Pine & Crane DTLA

The newer, larger second location of Vivian Ku’s beloved Silver Lake eatery comes with one major menu upgrade: breakfast dishes like purple rice fan tuan and daikon rice cakes from Ku’s pandemic pop-up, Today Starts Here. Luscious thousand-layer pancakes stuffed with basil and cheese, plus a smattering of other dishes from Highland Park’s Joy on York, are available as well. My favorite item, by far, is the vegan-friendly breakfast rice porridge set, which comes with your choice of braised pork belly or bean curd and six different toppings for your congee.  The Downtown outpost’s expansive open-air patio, plentiful seating and relatively central location make this a more convenient daytime option for Angelenos hoping to snag minced pork rice bowls, pan-fried soup dumplings and the slew of other dishes that first made Pine & Crane famous(ly packed).