THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Starry Kitchen

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Starry Kitchen Restaurant Review:

Nguyen Tran and wife/partner Thi’s idiosyncratic little restaurant started out as an underground cult spot in North Hollywood where they cooked up a select menu of inexpensive but well-executed pan-Asian dishes. Now at California Plaza, the kitchen continues to turn out bright flavors in dishes from a rotating menu. Never mind the line of DTLA office workers that can stretch out the door---the food is worth the wait, and service is generally speedy. We recommend the fresh and savory lemon grass chicken banh mi, a silky braised coconut pork belly, and a soulful Malaysian curry. Taiwanese pork chops and deep-fried tofu balls are repeat faves; don’t miss the Vietnamese salad or anything with noodles. The couple’s gastronomic ambitions aim high, both in turning out items like salted plum habanero ice cream and in hosting pop-ups, such as one with chef Laurent Quenioux.