New Year, New Little Tokyo Discoveries
Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a great start to their year. I know my posts for 2017 were a bit sporadic towards the end of the year. The reason for this is I noticed myself sharing restaurant reviews that I wasn't particularly passionate about.
For 2018, I want to focus more on story telling, particularly travel and city guides. Currently, I have trips planned for San Diego, Salt Lake City, Cancun, Vegas, Phoenix, & Portland. That's just through March! I'm hoping to add an international trip as well as a few more weekend trips throughout the year. Stay tuned for the best of all of these cities!
I kicked off my new year with a day in Little Tokyo. I had a blast covering Delicious Little Tokyo last summer and this time, I wanted to focus on new discoveries, both food and shopping, that make Little Tokyo so fun. I've partnered with Go Little Tokyo (yay!) to share some of my faves.
1. Tea Master Matcha Cafe & Green Tea Shop
450 E 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
The store name speaks for itself but just in case, this little shop nestled in the Honda Plaza across from Sushi Gen features ceremonial grade matcha as well as unique green tea gifts. We opted to start our day with a Matcha Latte, the famous Soft Serve, and some Baked Tofu Donuts. Also a huge plus, all the lattes are served with oat milk. It's like they know I'm currently oat milk obsessed. It's a perfect start to your day or post meal treat. Either way, definitely check it out if you can't get enough of Matcha!
2. Poketo Pop Up
374 E. 2nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
I'm a huge fan of lifestyle stores that have a little bit of everything. My bank account, not so much a fan. Poketo has two other stores at The Line Hotel in Ktown and The Platform in Culver City. They've opened up this Little Tokyo pop up to showcase the best of their offerings. I had a hard time not taking home all the delicious candles and cute accessories. Not to mention, the chic stationary was screaming my name.
3. Far Bar
347 E 1ST STLOS ANGELES, CA 90012
Ok so I'm cheating a little because this is totally not a new discovery. I've been time and time again but it deserves a mention because of how much I love it. The vibe is super chill and they have ample local beers on tap. Their food menu is good and includes my favorite Wasabi Fries, extra wasabi please. At 3pm, they open up the back patio and entrance. There's strung up lights, outdoor seating, and chill music. Obsessed.
For this round, we got Wasabi Fries, Duck Fried Rice, and Sliders Bento Box. Oh and a beer. All so good.
4. bae
369 E 2nd St Los Angeles, CA 90012
This coffee, doughnut, soft serve spot is neighbors to the former American Apparel store. They feature artisanal coffee and donuts as well as unique soft serve flavors. You can even upgrade to get the charcoal cone. The interior is hip with gray tones and make for the perfect instagram backdrop. I mean, they have a neon sign that says "With Love, From Bae." Can you say #bestoftheday.
I opted for the Fruit Pebbles & Toasted Cinnamon swirl topped with mochi and corn flakes. Next time, I'm going to try the Charcoal Pineapple to give my black and white dreams come true.
What are your favorite spots in Little Tokyo? I'm always looking for an excuse to spend time there.
xo, Jenny