Los Angeles is no stranger to restaurant openings whether a splashy opening in iconic buildings helmed by big-name chefs, a humble neighborhood spot, or a pop-up leaping into a permanent space. Consider this monthly rundown a go-to guide for the newest and boldest debuts across the Southland. For more under-the-radar restaurant openings, check out this companion list. If looking for ones that captured our attention that opened in 2024, during the first half of 2024, or check out our Los Angeles Heatmap.

September

Rokusho – Hollywood

Boulevard Hospitality Group and Three Star Lane debuted modern Japanese specialist Rokusho on September 5. The restaurant boasts a striking brutalist design with a casual yet adventurous approach to traditional Japanese dishes by native LA chef Carlos Couts. Rokusho’s first-floor space features 34 seats, plus an L-shaped bar and a small kitchen where Couts’ team prepares flame-seared wagyu, sea urchin roe delicately placed on puffed nori, colorful and multi-layered sushi cakes, along with deep-fried skewered meats and seafood. Creative cocktails come from lead barman Felix Campos, who also stocked limited edition, rare, and vintage tequilas. As for Rokusho’s design, Gry Space’s Emi Kitawaki and Jen Whitaker took care of the details.

Wonho Frank Lee

Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe – Universal CityWalk

Los Angeles’s first Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe opened on September 6. It’s impossible to miss; look for the various shades of pink in the shopping district directly outside of Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s designed for Hello Kitty mega fans with an adjacent new Sanrio Smile Shop. The grab-and-go cafe menu is full of Sanrio-themed desserts and drinks with a red chocolate dome-shaped cake with cinnamon mousse (seasonal ones will make an appearance), macarons, apple pie filling, and cinnamon streusel. Drinks include a Keroppi frozen matcha latte and Tuxedo Sam blue raspberry lemonade.

Wonho Frank Lee

MXO – West Hollywood

On September 6, Wes Avila’s Mexican steakhouse MXO began serving fare on La Cienega Boulevard, just south of Santa Monica Boulevard. After multiple steakhouse visits to study expert grillers in Monterrey, Mexico, Ávila took wood-fired cooking inspiration and a Santa Maria grill to create MXO, which means “Mexican origins.” It’s a co-production with restaurateur Giancarlo Pagani and Sam Nazarian’s SBE. MXO’s menu includes whole cuts of dry-aged steak such as porterhouse, rib-eye cap, or wagyu birria beef martillo served with marrow and consomé.

Jakob N. Layman

Barr Seco – Silver Lake

Silver Lake’s day-to-night cafe and wine bar Barr Seco debuted in Silver Lake on September 22. The all-day spot blends Latino and Asian flavors with a morning menu of coffee, various bowls, and sandwiches before transitioning to snackier dishes and natural wines in the evening. Jos Gozain, who rounded Mexico City’s original Santo in Mexico City in 2021, partnered with The Art of Travel podcast host Olivia Lopez for Barr Seco. The two recruited New York chef David Potes (formerly of Okonomi in Brooklyn) to develop Barr Seco’s day-to-night menu and respected sommelier Kae Whalen to supply the wine menu. Architect Lena Kohl (La Cha Cha Chá, Loreto, and Maizano) designed the interior.

Justin Chung

Udatsu – Hollywood

Directly above Rokusho is Udatsu, the celebrated Michelin-starred omakase restaurant from Tokyo. Chef Hisashi Udatsu installed his protége, Shingo Ogane to oversee the counter service where a farmers market-influenced menu that hews to modern Tokyo sushi. Since September 18, two services take place at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. starting with cocktails on the terrace. The Hollywood restaurant serves 17 courses that might include 12-day-aged tuna served five ways, seasonal seafood offerings using local seafood and produce, as well as a shrimp course sourced from Japan. Just like Rokusho, the interiors were designed by Gry Space.

Gry Space

Komal Molino – Historic South Central

At Komal Molino, Fátima Juárez cooks dishes inspired by her upbringing in Mexico City using house-made masa. Komal opened on September 25 in Mercado La Paloma, next to Gilberto Cetina’s celebrated Holbox in Historic South Central. Juárez and her partner Conrado Rivera introduced Komal’s menu of pre-Hispanic dishes made with Indigenous corn sourced directly from farmers in Mexico that’s then nixtamalized on-site. The two turned a side gig of preparing masa for Cetina into its own restaurant with a daytime menu showcasing antijitos, tacos made with blue corn, quesadillas with flor de calabaza, and squash bread topped with sour cream for dessert.

Wonho Frank Lee