WHY Tasty beers made right in Downtown L.A. in a vast, vintage warehouse. WHAT The warehouse is still being renovated at this writing, but the beer garden/sampling room is taking shape with tastings of several of Angel City’s brews, local art on the walls, and food trucks in the parking lot. Close to the Gold [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The perfect place for a Downtown dinner date, where modern Vietnamese food meets seldom-seen Singaporean specialties in the middle of Little Tokyo. WHAT A vintage brick building has been transformed into two rooms of rustic style, with filament bulbs in Vietnamese birdcages in the dining room and a buzzing bar scene up front. The [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY A forward-thinking izakaya for the Downtown set. WHAT Aburiya Toranoko, it has been said, is the hip-hop equivalent of its rocking sister restaurant, Lazy Ox. It fits that description in soundtrack and style, but the kitchen hews closely to traditional izakaya cooking. There’s sumiyaki (every conceivable bit of chicken as well as vegetables and [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To pretend you’re in Barcelona, or the East Village, or maybe Berkeley, if only for an evening. WHAT On the edge of Little Tokyo, in a no-frills, noisy modern pub, chef Josef Centeno turns out food that will make you think you’re not in L.A. anymore. Every night brings a different main course served [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Brothy and flavorful ramen with lots of add-on toppings, like enoki mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and boiled eggs. WHAT This joint in the back of Weller Court serves some of Little Tokyo’s best ramen. There are seven kinds, but it’s the tan-tan men that keeps us coming back. The noodles are chewy, and [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To give your taste buds a jolt with ramen that comes in nine levels of spiciness. WHAT The ramen is tasty and the soup is flavorful, but what Orochon is famous for is its spicy challenge. The levels range from seven (no spice) to one (extremely hot), then moves up to ‘special number’ one [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Knowledgeable service and some of the best professional-grade knives in the city. WHAT Knives are the big draw—Wolfgang Puck, the Border Grill gals, Joe Miller and Gino Angelini are all customers. You’ll find everything from $50 starter santokus to $3,000 handmade sushi knives. Anzen, which means safety in Japanese, was founded in Little Tokyo [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The perfect blend of juicy sausage, substantial-but-not-huge bun and sweet-savory onions and peppers—just the thing to eat alongside a pint or two. WHAT This industrial-hip beer garden at 3rd and Traction keeps it simple: You got your beer, your sausage and your fries. What more could you possibly need? Ranging from the classic (brats, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For 50 cents they’ll add extra pork fat to your soup base. Need we say more? WHAT It’s not as fast as we’d like, because of the lines of ramen addicts who slow things down at peak times. But the flavorful pork broth served at this dive is worth the wait. And you won’t [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Champon, a robust, spicy broth with seafood and lots of noodles. WHAT This Little Tokyo warhorse has been turning out good, inexpensive ramen for years, and it’s still going strong, despite the decline of the little mall it’s in. A handy spot for a quick bite Downtown. WHO Japanese-American regulars and Downtown partiers looking [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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