This Netflix ‘Street Food USA’ Fan Favorite Is Popping Up in LA

Portland-based Mama Đút’s Thuy Pham is bringing her vegan Vietnamese dishes to LA for a two-night pop-up on May 19 and 20 at Lodge Bread (8532 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles). Pham, who was featured on Netflix’s Street Food USA, will be serving a menu inspired by her mother’s recipes and childhood comfort foods.

Dishes include Pham’s as-seen-on-TV vegan pork belly, a bánh mì with five-spice mushroom pate, a pandan cinnamon roll, and chè Thái — a dessert made with rose oat milk, pandan tapioca, lychee, jackfruit, and sweet coconut mung bean. Pham is also including other AAPI-owned brands on the menu in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, including vegan fish fillet from Omni Foods and fish sauce and oyster sauce from 24 Vegan.

Coffee and Plants opens in Studio City

Singer-songwriter Leona Lewis’s Coffee and Plants is opening a second location on Sunday, April 30 at 12334 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City. The plant-based coffee shop will have pastel pink interiors with gold accents. To celebrate the grand opening, the shop is giving away some freebies. The first 20 guests on Sunday will receive a free hoya heart planted in Coffee and Plants’ signature pink pot. Then, from May 1 to May 7, the shop will be offering free lattes from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. in partnership with plant-based milk partner Califia Farms.

Anthony Barcelo

Old Hollywood vibes in the Valley

Above Vitello’s restaurant and the Rendition Room bar is the newly opened Velvet Martini Lounge: an Old Hollywood, Rat Pack-inspired lounge located in Studio City. The Velvet Martini Lounge aims to transport visitors to another time and place with nightly live music, and drinks and dishes that stick to the theme, including an old-fashioned TV dinner that’s served on a metal tray.

Velvet Martini Lounge

Drag kings at the Semi-Tropic

With Mother’s Day around the corner, what better place to celebrate than a drag show where kings croon songs of rage and love for their mothers? Hosted at the Semi-Tropic, where scenes from the L Word: Generation Q are filmed, ¡REVANCHA! is a drag king show happening on May 3 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Hosts and performers will include K-pop drag king Skirt Cocaine, East LA’s prince of madness Vik Floyd, honorary knight Midknight Desiers, nonbinary Punjabi drag king Twinka Masala, and Houston-based genderbendy drag king Papi Culo.

Brunch at Bacetti

Echo Park trattoria Bacetti, which serves Roman and Roman-inspired fare made with California produce, is opening for brunch starting this weekend. On Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., diners will be able to start their days with eggs, sandwiches, salads, and more. The menu below includes all-new dishes, save for the patate pizza, plus spritzes and coffee.

Katrina Frederick Studio