Fast-casual Taiwanese restaurant Pine & Crane is expanding to a second location in Downtown, located at 1120 S. Grand Ave. Unit 101.
The new 4,326 square-foot restaurant will move into the ground floor of the AVEN Apartments. Owner Vivan Ku tells What Now Los Angeles she expects to open the second Pine & Crane sometime in the second quarter of 2022. The restaurant will serve Taiwanese Comfort food, breakfast, casual lunch, and dinner, according to a case filing for the restaurant submitted to the City of Los Angeles. On top of the 51 interior seats, the new Pine & Crane will also feature a partially covered 1,214 square-foot patio with an additional 67 seats.
The original location, which opened in early 2014 at 1521 Griffith Park Blvd., has currently transitioned to take-out and delivery only due to the most recent Omicron surge. Despite the current lack of customer seating, the restaurant still serves a daily selection of cold appetizers, vegetables from the farm, small plates, noodles, and rice plates. The second restaurant is expected to follow the same menu as the original, including garlic pork belly, and Taiwanese sausage. As for beverages, Pine & Crane offers a curated selection of premium loose-leaf teas sourced from Taiwan and a rotating craft beer, wine, and sake list.
“Our goal is to bring you authentic, delicious Taiwanese fare in a comfortable, modern setting,” according to their website. “We are passionate about what we do, and take pride in preparing our food using simple, fresh ingredients. In addition to Taiwanese staples like Three Cup Chicken and Beef Noodle Soup, we offer a variety of small plates, traditional cold appetizers, and vegetarian/vegan options.”
