Went to pok pok LA for lunch this week. Just as good as the PDX version. A worthy addition to the thai scene in LA.
Desano on Santa Monica has become our go-to spot. Pizza & calzones are great and most consistent in town by far. Meatballs are killer. Functional beer & wine list. It’s also BYOB with no corkage and lots of space.
Yeah, I like Desano. I always think it would be a good place to meet for an off-line, though they seem to like to move people in and out. The canned San Marzanos and pappadews they have there are great.
I wonder if the writer of the article has been to Langer’s? A comprehensive sampling of 20+ places has to include a sandwich at Langer’s. They definitely occupy a spot in the deli hall of fame.
Really like the chiles and the oil they use. Can’t go without having a spicy one.
Usually roll in there with multiple bottles and don’t seem to have a problem being there for a couple of hours.
Of course, I don’t seem to stop eating the whole time, but that’s my problem, hehe.
No has said anything to me or rushed us off. Lots of people stay to watch matches long after their meal.
We usually order a little at a time and stay for dessert, so I figure as long as we keep the tab going, we’re good.
There is also that room off to the side, but I haven’t asked about it.
Between Langer’s and Brent’s, the deli quota is satisfied for me.
re Grand Central–the place is on the upswing w all kinds of new restos opening. Nearby is a good pasta place, Maccheroni Republic. Lots of food choices in that area.
We’ll be in LA next Saturday. We were headed to Los Feliz/Silver Lake to eat, but if you all think the GC Market is a good place for lunch, then we’ll stop.
Since you’re reading, any dinner suggestions in LF/SL? Casusal preferred.
What are you into? You are a short drive/$5-10 uber ride, and in some cases, walk, from a ton of stuff.
Sushi. Mexican. Thai. All the ‘good’ stuff that I really can’t get in New York.
I’ll have a car.
Sushi gen is a great choice for lunch if you want sushi. They do a $15 sashimi special that’s the best deal in town. You just have to get there early. Usually a line before they open
Japanese:
Sushi Gen lunch (sashimi special, chirashi deluxe, uni sashimi, a splurge but worth it if you like uni)
Komasa & Sushi Go 55 also good. Honda Ya, izakaya, same mall as Go 55
Men Oh - my go-to ramen joint; same plaza at Gen
Angel City Brewery, across the street from Gen
Shunji - heard lunch omakase was the time to go
Mexican:
Tacos Delta - neighborhood joint done well
Guisados - slow cooked tacos
Mexicali - if you like meat & cheese; nachos are a must
Guelaguetza - Oaxacan
Ricky’s Fish Tacos
Taco Zone (truck) - On Alvarado, by the Vons Market; only there at night
Border Grill - one of the better happy hours in town and the time to go
El Carmen - tequila
Chinese:
- Pine & Crane - haven’t been yet, but like the idea
- Peking Taven - food is solid, if you can’t get out to San Gabriel Valley; a little pricier in comparison. Also, right next to Terroni. Full bar
- Hop Li & Zen Mei Bistro in Chinatown, you will find better in SGV, but solid food. Empress Pavilion is ok, not quite back
- If you can make it to Elite in Monterey Park, which would be the closest to Silver Lake, for dim sum, lunch, or dinner, you would get a good idea of the type of cooking here. Like in Koreatown, watch out for the drivers, lol. All the good Sichuan, Hunanese, etc places are out here. Good Burmese food too. Cook’s Tortas is also down the street on Atlantic.
Thai:
- Night Market & Pok Pok have been mentioned
- Sapp, Ruen Pair (byob), and Torung in Thai Town (duck noodle soup) also good
- Bhan Kanom Thai (dessert) is in the same plaza as Ruen Pair
Vietnamese:
- Blossom is good. If you can eat pork or crab, the pork belly is good & also the crab soup; sneaky good wine list
- Viet Noodle Bar; more stripped down meal; turmeric fish is a must
- Good banh mi & rice plates in SGV & the San Fernando Valley if you are in those areas
Korean:
- Beverly Soon Tofu or for late night, BCD
- Park’s BBQ or Soot Bull Jeep if you want charcoal
- Heard good things about Genwa, which is more mid-city
- On 6th, starting at Dan Sung Sa, you can do a bar crawl, going west. Plenty of places to stop by for a drink and a bite.
Other:
- Carousel (Hollywood) & Skaf’s (Glendale) for Lebanese
- Raffi’s Place (Glendale) - Persian
- Max’s (Glendale) - Filipino fried chicken & pork leg
- Little Jewel of New Orleans (Chinatown). Good sandwiches & plates, big enough to split
- Boiling Crab or Hot N Juicy Crawfish, if you don’t want to wait in line
- Cole’s (DTLA) & Philippe’s (Chinatown) for french dip; Cole’s has a good bar and the Varnish opens at night
- Jay’s Bar, The Thirsty Crow, and Mohawk Bend ($5 happy hour) are close to you
- For wine - Silver Lake Wine shop, Bar Covell, L&E, Barbrix, and All’Acqua; K&L is in Hollywood
Since you and Charlie both say Sushi Gen, that’s where’ will go for lunch.
edit They’re not open for lunch on Saturday, only dinner. We’ll try to fit it in later in the day.
Best upper tier food in the S.Lake/LosFel might be Alimento. L&E Oyster is good.
Squirl is good for breakfast with a hipster vibe. Ricky’s makes mean seafood tacos. Night Market Song is there for Thai.
But really from there you can venture in a lot of directions and when in Rome, errr Los Angeles,…drive.
Interestingly, some foodies like Peking Tavern and I just didn’t like it on either of my visits.
Thai town is nearby and I’d go to either Jitlada or Ruen Pair. Pok Pok is downtown and seems to pretty mixed in opinion.
Guisados Tacos has an outpost on Sunset near Dodger Stadium. Try the Cochinita Pibil with a heat rating of 8. Mexicali on Figueroa is tasty, especially the vampire. Guelagetza does authentic Oaxacan with really good moles. I like Guerilla Tacos more than Charlie and beware it is a truck with a line. Places like Petty Cash, Yxta, and Mercado are pricier non-down&dirty but have a cool vibe and good food.
I’m not a Korean BBQ expert but Park’s and Genwa are damned reliable.
Grand Central Market is cool if you want some varied selection.
Sushi Gen is a great mix of quality and value but, as Charlie said, it can be crowded at lunch.
Langer’s is the west coast competitor to Katz’s in the world of pastrami.
Everyone’s recommendations are pretty good Dan. If you want to narrow things down to “one” restaurant a cuisine i’d say in your area…
Sushi Lunch: If you can’t do sushi gen, go to Sushi go 55 (which markus recommended)
Sushi Dinner: World is your oyster. It really depends on the price point you’re comfortable at. LA has so many incredible sushi restaurants but it gets pricey fast. Tell us the price point and I’ll give you a rec
Mexican: Guisados might be the most interesting one for you to try. The style they do which is mostly braised meats/stews with fresh tortillas aren’t found very often. Also a horchata with a shot of stumptown cold brew coffee is incredible.
Taiwanese/Chinese: You’re near Pine and Crane. A more hip taiwanese restaurant but with a lot of classics. If you want to venture a few miles south/east go to Din Tai Fung in Glendale. A must eat. Soup dumplings, pork chop fried rice, beef noodle soup. All tops. I’d go there over anything else in the area IMHO.
Vietnamese: Silverlake has Blossom. I have a bias since my friend owns Blossom, but they probably have the best spring rolls in LA. The wine list is really well done. If you go downstairs you can see the glass enclosed cellar. Their pho is good and their pork belly with egg noodles is good.
Thai: I really liked Pok Pok LA (not to be confused with pok pok noodles also in chinatown). I thought it superior to N+M. I like Ruen Pair a lot but it’s kinda standard thai food done very well. I’d go to Pok Pok while Andy Ricker is cooking there still.
Korean: Markus’ recs are good. I’d also give a shoutout to Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong which might be one of my favorites.
Charlie, where is the Pok Pok that isn’t PP Noodle?
Is there always a crazy wait at KH Dong? Tried to go twice and it was just packed.
Btw, we’ve talked about it before, and Angelo at Factory Kitchen told me last week that they are getting rid of the two bottle limit. I think bottles beyond two are $35 now, but at least wine dinners for four or more are doable now.
The new pok pok is north broadway, basically near the entrance to the 110. The very edge of chinatown $2 parking in a underground lot that is big and spacious.
Always a long wait at KH dong if you go at peak dinner hours. I just go a little earlier, around 6 and the wait is very manageable.
And good on Factory Kitchen, mateo was always too harsh on the limits.
Duplicate.
Oh, if you are still in Upland, there is a really good Vietnamese place out there called Pho Ha.
One of our favorite phos anywhere and they do an awesome fried fish rice plate (the regular one, not the spicy).
Everything is good on the menu, and it’s reasonably priced. There is one in Pomona also; both locations are comparable.
Glad Sushi Go 55 worked out for you. They do get/provide good quality product.
We went to the not fancy Thai T on Foothill last night. It was good, but we go to a great place in NY, so I was surprised that an LA place didn’t out perform Sriprithai (sp?) in Queens.
Any recommendations for Lake Arrowhead?
Charlie can use this as proof of my east-phobia, but most people wouldn’t consider Upland as Los Angeles. It’s the Inland Empire and if we included them, God forbid, we’d have to consider those in Rialto, Fontana, and San Berdoo as our own. To me the food across the San Bernadino and Riverside county lines is bleak. You’re going to fine much better food, especially Thai, in L.A. County. Best bet would be to head to San Gabriel Valley for Chinese, or Mexican at Babita.