LA Taco (worth a look because they do a lot of reviews of places that are off the beaten path and often from parts of the city that don’t get a lot of media love) has a guide to the city’s best tamales. With the holidays coming up, I thought I’d link the guide.
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Does anyone have a recommendation for a can’t miss tamale? I generally find most tamales to be pretty middle of the road.
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I’m no expert (and this is maybe a chicken and egg type of problem) but have personally also found tamales to be a high floor, low ceiling food. I did really enjoy Olmeca (on the LA Taco list), and the outstanding ones I’ve had in Mexico have mostly been elevated by particularly good masa.
Would be very interested if specialists like Komal were doing some (which seems likely at some point), and I still need to make it to Elena. I bet the ones at Chichen Itza are dope but I’ve never had them.
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I like Me Gusta (chili cheese only).
If the masa hasn’t changed, it’s super smooth and was a bit surprising to me. I was not familiar w/ the Yucatan style b/f.
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I don’t like most tamales, but I’ve liked the seasonal tamale at Ditroit. Not something I’d go out of my way for though.
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I go out of my way for Tamales Elena on Wilmington in Watts. Really sweet family putting out fantastic tamales: masa is supple and thick with just a little grit; fillings are always flavorful and ample; 99% of the time they’re expertly wrapped, too-- with very little masa wedged in a fold of a husk. The champurrado is also amazing. But I have a feeling it’s saturated to the chemical limit with piloncillo (and they won’t tell me the recipe), so I only indulge rarely.
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I’ll book mark that spot!
I like the Chichen Itza tamales (vaporcito and tamal colado at least) precisely for that reason – super moist and smooth. Also, great flavor from being steamed in banana leaf. I’d vote for these tamales as my favorites in LA.
Not that I’m against grainy tamales. Those are good too. Try, for example, the chipilin tamales at Amalia’s (Guatemalan).
I can’t say that I’ve had a bad tamale anywhere in LA.
But I agree with srsly on high floor, low ceiling. Earlier this week I had a tamale course at Californios (** restaurant in SF). It was good, of course, but I didn’t find it clearly better than the vaporcito at Chichen Itza.
Cheating a bit: my favorite tamale recently has been the dessert tamale at San Laurel. Looks like it’s off the menu now.
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I actually buy my tamales out of the back of a hatchback outside Northgate Market in Culver City.
My buddy buys dozens of them from the same spot for his annual all day Christmas tamale party.
We like 'em.
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You have not been to Casa Escobar in Santa Monica (closed during the pandemic, I think). The tamale there genuinely bordered on inedible. As in, so hard that I couldn’t easily bite into it.
I imagine lots of people might enjoy the Chichen Itza one. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more, had I been expecting that kind of texture.
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