Nice one. Miss going there after the Hermosillo. And then we had a kid
I get it because I lived in LA for years before moving to OC and know lots of people down here who know nothing about the LA area and go only rarely. But… you DO know there are 3,000,000+ people in OC… right.
There have been requests here, and on other boards for a separate OC section but the answer is always that it’s all the “LA Metropolitan Area”.
BTW, we went to Moorpark earlier this week (to visit friends). It was 2 hours each way, carefully planned to avoid commute hours. I get it, but excluding OC would be like sending us to the moon.
6 Likes
I just have two to add to an incredible list; Bestia for their classic spinach gnochetti with roasted bone marrow, and Ladyface Ale House for their ridiculously good wood-grilled grass fed burger with bacon and a fried egg.
2 Likes
Sorry meant silverton and Molina’s creation triple beam
1 Like
…and more than a few of them are FTC members.
2 Likes
You are so gracious. I hope you include some of your wonderful photos with your always trustworthy recs, as I hope @J_L does in the future. I can’t believe he posted this without it being “a pictorial essay”. I am sure he will refine it in the future as we all love it!!
3 Likes
Angler
Park’s BBQ
Hayato
Guerrilla Tacos
Zam Zam Market
3 Likes
I guess I’ll just add two non restaurants: the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market truly makes the foodie world go round.
Evan Kleiman/ Good Food -still the best
5 Likes
Porridge and Puffs
Ngu Binh
Brodard (not the chateau)
Banh Cuon Luu Luyen
Bavel
Holbox
For non restaurants I Second Evan kleiman/goodfood
Now serving bookstore
Sonoko Sakai’s cooking classes
Annual banh Chung collective by Diep Tran formerly of good girl dinette.
6 Likes
Don’t answer that. I’ve decided how to remedy it. 
1 Like
That’s how I feel and one of the reasons that Angler is on my list as somewhere I want to go on my next expensive foray out in town. Also the reason I loved Inn Ann so much – not only did I enjoy the food, but I loved the space. And while I was not blown away by the food at either Bavel or Jon & Vinny’s, I can’t stand the ambience at either place. I think Jon & Vinny’s is ugly and claustrophobic with uncomfortable chairs and that the tables at Bavel were too crammed together and the hanging ferns from the '70’s look did not resonate with me.
1 Like
My Japanese favorites:
(I’m not into telling y’all what to do, so I just added notes about how I enjoy each place to add more depth.)
Shibumi // Downtown ★★★
I sit at the counter, drink sake & shochu, order chinmi, whatever chef is experimenting with currently, smoked sakura masu
Inaba // Tempura+ // Torrance ★★★
I sit at the tempura counter, order a la carte, order seasonal items, order ebi shinjo and kakiage, don’t sleep on their sashimi
Otafuku // Soba+ // Torrance ★★★
I order zaru soba
Chinchikurin // Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki // Little Tokyo ★★★
I order okonomiyaki crispy, eat straight from the hera (spatula) and sit at the counter so that I can enjoy the show
Venice Ramen // Ramen // Marina del Rey/Venice ★★★
I order chuka soba or tonkotsu, gyoza, buta no kakuni
Torimatsu // Yakitori // Gardena ★★★
I call in advance to order chicken sashimi, liver sashimi, drink beer & shochu
–
Komatsu // Teishoku // Torrance ★★
No frills, just good classics. My favorite tonkatsu in Greater LA.
Note: Somebody mentioned not giving away their sleeper hits on the SGV/Chinese food board. This is my sleeper hit.
Aburiya Raku // Izakaya // West Hollywood ★★
I order liver sashimi, rotating sashimi (get them to make hone senbei with the bones), yakitori, and reminisce about how good their foie and beef tendon were
Shoya // Oden+ // Lomita ★★
I order oden, drink shochu
Tsujita // Ramen // Sawtelle, Burbank ★★
I order any ramen or tsukemen (and I always get soup-wari to add to my tsukemen dipping soup after I am done with my noodles)
Josui // Ramen // Gardena ★★
I order miso ramen
Tempura Carlos Jr. // Tendon // Torrance ★★
I order tendon
Tanota // Osaka-style Takoyaki // Little Tokyo ★★
Chinchikurin okonomiyaki plus Tanota takoyaki gives me a one-two punch of Japanese regional favorites (Hiroshima & Osaka) under one roof
–
Wadatsumi // Teishoku+ // Torrance ★
I go during lunch and usually get the sashimi teishoku
Yamaya // Yakiniku & Motsu Nabe // Torrance ★
Yakiniku, Motsu Nabe, and Mentaiko all under one roof!
Hachi // Izakaya // Torrance ★
I usually stick to the izakaya items and stay away from the large format items (e.g. nabe)
Gyu-Kaku // Yakiniku // Torrance (many locations around SoCal) ★
I think their Prime Kalbi is just ask good as what similar items from Manpuku, Yazawa, Tamaen, etc and is much more reasonably priced
Hannosuke // Tendon // Torrance ★
As you can see from their superior ranking, I really like Tempura Carlos Jr… But they basically are doing exactly what Hannosuke has been doing for years with–but with better execution. I order the tendon.
Gindaco // Crispy Takoyaki // Gardena ★
I get the original takoyaki
Chantilly // Patissier // Torrance ★
My favorite sweets in LA
Suehiro // Teishoku // Little Tokyo ★
I used to work nearby and took advantage of the insane QPR of their Daily Lunch Specials (~$6). Wednesday’s Assorted Tempura was my favorite
–
Holbox // Sushi // South Central ★★★
I don’t eat sushi in LA because $$$$. Holbox fills the raw seafood void.
14 Likes
Love your star system!
I too think Venice Ramen is great. Seems so under appreciated.
3 Likes
One of my favorites as well. I think people can’t get over that the egg is fully cooked. But their noodles have great texture broth has great pork flavor wIth out being fatty.
2 Likes
I have a hard time living life with lists or having favorites, but Vientiane Thai Laos Restaurant in Garden Grove is probably the best restaurant in the world, so I guess it should be on this list.
7 Likes
You could use the format for favorites. $1 - $ 20 , $ 20 - 60 , and so on without drinks and tip for your favorite places. I’m surprised there is not a check please Los Angeles on a PBS station as there is in the bay area. Hosted by leslie Sbracco
1 Like
Favorite dishes?
They do the classics so perfectly. The som tum and larb really make you feel the Lao flavors as if you are there. The nam kao tod is better than anyone. That deep fried lemongrass beef jerky wow. Khao poon… even their sticky rice is great. And $2.95 beerlaos are you kidding me! 
3 Likes
I love that name.
1 Like