There is nothing a UCLA student loves more than a meal worthy of your Instagram story, and luckily for the student population, Liu’s Cafe has just made their west side debut in Westwood. Liu’s first went viral in Koreatown in 2024, known for their prized Michelin distinction and photogenic foods like a deep-fried French toast that leaks custard when cut into. The queues have endured since opening, amping up the anticipation for their expansion.
The restaurant is an open-kitchen concept that feels bigger than it is because of the windowfront, but all of the seating is at the bars either lining the kitchen or the walls rather than the small tables that populate their Koreatown location. The decor is minimalistic, consisting mostly of jars of chili oil interspersed along the counter, and the lighting streaming through the open windows practically begs your phone to take a picture of the main event: the food.
Mere minutes after being seated, a waiter will begin carrying over your order. Utensils and water cups are self-serve, and in the time that it takes to fetch these, your entire spread has arrived.
Kaya toast is a dish commonly found in Singapore, and Liu’s rendition comes neon green and sprinkled with salted egg yolk. There are two options, coconut kaya and pandan kaya, and we chose the latter. For those unfamiliar, kaya is a Southeast Asian coconut jam that’s mildly sweet and when paired with a slab of butter between two pieces of crunchy toast, offers a mixture of creamy richness soaking into crisp bread. With a little bit of salt from the egg yolk, it’s a good pregame for the main meal.
Next up is the braised pork belly rice, a good rendition of the traditional Taiwanese dish, lu rou fan. Here, the bowl comes heaped with white rice soaking in the juices of the pork ladled atop it, which is tender, not too fatty and a good mix of deeply savory with a little sweetness. It also comes with a spiral of pickled cucumber, which adds a tangy dimension to the meat-heavy dish. Nothing at Liu’s is particularly elevated, but it tastes like home cooking, or at least it does to me since I grew up with a father skilled in the kitchen. For only $9.50, I’m content to have a very decent version of the dish here in Westwood when I’m away from my family.
A picture-perfect thick piece of Hong Kong Style french toast is the most recognizable dish at Liu’s Cafe. Unlike a traditional American diner french toast, there are no notes of cinnamon and instead the breakfast dish joins the few dishes in the world that are unhealthier than the American version. A plump fluffy piece of milk bread is deep fried and filled with oozing lava custard. To add to the richness, it is topped with a thick square of butter and a side of brown sugar syrup to drizzle. It is a plate that, while delicious, is better shared.
When beef noodle soup debuted at Liu’s in Koreatown, it was only available during their dinner service beginning at 5 p.m. At opening, we were surprised to discover that we could order it, and even more surprised to find it our favorite dish.
Beef noodle soup, or niu rou mian, is another traditional Taiwanese dish that Liu’s executes well. A bed of springy noodles is doused in aromatic beef broth and stacked with slices of tender beef, all topped with sliced green onions, cilantro and baby bok choy tucked in the side of the bowl. On a rainy LA day, this $13 bowl of soup is the perfect point of solace away from the cold. The noodles are springy and carry the flavor of the broth well, which is cooked from beef bone and signature spices like star anise, lending it a distinctive aromatic flavor. With a good dousing of chili oil to add a little heat, you’ll be chasing the last shreds of beef and downing the remaining soup from the bowl.
With classic drink choices of Hong Kong milk tea and lemon tea, the expectations were high to live up to a quintessential Hong Kong cafe beverage. Out of all the items, the Hong Kong milk tea seemed to be the weakest item that was ordered in terms of flavor. The usual strong tea taste was overpowered by the intense blend of condensed and evaporated milk. There were suspicions amongst the group that it was because we ordered the iced version. However, iced or hot the signature drink could use a more prevalent boldness.
Liu’s Cafe is small but mighty. Our team came in at 10:50 a.m. and by the time we left the cafe, it was filled to the brim with customers. Finally, there is an Asian sit down restaurant in the Westwood dining scene where all the dishes are quick, delicious and affordable. For a city overflowing with bustling students, what more could we ask for?
