WHY Tasty dishes to accompany sake or beer: noodles, yellowtail with daikon, slow-cooked Kurobuta pork belly, shiitake tempura and robata-yaki, served until midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on weekends. WHAT Whimsical menus written in crayon set the tone at this casual space dominated by a U-shaped counter around the open robata-style kitchen, where [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY When you’re in the mood for red-cooked pork ribs or lion’s head meatballs but don’t want to head out to the San Gabriel Valley, this venerable spot (formerly known as Mandarin Shanghai) is the ticket. WHAT Hidden in a strip mall, this little place is a good find off the Chinatown tourist path for [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For the chili burger and chili dog that have captivated three generations of Angelenos. WHAT It’s a rite of passage that every self-respecting young Angeleno experiences—drink too much, stay out too late, and then go to Tommy’s at 3 a.m. for a greasy chili burger. We prefer the chili dog, but we’re getting too [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The mulita, a sort of taco-quesadilla hybrid made with two fresh corn tortillas encasing meat, cheese, guacamole and salsa—the L.A. sandwich of your dreams. WHAT Tortillas are made fresh here all day, and the al pastor is slow-roasted on a vertical spit… clearly this is more than your typical strip-mall Mexican dive. Everyone gets [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For live ducks and chickens, slaughtered to order if you want—or the more conventional (very) fresh poultry. Also a fine selection of cuts of pork, whole fish on ice and live tilapia and crab. WHAT Poultry is the claim to fame, both live and butchered, but fresh fish and pork are also in abundance, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For Chiu Chow noodles and nothing but: egg noodles with sliced pork; beef noodle soup; chow mein with beef, Chinese broccoli and oyster sauce; or, for special occasions, Pork Variety (aka intestines) noodle soup. WHAT Richly flavored, sustaining noodle soups and fried noodle and rice dishes from the Chaoshan region of southeastern China are [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The best carne asada in the history of mankind, served on pressed-to-order tortillas. Remarkable birria (kid), too. WHAT Pay no mind to the graffiti and the bars on the windows, and step inside this friendly spot for gorgeous, grilled-to-order birria and carne asada, served in huge tacos, in burrito form or to go by [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY A great tuna sandwich, fresh salads, a huge enclosed patio, a swell jukebox and a relaxed, hang-out-as-long-as-you-like vibe. WHAT Surely the coolest secret spot Downtown, Blue Star sits on the edge of the scrap-metal yards off Alvarado in Vernon—in other words, the last neighborhood you’d expect to find a modern diner serving caprese sandwiches [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Dungeness crab salad, grilled yellowtail collar, simple and ultra-fresh sushi and rolls. WHAT Find your way to this all-but-hidden space off a gritty loading dock in the warehouse district east of downtown, and you’ll be transported into an almost cinematically perfect loft/gallery scene (huge paintings, exposed brick walls, Frank Gehry—designed cardboard chairs) with impressively [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY A hip scene with respectable noodles and a fun communal table for solo diners. WHAT This minimalist modern setting offers communal tables (for groups and singles) and a shelf of intellectual tomes to peruse while eating. The menu’s also minimalist, with vegetarian and fish noodle dishes hailing from southern Vietnam, Vietnamese coffee and restorative [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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