Zengo, Cafe Habana, Scarpetta, and Bouchon were nothing. Today, Hollywood gets its own location of Papaya King, no doubt the most iconic New York restaurant to hit our shores yet. Whereas the legendary location in Manhattan is isolated and ever-grimy up on East 86th Street, this is Sam Nazarian’s version of Papaya King, where the famous kraut and coleslaw-covered hot dogs and tropical fruit juices come with a side of Hollywood clubbing at Eden and the whole thing is wrapped in designer-calculated stress. That being said, the facade is a faithful recreation of the original and the tiny interior will give Papaya fans a quick flashback. But just in case the dogs don’t live up to expectations, no need to worry, as Detroit is also gearing up to try and sell us on their regional dogs in just another week or so, when Coney Dog opens on Sunset. See the menu online and check out our photos of Papaya King’s dogs, juice, and space in our slide show.
Papaya King, 1645 Wilcox Ave. Hollywood. 323-871-8799.
