East Long Beach’s largest retail development in decades, the Long Beach Exchange—dubbed LBX—has been busy with the announcement of arrivals (and the exodus) of new tenants. And, as mentioned, its array of food-centric tenants is arguably the most impressive part of the complex, with Korean barbecue, hand-roll sushi, and a new Long Beach-centric restaurant concept amongst the newest announcements.
From Portola’s first location outside Orange County to cult favorites like The Kroft and Grilled Cheese Bar, LBX is attempting to distinguish itself from the Big Box developments of the late 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to The 908, two more restaurant tenants will be moving into the complex’s Hangar concept, a 17,000-square-foot dining hall within the 26-acre development near Douglas Park: Korean barbecue joint Quarters and sushi hand-roll chain Temakira.
Based out of Koreatown, Quarters has garnered a massive following its introduction to L.A. back in 2014 and offering patrons quarter-pound offerings to cook table-side, from beef belly and boneless short ribs to bulgogi and pork jowls and collars.
Of course, K-Town has always been rife with great Korean barbecue—Kang Ho-Dong Baekjeong and Park’s BBQ are dining experiences that will happily toss you into the smoky sweetness of Korean barbecue, stepping out with a full belly and smelling like a fine mix of charcoal and soju—but Long Beach’s options have been limited. While Seoulmate leans far more toward the fusion side of Korean grub than strict barbecue, Sura remains the sole place with quality focus on Korean barbecue (not to mention the city’s best bibimbap and their own flare for fusion grub, including incredible bulgogi fries, Korean tacos, and vegan banchan).
To this end, Quarters is a warm welcome to the scene.
Meanwhile, on the far more quicker and casual end, Temakira will be leaving its Orange County nest for its first shop in the L.A. region after opening in Irvine, Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa.
Long Beach Exchange is at 4069 N Lakewood Blvd.
Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.