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Los Angeles

DTLA:

  • Holy Basil: The original location in DTLA has now been joined by a second location at Atwater Village. The DTLA location offers outdoor seating to enjoy the delectable Thai — very authentic Thai — foods you order and receive at the window and counter. The new Atwater Village locale offers bar seating (around 6 seats), 2 tables inside and several tables without. The food served, as mentioned, is Thai, but with a strong focus on Thai street food. You will find dishes here that you will not find at the typical Thai restaurant on a classic Thai menu of “Choice of curry (Red, Yellow, Green, or (if lucky) Massaman), choice of protein (pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, duck, tofu), and choice of rice or fried rice”. What you will find, on the night we visited (the menu is seasonal and changing), was an awesome Beef Tartare seasoned with a mash of chilis, garlic, chives, onions, oil and vinegar, a Crab Fried Rice made with black rice and a heap of hand picked crab meat, Holy Wings that will make you say… “holy wings Batman!” and be joyous, and Gra Pow Moo Krob… wok fired crispy pork belly with basil blend and spices… that is still memorable several weeks later! If you like authentic Thai and Thai street food from a busy and very capable kitchen, can’t go wrong with Holy Basil! No reservations, take out can be ordered on line for pick up or delivery. Follow them on Instagram @holybasi_la for the latest updates and news!

  • Otomisan: In continuous operation since 1956, this is the last Japanese restaurant in the LA neighborhood of Boyle Heights, once a center of the LA Japanese residents and now a predominantly Latino neighborhood. The address itself adds to the charm of the small restaurant (a bar counter of 8 (??), 2 or 3 4 person booths and one larger table), 2506 1/2 East First Street. Every available surface in the restaurant not meant for customers is used for the restaurant’s operation. The salads and soups are finished behind the bar, where the two refrigerator/freezers also reside along with the cash register. Condiments are also served out of the bar while the hot food is efficiently dished out of a small kitchen in the back, behind a door way covering Japanese cloth curtain. The food is traditional Japanese comfort food. Gyozas, croquettes, and seaweed salad are found in the starter portion. Teriyaki dishes (the beef teriyaki was fantastic) and a very good Japanese curry (toped with tonkatsu, chicken, beef, pork (not breaded and fried) or vegetable) hold court in the small but comforting entree section. Hot and cold udon (the hot was wonderful) defines the small udon section and a small sushi and sashimi selection closes out the menu. The decor is wonderfully homey and warm, art from the owner’s family or regular clients rubs elbows with Japanese themed prints. No reservation taken, last order is taken 30 minutes prior to closing (two closings, one at 2PM and one at 8PM), last name for the waiting list is taken about an hour before closing to make sure everyone on the list will be served. No dress code, no reservations, great vibe and great people.

  • Shibumi: Found in DTLA (Down Town Los Angeles) and conveniently next to a public parking garage (wonderfully conveniently!), Shibumi brings a different style of Japanese fine dining to the American restaurant scene. Shibumi serves Kappo style cuisine, a more casual and intimate form of Kaiseki. The chef owner of Shibumi is an adherent to the traditional Japanese techniques from the 17th to 19th century and a follower of the philosophy of Sen no Rikyu in his quest to best satisfy and enrich his diners. The menu is, as one would expect from Kappo or Kaiseki style dining, lay out in a range of set menus. One begins with the basic (by far not basic at all, for the lack of suitable words in this poor writer’s arsenal) menu and, with each ascending set menu, additional courses and ingredients are introduced. The menu consists of ingredients in its raw state, and prepared by steaming, grilling, boiling, and frying. The preparation is at once simple and elegant but boasting of complex textures and flavors. Dining at Shibumi is a rare pleasure and an experience that is relaxed, sophisticated, and enlightening. The sake selection at Shibumi, as well as their excellent but small number of cocktails, serves to enhance the dinning experience wonderfully. The menu, as one would expect, is changing and seasonal. Reservations a must, no dress code.

  • Sonoratown: Located in DTLA and now with a Mid-City location (5610 San Vincente Blvd), Sonoratown is dedicated to the food flavors and cultures of Sonora, Mexico. Their menu is short but deliciously addictive. Their Tacos with Tripa is by far a personal favorite, beef intestine fried to perfection and nestled, along with just enough shredded cabbage, avocado, and salsa rosa, in quite possibly is the most tender of flour tortillas i have every had the pleasure of sinking myself into. The choice of proteins are costilla (mesquite grilled steak), pollo (chicken), tripa (oh my good gracious god is it good!), and Spanish style chorizo. We were introduced to Sonoratown by their Civichanga filled with stewed and shredded chicken. The Chivichanga is essentially a densely filled burrito (stewed and shredded chicken or beef with monterey jack, mild cheddar, blistered tomato and smoky Anaheim chile) the size of an eyeglass case that has been lovingly grilled off on a mesquite fired grill. It remains our “must order” item today. In fact, we now order Chivichangas to bring up to the Bay Area with us when we pass through LA. Chivichangas and pastrami from Canter’s. There is good eating in our car! No reservations, no dress code.

    Echo Park:

  • Quarter Sheets Pizza: Located in Echo Park, Quarter Sheets Pizza started out as a pop-up out of the chefs-founders’ home (Chef Lindell is the mastermind behind the pizza creations and Chef Ziskin drives the desserts and sweets — after all, she is the woman behind the cottage bakery House of Gluten), in Glendale but now realized as a work in progress brick and mortar restaurant. Distinctively Detroit Style pies at Quarter Sheets are thick and crusty, the edges that so satisfyingly crackle and snaps with each eager bite. The dough itself is flavorful, a tinge of sour, deliciously gluten-licious in mouth feel, and wonderfully soft and light. The sauce used on the pies is elegant and assertive, providing punch after punch of tangy and delightful flavor. Give the Red Top a spin and enjoy the simplicity of sauce, cheese, and basil. Their Pepperoni is loaded with lovely curled, crispy edged, pepperoni cups, and, my favorite, their Sicilian Corner slice is a mind bending experience. The aforementioned Sicilian Corner is on a thinner crust and is topped with a smokey rich bolognese and then covered in cheesy goodness. The pizza line ups and compositions do change as the seasons and the moods change however! Make sure to also try the desserts on offer from Chef Ziskin. The Slab Cake is a wonderful treat enough to satisfy 2 to 4 friends. Recent creation of a Mandarin Orange Semifreddo was a revelation and a wonderful respite from the early afternoon LA heat. No website yet, follow them on Instagram and get updates on menu changes and additions. Reservations no available! No dress code. Address: 1305 Portia St, Los Angeles, CA 90026. TEL: (424) 543-4970

  • Tsubaki: Located in the Echo Park neighborhood of LA, Tsubaki is about as perfect an Izakaya as i can possibly imagine. Traditional flavors paired with the abundance of local provisions makes for a wonderfully shape-shifting seasonal menu that satisfies and fortifies. The menu, good on its own and a fantastic exploratory journey in itself, is only heightened by the ever-changing and wonderfully curated sake list. The list features small regional sake makers through out Japan and really is an educational journey through the complex and often over simplified world of sake. The space is intimate so reservations are a must! No dress code.

K-Town:

  • Shin Chon Seolnongtang: Located at 3033 W. 6th St #103 in LA, with a gated parking lot, Shin Chon Seolnongtang is a haven for those craving rich, hot, milky white Korean beef bone and meat soup (spicy or not spicy). The menu is quite simple and straight forward, the Seolnongtang can be ordered enriched with a varied cuts of beef, offal, or tendons/cartilage (you can also further customize by choosing more of one protein versus another protein for a small added cost) and the side dishes of kimchi, cold boiled cabbage with ssamjang (so good!), and radishes are never empty for long before they are replaced. Truly a fantastic place for breakfast! (they do open at 0900 after all) or when you just need that warm loving hug of Korean broth. Small restaurant, no dress code, no website. Address: 3033 W. 6th St #103, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Tel: (213_ 365-2233.

Little Tokyo:

  • Azay: Serving lunch from Tuesday to Wednesday and lunch and dinner from Thursday to Sunday, Azay is a gem of a restaurant serving Japanese dishes with a French flair. Named after the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau in France (Chef Akira trained in both Azay-le-Rideau and Paris, a landscape painting of the Chateau is prominently displayed in the restaurant by the small open kitchen), the small restaurant turns out fantastic and delicately flavored dishes. We had stopped in for breakfast and were quite happy we had a party of 4, allowing us to explore the menu a little bit. The Japanese Breakfast is as traditional as it gets, perfectly seared and cooked fish (spanish mackerel or black cod on the day of our visit), rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki, pickles, tofu, and veg. The Daily Bento with seasonal protein offerings (black cod on the day we went) is served with pickles, salad, rice, seasonal veggies, and miso soup. The Blue Crab Curry Rice features blue crab, shelled and expertly woven into a dark, slightly spicy, Japanese curry that just wonderfully pairs with the perfectly cooked rice. A fantastic Kakuni Omurice featured meltingly tender braised pork belly studded fried rice delicately covered with a light blanket of omletted (new verb?) egg and happily drizzled with ketchup with a refreshing frisee salad dressed simply with oil, vinegar and salt served alongside. The menu also featured other Japanese standards, like Hayashi Beef, but made with beef bourguignon, and a superb Chawamushi. The “Day Menu” also features a beautiful Duck Confit served with couscous and a small salad. The “Dinner Menu” is decidedly tantalizing, a Chou Farci (stuffed cabbage) draws the eye, as does the Mussels Marineres. The very French Coq Au Vin shares the billing with Unagi Hitsumabushi and will cause agonizing decision making i am certain! No dress code, reservations are strongly recommended!

  • Chinchikurin: The Little Tokyo outpost of the well known Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki shop! Under the gaze of the gigantic Shohei Ohtani mural painted on the side of the Miyako Hotel. If you are craving okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes made with cabbage, various choices of toppings from meats to vegetables, and bountifully drizzled with Otofuka okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayo), hard to go wrong with Chinchikurin. Served from the open kitchen to your table’s flat top cooker, their okonomiyaki is delicious, flavorful and bountiful with ingredients. Order a side of cabbage to go with it! Cut leaves of cooked and chilled cabbage drizzled in a soy ginger dressing, a wonderful refresher and a fantastic snack to go with your Japanese beer, soda, or tea! Also, don’t skip the dessert! Proper shaved ice with your choice of toppings. The classic for me is always syrup, condensed milk, and azuki red beans! They serve them large but, as with all proper shave ice, it disappears so quickly under the attack of greedy eaters like me. Reservation not needed, people moves quickly and the restaurant runs efficiently. Outdoor and indoor seating are available. No dress code.

  • Fugetsu-Do: The place for mochi in LA! Located on 1st Street, up the street from the Japanese American National Museum and Go For Broke Education Center in Little Tokyo, Fugetsu-Do is not only a (as of writing) 120 year old Japanese sweet shop (founded in 1903 by Seiichi Keito and still ran by the Keito family today) serving some of the best mochi i have ever tasted, it is also an embodiment of the Japanese American story in the United States. The shop survived economic ups and downs, Executive Order 9066, and the ravages of time and changing sensibilities. That Fugetsu-Do has persisted gives one hope and comfort to endure… as the wonderful mochi they make gives comfort to the one tasting them, a taste of times past and everlasting, a taste of endurance. If you have a chance, please read through the history of Fugetsu-Do. It is a shop, so take out only, no reservations needed. The staff is helpful and friendly, the shop sells also Japanese snacks of various sorts aside from the delicious mochi that they make.

  • Kaminari Gyoza: Located at 323 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, a short minutes walk away from the Japanese American National Museum, Kaminari Gyoza was in take out only mode when we visited at the end of January, 2023. That being said, their gyoza centric menu and the deliciousness of their gyoza has me longing to return at the earliest opportunity! Pork, chicken, shrimp, or veggie gyozas may be ordered “yaki” or pan fried (think pot stickers), “age” or deep fried, and “sui” or boiled in a delicious clear pork broth. You can either order the gyozas by themselves or in a bento (served with rice, spaghetti, vegetables, spring roll, and Japanese pickles). The gyozas are flavorful and juicy, we tried the pork “yaki” and the shrimp “age”. The gyoza bottoms, ordered “yaki” are crisp. The “age” renders the gyoza skin golden and crisp and wonderfully delicious. Hopefully, they will have dine in soon, as their dining room does look a relaxing space to enjoy gyoza and a cold drink. No dress code, no reservations.

  • Torigoya: Located on the second floor of the Weller Court shopping center near the monument dedicated to the first Japanese American astronaut and a member of the ill fated Space Shuttle Challenger crew, Colonel Ellison Shoji Onizuka, Torigoya serves some of the best yakitori in Little Tokyo and the Los Angeles area. The tare (yakitori sauce) that is employed to sauce their grilled chicken and veggies is elegant and well balanced, neither sweet or salty, sticky or watered down, but darn well perfection. Three condiments are offered for your flavoring pleasure, a hot Japanese mustard with a background melody of sweet, an intense yuzu kosho, and a ginger/scallion/oil mixture that is reminiscent of the classic Hainan Chicken accompaniment. Each of these condiments are fantastic on the yakitori offerings. The classic chili pepper spic blend is also freely available in easily reached pots around the table and bar. Unlike most yakitori places, chiken is the only meat offered off the grill at Torigoya. Thus is their focus. Highlights for the yakitori were the heart, and the special heart. Who knew the textural differences in the different regions of the delicious chicken heart? The wings are a juicy chickeny dream wrapped in taunt crispy tare flavored skin. The Special Chicken Soup is a wonderful warmth giving hug on a cold day and an invigorating drink when the weather is warm, the deep and intensely chicken flavored soup is moreish and makes you wish for larger bowls. Everything we asked off the yakitori menu was fantastic but we didn’t get a chance to explore the non-yakitori menu at all, though the Oyako Bowl looked fantastic as did the Chicken Ramen. No dress code, reservations are strongly recommended, though there are plenty of window shopping available if there were to be a wait, with a large book store and a variety of anime shops within the Weller Court area.

    West Hollywood:

  • Canter’s Deli: For me, Canter’s is the place in LA for a good Pastrami sandwich and a hearty bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. Opened since 1931 and blessed with the ability to support a parking lot nearby, Canter’s is your classic Jewish Deli dishing up satisfying plates of foods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — it is also a place of pilgrimage for fands of Guns N’ Roses. i can honestly say that i have not been disappointed by anything i’ve tried at Canter’s, though that consists only of a small portion of their extensive menu. Their Kasha Varnishkes was a warming comfort for me one night after a long drive and their Stuffed Kiska with Gravy was a welcomed comfort one morning before a long drive. Typically, a hot pastrami sandwich or reuben is what i crave and as many deli pickles as i can wrangle from the friendly and world weary servers. These days, Canter’s is a waystation for me on the way home from Orange County. A few pounds of the pastrami, sliced, ordered from the front deli counter and a sliced loaf of their fabulous marbled rye along with a few poppyseed hamantaschen from the bakery counter will magically make their way into my car after the well looked forward to rest stop. If they haven’t sold out of it yet, a lovely treat of a sliced loaf of their cheese and onion egg bread makes the drive a happy drive indeed! No reservations but the dinning room is vast, no dress code. The bathroom is upstairs.

Pasadena:

  • Agnus Restaurant and Cheesery: Ever wish that your favorite Italian restaurant is also your go-to enabler of cheees-ploration? Well, look no further than Agnus. After years of cooking under fantastic restaurants from Chicago to San Francisco, the husband and wife team behind Agnus created their dream restaurant/cheesery in Pasadena in a building that used to be the horse stable of the Pasadena Fire Department. In fact, as you luxuriate over beautifully wood fired fare and outrageously delicious pastas at Agnus, you can enjoy the 1922 bones of the building as well as the various artifacts from its former life that has been lovingly preserved by the Agnus team. Needless to say, don’t miss the Cheese Board and do tack on the Cured Meats because, well, when is there a bad time for cured meats? Memorable dishes a found through out the menu and in every section of the menu. The Cornbread Eclairs filled with chicken liver mousse and topped with a cherry is a work of art, but then so is the understatedly named Crispy Tater Tots… i challenge you to find better tots, i really do. Oh, and just in case you thought that was it in the Snackagoods section, give the Honey baked Ham Meatballs a whirl. You heard me. Honey baked ham. In a meatball form. Gauntlet dropped. Then, we have the pastas. Instead of naming favorites, let me just say…. pasta section. No, don’t make me linger on the Loaded Potato Dumplings (yes, you heard me, tater gnocchi that eats like a loaded baked potato) or the Beef Stroganoff with a beautifully made pappardelle and brisket and gruyere and deliciousness. Please don’t i will just get hungrier than i already am. Then we arrive at the mains. Veggies and Proteins. You will have seen the open fired cooking as you walked into the dinning room. The smell that perfumes the air would have primed you for the Creekstone Farms beef on the menu (8oz Hanger or 23oz Bone-In Ribeye). However, that fire also births a fantastic Grilled Half Chicken with Smoked Gravy (good god!) as well as seasonal vegetables lovingly cooked. Eat the menu, don’t miss a section, you will thank me for it. Reservations very much encouraged. No dress code, bring some wonderfully curated cheese home with you!