Men & Beasts | Modern Chinese Restaurant & Tea Lounge - Los Angeles, CA
Chinese restaurant · Greater Echo Park Elysian ·
Plant-based Chinese dishes, tea ceremonies, and mocktails
Plant-based Chinese dishes, tea ceremonies, and mocktails
"No, it’s not a protein shake shop—Men & Beasts is a Chinese tea lounge and vegan dim sum spot originally from Miami. Located in the former home of Cosa Buona, the place serves various fruity, floral, and roasted teas in a traditional tea ceremony format, alongside plant-based dishes like salt and pepper “wings,” zhajiangmian, kung pao tofu, and pan-fried dumplings. There’s also beer and wine if you want something stronger than steeped leaves." - cathy park
"The former Cosa Buona has been morphed into a modern Chinese restaurant (a reference to a Confucius quote) that eschews meat, replacing everything with plant-based proteins. "For the most part, the meat won’t feel like it’s really missing, and that is best illustrated in the sweet & sour mushroom, typically pork or chicken, but here breaded, fried, and seasoned to an appealing ruddy color." Each bite popped with tangy sauce and a gentle interior of what seemed like oyster mushrooms; bites of cashew, garlic, and bell pepper bring in textural contrast. The space, from Minty Zhu and Alex Falco (previously in Miami), includes a sleek patio and an indoor tea lounge, and Echo Park denizens have already bought into their plant-based approach to Chinese cuisine. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
"An Echo Park restaurant from Alex Falco and Huimin “Minty” Zhu that pursues Chinese-inspired cooking through a mostly vegan lens and seeks to “continue that spirit of innovation toward Chinese cuisine,” says Falco. The collaborative menu adapts recognizably Chinese dishes — dumplings, salt-and-pepper chicken wings, and wontons — with homemade plant-based proteins; inventive items include “monkey buns,” a mashup of monkey bread and barbecued pork buns made with char siu seitan and glossy hoisin, and deep-fried sesame balls formed with carrot-infused mochi and filled with crushed black sesame paste. An adjoining tea room with a separate entrance offers a convivial, alcohol-free space for lingering tea ceremonies paired with snacks from the main menu: “In 2025, we find that people are not drinking much alcohol anymore for health reasons, mostly, but we wanted to do something for our clientele that would still create a vibe,” says Falco." - Cathy Chaplin
"Opened June 18 in the former Cosa Buona at Sunset Boulevard and Alvarado Street by Minty Zhu and chef Alex Falco; the restaurant’s name comes from the Confucius quote, “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” The vegetarian- and vegan-friendly menu features seitan char siu and plant-based chicken tenders sauced with sweet sambal and Sichuan salt and pepper, and the venue offers a tea ceremony in a cozy lounge that seats 24." - Mona Holmes
"Opened by a husband-and-wife team who relocated from Miami, this Echo Park restaurant debuted in June 2025 in the former Cosa Buona space and serves modern takes on Chinese classics with a strong seasonal and plant-forward emphasis. The kitchen makes all vegan proteins, doughs, and dim sum in-house, and the menu ranges from wok-fried items like zha zhang mian noodles with fried bean sauce and kung pao tofu to cold plates such as smashed cucumber and spicy tofu; dim sum and small plates include pan-fried shiitake dumplings, seitan salt-and-pepper “wings,” baby carrots with black sesame and mint, and an L.A.-influenced elote puff with taro, sweet corn, cashew, cilantro, and lime. A curated tea program centers on Gong Fu Cha ceremonies using teas sourced exclusively from an Arcadia-based supplier, priced at $24 per person or $20 for a pot (options include jade green oolong and jasmine); wines, beers, and nonalcoholic beverages are locally sourced. The interior was reworked to expose bare brick, remove booths, and add a tea room with communal seating, with a main dining room seating 48, a tea lounge for 24, plus a private dining area; service is Tue–Sun 5–10 p.m., with weekend brunch planned." - Mona Holmes