Pine & Crane

Named after Chef and owner Vivian Ku’s grandfather’s noodle company in China, Pine & Crane is my favorite, ever-crowded Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant in LA. Tucked away in a little inlet off Griffith Park Blvd in Silver Lake (the sort you could easily drive by twice without realizing it!), the modern-meets-authentic spin Chef Ku and her team bring to life in their seasonal, outrageously delicious fare draws people in droves to fill the restaurant’s petite interior. Ku’s family’s local farm is the source of many of the fresh, Asian vegetables that pack the menu, and Ku — who studied at the CIA and worked for Alice Waters at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse — masterfully weaves together incredible, crave-worthy flavors in her food. The hearty beef roll with cucumber, cilantro, scallions, and hoisin is a dish I could eat every week, and seasonal options like pumpkin potstickers with shiitake, eggs, bean curd, and vermicelli keep the menu alive and ever-changing. The spicy peanuts adorned with chilies, cilantro, scallions, and vinegar are utterly addictive, and make both waiting in a lengthy line and snagging a coveted table at this gem of a restaurant worth the wait every time.

Dress: Folter Clothing Fight or Flight Dress (old)
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Ebony
Bag: Kate Spade New York (old)

SPICY PEANUTS - Chilies, Cilantro, Scallions, Vinegar.

BEEF ROLL - Cucumber, Cilantro, Scallions, Hoisin.

PUMPKIN POTSTICKERS - Kabocha, Shitake, Eggs, Bean Curd, Vermicelli.

LAYERED PORK PANCAKE - Kurobuta Pork, Scallions.