Shawn Pham's Fancy Southeast Asian Simbal Headed to Little Tokyo

Nestled in Little Tokyo, a Southeast Asian Restaurant dubbed Simbal will arrive in mid-April. It will consist of creative, simple and vivid flavors that meet wabi-sabi elegance with chef Shawn Pham's modern cooking. Pham has worked in a multitude of restaurants in LA, including Sona, Craft, and The Bazaar and returns to LA after four years in Vietnam. Dropped just one block from the old Spice Table space, it should help fill the void that Bryant Ng's restaurant left when it closed in late 2013.

Pham's creative Southeast Asian cuisine will incorporate both tradition and whimsy, including a fried black century egg with sliced pork and basil or chili jam mussels with tamarind, lemongrass and a Chinese fried donut to name a few. There will be dim sum-style carts, rolling through the dining room and a 14-seat kitchen counter.

Craft cocktails will be created by mixologist Brandyn Tepper, which will be simple and ingredient-driven. Options include a Gold Rush with bourbon, lemon, and toasted coriander honey or a daiquiri with fresh Thai basil and rum, lime and sugar.

The design will be minimalistic with various textures of ash wood. In addition, a glass enclosed sunroom to contrast moody bar, so depending on your mood, you'll have different seating options. Finally, the kitchen counter will act as a space where guest chefs and Pham's culinary friends can host their latest projects.

Simbal Restaurant
319 East 2nd Street, Suite 200
Los Angeles, California