Elvis Presley's Go-To Chinese Restaurant Is A True Old

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Food History

Elvis Presley's Go-To Chinese Restaurant Is A True Old-School Hollywood Gem By Alexa Valme Sept. 29, 2025 6:39 pm EST

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If you wanted to catch Elvis Presley off stage in Los Angeles, chances are you'd find him at the Formosa Café. The West Hollywood landmark wasn't just a backdrop for Hollywood's golden era. It was one of Elvis Presley's go-to restaurants in the country , a place where the King returned to again and again when he was in town. These same red leather seats that hosted Sinatra and Bogart also belonged to rock 'n' roll royalty.

Opened in 1939 across from what was then Samuel Goldwyn Studios, the café quickly drew actors, musicians, and even the occasional mobster who came for its Chinese American cooking an