Renowned LA Chef Jonathan Whitener Passes Away at 36

Jonathan Whitener, the esteemed chef behind Here’s Looking at You in Koreatown and All Day Baby in Silver Lake, has passed away at the age of 36, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s report. Records indicate that Whitener passed away at his residence on February 7, 2024, although an official cause of death has not been determined. Despite reaching out to Lien Ta, Whitener’s business partner and owner of both restaurants, Eater has not received a response. On February 8, Here’s Looking at You made an Instagram post announcing its temporary closure “for family reasons.” Whitener’s exceptional culinary skills at Here’s Looking at You, which opened its doors in 2016, garnered widespread local and national acclaim. Notably, the renowned restaurant critic Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times praised the establishment for its “strong flavors, sweet acidity…describing umami almost everywhere they can be.” Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ta and Whitener worked diligently to sustain the restaurant, temporarily closing it on July 8, 2020, before reaching an agreement with the building’s owners to reopen in June 2021. Following a successful crowdfunding effort that raised $85,000, the restaurant resumed operations on January 9, 2022. In 2022, the current Times critic Bill Addison lauded the restaurant as “a huge success,” positioning it as one of “the best, most ambitious places of today”. Angelenos are cooking.”

Author: OpenAI