Right next door to upcoming Slizeria, a new fast casual Mexican restaurant is moving into the space at 11301 W Olympic #116. Window paper is up and work is fast and furious on the new Tres Dos Tres. 323 will be featuring a build-you-own fast casual Mexican concept that you can read more about at What Now Los Angeles.
It looks like a new pie option is coming to the space at 11301 W Olympic #117 in Sawtelle Japantown. A snazzy new sign and build-out are announcing the arrival of Slizeria. Slizeria appears to be a new restaurant promising pizza by the slice or pie with “fresh ingredients & unique flavors”.
(Thanks Vanessa!)
The shopping center on the corner of Olympic and Sawtelle has been undergoing renovations for a while now. This opened up the opportunity for new businesses to move in. One of these, Ramen Chikumo, is building out the space at 11301 W Olympic #118. According to the website, Ramen Chikumo was founded in Tokyo a little over a year ago and has two locations in Taipei. Their mission is to “bring happiness and excitement to our customers” with the “best ramen there is”.
There’s window paper up on the old Sunmerry Bakery spot at 2129 Sawtelle Blvd. in Sawtelle Japantown. It appears to show that a new Izakaya-style restaurant, Tsukiji Gindaco Sakaba, is taking up residence. Also known simply as Gindaco, they have locations in Japan and Gardena and offer what they describe as “Nippon fast food”, perhaps in the form of takoyaki, or fried balls of dough containing octopus.
People have been demanding answers from me ever since crazy-popular boba shop Odd One Out Craft Milk Tea announced on their website that there was to be another branch opening in Santa Monica. They didn’t give an address, but the map on the website gave the impression that it was going to be located in the Third Street Promenade. Now we know: Fencing and ‘Odd One Out” banners are now up on the “Market Pavilion” kiosk just to the north of Santa Monica Blvd (1260 Third St. Promenade). With a location in Sawtelle Japantown, Odd One Out hails from Taiwan and was previously the winner of the Taiwan Milk Tea Festival.
Update: Odd One Out is now open at this location. (09/2024)
On a tip from a reader, I went by the tricky space that has hosted many restaurants, most recently Wise Sons, at 9552 Washington Blvd. There’s a banner on the front informing us that Vietnamese cafe Nong Lá is setting up housekeeping. Well known for their “Phở, Bún, and Bánh Mì“, Nong Lá has two other locations in LA and is planning on a Winter 2024 opening at this location.
(Thanks Andrew!)
A new chicken sandwich option recently opened at 2222 Sawtelle Blvd. in Sawtelle Japantown. Chicken Bun Bun has made a name for itself serving proprietary chicken sandwiches, but they also offer wraps, wings, and tenders. With branches in Alhambra and Newport Beach, this is the tertiary location for the mini chain.
Sawtelle Japantown is white-hot for opening new eateries right now. Add yet another to the list… There’s a sign in the window of 11301 W Olympic Blvd Suite 105 (previously home to a branch of Coco Fresh Tea & Juice and other shops) announcing a new beverage spot, Sweetcane Juice. On offer will be sugarcane juice, which their website says provides “electrolytes, vitamin, minerals, and powerful phytonutrients that hydrates more effectively than water alone”. Look for a menu of sugarcane juice paired with other juices and toppings.
Yet more news coming from Sawtelle Japantown. There’s a small notice in the papered-over window of 11301 W Olympic Blvd unit 122 (previously home to La Crepe) announcing the impending arrival of Ohana’s Kitchen by Aloha Fridays. I don’t have much information on this business, so if you have more, let me know…
There’s window paper up on the space at 11301 W Olympic Blvd UNIT 124 announcing a new milk tea joint. But not just any one: This one appears to be the winner of the Taiwan Milk Tea Festival in 2022. Odd One Out Craft Milk Tea hails from Taipei and according to their website, they are opening a shop in Downtown Santa Monica as well. I think they’re close to opening at this location, but while you’re waiting, get a peek at their menu here.
I heard from a disheartened reader (Thanks Sam!) that beloved coffee, tea, and boba purveyor Percolate had closed up shop from its ghost kitchen location at 11419 Santa Monica in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West LA. But apparently that’s not all. They appear to have closed all their LA locations as well. I’ll keep watching to see what may develop.
The new development at 1947 Sawtelle has be seeing a lot of activity. 10 Speed Coffee recently opened in Suite B, and quickly became a hit. And I only told you last week about a branch of CURRY HOUSE CoCoICHIBANYA sliding into Suite D. Now there’s new signage and a lot of construction in Suite C foretelling the arrival of Dong Ting Noodle. Other than the name, I don’t have a lot of information about this business, so if you know more, let me know…
Curry specialists CURRY HOUSE CoCoICHIBANYA opened their first shop in Japan in 1978. They have since spread to over 1,400 locations around the world, including a handful in SoCal. They’re about to add one more to that collection. There is a notice in the window of 1947 Sawtelle Blvd Unit D announcing that CURRY HOUSE CoCoICHIBANYA is settling in and will soon be dishing their proprietary curries, salads, and omelets.
It looks like bicycle-themed java joint 10 Speed Coffee is expanding. There is a new sign up on the space at 1947 S Sawtelle Blvd B confirming the news. 10 Speed has locations in Santa Monica and Calabasas, and appears close to opening this location.
People were traumatized by the loss of Kiriko Sushi after 23 years. Now we know what is taking over the address at 11301 W Olympic Blvd #102 in Sawtelle Japantown. Signs have recently gone up proclaiming the new tenant as Sushi Enya. Sushi Enya has four other locations throughout SoCal.
(Thanks Tony!)
I noticed brightly colored window paper and an ABC application at 1836 Sawtelle Blvd. It appears that hand-crafted California-brewed alcoholic beverage company Sawtelle Sake is opening a storefront at the location. The license is a “02-Winegrower” type which means they produce their own wines but doesn’t give a clue about what may be on offer here. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Poke & Co went belly-up a while ago, leaving a gaping hole at 2010 Sawtelle Blvd. That’s about to change. There’s a hiring notice on the front door that lists the new tenant as Supita. Their logo describes them as “tart specialists”. Other than that, I can’t seem to locate much on the new treat shop.
Update: I heard from the good people at Supita who asked me to pass along a link to their website. We wish them the best of luck.
A new dessert place is expanding into The Westside. MeloMelo has a new location in Westchester at 8336 Lincoln, and is soft-opening a location in Sawtelle Japantown this Friday at 2002 Sawtelle Blvd. MeloMelo currently has a smattering of LA locations and offers a creative menu of proprietary coconut jelly mixed with fruit, dairy, and other ingredients, all served in environmental glass jars. Personally, I’m excited to try the durian coconut.
It appears that a new boba joint is landing in Sawtelle Japantown. There’s window paper up on a storefront at 1642 Sawtelle that used to be the home of a hookah lounge. Tea Mug Boba is promising tea, coffee, and smoothies that are made fresh daily.
There’s window paper up on the space at 1640 Sawtelle Blvd., at the North end of Sawtelle Japantown, announcing the arrival of Tuk Tuk Thai. Known for their excellent Pad Thai, I got a chance to speak with a rep from Tuk Tuk who informed me that this is a relocation from their current space at 8875 W Pico, and not a second location. According to them, this will be Sawtelle Japantown’s first Thai street food restaurant. They are shooting for a December 1st opening at this address. Until then, check out their menu here.
Toddrickallen 