Firstborn

Name: Firstborn
Address: 978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90012
Telephone: (213) 537-0142
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.4

4.4 (9)

$50 and over

Chinese

978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 7, 2025

8:00 PM

Booked 16 times today

About this restaurant

Great for creative cocktails
Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions

In the heart of Chinatown, Chef Anthony Wang, (formerly of Ink, Auburn, Destroyer) celebrates his Chinese American heritage with breezy refinement and copious nods to modern French bistronomy.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Chinese, Contemporary French / American
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(213) 537-0142
Website
https://firstborn.la/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Anthony Wang

Location
978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Neighborhood
Downtown
Parking details
None
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wine

Marinated Mussels$24.00
celery, jalapeno
Bonny Melon$16.00
braised fennel, tarragon
Salanova Lettuce$18.00
wood ear, turnips, horseradish, black vinegar
Cherry Tomatoes$15.00
rhubarb, jasmine, fig leaf
Steak Tartare$21.00
flavors of mapo tofu, puffed rice
Duck Sausage$24.00
tofu skin, onion brodo
Sweet & Sour Sweetbreads$16.00
golden beet juice, K & K Ranch golden raisins
Tofu Dumplings$21.00
artichokes, shiitake, haricot vert

Mid Course

Egg Custard$22.00
tomato, nori, sunflower, chili
BBQ Cabbage$22.00
leeks vinaigrette

Small Entrees

Steamed Manila Clams$24.00
black bean sauce, fried Bubu & Grandma’s sourdough
Corn Congee$26.00
vadouvan, hazelnuts, confit pork belly, pickled dulse
Fried Chongqing Chicken$26.00
Zhajiang Oxtail$28.00
squid, cucumber

Large Entrees

Pan Roasted Local Fish$48.00
pickled mustard leaves, sansho pepper
Dry-Aged Lamb Saddle$52.00
Cumin jus, shredded potato
Short Rib for Two$61.00
black pepper jus, braised daikon
Beef Fat Rice$9.00
scallions

Bottles

Kremstal Malat 'Furth' Gruner Vetliner 2023$46.00
François Crochet, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023$90.00
Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre ES-56, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023$80.00
Fabien Jouves You «F&@k My Wine!?», VDF Rouge 2024, Jurançon Noir$48.00
Fabien Jouves Haute Cot(e) de Fruit, Cahors, Malbec, 2023$45.00
G & F Ruchoux, Burgogne, Irancy, Les Cailles Pinot Noir, 2021$85.00
Chardigny Beaujolais Leynes, «Croix de Bataille», Gamay, 2021$48.00
Domaine de Fa, Beaujolais, St. Amour, Gamay, 2022$78.00
Famille Dutraive, Beaujolais, Saint-Amour, «Clos du Chapitre», Gamay, 2023$93.00
Dutraive Dom. de la Grand'Cour, Beaujolais Fleurie, «Clos de la Grand'Cour», Gamay, 2023$102.00
Dutraive Dom. de la Grand'Cour, Beaujolais Brouilly 2023$110.00
Dutraive, Beaujolais Fleurie, Chappelle des Bois, Gamay, 2023$102.00
Ophélie Dutraive, Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais Gamay, 2023$88.00
Josette y Michel «Le Dire C’est Bien, Le Fer C’est Mieux», VDF Red Fer Servadou$73.00
Arbalest, Bordeaux, 2022$45.00

What 9 people are saying

Firstborn reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.6Service
4.5Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Los Angeles
Chinese
Downtown
Innovative
Downtown
Healthy

9 Reviews

T
Talib
Los Angeles5 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Food is incredible love the melon especially very exciting cocktails
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L
Lissa VIP
Los Angeles83 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Loved every dish we ordered. We were sad that they no longer offered mapo tofu steak tartare but the sweetbreads dish, the charred cabbage, the wagyu tongue and the fried chicken more than made up for it. Everything was so novel and yet so familiar. We were too full for dessert but we are returning to try everything else. Tom our server was kind. It was our anniversary and he made us feel special.
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M
Miles VIP
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really awesome spot and good play of upgraded Chinese food!
Is this helpful?
J
Jill VIP
Los Angeles5 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Every dish was unique and delicious. Can’t wait to go back and try more.
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N
Nikki
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on June 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic. Great team, beautiful restaurant and outstanding food. The lamb saddle is a must!
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K
Kat VIP
Orange County8 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of the most exciting new restaurants to land in LA in a long time. The menu is incredibly thoughtful — every dish shows depth, balance, and serious attention to flavor. I’m completely obsessed with the Chongqing fried chicken — perfectly juicy and seasoned, shatteringly crisp, and a must-order every time. The lamb saddle in Sichuan jus is another standout: rich, tender, and beautifully executed. The cocktails are also all well executed, balanced and creative, loved the Osmanthus Sour and Sobacha Bourbon Fizz. And don’t sleep on dessert — every single one we’ve tried has been a showstopper. Service is warm, the space is gorgeous, and the food is worth the hype. Can’t wait to come back.
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D
David VIP
Los Angeles6 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great menu, excellent presentation and flavor. Highly recommend.
Is this helpful?
A
Andrew VIP
Los Angeles34 reviews
2.0
Dined on June 2, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
The restaurant was incredibly accommodating to a food allergy my companion has. she called ahead, then when we checked in, we we're told that the whole staff had been alerted. We were informed about which dishes could not be altered. A big hooray for this. Now to the meal. Whether something is good or bad is mostly a matter of taste, so I will describe the various dishes. We had cold mussels in brine which had a strong vinegar taste which is not to my liking. We ordered the short ribs which were described by our waiting as spicy to the point of being pallet numbing. Not so. They were a bit fatty as short ribs can be but incredibly bland. We had fennel with pears which was almost tasteless and charred cabbage which was mildly flavorful. Although we were told that the food is served to share, we assumed that we had ordered enough food for two. Wrong again. Because there was so little food, we added an order of fried chicken an order consisting of two drumsticks and two thighs. We both like dark meat and the crust was very crunchy and had a little bit of spice. We both agreed it was the best dish but hardly anything to write home about. One peculiar part of the menu was the fish. What fish you might ask? When we asked about the fish we were told they were out of it even though we arrived at the restaurant after a basketball game at 5:45. Then we were told that when they say they are out of the fish they actually have one order that they hold back. In case a diner can eat only fish. Then they said they would give us the fish but we decided the preparation did not sound interesting. This is for your information in case you go and absolutely need fish. There is a 3% charge added on to the bill for the staff. It is removable on request and clearly noted on the menu. All in all, a disappointing outing. There is street parking and an adjacent lot at $5.
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c
cherry VIP
Las Vegas3 reviews
1.0
Dined on May 17, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Staff was friendly but service was not good. Came to celebrate a birthday and no acknowledgement of a birthday at all. They said no candles were available which is fine but not even a happy birthday from a staff member. Ordered our own dessert, they left it on the table and left when they said they would do something special....nothing.
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FAQs

Firstborn is rated 4.4 stars by 9 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 7, 2025

8:00 PM

Booked 16 times today

978 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Downtown
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Chinese, Contemporary French / American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Anthony Wang
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wine

Website
https://firstborn.la/
Phone number
(213) 537-0142

Firstborn

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Starters

Marinated Mussels$24.00

Bonny Melon$16.00

Salanova Lettuce$18.00

Cherry Tomatoes$15.00

Steak Tartare$21.00

Duck Sausage$24.00

Sweet & Sour Sweetbreads$16.00

Tofu Dumplings$21.00

Mid Course

Egg Custard$22.00

BBQ Cabbage$22.00

Small Entrees

Steamed Manila Clams$24.00

Corn Congee$26.00

Fried Chongqing Chicken$26.00

Zhajiang Oxtail$28.00

Large Entrees

Pan Roasted Local Fish$48.00

Dry-Aged Lamb Saddle$52.00

Short Rib for Two$61.00

Beef Fat Rice$9.00

Bottles

Kremstal Malat 'Furth' Gruner Vetliner 2023$46.00

François Crochet, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023$90.00

Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre ES-56, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023$80.00

Fabien Jouves You «F&@k My Wine!?», VDF Rouge 2024, Jurançon Noir$48.00

Fabien Jouves Haute Cot(e) de Fruit, Cahors, Malbec, 2023$45.00

G & F Ruchoux, Burgogne, Irancy, Les Cailles Pinot Noir, 2021$85.00

Chardigny Beaujolais Leynes, «Croix de Bataille», Gamay, 2021$48.00

Domaine de Fa, Beaujolais, St. Amour, Gamay, 2022$78.00

Famille Dutraive, Beaujolais, Saint-Amour, «Clos du Chapitre», Gamay, 2023$93.00

Dutraive Dom. de la Grand'Cour, Beaujolais Fleurie, «Clos de la Grand'Cour», Gamay, 2023$102.00

Dutraive Dom. de la Grand'Cour, Beaujolais Brouilly 2023$110.00

Dutraive, Beaujolais Fleurie, Chappelle des Bois, Gamay, 2023$102.00

Ophélie Dutraive, Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais Gamay, 2023$88.00

Josette y Michel «Le Dire C’est Bien, Le Fer C’est Mieux», VDF Red Fer Servadou$73.00

Arbalest, Bordeaux, 2022$45.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

FAQs

How is Firstborn restaurant rated?

Is Firstborn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information