For many Southern Californians, the food court was a formative culinary experience, a place where a teenager could spend hours and a few dollars. Now, that specific brand of nostalgia is getting a high-end makeover in Canoga Park, as a new pop-up residency at the Westfield Topanga mall brings together celebrity chefs to reimagine those very dishes.
Food-event company Chain, known for collaborations with famous restaurants and brands, has set up shop in the mall's Topanga Social food hall through February 2027. Backed by figures like B.J. Novak and Chrissy Teigen, Chain is occupying four stalls, each with a different focus, and incorporating dishes from a handful of well-known chefs.
One of those chefs is Mei Lin, winner of “Top Chef” and founder of L.A. restaurants Daybird, Nightshade, and 88 Club. Lin often tells the story of growing up spending entire days at the Fairlane Town Center’s food court in Dearborn, Mich., where she was a regular at Hot Dog on a Stick. For Chain, Lin has developed the “Cruncho Perfecto,” her take on the Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme. Her version features mapo-inspired Wagyu beef, infused with Sichuan peppercorn, fresh ginger, garlic, and scallion, layered in a locally made Mejorado flour tortilla with farmers market lettuce and fried spring roll wrappers. It’s served with a side of sour cream and Lin’s popular jarred chile oil.
Roy Choi, whose iconic L.A. restaurants include Kogi, also contributes. Choi, who reportedly grew up sampling chicken teriyaki at places like the Glendale Galleria, designed a grilled chicken teriyaki bowl. It utilizes Kogi’s sweet garlic teriyaki marinade on charred chicken and is served as a rice bowl, reminiscent of his former fast-casual chain, Chego.
Joining them is Mason Hereford, chef-founder of New Orleans’ Turkey and the Wolf, who flew in to create a spicy chicken sandwich. His dish is an homage to Wendy’s, featuring a house-made hot sauce based on Louisiana Pepper Exchange ingredients and Duke’s Mayonnaise. Calvin Eng, chef-owner of Bonnie’s in Brooklyn, reimagined the Filet-O-Fish, inspired by frequenting McDonald’s with his grandmother. His creation uses a panko-breaded, fried fish-and-shrimp patty, reminiscent of a Chinese fish ball, topped with New School American Cheese and a fragrant ginger-scallion-oil tartar sauce.
The other stalls offer more takes on familiar themes. One transforms iconic cereals into desserts, like a Cinnamon Toast Crunch tiramisu, while another rotates collaborations with retail food brands, currently featuring Cheez-It. Chain’s house menu rounds out the offerings with items like a karaage-style chicken wrap, porcini-and-truffle curly fries, and a mustard-laced Wagyu burger. Prices for individual items range from $8 to $18. Vintage fast-food glassware and Chain merchandise are also available for purchase.
Chain chief creative officer Nicholas Kraft explained the concept, stating that working with different chefs is “fun to see” for a company “rooted in cornering nostalgia.” He added, “I think it’s just a fun sandbox, like, ‘What are you nostalgic for?’
Chain culinary director Jared Dowling, who is also a chef at Silver Lake’s Doto and Santa Monica’s Edgemar, collaborated with the chefs to refine their dishes. Raised in South East London, Dowling researched U.S. food courts extensively, visiting locations like the Grove, Westfield Century City, and the Glendale Galleria. He said that creating relationships with each chef and understanding why each dish resonated with them was “the nicest part of this entire thing.” Chain chef Alan Rudoy, an alum of several notable restaurants, also worked on perfecting the visions and Chain’s house menu, recalling a moment when Choi taught him to treat a grilled chicken thigh with the same care as nigiri.
Chain is located within the Topanga Social food hall at 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park. It’s open Monday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., continuing its residency through February 2027.