Eddie Huang Teases East Coast-Style Chinese Restaurant and Tiki Bar in LA

It looks like Eddie Huang is plotting a new Los Angeles restaurant and bar. The affable chef, television host, author, and overall culinary and all-things-New-York-City talking head made some loose pronouncements about a possible LA project on the Bill Simmons Podcast late last week, and says he is actively looking for a space.

Huang appeared on the popular Ringer podcast last Friday, and pretty quickly got into a hearty discussion about East Coast-style Chinese and Caribbean food (or the lack thereof), adding that he’d love to bring some of what’s missing to Los Angeles. He starts by saying there’s no good “bulletproof Chinese food” in greater LA, and is quick to qualify that the authentic, often mainland Chinese food found in the San Gabriel Valley doesn’t count. Huang then goes on to wax poetic about a secret tiki bar that would serve the style of Chinese food he’s after. He even has a name: Coney Island.

Later in the episode, Simmons returns to asking Huang about the restaurant idea, to which he replies:

I’m trying to open Coney Island. I’m really super serious. I have a property I’ve identified, I have a partner, Jim Starr, who co-owns the Bludso’s in Hollywood... This is our thing. We want to open Coney Island.

Simmons seems surprised that the idea was genuine and presses for details, to which Huang says it’s probably a conversation best taken off the air. He does note that the project would likely take place in or around the greater Fairfax district, given Starr’s partnerships (Cofax, Golden State, Prime Pizza, etc.) in the area. It’s also worth noting that Huang doesn’t leave out the possibility of opening on Sawtelle as well.

Eater reached out to Starr regarding the news, and was told that indeed he and Huang are eyeballing locations for an upcoming project,though they have not finalized a lease. In the meantime, Huang still has his Chinatown outpost of Baohaus inside Far East Plaza, and Starr is busy expanding Golden State Cafe and helping to bring Nicole Rucker’s first project, Fiona, to life on Fairfax later this year as well.

• Nicole Rucker Reemerges Along Fairfax With Much More Than Just Pastries [ELA]