As the foliage awakens this spring, so do some of the tastiest restaurants in Los Angeles.

From elevated comfort foods to culturally rich eats, foodies will find the spice in these openings. With invitingly warm weather baking the season, these up-and-coming restaurants offer patrons the chance to sit at the head of the table of innovation, creativity and flavor.

Grab a date or go alone and enjoy the Daily Bruin’s curation of spring restaurant recommendations.

Jade Rabbit (Late April)

A new Chinese-American eatery is hopping into LA this spring.

Expected to open later this month, Jade Rabbit finds its home in Santa Monica, promising a proliferation of classic Chinese-American dishes and reimagined traditional flavors. The fast-casual restaurant is brought by acclaimed chef Bryant Ng and his wife Kim Luu-Ng, former owners of Cassia – a beloved Santa Monica staple celebrated for its Southeast Asian flavors and genre-bending approach. Drawing influences from the family’s longstanding connection to Chinese-American cuisine and the history of Chinese food in the United States, the menu pays homage to a plethora of regional Chinese-based eateries, including Cantonese BBQ, Hong Kong-style cafes and dim sum restaurants.

As the restaurant’s debut comes just two months after Cassia’s closure, Jade Rabbit hopes to preserve the authenticity of homestyle cooking while prioritizing convenience and accessibility. Offering classic Chinese-American dishes such as honey walnut shrimp and orange mango chicken, alongside regional-based menu items, Ng celebrates the past half century of Chinese-American cuisine and the evolving fusion of eastern and western flavors. With its combo-style meals, Jade Rabbit is sure to become a lunchtime favorite for both LA locals and culinary critics alike.

Intertwining tradition and flavor, Jade Rabbit is poised to carry the legacy of Chinese-American cuisine into a delectable new chapter.

– Ruwani Jayasekara

Corridor 109 (May 2025)

Corridor 109 will be a pop-up shop no longer this spring.

The restaurant, which primarily serves seafood while invoking a blend of Japanese and Korean cuisine, is expected to make its debut as a permanent establishment in Melrose Hill in May. Corridor 109 is the brainchild of fine dining chef Brian Baik, who has previously worked at esteemed New York City restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park and Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. The name is a tribute to the suite number for Kobawoo, the restaurant in Koreatown owned by Baik’s family, where the pop-up concept first launched Monday nights in 2021 before relocating to Chinatown in 2023.

The new restaurant is set to be divided between a 10-person tasting space at the back of the venue, where Baik will prepare a $275-per-person tasting menu, and the Bar 109 at the front of the space. Offerings on a 2023 iteration of the Corridor 109 menu included a spot prawn and caviar tartlet, a scallop with herbal clam broth, and abalone risotto. Desserts on different versions of Baik’s menu have closed the meal with Pixie mandarin sorbet or black tea ice cream.

The price point might limit Baik’s possible clientele, but the chef’s skill and quality ingredients suggest Corridor 109 will be a culinary path diners should take.

– Reid Sperisen

Max and Helen’s (Mid Spring)

Typically the one being fed, Phil Rosenthal flips the tables by opening his own diner.

While Rosenthal may travel all across the land and sea for a good meal as a part of his hit Netflix series, “Somebody Feed Phil,” Angelenos will certainly not have to with the opening of his new restaurant Max and Helen’s. Longtime viewers of his series will recognize the establishment’s name as those of Rosenthal’s parents, who brought heartwarming cameos to every episode up until their deaths. Just like on his show, Rosenthal is not alone in his culinary adventure – this time being joined by James Beard Foundation-recognized chef and the San Fernando Valley’s very own Nancy Silverton.

In regard to the menu, Silverton will be cooking up what Rosenthal described to Eater LA as “elevated comfort food.” Classic diner platters will include all the favorites such as breakfast potatoes, eggs and coffee, but they will be prepared as to deliver the maximum level of deliciousness. With all the heart and attention to detail put into the theming and the entrees, together, these two journey to reignite the dying art of the diner that currently plagues America.

Rosenthal seeks out the best restaurants in the world, but LA locals can find Max and Helen’s in Larchmont Village.

– Gavin Meichelbock

Maydan Market (Mid Spring)

An iconic Washington D.C. chef makes her West Coast debut this spring.

West Adams will become the home for Maydan Market, the next project from Rose Previte, who owns the formerly Michelin-starred restaurant Maydan in the nation’s capital. She will bring the restaurant’s signature Middle Eastern cuisine to the LA foodie community as the centerpiece for the market, which will also feature a sister location for her Compass Rose bar concept and pop-up businesses designed to highlight LA’s food scene.

Although Previte has developed her culinary pedigree in D.C., the chef has split her time between LA throughout her career. With this market concept, she will have the opportunity to explore and highlight the culinary diversity of LA. With luck, the shared space will become a destination for some of the capital’s most sought-after culinary experiences, nestled in a historic neighborhood befitting of a fine dining experience.

Foodies in the market for an exciting new venture should keep an eye on this promising transplant.

– Martin Sevick