Hours
| Friday | 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 5–10 PM |
| Sunday | 5–9 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 5–9 PM |
| Thursday | 5–9:30 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 537-0142
Website: https://firstborn.la/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: tripleseat.comresy.comopentable.com
Related Web Results
Firstborn Official Website
Unknown photographer, Chinese cook and waitstaff in a restaurant, Old Chinatown, Los Angeles, ca. 1900. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical …
firstborn (@firstborn.la) • Instagram photos and videos
11K Followers, 263 Following, 89 Posts – firstborn (@firstborn.la) on Instagram: “Now open by @chefanthonywang Chinatown, Los Angeles ⏰ 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. …
Menu — Firstborn Official Website
Duck Fat Rice. Cocktails · Wine · Reserve · Chongqing Chicken to Pick Up · Gift Cards. 978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012 © 2025 firstborn. All Rights …
Reviews
I
I’ve been to my fair share of higher end Asian fusion restaurants in LA and OC and this ranks at the near bottom for their mediocre food and snobby service.
I could only describe each dish as mildly interesting. We ordered the recommended dishes such as the Sweet Potato, BBQ Cabbage, Fried Chicken, Egg Custard, Short Rib, and Duck Fat Rice. We ordered 6 dishes but the server recommended 8-12 for four people which is honestly ridiculously because that’s telling us to order the majority of the menu (There are only 17 dishes on the menu lol).
Servers and runners seemed like they hated their jobs and wanted to go home. My whole party felt like the service was bad and the server rubbed us the wrong way in many ways. When we asked for the bill, he immediately asked if we were going to split it, which was an odd question to ask first. We ended up putting all on one card.
… moreI could only describe each dish as mildly interesting. We ordered the recommended dishes such as the Sweet Potato, BBQ Cabbage, Fried Chicken, Egg Custard, Short Rib, and Duck Fat Rice. We ordered 6 dishes but the server recommended 8-12 for four people which is honestly ridiculously because that’s telling us to order the majority of the menu (There are only 17 dishes on the menu lol).
Servers and runners seemed like they hated their jobs and wanted to go home. My whole party felt like the service was bad and the server rubbed us the wrong way in many ways. When we asked for the bill, he immediately asked if we were going to split it, which was an odd question to ask first. We ended up putting all on one card.
jason rabe
Fantastic! What a nice surprise. I’m used to new restaurants in LA being a bit of a disappointment. This one was fantastic and our server was super cool. The chicken is absolutely amazing. Everything else was creative and perfectly executed. A lot of times people do a bit of an upscale Asian thing and it doesn’t quite live up to the standard of what you get when you go to San Gabriel. But this place had the freshness and vibrant of that immediate authentic Asian experience combined with the creative flare of an original Chef. Reminded me of Heres Looking At You back in the day. Highly recommend it.
… moreGrace Lin
I really enjoyed this meal! We started off with the bar menu as we waited for a table which was perfect bc the portion sizes were just right for our party of 2. Standouts for me were the steak tartare, duck, and ginger cookie. Yum!
… moreAudrey
Definitely on the pricier side. Paid almost $300 for two people, however the service cannot be beat. The food was very tasty, the dessert to die for – we were disappointed they ran out of the duck fat rice. Other than that, I have no complaints and was happy I got to try First Born.
… moreNop Jiarathanakul
French-Chinese fusion. Cool concept, and a cooler cocktail bar. Nice vibes, good for a date night. Some of the dishes were hit or miss, but the cocktails were really well crafted with interesting Chinese inspired flavors.
… moreTammy
Absolutely delicious! Ordered 9 items and 3 desserts for 4 people – umami with every bite and their fried chicken is to die for. Enjoy!
… moreRémi Decamp
Major Letdown – Not Worth the Hype
We were genuinely excited to try Firstborn after hearing so much buzz. Unfortunately, the entire experience fell flat — and then some.
First red flag: we weren’t given any choice about where we’d be seated. Despite asking to dine inside, we were placed in the so-called “patio” — which is really just a bleak courtyard surrounded by closed storefronts. We kindly asked to be moved indoors, but the hostess brushed us off, saying it was warm and we’d be fine. No flexibility. No options.
We ordered drinks, which came out completely staggered. My glass of wine arrived a full 10 minutes before my partner’s cocktail. I waited out of courtesy, and of course by the time I drank it, it was warm. Meanwhile, two different servers tried to take our food order before we even got our drinks — clearly, the pressure to turn tables is strong here.
When we finally ordered, it started getting cold outside. There was a heater right next to us, but the server couldn’t get it to work.
Then came the food. And honestly? Nowhere near the level of praise this place seems to get. The BBQ cabbage was burnt and bitter, the tomato dish was bland, and out of 15 clams, 6 were completely empty.
And the worst offender? The “dumplings.” What we were served wasn’t dumplings at all — it was a mushy tofu mix, with no wrapper, no texture, no flavor — just a sad, soggy pile pretending to be something it’s not. A total misrepresentation of the dish.
We asked to speak to the manager and explained our disappointment. Her response? “We’re not doing anything. You could’ve just booked somewhere else.” No apology. No accountability. Just arrogance.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a thoughtful experience, solid food, or even just basic hospitality — don’t waste your time here. L.A. has plenty of restaurants that actually care. This isn’t one of them
… moreWe were genuinely excited to try Firstborn after hearing so much buzz. Unfortunately, the entire experience fell flat — and then some.
First red flag: we weren’t given any choice about where we’d be seated. Despite asking to dine inside, we were placed in the so-called “patio” — which is really just a bleak courtyard surrounded by closed storefronts. We kindly asked to be moved indoors, but the hostess brushed us off, saying it was warm and we’d be fine. No flexibility. No options.
We ordered drinks, which came out completely staggered. My glass of wine arrived a full 10 minutes before my partner’s cocktail. I waited out of courtesy, and of course by the time I drank it, it was warm. Meanwhile, two different servers tried to take our food order before we even got our drinks — clearly, the pressure to turn tables is strong here.
When we finally ordered, it started getting cold outside. There was a heater right next to us, but the server couldn’t get it to work.
Then came the food. And honestly? Nowhere near the level of praise this place seems to get. The BBQ cabbage was burnt and bitter, the tomato dish was bland, and out of 15 clams, 6 were completely empty.
And the worst offender? The “dumplings.” What we were served wasn’t dumplings at all — it was a mushy tofu mix, with no wrapper, no texture, no flavor — just a sad, soggy pile pretending to be something it’s not. A total misrepresentation of the dish.
We asked to speak to the manager and explained our disappointment. Her response? “We’re not doing anything. You could’ve just booked somewhere else.” No apology. No accountability. Just arrogance.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a thoughtful experience, solid food, or even just basic hospitality — don’t waste your time here. L.A. has plenty of restaurants that actually care. This isn’t one of them
Jasmine Aurora
Firstborn is such a special spot tucked into Chinatown. Everything we ordered was creative, beautifully presented, and genuinely delicious. You can tell the kitchen puts a lot of care and intention into each dish-everything felt thoughtful and well-executed.
* Steak tartare – One of my favorites. Loved the mapo tofu-style seasoning with bits of puffed rice for a crunch here and there. Definitely recommend ordering the beef fat rice on the side-it paired perfectly.
* Cherry tomatoes – Super refreshing and light, I enjoyed the gelatin that was involved in the dish.
* Duck sausage – Wrapped in tofu skin, which was such a cool touch. Great presentation and flavor.
* BBQ cabbage – Charred beautifully.
* Fried Chongqing Chicken – Crispy, flavorful, and seasoned all the way through. You can taste the efforts gone into marination.
* Chamomile custard – Light and refreshing with green apple and cucumber, and the kinako shortbread added a nice buttery crunch.
* Strawberry dessert – Beautifully plated, with a cashew biscuit that tied it all together. Loved every bite.
The drinks were spirit-forward, high quality, and thoughtfully crafted-not overly sweet, just really well balanced.
Service was incredibly friendly and attentive the whole night. The ambiance was bright, warm, and inviting with beautiful wall art painted by a local Chinatown artist that added such a personal touch to the space.
Already looking forward to coming back and trying more-this place is a win.
… more* Steak tartare – One of my favorites. Loved the mapo tofu-style seasoning with bits of puffed rice for a crunch here and there. Definitely recommend ordering the beef fat rice on the side-it paired perfectly.
* Cherry tomatoes – Super refreshing and light, I enjoyed the gelatin that was involved in the dish.
* Duck sausage – Wrapped in tofu skin, which was such a cool touch. Great presentation and flavor.
* BBQ cabbage – Charred beautifully.
* Fried Chongqing Chicken – Crispy, flavorful, and seasoned all the way through. You can taste the efforts gone into marination.
* Chamomile custard – Light and refreshing with green apple and cucumber, and the kinako shortbread added a nice buttery crunch.
* Strawberry dessert – Beautifully plated, with a cashew biscuit that tied it all together. Loved every bite.
The drinks were spirit-forward, high quality, and thoughtfully crafted-not overly sweet, just really well balanced.
Service was incredibly friendly and attentive the whole night. The ambiance was bright, warm, and inviting with beautiful wall art painted by a local Chinatown artist that added such a personal touch to the space.
Already looking forward to coming back and trying more-this place is a win.
Angela Wu-Martin
A delicious affordable fine dining experience! The ambience is very relaxed and polished. the music is not too loud. Service was very considerate. I recommend trying something new here. this is not a typical Asian fusion restaurant, they have incentive and exciting dishes. I recommend the sweetbreads, which tasted like savory fried chicken nuggets. I also recommend the cherry tomatoes, it’s a refreshing tangy/savory cold salad. The portions are smaller, because this is a tasting experience. I ate at the bar, and the cocktails are amazing. Shoutout to Rudy the bartender! If you’re not sure what cocktail to order, he has great suggestions!
… moreCharles Chen
Went wanting to like it, left very underwhelmed and annoyed by the overly aggressive service. Servers trying way to hard to explain, staff trying to clear plates when there’s still food in my mouth and then left with a rushed feeling like they were either trying to turn the table (when there wasn’t even a seating after us) or they were short on plates. Not one plate change offered, even with saucey dishes. I had to ask. Poorly trained and executed service. Food wasn’t terrible but nothing was good. Clearly being prepared by someone who may have enjoyed Chinese food but has no idea how to cook or season it. This is common for new restaurants with young chefs who want to cook from their diaspora, but there is a lack of essential knowledge of the actual cuisine. Flavors that were in the descriptions weren’t apparent in most of the dishes, especially the desserts. The cuisine should just be marketed as Chinese-inspired California cuisine to better manage expectations. Don’t let the PR fool you. Space was nice and it might be worth returning to if lots of things were reworked.
… more