Main Content
Blog
Blog Details
This Urban Los Angeles Mall Is Becoming a California Dining Powerhouse
The Westfield Century City has never quite had the social cachet of other Los Angeles malls like the Grove, which can boast that it’s the most-visited tourist destination in all of California. The sprawling West LA mall — clocking it at more than 1.3 million square feet and anchored by department stores like Bloomingdale’s, an AMC theater and even a Gelson’s grocery store — has gone through several ownership changes since it opened as the Century Square Shopping Center in 1964, and it was even given a hefty remodel in recent years from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which acquired the property when it purchased Westfield in 2018. It’s all helped, but the Westfield Century City has yet to reach true zeitgeist status — nor has it been given its own playful, hyper-local meme account. The mall did get one star turn, when Ryan Gosling chucked one of Steve Carell’s sneakers over the railing of the mall’s second level in the 2011 rom-com “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Lately, though, a renewed culinary buzz has given new life to the giant, sometimes confusing behemoth.
Like many LA malls, it’s been a common occurrence to see people waiting for a table outside beloved xiao long bao specialist Din Tai Fung, which opened in Century City in 2018. The mall’s multifloor outpost of Eataly, a marketplace and dining destination celebrating Italian food and ingredients, is the only one in LA, and it’s been full of customers at its three sit-down restaurants and shoppers browsing imported goods since its 2017 debut. But in the past year or so, several exciting new restaurant openings from star chefs and celebrities alike have made this mall a genuine dining destination. “We got a massive investment in 2017, which put us on the dining map for the first time with the openings of Eataly, Din Tai Fung and [upscale Mexican steakhouse] Javier’s. We recently got some space back, which gave us the opportunity to bring in some market-defining dining,” Colin Shaughnessy, the executive vice president of leasing for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told SFGATE regarding the mall’s recent restaurant boom. “Now we have this huge opportunity to let people know we have this huge foodie playground for them to explore.”
On Oct. 19, celebrity chef and media mogul David Chang’s Momofuku food group opened the doors to Super Peach on the mall’s first level; it’s his first new restaurant since opening Bāng Bar in Las Vegas in 2021. (Chang and company opened Majordomo in LA’s Chinatown in 2018; he has closed many of his New York City restaurants over the past few years as the Momofuku brand shifts to home cooking and packaged goods.) Super Peach serves Korean-inspired fare with a California twist: Think fried wings, Matsuhisa-style fried shrimp, mushroom noodles and wagyu kimbap. The space is modern and vibe-y, done up in cool green hues and outfitted with a kinetic split-flap display board that spells out phrases like “kiss the cook” (read: not your typical mall restaurant). “The Momofuku team is happy to join the unique lineup of culinary offerings at Westfield Century City. It’s a retail hotspot, but it’s also where our team loves to eat — we’re excited to be amongst some of our favorites like [hot pot restaurant] Haidilao and Din Tai Fung,” Momofuku CEO Marguerite Mariscal told SFGATE in an emailed statement. “We believe the visitors, a compelling mix of locals and travelers from all over the globe, appreciate good food, too. As we looked to expand our LA footprint, it felt like the right place [to] land on the West Side.” Shaughnessy added: “It’s an honor that [the Momofuku group] would look at us as a place to launch their next brand. It’s a testament to Century City as a concept. Our job is to evolve Century City into a more exciting place than the malls we grew up with.”
Local hospitality outfit SBE Entertainment Group also expanded its restaurant footprint to the Westfield Century City with the July openings of Casa Dani, a partnership with renowned Spanish chef Dani García, as well as an outpost of its popular Japanese restaurant Katsuya. Casa Dani serves elegant Spanish cuisine (Iberico ham croquetas, tuna porterhouse carpaccio, a variety of paellas) in a sleek dining room done up in neutral hues. “Westfield Century City represents the evolution of luxury hospitality within a retail environment. It’s where culture, cuisine, and community come together,” said Sam Nazarian, the chairman of SBE Entertainment Group. “When we looked at Los Angeles, Century City stood out as the epicenter of that modern, global energy that aligns perfectly with Casa Dani’s DNA: Dani García’s Michelin-starred cuisine that embodies the spirit of the Mediterranean through a contemporary, California lens.” García added: “For me, it’s very special. I’m not from here, but I wanted to share a piece of my home with this city. The energy of Los Angeles reminds me of the Mediterranean spirit: vibrant, curious and full of life.”
The Westfield Century City has long been a magnet for well-known international brands: Chagee Tea House, one of the most popular tea chains in China, made its U.S. debut at the mall this spring. Other global names include Ramen Nagi from Tokyo, Sichuan specialist Meizhou Dongpo from China, Korean donut concept Cafe Knotted and an outpost of British sandwich chain Pret a Manger. Even Hollywood celebrities have gotten in on the Westfield Century City game: In May, actor Anthony Anderson and legendary comedian Cedric the Entertainer joined forces to open AC Barbeque on the mall’s second level. The fast-casual restaurant offers big platters of St. Louis-style ribs and smoked chicken, as well as pulled-pork sandwiches and sides like “backyard BBQ” beans. “Century City represents the energy and diversity of LA, which mirrors AC Barbeque’s mission to bring people together over great food,” Anderson said. “The fast-casual format lets us serve quality barbecue in an accessible, comfortable setting.” Cedric the Entertainer added: “AC Barbeque adds comfort, culture and craft to the mix. It’s a gathering place with real smoke, real flavor and genuine hospitality.”
These new restaurants join loads of familiar LA names that have already set up shop at the mall: Tocaya Organica, Panini Kabob Grill and Zinqué, among others. National brands such as Panda Express and Shake Shack are represented in full force, too. Shoppers can also find a variety of specialty stores among the mall’s more than 60 food and drink offerings, such as cheese tart specialist Bake and a brand-new outpost of Venchi Chocogelateria. “Historically, if you think about shopping centers 15 years ago, it was a lot of cut and paste. You knew the restaurants that would be there,” Shaughnessy said. “Our goal is for Century City to be special and different. It does act as a beacon for people who want to open in LA.” As malls continue to move away from the outdated food court of decades past, many are leaning on restaurants as anchor tenants. Local examples include Orange County’s South Coast Plaza, as well as the Commons at Calabasas. With the rise of online shopping and changing consumer patterns, malls have been forced to reinvent themselves or risk becoming one of California’s many empty “zombie” malls.
According to Shaughnessy, there are still exciting new eateries on the horizon. Taiwanese restaurant powerhouse Tai Tong Food & Beverage Group is opening its first U.S. restaurant, an outpost of its popular chain Thai Town Cuisine, at the mall later this year. Nationally acclaimed Persian restaurant Rumi’s Kitchen is also set to open a location in the mall in early 2026. There’s at least one other empty restaurant space at the Westfield Century City at the moment, though: a bi-level outpost of steakhouse chain Del Frisco’s that closed last month. But not to worry, as the equally expansive Javier’s, a fancy Mexican chain that’s popular with older crowds in La Jolla and Newport Beach, is about a three-minute mall walk away.
Text by Karen Palmer | Photo credits on sfgate.com | Read More Here
Login With
Or Sign Up With Disqus