Though Shrimp Daddy has been serving its garlic butter shrimp boats at pop-up markets and festivals since 2016, Topanga Social will be its first permanent location. Two couples – Dan Tran and June Quan, and Anna Wang and Jeremy Tu – founded Shrimp Daddy to bring their mutual love of Hawaiian cuisine to Southern California. The must-order at Shrimp Daddy is the signature pineapple boat stuffed with shell-on garlic butter shrimp, mac salad, and rice with furikake.
Founded in 1956, this family-run donut shop founded by Ralph and Celia Primo has become a favorite among generations of Angelenos for the fresh-baked, fluffy donuts and charming old-school atmosphere. Regulars know to visit the Sawtelle location early in the day for the best selection, but many of the fan favorites will also be available at Topanga Social – including the ever-popular glazed buttermilk bar.
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by offering something for everyone. Meeting a group of friends for a last-minute dinner? No need to make a reservation at a food hall. Going on a blind date? Checking out all the menus is an ideal icebreaker. Grabbing a bite to eat after a solo shopping trip? Yep, the food hall works perfectly for that too.
Take Topanga Social, the new adventurous food hall at Westfield Topanga, for example. With more than 20 vendors spread across 50,000 square feet, Topanga Social boasts some of the most inspired and entrepreneurial names in the L.A. restaurant scene alongside brand-new concepts. The space offers indoor-outdoor dining, three full bars, and smooth multi-vendor food ordering for a seamless dining experience. Whether you check it out with your roommate or your mom, you'll want to try some of the top-notch options – including these nine vendors we're particularly excited about.
Introducing Topanga Social,
the San Fernando Valley's newest food hall
After chef Alvin Cailan’s breakout success with the much-loved Eggslut breakfast sandwiches, Cailan landed a gig hosting The Burger Show web series and spent several years eating the best burgers from around the country. The next step? Opening Amboy Quality Meats and Delicious Burgers, a Chinatown burger counter and butcher shop, to put his burger expertise to work. Stop by this outpost of Amboy to try Cailan's classic double cheeseburger, with two thin-but-not-too-thin patties, caramelized onions, drive-through style burger sauce, and burger pickles on a sesame bun.
The Nashville-style hot chicken at all nine locations of Jay Bird's Chicken takes inspiration from chef Jay Bogsinske's memories of visiting family in Tennessee every summer. The buttermilk-brined chicken crusted in a signature spice blend
is the big draw, but you shouldn't overlook the sandwiches. Just try to resist the Mac Daddy, which tops the crispy chicken with a scoop of mac and cheese and tangy comeback sauce.
The concept for MANEATINGPLANT came from chefs Candice Tzeng and Phil Kwan's desires to recreate the flavors of their heritage — including Taiwanese, Japanese, Hong Kong, and Malaysian favorites — in vegan dishes. The menu is veggie-forward with tons of umami, including in MANEATINGPLANT's signature fried mushroom bao. Crispy beer-battered King oyster mushrooms are topped with cashew hoisin, pickled chilis, chili oil, and fresh herbs, then nestled inside a pillowy steamed bun.
While training in Tokyo, chef Daniel Son became obsessed with the chicken katsu sandwiches he would pick up at convenience stores. After returning to the U.S., Son couldn't find anything similar — so he began selling all kinds of katsu sandwiches made with house-made Japanese milk bread at local pop-ups. Son's creative take on yōshoku cooking — the Japanese interpretation
of Western dishes — is on full display in Katsu Sando's menu, including the honey-walnut shrimp katsu sandwich with a honey kewpie emulsion and yuzu-miso slaw.
This pizza joint isn't slinging soft, floppy slices: No, Dtown Pizzeria's idea of the perfect pie is Detroit-style pan pizza with a crispy crust and airy center. Michigan native Ryan Ososky even won the world championship title for pan pizza in the 2021 International Pizza Competition. Don’t miss out on a square of the pepperoni — you can’t go wrong with a classic.
It's very easy to just keep going back for more dumplings — especially when they come with
a chef like Perry Cheung. Known for his locally acclaimed Vietnamese spot Phorage, Cheung expanded into dumplings with Dumpling Monster in West Hollywood. Whether you prefer steamed or pan-fried, the luscious dumplings shouldn't be missed — try the spicy wontons served in a house-made chili sauce.
After relocating from Koreatown to Glendale, Seaweed Handroll Bar grew a following with its wide variety of fish, inventive handrolls, and top-quality ingredients, including the namesake seaweed sourced from Japan's Ariake Sea. Now, chef Jesse Herek is bringing its popular handrolls to Topanga Social in a fast-paced, grab-and-go format. Don't miss the yellowtail hand roll with citrusy yuzu sauce.
Editor Annalise Mantz Senior Designer Allie Pakrosnis
Learn More About Topanga Social
Learn More About Topanga Social
T
he food hall answers one of the biggest dining
dilemmas – "what do you want to eat?" –
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