Lewis Tan is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable martial artists.
His dynamic presence is felt across countless action-packed worlds, from Mortal Kombat (and soon Mortal Kombat 2) to Wu Assassins to the latest season of the hit show Cobra Kai.
Romcom fans remember him in About Fate alongside Emma Roberts, and Deadpool enthusiasts celebrate his iconic performance as Shatterstar.
Amidst all of these roles, Tan has spent nearly four decades discovering some of the best spots in Los Angeles. Raised in the city to a Chinese-Singaporean martial artist father and a British fashion model mother, he grew up immersed in multiple facets of the city’s vibrant culture.
Below, Tan shares his comprehensive LA guide, featuring his favorite restaurants, hotels, shops, and places to train.
What are your favorite restaurants in LA?
LA is a very, “if you know you know” city, and actually has a great variety of incredible food. It just so happens to be spread out and sometimes hard to find all the hidden gems, so here is my quick hidden gem list that may or may not be well known but make my soul very happy.
Dim Sum
This has to be first on the list as a half Chinese man. If I don’t get good dim sum at least once a week I start to get weak and weird. So crucial to the list is Dim Sum House in Westwood. Now I know, anyone who knows good Chinese food will say you need to drive to Alhambra, San Gabriel etc. and you are correct, but if you can’t spend half the day in traffic this is the best spot local to central LA. My favorite dim sum dish is lo bak go, but there are so many to try. Just point at the ones that look nice and go from there.
Chinese
Sichuan Impression
You really can’t beat this place for authentic Chinese. Daniel Wu is the one who told me about this, so shout-out to him.
Thailand has been a special place in my life, as a long-time practitioner of Muay Thai, having paid my way through drama school in LA by doing beauty campaigns for Nivea for Men in Thailand, and recently shooting our film Fistful of Vengeance for Netflix in Bangkok, I am obsessed with Thai food. I even once flew from Thailand to LA, landed and went straight to Luv 2 Eat. The flavors there are authentic, bold, and spicy. It also just happened to be across the street from my old acting school, so needless to say, I have been there countless times and highly recommend it for the real foodies out there.
One more to mention if you love Thai food is Jitlada which specializes in southern spicy food. If you don’t know where to start, try the pad kra pao with a fried egg, green curry with coconut rice, tom yum gai soup, and mango sticky rice.
Mexican
I can’t write about LA without mentioning at least one of the many incredible Mexican food joints spread through the city. My current favorite is Abuelitas Birria & Mexican Food in East LA on Western Ave. The juicy cheesy birria tacos are insane. I dream about them when I am in Europe. There are a ton of great tacos trucks too. It’s hard to go wrong but this place is addictive.
Japanese
Sushi Yamamoto, Beverly Hills
Having traveled many times to Japan I can honestly say that this is a taste right from the motherland. A true artist in creation and dedication, bursting with pure joy in every bite. My Japanese friends brought me here and I’ve never stopped coming back. Love the unagi and toro dishes, paired with some delicious sake.
What are your favorite hotels?
I have had a place in LA for many years so it is not often that I stay in a hotel, but I can say for certain that I have stayed at two iconic LA hotels which also have a rich history in film culture. Those two are Chateau Marmont and Sunset Tower. Countless parties and events thrown at both of these hotels, endless stories and myths about old school Hollywood and the classic feel of an era that produced some of the best films in history. LA would not be the same without these two superstars.
Where do you go for coffee?
LA has some of the best coffee shops in the world. There I said it. I don’t care. I watched it go from decent to missing LA coffee shops when I am in Italy. How did it get here? I do not know. Coffee lovers/snobs took over and I am happy they did. My local favorite is SOL (Strings of Life) in West Hollywood. It has incredible coffee, natural wines, breakfast sandwiches, and great music is always playing. If you are on the east side, Maru is incredible, but make sure to go ahead of schedule because the line is always long.
Do you have a favorite place to buy wine?
Domaine LA has a great selection of natural wines. Psychic Wines is also incredible and the staff is lovely. Wallys in Beverly Hills for tasting fancy wines and buying bottles for special occasions.
Where do you like to go to see a film?
This one is a sore spot for me because my favorite cinema closed down during COVID. I would go at least once a week, by myself, a ceremonial meditative experience. Obviously working in film, I love the cinema, but it is more than that to me; it is a holy place where we can learn and grow. Having said that, LA does not have the best cinemas by far. I would say that would belong to Thailand, Hong Kong, and London. We do, however, have a few dedicated gems that hopefully never close.
First and most obvious is Sid Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Just stand outside and see the legends who have put their hands in the cement, and the lavish ceilings bursting with ornaments and jade designs. I watched Mortal Kombat here, the first film I ever starred in. I went in secret and watched with an audience. It was an experience I will never forget.
Then we have the New Beverly which is owned by Quentin Tarantino and shows his private collection of real 35mm film prints. I can’t express how special this place is for me. Rumor has it the most famous Cinerama Dome will come back in 2025, and we can all watch 70MM films in all their glory again.
Where do you shop for books and music?
Amoeba was the best book/music/movie store I’ve ever been too. While in school I would save up $100 and then go and carefully select DVDS and records to add to my collection. That was one of my cherished memories as a teenager. I was devastated when it closed, as were many LA locals. I still have a ridiculously large collection of rare films and jazz records that I will keep with me as treasures forever, and nothing really replaced this special place.
In the meantime, you can visit Book Soup or The Last Bookstore for rare books, and The Record Parlour and Nivessa Vinyl for digging through music. Cinefile and Videotheque for rare films. Long live the physical touch and happiness it brings to read, listen, watch, and own a piece of art.
What are you favorite clothing shops?
One thing LA does well is vintage shopping, with stores like Wasteland, where you can pick up cool designer clothes for good prices, or if you cruise down Melrose Blvd. there are a ton of unique local shops selling band shirts, denim, furniture, and weird stuff for Burning Man.
The Melrose Trading Post, which opens on the weekends at Fairfax High School has a ton of cool jewelry, art, clothes, and random things from local sellers. It's one of the best local hangs. They also have some great weekend markets in Silverlake too. The key to LA is to stay calm in traffic, explore all the areas of the city, and when you see those orange, red, purple sunsets bursting over the palm trees, be grateful.
Favorite places to de-stress?
Unbreakable gym - This is where I train when I am not filming. It’s a very small exclusive space but has some of the best trainers, fighters and athletes in the world. When I am home in LA, I am here most mornings and after two hours of martial arts, everything else seems easy. I have prepared for many of my films here.
Wild Card Boxing - This is the real deal boxing gym where many world champions come from.
Joining All Movement gym - This is where a ton of stunt professionals train to learn tricking, dance, choreography, martial arts and more.
Other favorites in LA?
Laguna Beach - best beach in LA in my opinion.
Greystone Mansion - beautiful gothic garden estate where many famous films were made.
Malibu Creek - Incredible hikes, at the right time of year can go to swim in a waterfall.
Address Book
Dim Sum House
1822 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Sichuan Impression (Bib Gourmand)
235 W Main St SuiteB, Alhambra, CA 91801
Luv 2 Eat Thai Bistro
6660 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Jitlada
5233 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Abuelitas Birria & Mexican Food
615 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Sushi Yamamoto
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Chateau Marmont (Two MICHELIN Keys)
8221 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Sunset Tower Hotel (One MICHELIN Key)
8358 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Strings of Life (S.O.L) Café
609 N W Knoll Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Maru Coffee
1936 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Domaine LA
6801 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Psychic Wines
2825 Bellevue Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Wally's
447 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
New Beverly Cinema
7165 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Amoeba Music
6200 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
The Last Bookstore
453 S Spring St Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The Record Parlour
6408 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Nivessa Vinyl
6434 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Cinefile
11280 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Videotheque
4102 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Wasteland
7428 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
The Melrose Trading Post
7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Unbreakable
8225 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Wild Card Boxing
1123 Vine St # 14, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Joining All Movement
16657 Arminta St, Van Nuys, CA 91406
Laguna Beach
Broadway St & Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Greystone Mansion
905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Malibu Creek State Park
1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA 91302
