TasteTwenty Chef Vivian Ku’s Los Angeles Dining Guide
Ahead of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America L.A. event, the owner of Pine & Crane shares her favorite places to eat, drink, and shop.
TasteTwenty Chef Vivian Ku
Tue, July 22, 2025
Editor’s Note: The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series presented by Capital One brings together chefs, special guests, and diners from across the country to celebrate the local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities. The Taste America TasteTwenty cohort, comprised of 20 exceptional chefs and changemakers, will showcase their talents and represent their city’s independent restaurant community at walkaround tastings and dinners nationwide.
These chefs are not only creative dynamos in the kitchen, they're also avid diners, so we’re introducing a special city guide series where each TasteTwenty chef will share what they love about their city’s food scene.
Kicking off the series is a guide to Los Angeles with chef Vivian Ku of Pine & Crane, a casual Taiwanese restaurant serving cold appetizers, dumplings, noodles, and rice dishes with locations in downtown and Silver Lake, and Joy, whose menu is inspired by Taiwan’s street food culture. Here, chef Ku shares what it means to be part of the TasteTwenty cohort and dishes on her picks for the best tacos, must-try bites in Koreatown, and a special occasion gem.
Pine & Crane in Downtown Los Angeles. Photo: Tanveer Badal
What does it mean to be part of the JBF Taste America TasteTwenty cohort?
What an incredible honor, so humbled to be included!
What do you love about the food scene in your city?
Food is always a reflection of a region's culture, history, climate, etc., and we are lucky with great agriculture nearby and our people. Los Angeles has some of the best food in the country because it is a city of immigrants.
Go-to spot to take visitors:
The taco spots in my neighborhood: Angel's Tacos, Villa's Tacos, and Taqueria Frontera. I love it all, but especially the vampiros [a crunchy corn-tortilla taco]!
Must-try dish in your city:
Raw marinated crab at Ha Sun Saeng in Koreatown.
Best special occasion restaurant:
Kato—for the knowledgeable staff, warm service, beverage program, and execution of familiar flavors in such a refined way.
Some of Pine & Crane's menu offerings.
What does an ideal night out in your city look like?
With a toddler and an infant, my ideal night out is tame and a low bar these days. A good cocktail. Seafood. Cold beer. Not too loud. Enjoyed alone, with my husband, or with friends.
What restaurant are you most looking forward to checking out?
Camélia—two of my favorite cuisines, French and Japanese, melded together!
Restaurant dish you’d cry over if they took it off the menu:
French dip from Houston’s. They are so consistent and always make a bad day better. I would be so sad if it got taken off the menu.
Favorite food/drink specialty shop:
Wing Hop Fung and Milkfarm [an artisan cheese shop].
Who is another chef you admire in your city (and why)?
Morihiro [Onodera], for his commitment to quality ingredients and his kindness.