Long-running Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu to close permanently this month

This week in dining news:

Beverly Soon Tofu

Beverly Soon Tofu, the iconic Koreatown soon tofu restaurant opened by Monica Lee in 1986, will close permanently at the end of the month due to the pandemic, according to the restaurant’s Instagram page. One of the oldest restaurants in Koreatown, Beverly Soon Tofu was a local institution best known for its fiery tofu stew. The restaurant will continue offering takeout until Sept. 20.

189 by Dominique Ansel

Pastry chef and Cronut inventor Dominique Ansel has permanently closed his 4-year-old bakery and restaurant at the Grove, according to the chef’s Instagram page. Maude chef Curtis Stone will take over the space starting Sept. 14, launching an outdoor restaurant concept called Picnic Society.

Night + Market Vegas

Kris Yenbamroong’s popular Thai restaurant Night + Market is headed to Vegas later this year. The restaurant will join dining options such as Nobu and MB Steak at the upcoming Virgin Hotels resort and casino, which is expected to open in November.

virginhotels.com/las-vegas

Leviathan

Leviathan, a wood-grilled seafood restaurant from Scratch Bar chef Phillip Frankland Lee, is open in Encino for outdoor dining. The casual 16-seat concept, located in a courtyard outside Lee’s restaurant upstairs, offers dishes such as king crab with watermelon and goat cheese, grilled spot prawns and rib-eye with tarragon and grapes.

16101 Ventura Blvd. Ste. 110, Los Angeles, (818) 876-0818, leviathanrestaurant.com

Dave’s Hot Chicken Fairfax

Spicy chicken tender specialist Dave’s Hot Chicken is open in the Fairfax District for takeout and delivery. The new location is the fifth in Southern California for the local mini-chain, which has plans to launch franchises in Nevada, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Canada in the coming year.

465 N. Fairfax Ave., daveshotchicken.com

Wood & Salt Tavern

Wood & Salt Tavern, a modern California-inspired gastropub from the owners of Mar Vista German restaurant Rasselbock, is open in Long Beach. The menu features dishes such as house-made rigatoni with eggplant, grilled chicken with summer squash and fresh ricotta doughnuts.

4262 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 349-0111, woodsalt.com

De Buena Planta

De Buena Planta, a vegetarian Mexican food pop-up from the owner of the Butcher’s Daughter, is open in Venice for outdoor dining and takeout. Dishes such as daikon radish birria and grilled cauliflower tacos along with tequila and mezcal cocktails are served on a tropical beach-themed open-air patio.

1118 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 981-3004, debuenaplanta.us

Moore’s Deli

Moore’s Delicatessen has closed permanently in Burbank. The 10-year-old deli and pub, known for its walls covered in hand-drawn illustrations, was a popular haunt for animators and artists from nearby studios such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

Caffe Vita

Caffe Vita has closed permanently in Silver Lake. The Seattle-based coffee shop and roaster, which opened in 2013, said in a social media post that the closure was due to an increase in rent.

Preux & Proper

Preux & Proper, the New Orleans-themed restaurant from owner Josh Kopel and chef Samuel Monsour, has closed permanently after six years in downtown L.A.