Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
42-year-old Fairfax institution Genghis Cohen finds new home — for now
Genghis Cohen, a Fairfax staple for 42 years, closed its original location earlier this year but is making a comeback in a new, remodeled, temporary space just down the street.
(
Lucky Tennyson
/
Courtesy Genghis Cohen
)
Topline:
Genghis Cohen, the Fairfax-based restaurant famous for inspiring the legendary Larry David-written Seinfeld Chinese food scene, lost its lease at its original location at 740 N. Fairfax Ave. earlier this year. While owners Marc Rose and Med Abrous look for a new permanent space, they're opening a temporary location just down the street from the original site at 448 N. Fairfax Ave., with the doors opening Thursday afternoon (Sept. 25).
'80s kitsch lives on: Rose and Abrous have preserved some of the charm of the original, known for its kitschy '80s decor, such as the popular fish tank and red booths, while adding several new elements, including a mirrored wall and even more neon. While the temporary space won’t have a live music area like the original, the restaurant is teaming up with Fairfax legend Canter's Deli to host a weekly "Genghis Cohen Live" series at the Kibitz Room on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The backstory: Genghis Cohen was opened in 1983 by music producer Allan Rinde, who was working for Cherokee Studios at the time. A former New Yorker, Rinde missed the ubiquitous N.Y.-style Chinese food; it's also how it came to be that the restaurant had an attached venue, where Rinde would have bands he worked with perform, along with the broader music community. In 1997, Rinde sold Genghis Cohen to longtime maitre d’ Raymond Kiu, whose family ran the restaurant until they sold it to Rose and Abrous in 2015.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
