PINE & CRANE DTLA Soft Opening in South Park
PINE & CRANE DTLA is a casual Taiwanese restaurant located next to South Park Commons in the South Park neighborhood, situated next to the first floor of the Aven residences (1120 South Grand, between 11th and 12th Street). This location follows their original restaurant in Silver Lake and aims to bring you delicious Taiwanese fare in a comfortable, modern setting. “We are passionate about what we do, and take pride in preparing our food using simple, fresh ingredients,” according to their website.
In addition to favorites from the Silver Lake location, they will also feature dishes specific to DTLA while still offering a variety of small plates, traditional cold appetizers, dumplings, noodles, and rice dishes. They have an extensive tea menu and will be expanding a beer, wine, and cocktail program soon. Currently PINE AND CRANE has abbreviated service on Thursdays through Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm during their soft opening. I was able to connect with PINE AND CRANE’s owner, Vivian Ku.
Goldberg: What are some of the familiar favorites as well as your personal favorites?
Ku: Familiar favorites: the bulk of the menu - dan dan noodles, shrimp wontons, beef roll, cold appetizers, three cup chicken, minced pork on rice, mapo tofu, sautéed greens, beef/wonton noodle soup, and more. Personal favorites: crispy rice cakes and mushrooms, sticky rice, fan tuan (for breakfast), dou hua (for dessert), cocktails (coming soon!)
Goldberg: The current hours are from 8 am - 4 pm, Thursday to Sunday. When do you expect to include dinner?
Ku: Hoping to offer dinner service a few months out, ultimately the hours will run until 10 pm.
Goldberg: What attracted you to the South Park neighborhood to open your second location?
Ku: The lovely park we are next to and how residential it is! We like getting to know our guests and being in a residential area makes that easier.
Goldberg: What have been your biggest challenges to open the Grand Avenue location?
Ku: The pandemic, construction hurdles, the scale of this project (our largest location so far!)
Goldberg: What message would you like to relay to the residents of South Park?
Ku: We hope to be a positive addition to the neighborhood. So many people have already stopped by, and we are extremely excited about all the people we will get to know. We hope to create a casual dining location where people can come in and instantly feel at home, whether it is for coffee, a quick breakfast, a solo lunch, or a fun dinner with friends.
Check out PINE & CRANE DTLA’s menu HERE, and make sure to stop by anytime from Thursday through Sunday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Stay tuned for extended hours. See you there!