Everything to Know About David Chang’s Upcoming LA Restaurant

Things are moving quickly over at David Chang’s upcoming far Chinatown restaurant. The restaurant, which Chang has previously signaled will be called North Spring, is in full R&D mode, and the build-out of the space over at 1725 Naud Street is nearly complete.

While details and rumors (and job postings) have been circulating around for a while now, Chang himself went on the House of Carbs podcast just this week to firm a few things up. Here’s what there is to know about the project so far:

It won’t be called North Spring anymore. “I think the name North Spring was, like, a placeholder,” Chang tells podcast host Joe House, alluding to the restaurant’s location way up Spring Street in Chinatown, almost to Lincoln Heights. As for the actual new name, Chang has said before it probably won’t be a straight up Momofuku either, but something new entirely.

There will be a lot of meat. Chang has long been a fan of the meatier restaurants around Los Angeles, from Sun Nong Dan to the patty melt at Cassell’s. Now he’s taking the opportunity to work with plenty of animal protein here in Los Angeles, telling House that the new restaurant will be almost his version of a chophouse, with family-style portions and lots of meat.

And don’t forget about the produce. Every chef who comes to Los Angeles inevitably finds themselves at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market, staring wide-eyed at the breadth and depth of Southern California’s agriculture. Chang is no different, calling the produce here “unbelievable,” while discussing some new dishes — like a hearty braised vegetable pot that, as it turns out, will be completely vegan.

Bo ssam beef ribs, and dates. In the interview, Chang did reveal a few proposed menu items for the now-unnamed new restaurant, including a big bone-on slow-roasted beef short rib that will be “sliced thin” and served up with an array of accoutrements, Momofuku bo ssam style. Chang also mentions a new date-based dessert: “It’s sort of like a stuffed pancake, with pistachios and peanuts and honey.”

2017 is still the plan. With all that’s been going on, Chang tells House of Carbs fans that he still plans on opening the restaurant “by the new year” — though he’s not actually looking forward to working the New Years Eve restaurant shift.

As for the space itself, Chang’s restaurant is just about complete. The warehouse building has been completely outfitted and design work is nearly finished, meaning it’s entirely possible that, true to his word, Chang will indeed be cooking at his own restaurant in Los Angeles before the year is out. What that restaurant will actually be called, though, is still up for debate.