Hollywood is about to get a serious culinary upgrade. Mott 32, one of the most decorated Chinese restaurant brands in the world, is bringing its signature elevated Cantonese dining experience to the heart of Hollywood in 2026. The restaurant will occupy the second floor of the historic Citizen News Building at 1545 Wilcox Avenue, marking the brand's second U.S. location after Las Vegas and its ninth global outpost.
For those unfamiliar with the name, Mott 32 isn't your neighborhood takeout spot. This is the restaurant that won World Interior of the Year in 2014, earned a spot in the Michelin Guide across multiple cities, and built a reputation serving what many consider the best Peking duck outside of China. Founded in Hong Kong in 2014 by Maximal Concepts—the hospitality group led by Malcolm Wood, Matt Reid, and Xuan Mu, the brand has expanded strategically to gateway cities including Vancouver, Singapore, Dubai, Bangkok, Seoul, and Toronto, earning over 500 international awards along the way.
🌴 THE SETTING
The Citizen News Building carries serious Hollywood pedigree. Constructed in 1932 as an art deco masterpiece, the structure served as production headquarters for the Hollywood Citizen News newspaper from the 1930s through the early 1970s. Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in December 2018, the building was recently transformed by Relevant Group into a 30,000-square-foot entertainment and dining complex.
The ground floor currently houses Mother Wolf, Chef Evan Funke's critically acclaimed Roman cuisine concept, alongside Bar Avoja and multiple private dining spaces. The second floor, Mott 32's future home, features approximately 10,000 square feet with 20-foot ceilings, polished concrete floors, and abundant natural light. Located between the Thompson Hollywood and Tommie Hollywood hotels just one block south of Sunset Boulevard, it sits in one of Hollywood's most active corridors.
🇨🇳 MOTT 32
The restaurant's name pays homage to 32 Mott Street in New York City, where America's first Chinese convenience store opened in 1891, the epicenter of what would become one of the world's most vibrant Chinatowns.
📚 THE MENU
Mott 32's menu draws primarily from Cantonese cuisine with select Beijing and Sichuan influences, balancing refinement with bold flavor.
The undisputed star? The 42-Day Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck, widely considered one of the best interpretations of this iconic dish anywhere. Ducks are raised for 42 days, then prepared over 48 hours using a custom-designed industrial oven. Each bird is carved tableside using a proprietary technique that locks in juices, creating impossibly crispy skin with moist, smoky meat. Served with freshly steamed pancakes, cucumber, scallions, raw cane sugar, and house-made hoisin sauce, it's available by pre-order only and feeds three to four guests.
Other signatures include Barbecue Iberico Pork with Yellow Mountain Honey (made from top-grade Iberian pigs raised on acorns, grass, and herbs), the cult-favorite Soft Quail Egg Siu Mai with Iberico pork and black truffle, Traditional Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings, and Signature Lobster Ma Po Tofu. Additional standouts include Scallop Dumplings with caviar, Crispy Triple-Cooked Wagyu Beef Short Rib, and Signature Smoked Black Cod.
All dim sum is made fresh by hand daily. Mott 32 sources organic and sustainable ingredients through KIN Farms, their regenerative agriculture initiative. They were also among the first Chinese fine-dining restaurants globally to offer plant-based alternatives without compromising on flavor.
🥃 THE BEVS
Wood recognized a critical gap in luxury Chinese dining: the absence of serious cocktails and wine programs. Mott 32 changed that.
The cocktail menu incorporates Asian ingredients—chrysanthemum, osmanthus honey, ginseng, star anise, matcha tea—into expertly balanced drinks. The wine program features over 300 labels including rare vintages and prestigious large-format bottles. Rare teas round out the beverage offerings, redefining how diners think about pairings with elevated Cantonese cuisine.
🎨 THE DESIGN
While Hollywood-specific details haven't been released, Mott 32's global aesthetic blends lofty New York industrial style with Chinese imperial elements. Joyce Wang's original Hong Kong design featured skylights, color-defined zones, metal chain details referencing Hong Kong's fishing history, and Victorian chandeliers. Each location maintains this core DNA while incorporating local influences—Las Vegas references Nevada's desert landscape, Singapore nods to Southeast Asia, Vancouver showcases Pacific Northwest materials.
Expect Hollywood to honor the Citizen News Building's art deco architecture while weaving in elements that speak to LA's entertainment heritage.
🏆 THE AWARDS
- Inside Festival World Interior of the Year 2014 (Hong Kong)
- Michelin Guide selections (Dubai, Singapore, multiple markets)
- Tatler Hong Kong: Best New Restaurant, Best Interior Design
- Gault & Millau UAE 2023: Toque Award (Dubai)
- TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2023-2025: Top 10 Fine Dining (Singapore)
- Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2020 (Vancouver)
- SCMP 100 Top Tables 2014, 2015, 2016 (Hong Kong)
Malcolm Wood has been recognized among Tatler's 'Asia's Most Influential' and serves as a UN Environment Mountain Hero, driving awareness around climate change and sustainability, all values reflected across all Maximal Concepts operations. VIEW ALL AWARDS -->
🔮 LOOKING AHEAD
Specific details about size, seating capacity, and exact opening timeline haven't been disclosed, but expect approximately 7,000-10,000 square feet accommodating 100-170 seated guests with multiple private dining rooms, a dramatic main dining room, and a cocktail bar or lounge area.
Pre-orders for the signature 42-Day Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck will likely be required, as is standard across all locations. For updates, follow @mott32_la on Instagram or visit mott32.com/los-angeles.
Mott 32 Hollywood arrives when Los Angeles is finally receiving global recognition for culinary sophistication beyond the expected categories. This opening signals that Chinese fine dining can command the same respect, craftsmanship, and price points as any world cuisine.
Come 2026, that 42-day apple wood roasted Peking duck will be worth the pilgrimage to Wilcox Avenue.