Leopardo: Ocean-to-Table Pizzeria

“It’s like a raw bar with pizza,” says chef Josh Skenes about his buzzy new Leopardo restaurant in the former La Brea Bakery space. Skenes, known for his live-fire fine dining at San Francisco’s Saison, has pivoted to serving coastal Italian-influenced cuisine.

The bright, airy dining room hosts a mix of celebrities, chefs and industry insiders enjoying innovative dishes like ocean tilefish crudo, uni tuna tartlets and pizzas like the “Hello Satan” with its sweet and spicy kick. Skenes’ naturally leavened crusts have the perfect “fight back” texture. Showstoppers include whole grilled whitefish prepared to umami-rich, deeply savory perfection.

Yang’s Kitchen: New Californian Chinese

Over in Alhambra, chef Christian Yang’s year-old Yang’s Kitchen updates traditional Chinese fare with a modern California sensibility. Standouts include his Hainan barramundi rice, red wine-braised beef cheek stew, smoky char siu pork and dan dan campanelle pasta.

Yang’s refined yet soulful cooking walks the line between Old World traditions and new West Coast perspectives. It appeals to diners craving both nostalgic Chinese flavors and contemporary casual brasserie vibes. This seamless melding of East and West epitomizes LA’s cultural mash-up spirit.

Evil Cooks: Punk Rock Tasting Menus

The heavy metal-loving husband-wife duo of Alex Garcia and Elvia Huerta bring a rule-breaking, improvisational energy to their Evil Cooks pop-ups and Smorgasburg stall. Taking inspiration from LA’s taco culture, their acclaimed “Kamikaze” tasting menus are a stream-of-consciousness tour through the chefs’ culinary memories.

A recent birthday menu for Huerta featured whimsical dishes like pepperoni pizza croissants, tomahawk nigiri and chorizo dumplings. The standout was a tom yum aguachile with shrimp and scallop in a scallop shell broth – a perfect fusion of Thai, Mexican and Japanese flavors.

On June 22nd, Evil Cooks will join forces with chefs like Macheen’s Jonathan Perez for “The Disciples of the Corn” – an ambitious 32-course dinner representing Mexico’s 32 states. It’s this boundless creative energy that sums up LA’s perpetually evolving food scene.

From oceanfront Italian to New Californian Chinese to punk rock tasting menus, Leopardo, Yang’s Kitchen and Evil Cooks celebrate the unfamiliar. By marrying global influences with local roots, these envelope-pushing restaurants redefine what Los Angeles cuisine can be. I sincerely hope you like reading this “How Leopardo, Yang’s Kitchen, and Evil Cooks Redefine LA Food Culture? Find Out here” article.

The post How Leopardo, Yang’s Kitchen, and Evil Cooks Redefine LA Food Culture? Find Out here appeared first on LA Cuisines.