Hollywood restaurant draws crowds with oxtail egg rolls, jerk fried oysters

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• What the menu does
• Space and design
• Practical details

On April 22, mother‑daughter chefs Aja and Barbara Dawson launched ABL Hollywood, a 35‑seat restaurant bringing a formal Jamaican‑Chinese menu to Hollywood. The opening marks a westward expansion of their Little Tokyo operation and introduces a blend of flavors rooted in diasporic history to a new Los Angeles audience.

Aja Dawson first built her name around grassroots pop‑ups, a food truck and the original A Beautiful Life in Little Tokyo, where Jamaican standards found a loyal following. With this new outpost, she and her mother move beyond the island’s familiar offerings to spotlight recipes shaped by decades of Chinese migration to Jamaica — an influence that dates back to the mid‑19th century and now surfaces in hybrid preparations across the menu.

What the menu does

Food at ABL Hollywood deliberately navigates two culinary traditions. Expect classic Caribbean comfort alongside reinterpretations that nod to Cantonese and Chinese diasporic techniques. Dishes are designed to be shared and often combine Jamaican spices with Chinese formats or fry techniques.

Standouts include a creamy oxtail macaroni and cheese, traditional beef and vegetarian patties served with coco bread, and an oxtail platter paired with caramelized plantains and rice and peas. Snacks and small plates push the fusion concept: oysters are seasoned with jerk spice and crisped, while the so‑called “islander egg rolls” are filled with choices such as jerk chicken, vegetables or shreddable oxtail. The kitchen also turns out whole deep‑fried escovitch snapper studded with Scotch bonnet, citrus ginger branzino, curry fried rice, and chen pi ji‑style wings that echo familiar orange‑chicken textures and glaze.

• Must‑try items: islander egg rolls, jerk‑seasoned fried oysters, chen pi ji wings, oxtail mac & cheese
• Brunch highlights: apple‑rum French toast and honey jerk chicken wings over red velvet waffles
• Cocktails: mimosas are available at brunch alongside a lychee passionfruit martini

Some plates carry personal references. Aja has adapted jerk chicken with a mambo‑style sauce as an homage to her time in Washington, D.C., and her education at Howard University, inserting local urban food memory into the menu’s DNA.

Space and design

The restaurant occupies the corner unit on Cahuenga Boulevard that previously housed a boba shop. Aja oversaw the interior, which seats 35 and favors deep reds and maroons, textured banquettes and a neon “abl” sign that greets diners from the entrance. The result is an intimate room built for conversation and communal plates rather than fast turnover.

The Dawsons continue to run their original Little Tokyo location, a food truck and a catering arm under the same banner, extending their footprint across multiple service formats.

Practical details

• Address: 1649 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028
• Hours: Tue–Thu 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat until midnight; weekend brunch begins at 11 a.m.
• Reservations: Available on Resy
• Phone: (213) 972‑9900
• Website: https://www.abl-la.com/

ABL Hollywood is notable not only for its aesthetic and menu but for how it makes a culinary lineage visible on a neighborhood scale: the blending of Jamaican and Chinese flavors reflects historical migration and contemporary creativity. For diners curious about L.A.’s evolving food map, the Dawsons’ new spot offers a direct tasting of that intersection.