WHY The best dim sum in Chinatown, and good Hong Kong—style seafood for dinner, too. WHAT Chinatown’s most elegant restaurant, Empress Pavilion is packed for weekend dim sum; we prefer coming during the week. It’s lesser known for dinner, but the more than respectable cooking (steamed Dungeness crab with flat noodles in garlic sauce) and [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To eat a good meal in the splendor of L.A.’s Union Station. WHAT Chef/owner Tara Thomas serves a concise, appealing menu of modern American dishes (with Asian and Latino influences) in a great-looking streamline moderne dining room or out on the ‘patio’ under the painted beams of Union Station. The separate bar is one [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY They keep the ovens fired up all day, so everything’s fresh and hot. WHAT This Gujarati-style chat (snack) and mithai (sweets) shop in Little India packs ‘em in with a menu featuring vegetarian thalis (combo plates), curried dishes and a marvelous array of fresh goodies—all made from ground grains and beans—that include crispy chips, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The truck-stop rule: All those people in the line snaking out the door at lunchtime know that these are some of the best Korean dumplings around. WHAT Beautifully crafted Korean dumplings are gems at this modest café, whose name, roughly translated, means ‘All Family Restaurant.’ They’re hand rolled and cut, and the taste and [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Pretend you’re voyaging through Indonesia and order the nasi pecel leme—deep-fried catfish with a dried shrimp-chili sambal. WHAT Indo Kitchen’s nasi campur combination plates, which might include barbecued pork, chicken and a variety of garnishes, are some of the best bargains this side of Jakarta. They’re also delicious, as are the longtong cap goh [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY An American barbecue joint is a fish out of water in Chinatown, but this place has proved to be a big success, with fine sauces and meat so good it (almost) doesn’t need any. WHAT The pitmaster in this simple rib joint mans a J & R Little Red smoker, and his meats benefit [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The media noches (Cuban sandwiches made on eggy bread that’s just a little sweet) just might be the best in the city. WHAT This Filipinotown hole-in-the-wall features a Formica countertop and an ancient iron stove where sandwich magic is regularly performed: The classic cubano sandwich is composed of fresh-roasted pork piled on enormous slices [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The sandwich de cerdo with caramelized onions is mind-blowingly good. And there’s dancing to a Cuban orchestra on weekends! WHAT It’s got a lively weekend bar scene, a fine, buttoned-down dining room and all-around good Cuban cooking, but Mayumba’s sandwiches—cubanos and media noches fueled by a terrific lechón asado steeped in a garlic/sour orange [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Classic cubanos, plus, for those who like to push the envelope, creative variations like spicy jerk chicken and corned beef. The Mediterranean—roasted pork and feta cheese—is truly outstanding. WHAT These uncommonly well-crafted cubano sandwiches transcend their ingredients (roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and a loaf that’s crunchy outside and soft within) when grilled into [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY So legendary that food historian John T. Edge included it in his seminal book, Fried Chicken. WHAT Forget the Colonel and check out this branch of the Guatemalan chain famous for its achiote-pepper-crusted chicken. Biscuits, slaw, fried plantains and a nice salsa bar round out the accompaniments. WHO Guatemalan ex-pats happy to no longer [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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