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| Kuya Lord | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Kuya Lord | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2022 |
| Owner | Lord Maynard Llera |
| Food type | Filipino |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Location | 5003 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°5′0.67″N 118°18′34.2″W / 34.0835194°N 118.309500°W |
| Website | www |
Kuya Lord is a restaurant in Los Angeles, California specializing in Filipino cuisine. Opened in 2022, it is located at 5003 Melrose Avenue in the southeast corner of Hollywood, close to the intersection with Western Avenue and the border with the adjacent Melrose Hill, Larchmont and Wilshire Center neighborhoods.
History
[edit]Kuya Lord first began as a pop-up restaurant in 2020, operating from the home kitchen of local chef Lord Maynard Llera in La Cañada Flintridge during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Llera initially operated the pop-up on weekends as a research and development project for a future permanent restaurant, in planning for over 20 years and which he hoped to open once the pandemic, which had severely affected the restaurant industry, subsided.[2]
In May 2022, Llera announced that he had secured a space along Melrose Avenue to open his restaurant, sharing a building with other restaurants where the landlord was keen to expand the local community's access to varied dining options.[3] Kuya Lord then opened the following month.[4]
Two years later, Llera was awarded a James Beard Foundation Award for his restaurant, being named best chef in California in the award's 2024 edition.[5]
Location and concept
[edit]
Kuya Lord occupies a small space, initially with a seating capacity of 18 persons,[3] but since expanded to 28.[6] Diners eating at the restaurant sit on repurposed wooden tables best suited for communal meals.[4] The restaurant also employs an open kitchen concept where diners can see their meals being prepared in the open, while a corner hosts various restaurant merchandise and condiments like chili crisp available for purchase.[6]
The restaurant's menu is inspired by Llera's upbringing in Lucena, Quezon, reinterpreting and enhancing his favorite dishes using classic cooking techniques.[7] Various rice bowls dominate the restaurant's offerings,[3] although Kuya Lord also serves sharing trays which includes dishes such as pancit and chicken inasal.[2] Llera's take on lechon and porchetta, called the lucenachon,[6] is the restaurant's signature dish.[4]
Awards and accolades
[edit]Since its opening, Kuya Lord has been included in various best restaurant lists. The Infatuation included Kuya Lord in its list of best new restaurants in Los Angeles for 2022,[8] while Bon Appétit named it in 2023 as one of its 24 best new restaurants in the United States.[9] The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, has included the restaurant in its list of the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles in 2022,[10] 2023,[11] 2024,[12] and 2025.[13] In 2025, Time Out Los Angeles also named Kuya Lord as the city's best Filipino restaurant, being the only one listed to receive five stars,[14] and in 2026 the singer H.E.R., who is of Filipino descent, named Kuya Lord as her favorite Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles.[15]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Meet Lord Maynard Llera of Kuya Lord in La Canada Flintridge". VoyageLA. August 19, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Addison, Bill (February 3, 2021). "Kuya Lord's Filipino feast is food of power, finesse and delight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Elliott, Farley (May 6, 2022). "Underground Filipino Hit Kuya Lord Brings Lechon and Pancit to Melrose". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Elliott, Farley (June 9, 2022). "LA's Hottest New Filipino Restaurant Fries Up Pounds of Pork Belly on Melrose". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Baes, Patricia (June 11, 2024). "Filipino-American Chef Lord Maynard Llera Bags James Beard Best Chef Award 2024". Spot.PH. Summit Media. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Addison, Bill (October 27, 2022). "Kuya Lord brings a bright new era of modern Filipino cooking to Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ Arnaldo, Steph (June 14, 2024). "How Filipino-American chef Lord Maynard Llera won James Beard 'Best Chef' award". Rappler. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ Cox, Brant; Duren, Nikko; Martins, Sylvio; Snyder, Garrett (December 7, 2022). "LA's Best New Restaurants Of 2022". The Infatuation. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ Sontag, Elazar. "The 24 Best New Restaurants of 2023". Bon Appétit. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ "L.A. Times Celebrates 101 Best Restaurants of 2022 with Launch Party on Dec. 6". November 15, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Addison, Bill (December 5, 2023). "These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles of 2023". Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Addison, Bill; Harris, Jenn (March 17, 2025). "20 stellar lunch spots from the 2024 101 Best Restaurants guide". Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Addison, Bill; Harris, Jenn (May 6, 2026). "20 Asian-owned restaurants from the 101 Best Restaurants list". Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Yeo, Patricia Kelly (July 12, 2025). "The best Filipino restaurants in Los Angeles". Time Out Los Angeles. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- ↑ Henderson, Taylor (May 30, 2026). "H.E.R. named this Melrose Avenue spot as her favorite Filipino restaurant in L.A. — and it's about to launch a communal summer series". Secret Los Angeles. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
