meal while shopping. It’s a fine French bistro for any time the flight to Charles de Gaulle seems out of reach.
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(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
Paradise Dynasty and Knife Pleat at South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa French Chinese $$$
There are two xiao long bao specialists at South Coast Plaza, both with massive followings and long wait times for tables. You’ll be happy at either, but head to Paradise Dynasty. Until it opens its second U.S. location in Glendale, it’s more of a novelty. The flavored, colored soup dumplings are on every table. If you’re sharing a steamer basket, try to grab the garlic, or the cheese. And make sure to get an order of the classic pork xiao long bao for the table too. The restaurant makes an exceptional soup dumpling with skins that are thin and delicate and a filling that’s rich with pork and plenty of soup. Put your name in about 90 minutes before you plan to eat, and shop while you wait.
On the other side of the plaza, in the area called the Penthouse, is Knife Pleat. Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi’s French restaurant is a regular on our 101 Best Restaurants list. And if I won the lottery, I’d spend a good chunk on dinner here over any luxury goods sold at the shopping center. There’s a three-course prix fixe menu for lunch, and four- or six-course menus for dinner. It’s all highly seasonal, modern French cooking. A meal here is fine dining at the highest level, presented by a chef who is thoughtful and ever meticulous. On Saturdays, there is a tea service I’d like to visit as soon as possible, with or without the shopping.
On the other side of the plaza, in the area called the Penthouse, is Knife Pleat. Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi’s French restaurant is a regular on our 101 Best Restaurants list. And if I won the lottery, I’d spend a good chunk on dinner here over any luxury goods sold at the shopping center. There’s a three-course prix fixe menu for lunch, and four- or six-course menus for dinner. It’s all highly seasonal, modern French cooking. A meal here is fine dining at the highest level, presented by a chef who is thoughtful and ever meticulous. On Saturdays, there is a tea service I’d like to visit as soon as possible, with or without the shopping.
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Eat your way across L.A.
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