Chop Suey Cafe 'Still Open' Says Gin
Ed Fuentes
Mike Gin at the still-open-for-dinner Chop Suey Cafe and Lounge (347 E. 1st).
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — When Mike Gin came back to L.A. from Saturday’s USC – Stanford football game, he heard that the Chop Suey Cafe and Lounge was closed. It was surprising news to most Downtowners, including Gin, who co-owns the cafe with Enrique Ramirez and Don Tahar.
On Tuesday night Gin told blogdowntown that the restaurant is just ending its lunch hours. Dinner is still being served from 5pm to 10pm, and the Far Bar is also still alive.
The news of the cafe's shuttering, headlined as "Chop Suey Café Chopped Down", is on the front page of this week's Downtown News. The article has been making the email rounds within Los Angeles' Chinese American and Japanese American communities.
For now, the case of the not quite dead cafe is a mysterious twist quite befitting Chop Suey's Raymond Chandlerequese Far East Building in Little Tokyo.
Dave Bullock (@eecue) on November 19, 2008, at 06:32AM – #1
Another win for the Downtown News. What are they thinking?
john kelly on November 19, 2008, at 10:56AM – #2
The old Far East Cafe was very much an Americanized version of a HANTEN, Japanese style Chinese restaurant like you could find in almost any city or town in Japan. While it served familiar (or what was familiar a geneneration ago) Chinese American dishes, it did so with a clear Japanese tilt. The old Far East Cafe was a place to go for Asian American comfort food and I loved it and so did my family. I think if it could go back to the style of cooking it served for some many years it would be as popular as it always was. It was not "authentic" Chinese food but it was a restaurant popular with people from City Hall and on the weekends very popular with families both Japanese American and Latinos and Gringos.
Dave Bullock (@eecue) on November 19, 2008, at 06:13PM – #3
@john kelly: sounds like koraku
Jasmin on November 19, 2008, at 11:54PM – #4
Phew! I'm relieved to hear that. We ate there fairly recently and loved it, and plan to go back periodically. We went for a late lunch and there was only 1 other table occupied at the time so I can see why they are cutting lunch service. Glad they're not closing after all: I just read that article in the Downtown News today and got sad. Wonder where the reporter got that info?
Jon Regardie on November 20, 2008, at 03:19PM – #5
To the question of how did Los Angeles Downtown News get the information, the answer is simple: Two of the three owners told our reporter that the restaurant closed its main dining room for lunch and dinner several months ago and remained closed (calls were placed to all three owners; one did not respond). In the story, one owner stated, “We just decided to close and start from scratch and cut our losses because we weren’t getting the numbers.” The story also noted that the Far Bar remained open and was serving food. This week, after the story printed, one owner said that information he provided to Downtown News last week was incorrect. That said, our headline should have indicated that Far Bar was still open. --Jon Regardie, Executive Editor, Los Angeles Downtown News
James Kaufmann on November 24, 2008, at 03:02PM – #6
I love Chop Suey but not at all for their food. The food is uniformly bad. Like it or not, that's the issue really. I've eaten there 4 times and every time was a big 0 for food. They need a better cook and new ideas set in this wonderful and historical venue/space. Why would people pay for poor food, people vote with their feet. The patio is nice but cramped.
James Kaufmann, Sr. Food Editor, Downtown LA Life Magazine
RON FONG on November 24, 2008, at 04:10PM – #7
I have to concur with james kaufmann,food at chop suey cafe is a big 0!