Vivian Ku

Coming Up

Harvard University and the Culinary Institute of America gave Vivian Ku a formal base for a style built on discipline, precision, and control. That training shows up in Pine & Crane, where Taiwanese food is handled with clarity rather than fuss, and in Joy, where the same register carries into a newer room. Across both kitchens, the work stays rooted in tradition while keeping the execution clean, direct, and modern.

Where They Are Now

At Pine & Crane, Vivian Ku works as owner and chef, with the menu and the room shaped around food that reads as accessible without losing definition. The role asks for more than line-level execution: it ties the pace of the kitchen to the cadence of the dining room, and keeps the restaurant’s identity centered on Taiwanese flavors served with restraint and ease.

Signature

Thousand Layer Pancake, Spicy Shrimp Wontons, Beef Roll, Dan Dan Noodles, and Minced Pork on Rice are the dishes most closely tied to Vivian Ku’s kitchen. Taken together, they show a range that moves from crisp and layered to savory and soft, from direct seasoning to comfort-food familiarity. The through line is control: flavors placed with enough clarity that the dishes hold up on a first order and still make sense on repeat.

In Their Words “Food is always a reflection of a region's culture, history, climate, etc, and we are lucky with great agriculture nearby and our people.” “Los Angeles has some of the best food in the country because it is a city of immigrants.”