Starry Kitchen

Very original and fun– I love how it is in the middle of the city!
The owner is brutally honest and fun–

Cheap and delicious. Service is fast. I came here just before they closed down and I ordered the crispy chicken wrap with a side of garlic noodles and devoured both quickly before succumbing to the food coma that made work an afterthought.
This is place was created to serve the corporate clients it is central to, the seating area outside boasts a beautiful fountain area and plenty of outdoor, sunshine seating. If you want a quick eat, this the place to go but if you are driving to eat here, think otherwise any DTLA vet would realize parking here is redonkulous.

Alas, I only went here once, on the day this location was closing.
I loved the soft, garlicky noodles (amazing) and the crab cakes and green, crunchy tofu.
Please come back…

Yep, they closed a few days ago… buttt they did inform me that occasionally they would be open for lunch. Whether or not they will actually do that we’ll have to see. I’m still going to write a review for them!
Not too long ago I started working downtown and have actually been wanting to try out Starry Kitchen. Things never quite worked out and I always ended up elsewhere, but then I heard that they were closing!!! So of course I had to at least try it out once! And unfortunately for me, I liked it! I did takeout so I’ll just be reviewing service and the food only.
SERVICE
Great customer service. Nice, friendly, and patient as I stared at the menu and made my choices. They also took the time to inform me that they were closing, something that is quite nice as they told every customer. At least they care! There was still a lot of people here even though it was their last week being open. It’s one of those places where you order first and then go sit down. Usually customer service suffers at these kind of places but I felt welcomed here. They took the time to greet and talk to me and didn’t rush.
FRIED PORK CHOPS, GARLIC NOODLES, SALAD
Augh! I liked their food!!! And now I need to check my email to see when they will be open for lunch again! I signed up for their mailing list just for this purpose. I should’ve ate in actually because on the way back to my office the pork chops got a bit soggy in the container. It was still pretty darn good though. I can imagine it being tons better for sit down. Very nicely fried with a salt and pepper kind of breading. The garlic noodles were a nice simple offset (and garlicy!). The salad was a nice refresher to cut the friedness and was sour and spicy too. Lotsa fish sauce. They also gave me the option of white or brown rice (without additional mula) which is always nice too. Brown rice for my health.
The food was pretty good and was in pretty big portions! They used one of those smaller takeout containers for the salad alone, then a half sized container jam packed with the rice, noodles, and pork chops. It was definitely a two meal portion for me. Some people might think its weird to have rice and noodles (usually either or) but I love both and don’t mind at all.
I’ll be checking my email inbox to see when they open for lunch! Maybe one day when I’m downtown at night I can check out what dinner is like.

Man are these reviews deceiving! It could have been because I didn’t order the tofu balls or it was just a bad rotation of the menu… but this is like. one of the most disappointing meals I’ve had in a long time!
Ordered the Vietnamese Minced Beeftacular lunch plate with a fried egg — BOO. It is basically ground beef. on rice with a fried egg. I should have read the warning signs — «asian fusion». ugh. It didn’t look super appealing (with the exception of the fried egg. because fried eggs are sexy). It as dry and lacked flavor — just so unappealing in so many ways. The only redeeming quality of this dish was the fried egg. because it is pretty hard to mess up an egg… Why would you ever eat this if you have access to authentic vietnamese food that will keep your wallet happy and your stomach even happier?!
Tip: if you REALLY feel the need to come here, at least check in on Unilocal and get a free fresca (if they have any left) or soda.
Meh save your time, money, and your appetite and skip Starry Kitchen.

Last week’s lunch was one of the best I’ve had at SK. The Sweet and Sour pork, on a bahn mi, (add the jalapenos, subtract the mayo) was a sweet sandwich indeed. Coupled it with the coconut fried rice, which was out of this world, and I left fat and happy.
It might be a bold call, but they could make it a permanent fixture like the lemongrass chicken and it would do well. Yes, it was that good, mainly because the pork was nice and tender, not overcooked, but still crispy on the edges. The marinate and spices just worked really well. I came back today to get it again before it’s off the menu until who knows when.
Oh and if you haven’t been in a while like myself, the tofu ball are now a permanent fixture.

4.20 Weed + Chinese Herb Din Dins (Somewhere in Downtown)
The 4.20 Weed + Chinese Herb Din Dins by Laurent Quenioux & Thi Tran was a fun affair coordinated by the ever so loopy and affable Commodore Booty McHooters, who actually is wilier than a fox. We all congregated at our secrete rendez-​vous point somewhere near the 4^th Street Bridge on the pretext that we were all assembled for a Lionel Ritchie Tribute Tour. (All this was explained in an e-​mail just the day before.) A middle aged Asian guy in a white Mercedes came by and asked if we were going to the dinner. So we answered back that we were there for the Lionel Ritchie Tour. He gave us a really quizzical look and drove on.
We were led to a loft-​like space with a cocktail reception that included Hemp Beer… no duh. And then we were seated in long rows of tables where you had better have gone to the restroom or forever hold your peace since the seating was so tight. There were five courses where Cannabis was either used as a garnish or as a minor ingredient.
1) Silky Bantam Chicken, Chicken Skin, Avocado, Pink Grapefruit, Cannabis Leaves, Citrus Oil, Pickled Beet, Solomon’s Leaf: The chicken meat was rough ground with red bell pepper and a green herb and baked like a terrine. The chicken skin acted like a casing to enclose the terrine. Solomon’s Seal in the aspargus family was presented as a leaf and helps in healing of cuts & bruises. A darker brown hemp beer that was yeasty and slightly sweet with a brown sugar tone was paired.
2) Sparerib, Angelica Root, Wolfberries, Begamot Glazed Pork Belly, Green Apple, Green Garlic, Coleslaw: The sparerib was meaty, and the porkbelly was grilled to crispness. Angelica root thinly sliced over the meat was lightly oniony and had a faint anise like fragrance. Angelica root is in the carrot family and is used to flavor gin and Chartreuse as well as help in healing wounds. Wolfberries, known as Goji, are in the potato/​tomato family and have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bergamot is an orange in which the oil is used to flavor Earl Grey Tea, and helps minimize cholesterol production in the body. A drink called the «Chosen One» which had sliced green Shiso Leaf and tasted of bitter citrus was offered.
3) Monkfish, Congee, Cannabis Epazote Pesto, Nettles, Shiso Sprouts, Young Carrot: Monkfish was grilled and set on top of bright green herbal cannabis & epazote pesto infused rice gruel. A super sour, acidic and bitter drink was mated to the dish.
4) Beef Culotte, Onion Bacon Cannabis Tart, Sunchoke, Nameko: Slices of grilled medium rare steak with a starchy onion bacon tart, heart of artichoke, and Nameko which are small, slightly gelatinous Japanese mushrooms, was ringed by a sauce de demi-​glacé. A large Cannabis leaf was laid on top of the beef as a garnish. A complex drink that had scents of diesel, green herbs, Umami of Katsuo Bushi or Japanese dried bonito flakes, and gin was paired.
5) Osmanthus Panna Cotta, Rhubarb, Namelaka, Blood Orange Sorbet, Cannabis Soil, Kumquat, Asparagus: The panna cotta was creamy and had a very light anise-​like scent, and the Cannabis Soil was more like snow since it was a white greasy fluffy powder that had a smokey funky odor. A parboiled asparagus was added for what effect I can’t figure out, but it was fresh and firm. A rum raisin scented egg nog-​like beverage was partnered.
I’m not sure if all the drinks that were paired with the various courses were an ideal pairing, since many of the drinks seemed so intense in flavors based on sour and bitter. However, I found out that drinking all of them, even in relatively small amounts, slowly kicked my ass. Whoever the mixologist was, I credit him/​her for not making weak ass drinks.
The concept of creating a meal with accents of Cannabis was an interesting exercise in aesthetics and cooking technique. I like the novelty of it all… sort of like the forbidden fruit which tastes better because it is forbidden. I salute Laurent Quenioux, Thi Tran, & Commodore Booty for organizing this clandestine soirée. They made us feel as though we were made privy to some secret culinary society and that this was an Eleusinian rite of passage for the food obsessed.
PS Commodore Booty tear off that fake moustache and start growing your own, and chuck those dorky black frame glasses. (Girls won’t make passes at guys who wear dork glasses.) :-)

I really wanted to like this place but our experience was mixed. We went around 7pm, I dont know if the food is better during lunch time? The cashier convinced my friend that the fried rice was amazing so we got the pork chop, fried rice, and garlic noodles. The pork chop was very good — crispy and light but a little too salty. The fried rice that the cashier convinced us to get was some of the worst fried rice ever. It and the texture of hard rice that got left on the counter overnight. Definitely not worth the upgrade! The garlic noodles I found kind of bland.
The employees were friendly and they validate parking. I will give it another try if I’m in the area. If I worked in the building I would probably eat here regularly since its reasonably priced

I made a couple return visits to Starry Kitchen in the last few weeks, and I think my opinion is roughly the same. The place is still likable with good service, and while the food is sometimes good, it is very inconsistent.
My first visit, the pandan chicken was the one standout item of my meal. Starry Kitchen must do best with poultry, because the lemongrass chicken is also great. It’s moist and flavorful, cut into juicy morsels marinated through. The portion could be better, but with rice and sides, it can get you full. A check-​in on Foursquare will also get you a free drink. Go for the agua fresca — a key lime, cucumber, and mint one was very nice and refreshing.
The thing is, not everything at Starry Kitchen tastes good. The chicken is great, but the supporting cast adds nothing but bulk. The brown rice is slightly husky, and the Vietnamese salad is a vague slaw with little interest. You can choose a noodle side, but do not order the soba. It’s pre-​made non-​Asian grocery store deli section quality, buckwheat-​colored but otherwise barely related to the nutty soba noodles I love. It comes with a peanut sauce for dipping, which is all of the flavor. The garlic noodles are better, but I’d be happier with a double portion of chicken.
I like Starry Kitchen. It’s a cheerful spot with a lot of charm. The lemongrass chicken is delicious, but it’d be nice if I could feel good about exploring other parts of the menu. A bit more consistency would make Starry Kitchen a weekly must for people working downtown.

89%
Great ‘LQ @ SK’ tasting dinner at a $ 45 bargain!
***Short Review
Came here in Oct’11 for Starry Kitchen’s limited ‘LQ @ SK’ tasting dinner.
The emphasis is more of a refined modern French bistro cooking, as opposed to Starry Kitchen’s regular Asian fusion menu.
The chef is from Bistro LQ.
Not including the amuse and a comprehensive cheese board,
This is a solid 5-​course tasting menu for a very reasonable $ 45/​head.
Cooking is refined & creative.
Everything was consistently very good to excellent.
I enjoyed the cod fish and our Persimmon cake dessert the most.
The foie gras w/​smoked eel was my least favorite, but still very good.
No alcohol or pairing are available unfortunately,
but you can bring your own drinks without corkage charge.
We stopped by famima close by & got a $ 15 Kenwood Pinot Noir that worked nicey with most dishes.
Dining environment is a bit unlikely for this type of cooking,
but it’s very comfortable.
Service is good.
It’s very laid back.
Pacing is consistent although a tad quick.
Be sure to check out Starry Kitchen’s website for updates.
It will continue, but I have no idea what the schedule is like.
***Detailed Review
To the dishes;
Amuse Bouche of:
carlsbad oyster, lemon tapioca.
(Dish Rating, 86%)
This was a raw oyster with a citrus like sauce that has a consistency that’s a bit heavier than whipped cream. I usually don’t care for raw oyster at all due to it’s prominent briney nature. Here I felt that wasn’t too much the case. The smaller oyster’s flavor was relatively mild, delicate and delicious. The flavor of the ‘lemon tapioca’ sauce carries over from the oyster well. It blends very well. Flavors appear more straightforward but they work great.
Oxtail grilled cheese, radishes pico de gallo
(Dish Rating, 87%)
This resembled a creative re-​interpretation of a grille cheese sandwich. Also used is gruyère cheese, bechamel sauce, toast, & carrots. Most prominent flavor was that of the tender & juicy shredded oxtail w/​carrots mixed in. It’s served on top of grilled cheese w/​gruyère & bechamel sauce. These are very robust savory & sweet flavors. Flavors appear very straightforward, but the ingredients are well though out and the flavors blend seamlessly.
The radish adds a nice crunchy texture & spice, and touch to the presentation. I wish there were more radish. Toast and gruyère bechamel sauce very tasty. We regret not having a wine at this point. I rushed out to get a bottle of cheap pinot noir close by.
‘Cod, lobster bouillon, kumquat fennel jam’
(Dish Rating, 94%)
Not mentioned is that the lobster bouillon broth has chopped chorizo & bacon. There is an assortment of herbs including chevril, which I always enjoy. Excellent dish, the strongest of the evening.
The cod fish is very sweet, moist, and flaky. It’s cooked perfectly. The light, yet aromatic, robust lobster bullion sauce with chopped meat complement the tasty fish nicely. Adding a balanced bit of sweet and bitter was the kumquat on top. Very balanced and fun dish. I enjoyed it with my pinot noir.
‘Foie gras, smoked eel, green apples’
(Dish Rating, 81%)
The seared foie was cooked nicely. It has a nice sear and the foie was very tender, buttery, and rich. Although a tad oily, I think the preparation was otherwise very good. Portion size was generous. The was very good quality foie.
I’m not sure I cared for the condiments too much however. The wasn’t enough of a presence to work with the heavy foie. The smoked eel was very delicious with a prominent smokey flavor, and actually worked well. Unfortunately, the portion of eel was rather small relative to other things on the dish. Apples offered a very subtle sweetness, but the flavors were overpowered by the foie, especially since it was served at the very bottom & it got soaked with the foie juices into more of a mush. Perhaps serving it on the side would have retained the apples’ flavor and textural crunch. Nonetheless good dish, albeit my least favorite of the evening.
Review to be continued, please refer to ‘earlier review’.

When I first heard about Starry Kitchen, I pictured a restaurant boasting a gigantic mural of Van Goh’s Starry Night painted on its ceiling.
But Starry Kitchen, as it turned out, did not have this mural. Instead, they had signs written in loud green ink spelling out slogans such as «Please enjoy our balls in yo mouth» and «May the ‘balls’ be with you.»
I was a little confused. But then I remembered Starry Kitchen is famous for its crispy tofu balls which were, unfortunately, not on the menu at this time.
Hence, the ball references.
This wasn’t the end of the road though, not in the least bit. After a good cry over the fact that there were no crispy tofu balls, I went to the cashier and ordered a lemon grass tofu banh mi with of side of shallot fried rice.
The wait… was nothing. The food came out looking better than I expected. I took my first bite and was pleasantly surprised. I took my second bite and I was obsessed. It’s better than any banh mi I have ever had. The firm tofu ginger infused olive oil and fresh scallion on a light baguette… delicious. The shallot fried rice was lightly seasoned with soy sauce and every bite had a good measure of shallots, corn, and scallions. Simple yet so good.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like the popular owner dash into the restaurant, throwing his hands up in the air and exclaiming «I’m here!»
Later on, he came over to our table and answered our questions while entertaining us with his explosive personality and hilarious stories.
When we left, he took the time to eagerly wave «goodbye» to us, even though he had other customers to attend to.
Starry Kitchen is one of those eateries you cannot judge by its cover. It’s not a ritzy establishment, but the food and the personalities abounding in SK do more for customers than a fancy-​schmancy ambiance. Not to mention, the prices are very reasonable and the service is fantastic. I’ll be back to try their crispy tofu balls!!!

Asian fusion-​ish food! I had the tofu balls in a burrito form with thai curry noodles. Tofu balls are really yummy. I like it with the jalapenos and sriracha sauce! :)
The owner is really awesome, enthusiastic and fun to talk to. Great personality and really enjoys his work.
Really cool, chill place to grab a quick bite.

Awesome owner who curses like a sailor but that’s the thing… He curses bc he’s passionate about his/​wife restaurant. He really talks to his guests and that’s pretty awesome.
They offer healthy items — brown rice and their food is good. It changes from time to time which I like. Variety is good.
The place is super clean.
I just don’t recommend kids bc of the cursing owner — who is super sweet and just is excited abt what he does, so no hate but he curses a lot haha
Very cute couple and good food.
Don’t get the lemon grass chicken… Just saying. That will always be there

I’ve been wanting to try this place f-​o-​r-​e-​v-​e-​r. I keep meaning to go by. I hate parking downtown and when I’ve walked by I wasn’t hungry.
Today, I walked to California Plaza, I was hungry — Perfect! Time to try Starry Kitchen.
I was there about 2:45pm and the lunch rush was over and it was pretty mellow. I had to try the crispy tofu balls (since they were on the menu and I’d heard so much about them). I got them on a (banh mi) sandwich with basil fried rice. Those are some tasty balls! And the rice is excellent.
Friendly and quick service. I was a bit sad that I didn’t witness the «f-​bomb» explosion, that’s been Unilocaled about :)
I’ll be back & soon.
Come on SK… earn that fifth star!

What up, SK. Everyone is always greeted with a huge smile from one of the owners upon entry, followed by the quick «Have you been here before? Did you read about us on Unilocal?Do you know our story?». The story is legit, you should Google it!
PARKING: Validated on Fourth and Olive. The plaza is super corporate, but I’m glad I never have to pay for parking when I come here! :) Don’t forget to ask for validation after you order!
GRUB: It’s a weekly rotational menu, so you never know what you’re gonna get! The lemongrass chicken is a standard weekly, but if you’re lucky, you’ll get the Taiwanese pork or the bulgogi beef. I also love the Three cup tofu (based on the Taiwanese three cup chicken). DELICIOUSSSS. I also recommend the Vietnamese salad and DEFINITELY try the pandan chicken as a side. Even though it’s a bit pricey, it’s worth every penny! I dropped one on the floor while I was unraveling it from it’s banana leaf wrapper, and seriously almost burst into tears then and there.
AMBIANCE: It’s pretty straight forward here with simple décor. There’s an outdoor eating area with heat lamps. The chalkboard listing all the weekly delights is cute and charming.
Why four stars? It’s only open during lunch and sometimes dinner (Thursdays and Fridays I believe). Mainly targets the corporate area, but I’d love to see a front open closer to campus!

Hmmm… I was expecting so much more… I have to say I was a tad disappointed, but since my food was good, I’m giving it three stars.
I’ve been looking forward to trying Starry Kitchen for awhile now and when I got the Blackboard eats coupon I leaped at the chance to try it. So I went with my cousin yesterday evening for dinner before meeting up with friends. The parking situation was nice because it was validated for 2 hours, but the problem was not knowing which parking lot to park in… if you are familiar with downtown LA, there are basically parking lots in every block so when the website says park in the lot between 2^nd and 4^th street you are basically saying try any of the lots… well if all of those lots take validation that’s fine… but I didn’t really have the time or energy to figure that out. Luckily we happened upon the right one, phew.
I can’t say much for the décor because it’s just located in a shopping plaza, nothing special, just chairs and tables… kinda reminds me of the underground shopping/​cafeteria in downtown LA as well (across from the library).
Luckily I did a little homework by reading the menu online and reading some of the reviews by fellow Unilocalers so I knew what to expect and how to order. I ordered the lemongrass chicken in the thai cobb salad (sans blue cheese) form. My cousin ordered the curried meatballs (no thanks to the bulgogi burger– we’re korean, we get enough korean food thank you very much) in the banh mi form with a side of «spicy» fried rice. We both got iced teas– yay for free refills.
They give you a number, you seat yourself and they drop off your food. Simple table service.
My salad was nice and large with lots of bacon, chicken and avocados… I was very happy with my choice. My cousin’s on the other hand was very disappointing. I think this type of food would seem imaginative to people who don’t really eat a lot of asian food or different types of asian food. It was basically some meatballs slathered with japanese curry (yes which you make from a box) on some french rolls with some jalapenos thrown in. um… not the most exciting meal… and I’m only saying this because I lived in Japan for two years so I know how good their curry can be and how amazing their food is…
The fried rice was also disappointing… the girl at the register claimed that it was spicy… we couldn’t taste any spiciness and the rice were clumps of chewy balls… um hello? I’ve had fried rice before, I’m Asian, we make it at home all the time, and yes you use old rice, but it ain’t chewy and stuck into clumps… we spoke to the owner and he was very nice and let us order the Vietnamese salad as a replacement. A much better option, but then again I am obsessed with fish sauce…
So I’m not sure how to feel about my experience there… I liked my salad but wasn’t a big fan of my cousin’s dish… would I go back? not sure… I think there are plenty of other places to check out that’s more authentic and innovative in Los Angeles.

Everyone i know loves this stuff. It’s a great chipotle-​esque concept done asian-​fusion style by some very excited vietnamese people.
the meats are ridic. i’d personally recommend the korean pork belly or the deep fried taiwanese pork chop. garlic noodles i like more and more each time i have them.
all in all, it’s hip, delish, fun, and funky. great addition to bunker hill and cal plaza.

Okay, this place is ridiculous. Pan-​Asian Comfort food?! Excuse me while I go open-​mouth cry over how good this place is.
I walk in to a very warm hello from who I learn to be the female half of the owners. Being a first timer, she explained the glorious menu to me (this is not to say it’s a disorganized menu). I chose the vegetarian special of the day: kim chi rice cakes in a wrap. It was fan-​effing-​tastic. Who knew lightly fried kim chi rice cakes tasted so good with cilantro? Only in California.
As a side, I THINK i got a Vietnamese salad. I’m not entirely sure if that’s what it was called, but it came with a tangy dressing and was comprised of cabbage, carrots, fried onions, mint, other herbs and straight up deliciousness. These guys know how to use flavor.
I spoke to both of the owners and they seem like very genuine people, as well as innovative chefs. They have a fairy tale story of how this place came to be, which will only make you love it more. They’re both eager to talk about their food and are not afraid to give you suggestions. Passion always yields good product, and these guys have both. Bravo!
I’ll be back… with friends.
Bonus points for using the word «d-​bag» on their advertising.

A well deserving place to round out 400 Unilocal reviews. Hooray for Starry Kitchen being 499!
«Come for the parking validation and stay for the food!»
Nguyen forgot to also say «and leave looking at your calender to try to find out when you can make a return visit». Preferably in the same week for me. Yup that good. I don’t consider myself «snobby» when it comes to food but it does take quite a bit to impress me to the point of me wanting to return in the same week. Starry left just that twinkle of taste in my mouth and I’m already jonesing to go back. I knew I should have ordered a meal to take home for dinner!
I have been hearing about Starry Kitchen in the Unilocal world for sometime now. I was always interested in giving them a try but was never excited about having to go out to DTLA to do so. So with a bday lunch in the works for HC and Isabel F. happened to ask if I wanted to lunch in DT, and well Jin N. was just a hop-​skip and a jump away we were off to our lunch destination.
Since HC and I were SK Newbies we got the whole spiel from Nguyen. He broke it down for us and we then stepped forward to the register to order. Who wants to eat a banh mi with me? I went for the Malaysian Curry Chicken Banh Mi with a side of Garlic Noodles and an order of these much talked about Crispy Tofu Balls.
Food came out FAST and I was impressed at first glance and then was blown away at first bite. Can I get some FLAVOR here! The curry sauce was fantastic and left that kind of soft heat that lingers. The bread was super soft and was the perfect capsule to hold in all the goodies this banh mi was filled with. I poured my curry sauce in my sammie but was told by Nguyen that I should have dipped my sammie in the sauce. Next time for sure as I now have the proper starry eating instructions.
Garlic Noodles were cold which I was not expecting but they were damn good! I snagged a few bites of Isabel’s Pork (AMAZING) and that Coconut Rice… oh that coconut rice. SO GOOD! And they only serve you the best and will even toss out many batches until they make the perfect one. Now if that isn’t my favorite quote «respect for food is a respect for life, for who we are and what we do» then I don’t know what is.
The Crispy Tofu Balls were interesting to say the least. Interesting visually bc they were green and interesting in texture and flavor. The order is a generous portion but I was only able to eat two as they were quite filling. I wouldn’t order a whole order again but I would totally snag one if someone in my group got them. Hmmm or it would be totally cool if one came along with every meal (;
I love the concept of the ever changing menu and even like how Nguyen and Thi pretty much stick it to us with the food middle finger in the respect that your favorite items will disappear and then reappear in a few months. So sad but hey it’s pretty much genius marketing to get you to keep coming back and trying all the other amazing eats they have cooking up in that ninja kitchen.
My mouth is now starting to water as I finish this up so I’m just going to end it here with the hopes to return again soon and hopefully in this same week.

Glad they are open during diner times now bc I was never able to come for lunch! One of the owners recognized my friend from the last time he ate there — it’s nice when the owner/​staff makes an effort to remember his customers. The other staff were also very nice. I asked for a sample of the pork chop, and I was given a fairly good bite. I ended up ordering it, too!
–Side of Mac & Cheese — The cheese was on the watery side — my friend and I weren’t a fan of this one.
–Chicken Wings — Yum!
–Pork Chop — This was also very good — this is similar to Taiwanese-​style fried pork chop.
Prices are affordable (about $ 10 pp). Also, a big thumbs up to the fact that they are Styrofoam free — instead they use biodegradable take-​out containers!

Tried Starry Kitchen for the first time after hearing about it on LAist. Went with my friend who had heard about it back in the day, when they were hustling from their NoHo apt! :)
When they say, «husband and wife team Nguyen and Thi Tran» they ain’t joking! Nguyen took our order (aka, we had him order for us!) and Thi was at the register. SWEET! Here’s what Nguyen made us eat (and by made, i mean, graced us with his foodie-​wisdom):
–Free Range Lemongrass Chicken Lunch Plate (with japchae): this was good. my friend really liked the chicken, said it was tender. nom. i liked the japchae. she said it was a little «wet» for her, but i love japchae, no one can go wrong by me with that deliciousness
–Nebraska Angus Japanese Meatball Curry with a side of the popular Crispy Tofu Balls (a little extra to get the tofu balls over the reg. side dish options): this was good. I thought the flavor of the meatball curry was good but it definitely doesn’t taste like a traditional banh mi, but it’s ok, i don’t think that’s what they’re going for. and who said «traditional» was the way to go, anyways. ;)
the crispy tofu balls were a little too hyped (in the 10 minutes we heard about them until they were PIPING hot in our bellies — beware, HOT) so. good. tasty, really tasty but i was expecting a little more after Nguyen said it was their *most* popular dish.
oh and perhaps not the healthiest of decisions you’ll ever make, BUT MAKE IT ANYWAY AND GET YOUR FOOD OVER (AND A SIDE OF???) COCONUT RICE. nom nom freakin no. COCONUT RICE FTW.
Overall, great lunch. Super friendly owners, made sure we were happy and things were good. He even told us that they are the only place in California Plaza that validate, so yay for people that dont work in the area!
Overall, give it a go. It’s tasty and most importantly the best asian food in the biz-​area here downtown (that i’ve had/​seen) so i’ll be feasting whenever I get an asian craving! :) Nom nom!