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Dine On A Dime: Starry Kitchen

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Starry Kitchen, a popular downtown LA Asian eatery, is finding success after being born out of the recession.

"It's a fluke, we never thought we'd get this far. It's totally an accident!" owner Nguyen Tran said.

Starry Kitchen began as an illegal supper club in the back of a North Hollywood apartment.

"My wife used to cook a lot at home and take pictures of it and post it on Facebook. She worked in advertising .  . . lost her job in advertising."

The couple then began inviting people to their North Hollywood apartment to try their food. The cuisine began so popular, the Trans began to charge.

"I coerced her into starting an illegal underground supper club in my apartment just for fun. Six weeks later, it became the #1 Asian food listing in LA on Yelp," Tran added.

Eventually, their downtown restaurant was born. Starry Kitchen is now located at 350 South Grand Avenue and has customers lining up out the door.

The restaurant features creative Asian fare like salted plum chicken wings, sweet and spicy ginger fried tofu lettuce wraps and, "savory pork wontons, I call it chili oilishisnous," said Tran.

Starry Kitchen is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner. For more information, visit the restaurant online.

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