California’s incredible abundance and international diversity gives Los Angeles the kind of culinary reputation other cities can only dream of.
Trip Time: 4 days
Day 1 – Four Continents of Flavor
At Santa Monica’s Sham, Sundays are a merry affair of baked pita made to order and served with a wide array of yogurt, red-pepper and chickpea-based dips, while Café Bolivar’s mango, avocado and cheese sandwiches and traditional arepas draw bands of loyal patrons.
Over in Culver City, Metro Café serves up savory Serbian specialties (some on the menu, some not). If there’s a wait, head over to Jasmine Market and sip a chai tea or sample the Burmese-Muslim samusas and noodle salads. For something completely different, Ti George’s in Glendale grills Haitian dishes like conch and chicken on an avocado-wood spit.
Don’t fill up on the lamb sausages and Caribbean-style plantains at Arax Falafel in Hollywood’s Little Armenia before sampling its sought-after shwarma. Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Avenue flaunts a range of Ethiopian restaurantslike Meals by Genet. Meanwhile, the nearby Tehrangeles neighborhood offers up plenty of Persian cuisine – tryIranian-favorite.
Soak up the night owl scene in Koreatown at Kyochon and Park’s BBQ or Sa Rit Gol. Over at Jitlada, you’ll find a welcome oasis of spicy southern Thai curries, steamed mussels, and rice salads. Give your taste buds some relief at Bhan Kanom Thai, where the coconut custards, mango sticky rice and crispy pancakes make for a sweet end to a succulent day.
Day 2 – Foodie Activism, L.A.-Style
A staple of the Los Angeles food scene, taco trucks yield healthy plates of el pastor tacos and fresh salsa roja. (Keep track of the city’s best by clicking here)
La Casita’s chilaquiles are legendary. South Central’s Chichen Itza doles out Yucatan-style enchiladas and pit-roasted mutton can be found at East L.A.’s El Borrego de Oro #2.
Next door in the San Gabriel Valley is the city’s finest Chinese cuisine. Get fired up in Monterey Park, also known as Little Taipei, with Chung King’s Sichuan fried chicken with hot peppers and cool off at Yi Mei for shaobing Taiwanese pastries and house-made soy milk.
Macau Street features Cantonese specialties such as turtle soup and Portuguese style egg tarts. Sichuan and Mongolian hotpots at Little Sheep draw throngs to multiple SGV locations, while Nanjing Kitchen’s minute diner in San Gabriel draws patrons seeking Nanjing duck.
For Mandarin cuisine, Earthen Restaurant in Hacienda Heights is a haven of authentic noodle dishes and pot stickers. Head to Rosemead for Hunan Seafood’s fish head casserole and spicy pigskin, while dim sum devotees will rave over the dumplings at Triumphal Palace and Elite Restaurant.
Day 3 – A Taste of Little Tokyo
Grand Central Market is Los Angeles’ oldest and largest open-air market and a gathering place for global cuisinea.
Relax in Los Angeles on the rooftop of the Kyoto Grand Hotel, where the landscaped beer garden beckons in the summertime. From here you can survey Little Tokyo’s bustling mix of theaters and malls, bubble tea stands and ramen shops. Inside the Kyoto Grand, the Thousand Cranes tempura bar cooks up asparagus and oysters, lobster and lotus root to fried perfection.
Hit the streets of Little Toyko for Shabu Shabu House, where hungry patrons still wait in long lines nightly for the restaurant’s thinly-sliced meats and special dipping sauces at bargain prices. Daikokuya is known for its rich broth, which serves as a delivery method for ramen noodles, as well as enormous donburi (rice) bowls.
Angelinos love their sushi, and Little Tokyo still has its share, including sashimi stalwart Sushi Gen and Takumi, an upstart with a creative omakase menu from celebrated chef Hiro.
Day 4 – Indonesian, Cambodian and Philippines Sampler
Start the day with a sampling of Indonesian fareat Indo Kitchen in Alhambra or make the worthwhile trek to Duarte for the Saturday Indonesian food bazaar and BBQ at Duarte Inn.
For fast Filipino fare, West Covina’s Little Manila neighborhood plays host to popular Filipino chains Jollibee and Goldilocks Bakeshop. Barrio Fiesta dishes up the home-cooked version in Eagle Rock. Long Beach is home to Cambodia Town, where Siem Reap’s and Sophy’s serve Khmer specialties. In Orange County, Little Saigon is the place to sample obscure foods at Quan Minh Ky.
Torrance and Gardena are key outposts for upscale Japanese fare, while Lomita plays host to Gaja, one of the area’s top Okonomiyaki restaurants. Encinitas is the home to Yu Me Ya (Sake House), a local hidden gem. Huntington Beach is home to a Chinese Islamic restaurant, Lotus Chinese Eatery, which features the traditional halal cuisine.
Before leaving Huntington Beach, stop at La Choza, where the tortillas are handmade. Finally, a trip to Southern California wouldn’t be complete without Baja-style fish tacos. Today, fish tacos are San Diego’s unofficial dish and South Beach Bar and Grill’s version attracts boisterous crowds and “rad” reviews.
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