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Welcome to Year in the Eater 2022 🇧🇷 an annual tradition that recalls the highs, lows and in-betweens of the Los Angeles dining scene. Today, LA’s best writers, editors, food reporters and a select few others with strong opinions share their thoughts on the year’s most exciting openings.

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Farley Elliott, Senior Editor, Eater LA

Mister Kuya, definitely. This level of Filipino cuisine is personal and amazing. So is the Capri Club, for its ambience and overall hip feel.

Kristie Hang, freelance writer, Eater LA

Borekas and Fuji & Vis, 1968 Bistro

Oren Peleg, Freelance Writer

Bar Nossa Caipirinha — a very fun and beautiful space. All Time’s wine bar is a runner-up.

Sharon Lee, Content Creator, @helloimsharon (TikTok)

Clark Street Diner, Bodega Park, Palácio Pija, Cavalos

Matthew Kang, Lead Editor, Eater LA

I was really excited to check out Yangban Society after all the hype that came with two celebrity chefs coming to Los Angeles. I went there a lot to try to figure out what John and Katianna Hong would bring to this city. And I think over time, with less of a deli setup and more of a free small plates situation with really tasty, well-executed dishes, Yangban Society has become a memorable place to eat.

I also loved Mãe Loba and ate there a few times with people who came from out of town. Pretty much everything I’ve eaten there has been executed to perfection. The Pijja Palace was a really fun place to see the future of LA food, and I personally liked the sports bar aspect as I watch a lot of sports in general.

Camphor really convinced me that following French cuisine but doing it the modern L.A. way would find an audience here. Lijo George and Max Boonthanakit brought a refined sense of luxury without demanding any kind of refinement from their clients, and it showed. People love the place, and so do I.

I also really liked Asterid, which kind of fell off the top list, but it was a great date night earlier this year. I still think Chef Ray Garcia is one of the most talented chefs in LA and I hope Asterid continues to gain a following.

Asterid dishes in downtown LA.

Wonho Frank Lee

Baxter Holmes, Senior Writer, ESPN

Bianco Pizzeria

Danielle Dorsey, Senior West Coast Editor, Thrillist

By expanding the definition of the modern deli into a hybrid overnight market that highlights Asian-American cuisine, the Yangban Society has created something unique yet full of nostalgia, and they’re always doing something fun on the menu that replicates the seasons, comprehensive LA identity, or both. Speaking of nostalgia, biting into the fried chicken of NOLA transplant Willie Mae from his newly opened Venice outpost run by granddaughter Kerry Seaton-Stewart immediately took me back to childhood summers spent in Jackson, Mississippi, when I waited impatiently next to my great-grandmother’s hip, hoping for a filthy taste of fresh fried chicken. It really is some of the best fried chicken in the country, and how lucky we are that they chose LA as their first location outside of Louisiana.

Jenn Tanaka, Contributor, Eater LA

san laurel

Dave Holmes, general editor, Squire

Oy Bar in Studio City! It’s a space that’s a true Old Valley bastion, and the new iteration respects that and takes it in an equally unpretentious new direction. The SMOKED SALMON YAKI-ONIGIRI dish is special.

Gary Baum, Senior Writer, The Hollywood Reporter

Saffy’s

Cathy Chaplin, Senior Reporter/Editor, Eater LA

I’ve been a fan of Pijja Palace since day one. Also on my list of favorite newcomers are Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli, chef Brandon Kida’s Gunsmoke, and the ever-fun Quarter Sheets.

Alison Herman, staff writer, The Ringer

Bedroom sheets. I’m a local so I’m biased, but it’s the best pizza in town and not very close.

Bill Esparza, Collaborator, Eater LA

Tenchita eater

Tomato Ricotta Pie on Quarter Sheets.

Wonho Frank Lee

Hadley Tomicki, Associate Editor, LA TACO

Tulsi Indian Eatery is a satisfying, fresh and casual place for a wide variety of dishes from different regions of India, including some things that are usually harder to find, like pav bhaji and dabeli.

Josh Lurie, Founder, FoodGPS.com

Seeing Kuya Lord graduate from his garage to a restaurant was exciting. Some of the best Filipino food I’ve ever had. I always want to order everything on the menu. Sometimes we do, for family celebrations. Some other standout debuts include Camphor for its unexpected twist on fine dining, Mr. T for its creative presentation and bold flavors, and Gunsmoke for Brandon Kida’s fun pan-Asian dishes, particularly the rockfish and warm coleslaw. I also like Carlos Jurado’s wood-fired Colombian food at Selva in Long Beach and the best-in-class pizza and cakes at Quarter Sheets.

Andy Wang, Contributor, theft report and food and wine

Saffy’s, Willie Mae’s, Pijja Palace, The Lonely Oyster, Yangban Society, Masamitsu, Dear Jane’s, Pizzeria Bianco

Jean Trinh, LA Editor, Eater

There are so many fried chicken restaurants out there – and while I LOVE fried chicken – I didn’t think I could be blown away by a new location, but Le Coupe has delivered. Chef Craig Walker’s brine-fried chicken with a honey chili glaze is a winner, and I really can’t stop thinking about his toppings: elote-style fried corn “ribs,” puffed chicken skins, and blue cornbread. made with duck fat.

Christine Ko, actress, Dave, Only Murders in the Building

Camphor would only be recommended for the scallop pasta, but all dishes are exquisitely executed.

Kebabs from Saffy’s.

Wonho Frank Lee

Alissa Walker, Senior Writer, Curbed

Not necessarily a newcomer, but how excited were we all to see Here’s Looking at You return?

Esther Tseng, freelance writer

Camphor arrived at the beginning of the year, but it was exciting to see how Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George brought something fresh, new and refined, yet completely adapted to the LA food scene. The way each dish is completely luxurious yet understated yet absolutely meticulous and thoughtful in its preparation makes every dining experience a delight.

Mona HolmesReporterEater LA

Camphor. I watched co-chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George craft their Arts District menu around the flavors they loved with practiced techniques. Like any new restaurant that opens, they undergo changes to suit the customer and the space. The two found a way to express their creativity in this, making Camphor an interesting and friendly place to dine.

Lesley Suter, Special Projects Editor, Eater

I feel like I’ve been waiting for Saffy’s to open – or some version of it – for years! Full disclosure, I worked with Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis on their cookbooks for Bestia and Bavel, but through that process, I learned that Ori’s dream was to open a shawarma restaurant. While Saffy’s ended up being so much more than that, it’s great to see them finally doing it – and you get to taste that devotion.

I cannot fail to mention the Pijja Palace as well. This was before the current hype, but I was shocked after my first visit. It made absolutely no sense and in no way needed to be this good, but somehow it all worked in this magical way that felt purely LA.

Dinners at the Pijja Palace.

Wonho Frank Lee

Meghan McCarron, Special Correspondent, Eater

I loved Quarter Sheets as a pandemic pop-up and am rooting for them as they become brick and mortar. The food is great and I desperately want there to be a future for fun restaurants run by normal, talented humans, not just expensive destinations funded by big investors.

Nicole Adlman, Manager of Eater Cities

I have to say, it’s rare to think of Marina Del Rey as a destination for dinner, or even dinner in general. Dear Jane’s broke that perception a bit this year with its fully imagined dining room and bar overlooking the boats and dinghies swaying over the gentle waves of the water at night. The menu is robust and the food decadently good: crispy fish sticks to dip in crème fraiche and top with caviar; the best shrimp Louie salad I’ve ever had, perhaps; puffy, crab-stuffed prawns served over a sauce that tastes like lobster bisque with sherry sauce. You really can’t go wrong with Dear Jane’s, except to rule it out for its location.

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