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A New South Asian Specialist Brings the Heat in Downtown Los Angeles

Plus, Heavy Handed gets a new burger truck, and half-off wine on Mondays

A dark bowl with light yellow sauce and meatballs and hot pepper inside.
Meatball masala from Jungli
Eddie Sanchez
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

A new South Asian restaurant contender is coming to Los Angeles next week. The restaurant, called Jungli, traces a winding path through the South Asian dining diaspora with a rotating menu from owner Rupal Patel and chef Ali Haji that moves from curry puffs and meatball masala to Bombay-style hot chicken, a pork rib vindaloo, and more. The restaurant is currently operating as a ghost kitchen, with hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, on Postmates to start. The plan, reps for Jungli tell Eater, is to expand those hours and ultimately to open a standalone restaurant in the Downtown LA area, but more details on that are still to come.

In other news:

  • Manhattan Village continues to find new restaurants tenants. The South Bay development has secured leases with BOA Steakhouse, Sushi Roku, and more.
  • The Front Yard in Studio City is reopening for outdoor dining on its large patio today. So too is Nick + Stef’s in Downtown LA.
  • Theia on West Third Street is now doing half-off wine bottles during Monday dinner service. They’re also making it industry night for restaurant and hospitality workers, offering 15 percent off on the dinner and drinks menu.
  • Restaurants at the Row DTLA are partnering up to give meals to healthcare workers at Keck Hospital nearby. Diners who buy a meal from spots like Rappahannock, Pikunico, Go Get Em Tiger, and Cafe Dulce will have one donated to healthcare workers in their honor, and there’s even a special kick-off announcement on site with Phil Rosenthal to promote the effort on March 20.
  • The Heavy Handed burger folks have scored a new food truck. Check out the reveal video here.
  • Long Beach Restaurant Week launches April 1, with support from over 60 different businesses. A portion of some sales will go to Restaurants Care to offer financial assistance to out of work industry employees.
  • App and event company Off the Menu is launching in Orange County on March 28. The paid program allows users to score an off-menu dish from different restaurants each week.