Our Meal At Firstborn | Restaurant Review | Chinatown | Los Angeles | California | Opened March 2025

https://www.firstborn.la

@firstborn.la

⁠Chef/Owner Anthony Wang took over the former Pok Pok space and transformed it into his vision of a modern Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The menu is a journey through Chef Anthony’s biography—both personal and professional.⁠

The food is whimsical in execution and traditional in flavor. Classic dishes like Mapo Tofu, Chongqing Chicken, and Beef with Broccoli are reinvented while always maintaining their foundation.⁠

The bar is helmed by Kenzo Han and has garnered plenty of praise for creative spins on classic cocktails, combined with Chinese tea culture.⁠

🎧 Listen to the Podcast: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z?si=3f3b627900fb4583

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535

Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la

RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/

📱 Connect with us here:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela

Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela

🍴 About Aftertaste LA: Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else

Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special.

⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds):

1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it

2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood

3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek

4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss

#AftertasteLA #LosAngelesFood #RestaurantReview #FoodPodcast

Our Meal At Cobi's | Restaurant Review | Santa Monica | Los Angeles | California | Opened October 2021

https://www.cobis.la/

@cobis.la

Cobi’s began as a pandemic pop up called Cobi’s Curries started by Chef Cobi Marsh. Its popularity was enough to open a brick and mortar in the former Dhaba space on Main Street in Santa Monica.

The food is heavily inspired by Indonesian, Thai, Malaysian, and Indian cuisines with big bold flavors, spicy sambals, and a large array of regional curries.

The beverage program is mostly wine, with shochu cocktails and some tasty mocktails to tame the heat of some dishes.

Cobi's has received high praise, including a third consecutive Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide.

🎧 Listen to the Podcast:

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z?si=3f3b627900fb4583

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535

Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la

RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/

📱 Connect with us here:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela

Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela

🍴 About Aftertaste LA:

Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else

Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special.

⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds):

1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it

2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood

3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek

4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss

#AftertasteLA #LosAngelesFood #RestaurantReview #FoodPodcast

Our Meal At Alba | West Hollywood | Los Angeles | California | Opened February 2025

https://www.cucinaalba.com/

@cucinaalba (NY AND LA shared)

When Cucina Alba opened in New York in 2022, it became an instant classic. Earlier this year, its sister restaurant, simply called Alba, opened in West Hollywood and has garnered positive reviews, quickly becoming one of the premier classic Italian destinations in Los Angeles.

The space is large, with an outdoor patio that feels grand, lively, and a bit like a Las Vegas version of a European vacation. There are also several private dining rooms and party rooms available.

Alba has a party-like atmosphere, aided by its impressive wine and spirits list, which runs more than 30 pages. The luxe beige marble bar greets you as you enter the patio, with stiff variations on martinis, Negronis, spritzes, and a few house specials on offer.

The food is very traditional Italian-American cuisine, focusing on fresh-made pastas, local vegetables, and main-course staples such as grilled branzino, large-format steaks, and roasted chicken diavola.

🎧 Listen to the Podcast:

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z?si=3f3b627900fb4583

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535

Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la

RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/

📱 Connect with us here:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela

Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela

🍴 About Aftertaste LA:

Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else

Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special.

⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds):

1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it

2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood

3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek

4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss

#AftertasteLA #LosAngelesFood #RestaurantReview #FoodPodcast