Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Au Lac

    4.3 (1.3k reviews)
    Open • 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Au Lac Takeout or Delivery

    Au Lac Photos

    AU LAC ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    More like Au Lac

    Recommended Reviews - Au Lac

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Hungry D.

    The vegan food is very bland. The restaurant interior design is nice, but the customer service wasn't good. The pho meatballs also gave me stomach pain afterward. And... why is there a burrito on the menu?

    Lorena T.

    I came to Au Lac again to celebrate my bday with a friend before a show at the Music Center. Au Lac doesn't take reservations. My friend had the tofu, house salad. She said the house salad was better the last time she came bc the lettuce was different. She recalled it was Romaine lettuce last time. This time it was a green salad. I had the lemongrass fish which was made of soybean. It was a little too dry and rubbery for me. I kept putting it in my soup with rice to make it taste better, but ran out of soup. I won't be ordering this dish again. I took half home, cut up the soybean fish and added it to a stew. I didn't mention to my server that it was my bday, but was disappointed that he didn't even offer like regular servers do, "Would you like to see the dessert menu?" I didn't tell him it was my bday nor did I ask for the dessert menu bc I wasn't the one paying the bill. Not that I needed dessert, but it would've been nice to have been asked. When I mentioned this to another server who came by to clear our table that our server didn't even ask if we wanted dessert and that the restaurant doesn't seem to want to push its desserts, he quickly brought us a dessert menu, but my friend was already paying our bill - too late! It would've been nice to be asked earlier. I even had candles in my bag just in case we got dessert. Anyway, this server said he'll tell our server about not offering dessert. The next day I came back with another friend after a Music Center event. My server from the day before recognized me. This time he asked us at the start before we ordered or after we had just ordered whether we'd like to see the dessert menu. Huh? Ask at the END not start of a meal! Instead of embarrassing him, I told him, "No, thanks. My bday was yesterday." On this second day, my friend and I shared a Chinoise salad (delicious and refreshing!) and paella (not like a paella, a little too wet and granular for our taste, but healthy - a living food dish). We had mint and lemon water for both meals. $12 parking in the adjacent structure. Free parking passes at the Music Center if you're a season ticket holder or good luck with finding street parking. I'd still continue to occasionally patronize this restaurant when I have Music Center events bc I want to support veganism, the restaurant; however, I was disappointed with some of the food and waitstaff this weekend. I'd suggest that the waitstaff go thru customer training on when/what/how to talk to customers. Incentive from the website: join the rewards plan - 300 points for 30% off the bill and 100 points for a free dessert! I'm aiming for the free dessert!!

    NY Cheesecake
    Hiroshi S.

    First time here, arrived at 5 just as they opened before a recital at the Disney Concert Hall, and asked our server Jack to feed us a meal that is gluten free (Living Food Omakase). One of us was doubtful and low-key worried about vegan and living foods--he was amazed before he was halfway through. Drinks: the ruby cold pressed juice so delicious, not too sweet; the thai tea, a desert drink with caffeine! He started us with olive cheese dip: so super delicious with the crunchy seeded crackers. The Bird's Eye Tofu, crunchy on the outside, hot and melty on the inside. And the entrees? He brought a Notrito Salad which felt alive and delicious. The Tori Katsu really blew my mind. The Octopus so crunchy ourtside, soft and chewy and flavorful inside. The yellow noodle soup, so cocoanutty and flavorful. The Jack Makhani a spicy jackfruit yumminess. So glad we saved room for dessert I love Au Lac. I love this DTLA location. Now off to walk in the Concert Hall gardens before a recital!

    Garlic Basil Noodles
    Crystal K.

    Surprisingly very tasty vegan/ vegetarian food. It was also my first time hearing about "living food." We ordered 4 items: - pho ga - tori katsu - basil garlic noodles - mint soup They were all very tasty

    Vegetable Pho
    Meg K.

    Twelve years ago, I fell in love with Au Lac and wrote a glowing review. Living on LA's Westside, I rarely make it to Downtown, so today was my first visit back since then. I can't believe it's been 12 years--and I'm so happy to say it was every bit as incredible as I remembered. My friend and I came for lunch. I ordered the vegetable pho, and she had the curry rice. Both dishes were absolutely delicious--fresh, flavorful, comforting, and beautifully prepared. Honestly, I wish we had more time because we had another appointment downtown. I would have loved to try more dishes and definitely dessert! Our server was wonderful--friendly, attentive, and incredibly professional. He checked on us at just the right moments without ever feeling intrusive. The service was as impressive as the food. The restaurant has such a warm, relaxing atmosphere. I especially loved the beautiful ceramic water cups with bird designs--they were so unique and charming. Even the water tasted wonderful! I'm thrilled that Au Lac is still thriving after all these years. If anything, the food tasted even better than I remembered. I certainly won't wait another 12 years before coming back. In fact, I was so impressed that I convinced my husband to come with me next Saturday for dinner! I've tried many vegan restaurants over the years, and Au Lac remains my absolute favorite. My favorite on the Westside is Variable Café, but if you're willing to drive a little farther, Au Lac is on another level. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Whether you're vegan or not, this place is truly outstanding. Five stars without hesitation!

    Madeline T.

    I am not vegan myself but this is one of my favorite restaurants in LA! Staff is friendly, food is great, and it has a nice aesthetic. My favorite was the jade juice recommended by our waiter!

    Tori Katsu...yum!
    Vannessa W.

    A couple friends and I recently dined at Au Lac -- none of us had been there before -- and we loved it! I had the Olive Cheese Dip and the Tori Katsu, both which were an absolute delight. I also had the Cold-Pressed Ruby Juice which was refreshing and energizing! My friends had the Friend Fries, Phở Beef Ball, and Ravioli Rosa which they seemed to enjoy. Overall, I'd say Au Lac is a great spot for vegans and non-vegans alike, and I'm looking forward to my next visit!

    Garlic Basil Noodles
    Pooja M.

    I tasted the ravioli rosa first and I really liked it. Then the spicy calamari came out and WOW. It is slightly on the saltier side, but wow my friends and I totally inhaled it. Octopus was also pretty good. The garlic basil noodles came at the end- they were mid. I think if it was the first thing I ate, it would've been really good. The dishes by themselves are good but altogether there's a different vibe when they're altogether.

    Octopus. There's no octopus, just the pepper cut like one.
    Jacqueline T.

    We came here for dinner before going to the LA Phil concert. The menu has a lot of options. When we are ready to order, the server recommended a few signature dishes. I was a little under the weather and reviewed the tea selection. I asked the waiter what certain type of tea, she said didn't know. Need to be a little more prepared. I ordered the beef ball pho and my boyfriend ordered the octopus mushroom rice. The food tasted good, and the portion is reasonable. For dessert, we tried the chocolate x tasty cake. I think the cake tastes fine but my boyfriend said it's ok, more like a homemade cake. We split our check and paid. After we left, we noticed that the restaurant charged us vee coffee and two cold pressed juices that we never ordered, an extra $28. We quickly called the restaurant about that. The good thing is they reversed it. However, I don't expect the service of the restaurant to be careless, charging items that customers did not order. May need to train your service for better service.

    Travis W.

    Finally made it to Âu Lạc LA and I completely understand why this place is so respected. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, and the food feels very intentional. I tried a mix of living foods and cooked dishes, and everything was flavorful, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. The olive cheese dip and wild rice dishes were especially memorable, and the newer menu items were comforting without feeling heavy. This is the kind of restaurant you visit when you want more than just a meal -- it's an experience that leaves you feeling nourished and grounded. Highly recommend taking your time here. Downtown Los Angeles Plant-based | Living foods options

    Papaya Salad & Oyster Mushrooms
    James H. L.

    Right behind the Disney Concert Hall block, a fusion Vietnamese experience appears from the downtown cacophony of cuisines. These are not your typical Pho variety items. They are thoughtfully executed vegan (V/V+) versions of lots of favorites, plus some with shrimp, squid, octopus and pork. All come very tasty, and actual fish sauce is optional (versus the vegan sauce version also available). I did this as Uber Eats and am totally happy with the delivered results. This Ito Burrito is super-filling like a 1 lb bean burrito with extra veggies. The Pho Ga had great stock and perfect noodles. The tempeh chicken is the slightly rubbery version (good flavor but sometimes people feel it doesn't chew right as a vegan sub). The Papaya salad had crisp fried oyster mushrooms which are an amazing snack even in their own, dipped in anything. Pics from the interior show this to be a warm and intimate modern classy place. I'll visit there soon when I'm around the Grand area. Really satisfying recipes with excellent quality unique ingredients and great flavor combinations.

    Birder Bowl Mapo Tofu
    Stella C.

    I think I may have just ordered the wrong thing but I was pretty disappointed with the Birder Bowl. It was very one-dimensional and was literally just tofu, rice, and a mushroom sauce- no other vegetables. The thai ice tea was pretty good though and unique, with a strong coconut milk taste. There's many other things on the menu that looked delicious so I may just try again next time; this is a great place for vegetarians! The restaurant is beautifully decorated and service was great. They do validate partially for parking now in the lot behind. Make sure you get a parking ticket from the attendant. At the restaurant, ask for validation- you should get $4 off your restaurant bill and then they'll stamp your parking ticket for an additional $3 back. We ended up paying around ~$7ish for parking for 2 hrs. Parking lot is CASH ONLY. No wait on a Sunday at 12 pm.

    Claypot Fish

    Everything about this experience surpassed my expectations. To this day, the Claypot Fish is the best dish I've had in my entire life, both vegan & otherwise. The fish flavor is perfect, and the textures of the eggplant and tofu pair so beautifully. It's melt-in-your-mouth savory. The choice of the chocolate coconut cake was by recommendation of the server, and they were right. That dessert is incomparable, so rich and chocolately and the fruit puree cuts it beautifully. Truly a 10/10, no notes.

    Spicy Calamari, Lemongrass Fish, Salt & Peppered Shrimp

    See all

    25 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 days ago

    Food and ambiance are great. Love chef Ito so much. Service is usually pretty good, especially when Chef Ito is in.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lauren P.
    61
    48
    23

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Skye A.
    0
    25
    12

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Yih R.
    191
    544
    1649

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Steve H.
    233
    372
    732

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of H T.
    18
    219
    7

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sudheshna M.
    177
    123
    77

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amie H.
    5
    30
    136

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jennifer R.
    217
    207
    256

    3 months ago

    Great little spot in DTLA . Great service and great vegan food to enjoy . We will definitely be back again !

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris H.
    1129
    40
    43

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    Page 1 of 34

    Au Lac Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Au Lac

    Is this place kid friendly?

    Yes, this place kid friendly.

    What is the parking situation? And how much?

    There's a parking structure underneath the building. Coming from the west towards the east on 1st Street, make a right turn into the small alley, before the building's main entrance. The LADWP building is on the left. Around $10.… 

    Is Discover credit card accepted here?

    When is brunch offered?

    Brunch is served Tuesday to Sunday 12 PM - 3 PM. The menu offers vegan bacon, eggs, sausage, herbed potatoes and a selection of fresh waffles. We look forward to serving you!

    What would a diner who is usually a meat eater like here? Are there dishes that are popular among Non-Vegan eaters?

    Hi Jeremy, thank you for your inquiry. Our plant-based dishes bring a flavorful experience for all eaters to enjoy. We have a number of signature dishes that stand out most for our guests trying plant-based for the first time. Those dishes would be… 

    Are Reservations needed for dinner on a Friday night?

    Reservations are recommended for the best seating, I don't think they're required. I didn't have a reservation, but I sat outside because another group reserved seating indoors.

    Are there heat lamps here?

    Heat lamps are available for outdoor seating. Thank you

    Are you guys open for dine in or only pick ups?

    Apologies for the late response. Au Lac was closed March 16 through May 19, 2020 due to COVID-19. As gradual re-openings take place in Los Angeles, we have re-opened for… 

    Whats the difference between making a reservation at the "high top" and the restaurant?

    I can't say for sure, but an educated guess would be the tables facing the "bar" are all high top while in the main dining area we're normal height tables.

    Do they use organic ingredients?

    Hi Piper! Thank you for your inquiry. We source organic and non-gmo ingredients where possible. Our kitchen cuisine is prepared with all-natural and unprocessed pantry staples including raw macadamia and seaweed, raw coconut oil, pink himalayan salt… 

    Does the restaurant still have jazz night on Saturday's?

    No, there are no more sat night jazz performances at bar fedora, located inside Au Lac Restaurant. This went into effect July 1, 2018. However, Au Lac is still serving the best guilt-free (sacrifice-free), nutritiously delicious food plus healthy,… 

    View All 14 Questions

    Majordomo

    Majordomo

    4.2(1.8k reviews)
    1.7 mi•Chinatown
    •$$$$
    Takes reservations
    Large group friendly

    Brilliant, especially the fries for dine LA2026. I sat at the bar and met a nice service worker,…read moreeverything at that meal were amazing

    RSVP for 5PM dinner…read more Parking: Ample Public parking right across the street $10. Brick & Mortar: seated inside - Clean, bright and yet very cozy vibe. Service: very hands on, everyone kept refilling our water glasses. Really appreciate them. The dishes came in accordingly and right on time, one after another. We ordered quite many dishes and desserts. -:- All were made fresh and cooked/baked perfectly. It's really hard to cook ribs perfectly. But this place did it! A lot of people think that "fall off the bones" are the perfect way for ribs dish. But actually that is incorrect. If you're curious of how perfectly made BBQ ribs supposed to taste like, feel free to come to this place. They'll show you how it should be. -:- this place made the best with all fresh ingredients. I never liked spread before. But here, they made their tuna spread from fresh ingredients and not from canned ingredients. If you'd like to know how good a spread tuna spread tastes like, this is the place to go! And don't get me started with their bread. Talking about fresh! They make cloud bread (my opinion). Deep fried cauliflower: first, they boiled/blanched the cauliflowers perfectly, breaded and deep fried. If you'd don't like veggies, you have to come here and get this dish. The sauce, they made it from fresh lime juice! Not from any bottled ones that majority restaurants out there use for short cuts. This including their tomato salad. Will we revisit? Yes! 1000% many many many more times!

    Photos
    Majordomo
    Majordomo - Boiled Whole Chicken with rice, domojang, ginger scallion, and soup.

    Boiled Whole Chicken with rice, domojang, ginger scallion, and soup.

    Majordomo

    See all

    Louders - booldak w cheese (ig @fanaticdiner)

    Louders

    4.5(867 reviews)
    2.7 mi•Wilshire Center, Koreatown
    •$$

    Been here a couple of times, and this place never disappoints! Everything we tried was really good…read more The restaurant is on the smaller side and can get pretty loud. They have TVs playing K-pop music videos, so if you're looking for somewhere quiet and intimate, this probably isn't the place. This place is very lively and loud just like the name (in a good way). That being said, all the staff were super friendly and attentive. They kept checking in on us to make sure everything was good and that we had enough water. We had the kimchi carbonara, Korean fried chicken, mentaiko pasta, and uni pasta. Out of all the pastas, my favorite was definitely the kimchi bacon udon carbonara. The uni and mentaiko pastas were also good, although I remember them being a little salty. My friend got the corn cheese for $16, which is lowkey expensive for what it is, and honestly, it tasted like any other corn cheese. The stir-fried baby octopus with pork belly was another standout and one of our favorites! They also have a seafood boil, which we definitely want to try next time we're in town. They're open pretty late too, so I highly recommend checking this place out! Just a heads-up: parking is valet, and there can sometimes be a wait on weekends.

    I was on a trip recently and went here after a concert with my friend since this place stays open…read morelate. It was around 12:19am when we got seated and there was still a good amount of people dining inside. Anyways, we got the Mexican Influenced Tacos (Cheese Booldak & Kimchi Steak) for the tacos and also a Shrimp Rose Pasta. The pasta dish was my fave! It was very flavorful and I liked how thick the noodles are, while the tacos were good too and I liked being able to choose the tacos we wanted. For the tacos, there were a bunch of other meat options, which all sounded good too. I'd recommend this place! I love how this is an actually restaurant with indoor dining options and the food was good too. I also liked how large the menu is here since it actually had entrees which were filling too.

    Photos
    Louders - Cozy, but nothing special inside. The place looks like a comfortable Asian-style pub.

    Cozy, but nothing special inside. The place looks like a comfortable Asian-style pub.

    Louders - Shrimp Rose Pasta

    Shrimp Rose Pasta

    Louders - Sausage & Rice cake

    See all

    Sausage & Rice cake

    Star Leaf - Royal Crown Fried Rice

    Star Leaf

    4.4(969 reviews)
    9.0 mi•Downtown
    •$$$

    Atina And Connor best waiters. Super kind and helpful when it came to ordering. Really enjoyed the…read morefood

    Star Leaf, in Pasadena, is a wonderful Thai restaurant that has a unique and attractive menu. The…read morefact that they were participating in Dine LA was a trigger, to make another visit there for lunch. I tried to invoke the dinner menu, but they were not willing. Not a problem, the lunch menu was equally enticing. A 2-course offering for $25. I started with the Thai Prawn Ceviche. This course was wonderfully balanced, not too acidic, also a nice touch of sweetness and plump flavorful prawns. For the main, my selection was the Beef Truffle Wok-Seared Noodles. I was delighted that they were round noodles and they arrived at my table stirred in a dark sauce with sliced beef pieces on top. A small porcelain decanter was also supplied, containing the truffle oil. I poured it over my noodles. The beef was tender, moist and could be cut with the usual provided table knife. The whole dish was a winner, from start to finish. Service here, as expected, was well executed. Need to be aware of the parking though. There is a public garage around the corner that is advertised for this establishment and a few others. Problem is, that Star Leaf validates only for 1-hour, while their neighbors do so, for 2-hours. I addressed this issue with the manager at my last visit and this time too. The answer I got was not convincing to suggest that they care, or will do something about it, anytime soon. Oh well.

    Photos
    Star Leaf - Outdoor place setting

    Outdoor place setting

    Star Leaf - Thai Royal Crab Curry

    Thai Royal Crab Curry

    Star Leaf - Ribeye Crying Tiger Salad

    See all

    Ribeye Crying Tiger Salad

    Au Lac - vegan - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...