BTW, @Porthos @ipsedixit, I always thought that J&J was famous for their XLB? Not pork chops?
Do they still have Luby’s Cafeteria in Texas?
They are
And I spent all these years waiting for Clifton’s to re-open!
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I will also say that Taco Maria is fantastic. It’s my favorite restaurant in the LA region at the moment. I imagine it’s one of, if not the best, modern Mexican places in the country.
I think Isaan Station in K-Town is really damn good Isaan food. The tom saap there is fantastic, better than the tom saap i just had at a Michelin-starred isaan place in NYC. They also have a grilled chicken that is truly wonderful. It is not spicy at all so it may be good for the three year old.
Chichen Itza is my favorite casual Mexican in the city. Yucatan style… The panuchos are pretty special.
Langers is great - another trip there is worth it. But Attari is somewhat unique even by LA standards. Their osh is perfect with their sandwiches, particularly as the weather is cooling off a bit.
Attari’s ab-goosht (think a form of pulled lamb stew) is a Friday special that goes well with bread. Their bread is OK but the meal can be elevated if one takes a side trip to Naan Hut for their exquisite sangak.
Attari is practically across the street from Saffron and Rose, a Persian ice cream shop - delicious and again unique. Their shop’s names says it all.
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If you are interested in the new wave of donuts, Blue Star Donuts and Coffee on Abbot Kinney will be open this week some time - probably Monday. These are “artisan” donuts that focuses on quality and unique flavors.
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Someone else already mentioned Bulgarini in Altadena. They also have fantastic (if somewhat pricey) homemade pastas. The gnocchi I had recently was terrific.
If you’re visiting the westside, Sweet Rose Creamery (2 locations in Santa Monica) is well worth a visit, IMO.
If you go to Attari was the Friday special, be aware that only make a defined amount; you may wish to get there relatively early in the afternoon. Petit Soleil around the corner is a fun French bistro, and Pink Orchid Bakery down the street has some nice (and inexpensive) Persian baked goods. The people watching is fun (older Persian men playing checkers).
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Okonomiyaki only has a few legit players in LA from my experience. Gaja is kinda fun because the layout with the hot plate tables resembles what one might find in Japan. But my experience is to let the specialists do the cooking. Doya Doya off Artesia in Torrance is the best that I’ve tried in LA. Of the two versions of oko(Hiroshima and Osaka/Kansai), Doya Doya does the Osaka/Kansai version in expert fashion. My family roots are from Hiroshima - I am still longing for a good version of this style here. But Doya Doya is about as good as oko gets here. The pork/cheese with extra negi (green onions) is my favorite, but the have about a dozen various iterations to choose from. Their yakisoba is excellent, as is their omu-soba (yakisoba wrapped in a thin omelette) Beer is nice and cold…
I don’t know if anything like Marukai exists in Texas, but if not, go. It’s kind of like a Costco for Japanese products. It is membership, but a one visit pass is a buck, and often times the checker will let you slide. You also can hit Mitsuwa’s and Nijiya’s flagship stores in Torrance. Mitsuwa’s is more impressive with the surrounding specialty counters. But Marukai is just down the road from Doya Doya and has plenty to shop for.
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If the OP is trying tsukemen for the first time, Tsujita’s version of dipping broth is heart attack city. It’s lovely stuff, but I couldn’t believe how substantial it was relative to ones I tried in Japan. Pork to the power of 4, slaked with a generous dose of salt.
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I wonder if Yucatecan cuisine is well represented in Texas? Just thinking geographic proximity. If it isn’t, I’d hit up Chichen Itza.
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bula, have you tried Gutsui (or whatever it’s called on Sawtelle)? I only have a vague recollection of Gaja, but I thought that they were fairly comparable. However, I don’t have much in the way comparison…
On our trip to Portland this past June we hit up Blue Star Donuts…they were awesome. If the LA location is of the same ilk then I would say stick to the filled donuts, meyer lemon and blackberry compote. The donuts are done well without being gimmicky and have sprinkles. We have some up and coming places in Dallas, but I will look into Blue Star in LA.
Re: Langer’s the first trip we order the #19…now it looks like the #6 might be the way to go…meat, bread, and mustard. The reason we went to Langer’s is we were comparing Katz’s to Langer’s. While the bread at Langer’s was better we believed the meat slicing and texture to be superior at Katz’s. We still have yet to try out Montreal’s smoked meat restaurants and Mile End in Brooklyn. I read through David Sax’s “Save The Deli” before our NYC Trip. Ben’s Best in Queens was worth the trip as is was the most accommodating and welcoming for a deli pilgrimage.
Re: tsukemen - Had it in Austin and it was good but not what I prefer, it too was rich and over salted. I am looking for tonkotsu. It looks like Doya Doya is now on the list for okonomyaki. As for Marukai, we don’t have anything yet. Toyota is moving their HQ to Frisco which is just about 10 mins away from my house. I am sure the surge of Japanese restaurants and stores will be coming in the next year or so. We are behind on ramen shops but they are already starting to come to the market.
Re: Chichen Itza - we went on our first trip…tried everything on the menu at Chichen Itza after our horrible meal/service at Mo Chica.
Two places I have crossed off my list was Mo Chica and Jitlada from my first trip.
Blue Star Donuts are Free Tomorrow only 10/19/15 at their new Abbott Kinney Location in Venice…
http://www.lamag.com/digestblog/free-pastry-alert-get-an-early-taste-of-blue-star-donuts-this-monday/
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Not sure what this will do to our Japanese food scene in Torrance but you guys should be seeing some wonderful Japanese restaurants because of the move.
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My 2 cents: Food quality (MUST) comes first, but know that I has Chowpup too, so these places have worked for us with younglings in tow in the past (and I know waiting in line for food with the kids can be potentially a deal-breaker, so I’ll give you advice to lessen wait times when applicable):
Taiwanese: SinBaLa (Arcadia) - Get the sausages.
Chinese halal: China Islamic (Rosemead) - Hearty knife-cut beef noodle with beef tendon in soup, and thick baked bread with scallions.
Dim sum: Sea Harbour (Rosemead) or King Hua (Alhambra, and conveniently located walking distance to Fosselman’s for ice cream afterwards) - At either dim sum house, get there early and be the first ones in when they open.
XLB: J&J’s
Shenjianbao: Shanghai No. 1
Thai noodle: Sapp Coffee House (Hollywood) - Get the jade noodles and boat noodles.
Thai: Luv2Eat
Japanese ramen: Ramen Manichi (Little Tokyo) or Santouka (West LA): At Santouka get the toroniku special. Closer to you in Alhambra, Ramen NAO is excellent.
Japanese tsukemen: Tsujita LA (Sawtelle) - Get there at 11AM and there is little wait. The ramen here is quite great too. I like the original Tsujita LA more than their Annex across the street.
Japanese tonkatsu (AND a great ramen! - Two birds with one stone!): Kimukatsu (Sawtelle). Again: 2 birds with 1 stone.
Japanese izakaya: Kinjiro (Little Tokyo) or Morinoya (Sawtelle)
Japanese udon/okonomiyaki/patisserie: Oumi Sasaya (Lomita) - YES, I still love Marugame Monzo in Little Tokyo for udon, but (as you’ve probably correctly planned out), in this one single marvelous mini-mall in Lomita, you can check off the (un?)holy triumvirate of Japanese udon, okonomiyaki AND patisserie!!! So go to Oumi Sasaya, then hop next door(!) to Gaja Moc for okonomiyaki and then hop next door(!) for Chantilly Patisserie!!! Other okonomiyaki-ya of repute: Gottsui (Sawtelle). Other patisserie of note: Frances Bakery (Little Tokyo)
At Chantilly, get the sesame choux, grapefruit gelee, and the matcha cake.
At Frances Bakery, get the soufflé cheesecake.
Other Asian: Korean BBQ: Park’s or Kang Ho Dong Beakjeong (both in K-town).
Also go to 101 Noodle Express (Alhambra) for a beef roll. Try salted duck at Nanjing Kitchen (San Gabriel). Skip Ricebar (tiny space; not kid-friendly).
Based on your original post, I will assume you’re not having sushi.
Mexican: Ricky’s Fish Tacos (near Childrens Hospital LA) & Tacos Punta Cabra (Santa Monica); also consider Babita Mexicuisine (San Gabriel).
Also consider: Father’s Office (Culver City - but no kids allowed) for the FO burger, Bulgarini Gelato (Altadena), Bierbeisl Imbiss (Downtown)
Others:
Yes to Attari (Westwood) for ash and beef kotelet & chicken olivieh sandwiches (and have Persian ice cream by walking across the street at Saffron Rose afterwards!).
No to Sqirl, Republique, Bay Cities, Baco Mercat, Gracias Madre.
Saint Martha is closed.
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And then hop across the street for some really good Peruvian food at Kotosh.
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Tried Gottsui twice and while they are good, I prefer Doya Doya much more. Gottsui is much closer to where I live but Doya Doya is worth the extra distance for me. It has been at least 1 1/2 - 2 years since I last tried Gottsui so who knows.
If anything, Marukai will be great for your 3 year-old. Japanese businesses whose target market is kids cover the breadth and width of snacking and toys like no other. Marukai probably has more choices of snacks than any other place around here.
Thanks for coming to this board and creating a post that is evolving into a great and very useful thread.
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