JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

Same boulevard, two stops.

On Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, 2026 brought a pair made for slow browsing: Erewhon West Hollywood, opened in February, and Laurel Supply, opened in May, with just the La Cienega intersection between them. At one, grab a drink and browse; at the other, sit down to lunch in the sun.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. 01 | In LA, a grocery run counts as an outing

    In Taipei, the grocery store is on your way; in LA, the grocery store is the outing. At Erewhon you wander from produce and prepared food to drinks and curated goods; at Laurel Supply you pick a meal, have a drink, then sit a while.

  2. 02 | They're actually really close

    Erewhon is at 8550 Santa Monica Blvd (opened February 2026), and Laurel Supply is at 8445 (opened in May), with one La Cienega intersection between them, a few minutes' walk.

  3. 03 | Erewhon: it started as a natural foods store in Boston

    A natural foods store the Kushis opened in Boston in 1966, with a name that's nearly 'nowhere' spelled backward; it became what it's today after the Antocis took over in 2011. The WeHo store used to be a Sprouts.

  4. 04 | Laurel Supply: moving into a 1940s furniture showroom

    The Laurel Hardware team's second spot, opened with no press release and spread by passersby posting photos. The building was put up by photographer Herb Ritts's father to sell rattan furniture, and the V-shaped columns are still there.

  5. 05 | A drink is the store's business card too

    Erewhon's Tonic Bar menu board runs drink after drink, so check the monthly member drink or the newest one; at Laurel Supply this time I had the Matcha Ceremony, with green, blue and white layered in the cup.

  6. 06 | Grocery shopping is still where everyday life starts

    Erewhon's neat, colorful wall of organic produce is the shot everyone takes in the store; Laurel Supply's produce section is all organic, with 100% ORGANIC written right on the brick wall.

  7. 07 | The prepared-food counter is where lunch happens

    Erewhon's mains and sides line a long counter, with roast chicken, spicy wings and turkey meatballs rotating often; Laurel Supply has big bowls of salads and prepared food, plus an open kitchen prepping right there.

  8. 08 | First time? How to order

    Combo Plate = 1 protein main + 2 sides; order from the staff, they price it, and you take it to the register. The biggest difference from a Taiwanese buffet: the staff scoop it for you. To me, Laurel Supply tastes a little lighter than Erewhon.

  9. 09 | Your next meal can go in a glass jar

    Jasmine's Pick: the Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup in Erewhon's refrigerated section, my favorite and a must-buy. Laurel Supply has refrigerated soups to go too.

  10. 10 | In a rush? Check the chilled grab-and-go

    Erewhon has sushi, onigiri and ready-to-eat meals; Laurel Supply has box after box of salads where you can see the toppings. Cold-pressed juices are here too; check the ingredients, size and use-by date before grabbing one.

  11. 11 | Wellness shows up at both

    Besides its own supplements, Erewhon carries lots of curated brands; Laurel Supply has electrolyte powders and supplements from various brands. Just read the ingredients and labels; being on display isn't proof that it works.

  12. 12 | LA's upscale grocery phenomenon

    Food, skincare and lifestyle goods sold side by side, and Laurel Supply has a whole Health & Beauty wall. What you're browsing is really a vision of a lifestyle.

  13. 13 | The grocery store's name walked out of the grocery store

    Erewhon's hoodies, totes and water bottles; Laurel Supply's caps and woven bags. What you're buying is an identity, going from 'where I buy groceries' to 'the kind of life I like.'

  14. 14 | Save an afternoon and browse both

    Eat a meal at Laurel Supply and sit outside for a bit, walk west along Santa Monica Blvd across La Cienega, then check out the drinks and goods at Erewhon and take one to go.

  15. 15 | Before you go, know these few things

    Both are open daily 7am–10pm, and the Tonic Bar 9am–9pm. If you're driving, Erewhon's indoor garage in the building is easier; at Laurel Supply, park in the small open lot behind the store, which doesn't have many spaces.

  16. 16 | Two-city mirror

    Taipei's upscale grocery stores are in department store basements, and at the buffet you serve yourself and the auntie prices it at a glance; LA's are on big boulevards, you order from the staff at the hot bar, and one box costs what several meals would in Taipei.

  17. Last word

    'In Taipei, a grocery store is where you buy groceries; in LA, a grocery store is also a vision of a life.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).