Ramen Hood, Lodge Bread And More Hot Openings

Los Angeles
Hanjip: New-school Korean BBQ (that's KBBQ to you), Hanjip fired up its grills last week for previews and finally opened its doors to the public this week. There's the classic beef options alongside a tomahawk steak showstopper that's sous-vided and given a sear tableside before it gets topped with foie gras butter. If you have room left, there are sides like brown butter kimchi fried rice and a bowl of corn and cheese skewered with bone marrow still in the bone.

Ramen Hood: Celebrity chef Ilan Hall wins this year's award for punniest restaurant name with Ramen Hood, his new vegan ramen counter in the Grand Central Market. Day to day, Rahul Khopkar, who interned at Noma, runs the show. And just because the kiosk is strictly vegan, don't expect things to be all healthy. Ramen alternatives include a banh mi poutine.

Lodge Bread: Joining L.A.'s bread scene are the exceptionally beautiful loaves at Lodge Bread. Co-owners Or Amsalam and Alexander Phaneuf (who formerly worked as the sous chef at Atelier Crenn) are using a 16-hour fermentation process to make bread in the San Francisco tradition. For those looking to enjoy the loaves in house, there are toasts topped with house-made nut butters and coffee to go with them.

Chicago
Latinicity: From Mexican tacos to Peruvian ceviche, Cuban sandwiches and Spanish cured meats, Richard Sandoval's food hall-meets-market gives visitors a taste of the numerous countries' foods that makes up Latin cuisine.

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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken: The decades-old beloved Memphis spot opened up its first Midwest outpost to crowds of Southern-food lovers. Neon beer signs, an exposed brick wall and large TVs give it a sports bar feel, but the checkered tablecloths and near-perfect fried chicken won't let you forget Gus's Tennessee roots.

Austin
Wu Chow: This highly anticipated refined Chinese restaurant just opened in the year-old IBC Bank plaza, making it the prime spot for a power lunch. The China-born chefs are pumping out regional specialties like Shanghai soup dumplings and Sichuan mapo tofu, plus a top-notch dim sum brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

D.C.
Convivial: Mintwood Place chef Cedric Maupillier's sophomore effort is a bit more grown up, but there's still a playfulness on the menu. Expect escargots in blankets, a fried chicken coq au vin and moules frites reimagined as mussels breaded with potatoes and fried. The raw wood-lined room gives the space a nice cozy touch.

Miami
Sunny's: It's always sunny in Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn's new casual eatery in art deco hotel The Hall. The all-day menu—and ultra-relaxed vibe—screams South Beach, with dishes like the Sun Kissed Farro Bowl and Aloha Tacos. And at the freshly squeezed juice bar, spiking your 16-ounce Kale-Aid with a shot of tequila is definitely an option.

Houston
The Burger Joint: The popular food truck brings its locally sourced beef burgers and hand-cut fries to a permanent spot in Montrose. Take your spicy Kimchi burger or mac-and-cheese Smoke Stack outside to enjoy on the large patio under cheery red umbrellas.