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A Chinatown market celebrates new and old Asian staples Sesame L.A. in Chinatown’s Central Plaza. (Zachary Gray) Print Sesame L.A. may occupy just 250 square feet of Chinatown’s Central Plaza, but owner Linda Sivrican has managed to fill her market with a childhood’s worth of memories by way of Asian condiments, pantry staples and snacks. Inside, white metal shelves are lined with goods including red Chinese sausages and Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce. Baskets are filled with candied kumquats, preserved plums and dried cuttlefish. But these familiar items are juxtaposed with modern ...

Print Vivian Ku’s first two restaurants, Pine & Crane in Silver Lake and Joy in Highland Park, became neighborhood fixtures through their fast-casual airiness and the evident lightness of the Taiwanese dishes they serve. The subtlety of flavors and emphasis on vegetables have never been a play at oversimplifying the cuisine; those traits specifically channel the cooking style of Ku’s maternal grandmother, Fang Chiu Chen, a constant muse in her approach to food. Chen’s spirit guides Today Starts Here, Ku’s 4-month-old breakfast pop-up in Chinatown. The menu is concise: crisp, griddled...