The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 28
Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's Summer Series with Funke in Downtown LA
Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's summer series with Funke Rebecca Roland
The latest installment of Kato's Summer Series, a dinner collaboration series bringing chefs from across LA to Row DTLA to collaborate with the restaurant, welcomed Evan Funke. On Sunday night, Funke could be spotted in the corner of the spacious tasting menu restaurant, clad in a denim shirt and apron, rolling out sheets of pasta by hand. Each dish channeled a bit of Funke and Yao, like chile crisp-topped burrata and tomatoes, and cacio e pepe tossed with zingy Taiwanese pepper. But the xiao long bao tortelloni stood out among the other dishes, with its carefully folded edges holding back rich broth. The outer was thinner than most pasta and slightly chewier than the usual xiao long bao, filled with pork and prawn. There was only one in the dish, but I would've been happy if the entire meal were just a steamer full of these. It's nice to see a fine dining restaurant let loose a little at collaborations, with hip-hop blaring over the speakers, and menus that read like a chef's fever dream. 777 S. Alameda Street, Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park
Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park. Rebecca Roland
There is something about hot days that makes me crave spicy food, specifically Sichuan spice. On a recent afternoon when the sun was beating down on the city, I found myself in Highland Park looking for some heat. I tucked into jewel-boxed-sized Mala Class, a neighborhood Sichuan restaurant that punches well above its weight, and price point. The tight menu comprises mapo tofu, dumplings in chile oil, dan dan noodles, and a handful of other dishes. My favorite from the lineup was the dry pepper fried tofu, with crispy pieces of tofu dotted in numbing Sichuan peppers. The spice mix was flavorful, while still packing a punch, and the tofu cubes were fried until crispy on the outside with a still-soft interior. Each bite just made me want another, chased by bits of rice and dumplings every so often. 5816 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District
Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District. Matthew Kang
By now, the word on Joshua Skenes' Happies Hand Made has shown up on multiple social media accounts touting the fried chicken, like Hungry in LA's Eddie Sanchez declaring it his new favorite fried chicken in LA. While declaring anything comprised of chicken tenders (the least-interesting part of the bird) as the best fried chicken is initially suspect, Skenes does make a really delicious bird coated in a salsa macha and dried chile seasoning. Skenes quietly rolled out his double-fried cherrywood smoke chicken wings last week, served over a golden-brown waffle that he once topped with caviar at his temporarily closed Leopardo on La Brea Avenue. The wings are juicy and sweet with smoke flavor, cracker-like on the outside, and incredibly satisfying to eat. Skenes himself is often mixing drinks or prepping orders up front, with the line of customers not realizing the former chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant (Saison) is making some of the best comfort food in Los Angeles right now. Or maybe they do realize that Skenes has poured so much energy into simple, reasonably priced food, and that's why they're willing to wait. 427 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90013. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Baja tuna tower at the Koast and Crossroads collaborative dinner in Hollywood
Koast. Wonho Frank Lee
It's always a delight when a dinner collaboration goes right; I always appreciate the effort brought about by chefs and operators preparing a meal together, but the meal is not always a great fit. But when Crossroads chef Tal Ronnen joined Koast chefs Kevin Meehan and Michael Kerner on July 24, everything hit. Ronnen created dishes that reinvented some of Koast's most memorable bites through a vegan lens, like a dreamy watermelon crudo, spectacular lobster mushroom cake, and citrusy rambutan ceviche. My crew nabbed a few Koast dishes a la carte, and all agreed that the Baja tuna tower filled with Baja bluefin tuna, avocado, and tons of tobiko fish eggs is worth returning for. It's as creamy as one would hope and bursting with roe. In short, it's a gorgeous bite of the ocean from the two Koast chefs served in a stunning and intimate room with an entry that's dramatic and fitting for the concept. I've been admiring Ronnen's menu at Crossroads for years, and now it's clearly time for me to make regular stops at Koast to try the rest of the menu. 6623 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90038 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
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25 Outstanding Los Angeles Restaurants to Eat at for Under $25 This Summer
This embedded content failed to load. Dining out in Los Angeles has become increasingly expensive as inflation soars and restaurant operating costs continue to rise with it. But there are still plenty of spots across the Southland to score an excellent meal that won't break the bank. Fortunately, LA's dining scene is home to an unrivaled diversity of cuisines, vibes, and price points. Eater LA editors scoured the city to find 25 noteworthy spots where it's easy to fill up for less than $25 per person, from jambalaya in the Valley, to mapo tofu deep in Torrance, and spicy Thai cooking in Hollywood. For even more affordable restaurants in Los Angeles, head to this map; for under-the-radar openings in Los Angeles, visit this monthly column. Mixtape — Thousand Oaks Saturdae from Mixtape. Mixtape It's a wonderful thing when something delicious also happens to not include a crucial or typical ingredient, like the fried chicken sandwiches at Mixtape, a menu section of the popular Neighborly food hall-in-one in Westlake Village. Artist/musician Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson himself popped in shortly after the opening without any fanfare to check up on his restaurant, which serves fully gluten-free tenders, sandwiches, and dairy-free Saturdaes (not sundaes, get it?) made with coconut milk soft serve. Fried chicken sandwiches are crispy and juicy, hemmed in by plush rice-flour-based buns sourced from an unnamed but well-known gluten-free bakery in LA. The chicken burgers are a little bit less interesting, lacking the profundity that beef brings, but they work for those eschewing red meat. The Saturdaes are probably the best thing on the Mixtape menu, unbelievably rich and smooth, built with fruit, chocolate, or salty caramel and topped with dusty toffee-covered peanuts. I'd order one daily if I lived closer and could handle the caloric assault. 4000 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westlake Village, CA 91362. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Fried chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, salted caramel Saturdae Les Sisters — Winnetka Les Sisters has been bringing a bit of New Orleans to the San Fernando Valley since its opening in 1986. Settle into the simple dining room with what may be one of the best po' boys west of the Mississippi, filled with a choice of shrimp, catfish, oysters, and more. Other house specialties include jambalaya, fried chicken, and a smothered pork chop with rice and gravy. Make a point to go on a Sunday for freshly-fried, puffy, hot beignets. 20450 Nordhoff Street, Winnetka, CA 91311. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Po' boy, jambalaya, gumbo, beignets Dama Grill — Palms Dama Gril. Matthew Kang Redditors have posted their lineup of favorite shawarma spots in Los Angeles so I had to check out the top pick, Dama Grill, located in Palms just east of Culver City. EDM blares on speakers while large screens display the Syrian-influenced menu inside; the patio is a nicer place to enjoy the meal, though cars zoom by on Venice Boulevard. It's pretty bare-bones otherwise, but the star is the thinly-shaved seasoned beef tucked into thin flatbread scorched vertically on the shawarma hotplate with criss-cross marks. Mayo-like garlic sauce and spicy sauce are the only other interior components, leading to a fairly thin box-pressed tube that's either kept whole or sliced into finger-food sized pieces. The meat is aggressively seasoned and not quite dripping with fat or juices, but very tasty (I might give the slight edge to the lamb-beef blend served at Gardena's Borjstar). Dama Grill is a little easier to get to than Gardena, and the chicken shawarma is near equal to the likes of Sincerely Syria, also a worthy destination for thin-shaved meats. The fries are also very good, certainly the frozen variety but crispy, golden brown, and well-salted. Dama Grill does, however, have an X-factor with service, as first-time patrons are graced with sample-sized bites of the shawarma wrap of their choice. 10821 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Chicken and beef shawarma, french fries Cafe Brasil — Culver City Culver City Brazilian restaurant Cafe Brasil runs weekday lunch platter specials from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for only $15. The generously portioned platters come with a choice of sirloin steak, well-seasoned fish, a pork chop, grilled chicken, or vegetables, with black beans, rice, salsa, and plantains on the side. The plates are so well-priced that one can add a Brazilian pastel with ground beef and cheese, or the empanada pie stuffed with chicken or hearts of palm. It's not uncommon to see groups watching a futbol game while dining in one of the neighborhood's oldest spots for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 11736 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90066. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Pork chop platter, linguica sandwich The Jerk Spot — Culver City Though Culver City's casual Jamaican restaurant, the Jerk Spot, leans into jerk seasoning on various proteins like salmon, shrimp, and pork, the chicken is the specialty. Every menu item (except the oxtails) is under $25, and the 10-piece jerk wings meal comes with rice and beans, steamed vegetables, and plantains. Always ask for extra servings of hot sauce, which will fire up the nostrils with its spicy Scotch bonnet peppers. The Jerk Spot's compact menu is ideal for anyone craving a cold sorrel drink or food that's packed with flavor, whether sitting down for a full meal or just passing through Culver City. For the unaware, leftover jerk anything gloriously packs extra heat the following day. 9006 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Jerk chicken platter, brown stew chicken Tacos Por Favor — Santa Monica Tacos Por Favor, which has a handful of locations across Santa Monica and Venice, is a longtime local favorite for tacos, burritos, and combination plates. The asada is consistently tender and well-seasoned, and the staff never skimps out on burrito fillings. In the morning, breakfast burritos come stuffed to the brim with eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, and salsa, or huevos rancheros with rice and refried beans. The chile relleno burrito, stuffed with cheese and chile, is a standout on the expansive menu. 1408 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90404. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Breakfast burrito, chile relleno burrito Luv2eat Thai Express — Hollywood Luv2eat Thai Express. Matthew Kang Luv2eat Thai Express, the new outpost of Luv2eat Thai just a few doors down from its Hollywood strip mall restaurant, could be the aggressively seasoned, highly spicy Thai take on Panda Express. The bright, spacious dining room offers a bit more in the way of creature comforts compared to the similarly delicious Northern Thai Food Club, like substantial rows of tables and chairs that can withstand an hour-long meal. Luv2eat Express dishes have a nice balance between familiar (chicken panang and green curry, pad kra pow) and the more obscure (sour fish stew, tamarind eggs). I really like how the food is served on pressed metal plates, like a cafeteria or quick lunch in a Bangkok back alley. Expect everything to have a relatively high level of spiciness from the start, which means those more accustomed to the sweeter, milder Thai flavors will likely find Luv2eat Express too intense. But this is Los Angeles, and everyone here graduates to a master's level of Thai food knowledge in a short time. 6666 W. Sunset Boulevard, Unit L, Los Angeles, CA 90028. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Chicken green curry and tamarind eggs Heng Heng Chicken Rice — Thai Town Heng Heng Chicken Rice. Heng Heng Chicken Rice Heng Heng Chicken Rice is churning out some of LA's best Thai-style Hainan chicken at the front of the Dixie Hollywood Hotel. The steamed chicken sets, priced at under $20, come with a generous portion of dark or white meat and a choice of garlic rice or noodles on the side. The Hainan chicken is a must-order for first-timers, but upon return visits, expand to the crispy fried chicken, pork belly, or Thai chicken noodle soup. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Hainan chicken, crispy chicken K Pasa — Koreatown Koreatown is a haven for late-night diners looking for a bubbling pot of budae jjigae or skewered pork belly after a few drinks and karaoke at the Brass Monkey, or fried chicken after one too many martinis at the Normandie Club. K Pasa, a newer Koreatown taqueria, brings a new option into the mix, open from 11 a.m. to midnight every day. The tacos are solid, but it's the specials that stand out, like birria-filled taquitos with consomme and crispy vampiros topped with diced onions and cilantro. Make sure to try the Krunchy Wrap — K Pasa's take on the Crunchwrap Supreme — filled with a choice of meats like spicy pork belly, carne asada, or birria. 3958 W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Taquitos with birria, Krunchy Wrap Yama Sushi Marketplace — Koreatown Now with three locations across Los Angeles in Koreatown, West LA, and the San Gabriel Valley, Yama Sushi Marketplace has solidified itself as the best place to get restaurant-quality sushi at an approachable price. Each location offers a cooler full of pre-cut rolls like salmon and toro, alongside pickled garlic and assorted nigiri, so it's easy to assemble a little at-home omakase without dropping a significant amount of rent. Spam musubi and crispy karaage are stacked in an adjacent hot rack, which is constantly refreshed with new batches from the kitchen. Staff behind the counter can help with larger cuts of fish meant for sashimi, or party trays that would be welcome at any event. Make sure to explore the rest of the shop, beyond just the sushi, which has imported Japanese snacks, hard-to-find ingredients, and fun tchotchkes that would make ideal housewarming gifts. A meal here won't break the bank either; there are plenty of rolls that come in for less than $10 each, and even vegan options for those who don't eat fish. 3178 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Toro roll, Spam musubi, karaage Combo A — Echo Park One of LA's best Chinese takeout spots, Combo A, is tucked into an Echo Park strip mall, at the heart of the rapidly changing neighborhood. Originally called Chinatown Express, the family-owned restaurant changed its name to Combo A in 2017, and redid the dated interior while retaining the recipes that have been bringing locals back since the early 2000s. The restaurant still serves its classic combo plates, stacked with crispy orange chicken, chow fun, beef and broccoli, and more. The Combo A, with two entrees and one base, comes in at under $16 and is usually filled with so much food, the lid struggles to stay shut. 1411 Echo Park Avenue #101, Los Angeles, CA 90026. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Combo A with orange chicken and chow fun Happies Hand Made — Arts District Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made. Matthew Kang Joshua Skenes' Happies Hand Made has caught the social media crowd, with influencers declaring the chef's fried chicken some of the best in Los Angeles. Happies was quietly supposed to open with crispy-patty cheeseburgers, but Skenes shifted last minute to spicy fried chicken tenders, which are unnaturally large and unreasonably delicious. Coated with a blend of dried chiles and sporting ultra-crisp breading, the tenders are the main draw. Depending on the day, one can also find double-fried cherrywood-smoked chicken wings on the menu, served over golden-brown waffles. The wings are juicy and sweet with smoke flavor, cracker-like on the outside, and incredibly satisfying to eat. Maybe those burgers will show up someday, but Skenes really understands comfort food. 427 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Waffles, chicken tenders, chicken wings Komal — South LA Komal. Wonho Frank Lee Set in South LA's Mercado La Paloma, Komal serves a menu highlighting indigenous corn and pre-Hispanic dishes from Mexico City and Oaxaca. The restaurant comes from partners in business and in life, chef Fátima Juárez and Conrado Rivera, who both previously worked at Michelin-starred seafood restaurant Holbox. At Komal, Juárez draws on her upbringing in Mexico City, serving dishes like molotes de platano (fried plantain balls) in a rich Oaxacan-style mole and oval-shaped tlacoyos with ayocote beans. The plate-sized Taco Sonia, inspired by a Mexico City taquero that Juarez used to visit, comes on a tender blue corn tortilla topped with beef shoulder, housemade pork chorizo, and mashed potatoes or cactus. The quesadillas, all priced at $10 or under, include fillings like pork chorizo, sweet corn sofrito, and chapulines (grasshoppers). Every dish on the menu comes in at $11 or less, so don't shy away from trying a few things, even if dining solo. 3655 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Taco Sonia, quesadilla Won Kok — Chinatown Look for the line crawling its way around the standalone building, and then the sign at Won Kok. Regulars wait at all hours for a platter from Chinatown's popular dim sum spot, thanks to the offerings and the price. The outside dim sum ordering station is an efficient setup, with staff assuming guests already know what they want to order when they approach the window. Any lollygagging is discouraged by staff, who pile dim sum into boxes at almost impossible speeds. The menu can be overwhelming, so study it beforehand. Steamed buns range from $1.20 to $2.50, while chicken sticky rice is a whopping $2.50. Custards, cakes, and cookies are never more than $2, and some very respectable siu mai is $1.10. It's also possible to get barbecue duck for $18. Though there's indoor dining, it's always a good idea to take some buns or sesame balls home for further noshing. 210 Alpine Street, Chinatown, CA, 90012. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Shrimp or pork siu mai, coconut bun, congee, barbecue duck Arroz and Fun — Lincoln Heights Bolo bao breakfast sandwich at Arroz and Fun. Rebecca Roland Brunch, the weekend meal that's meant to be relaxing, has become a bit of a blood sport in LA, with extensive lines and ever-increasing prices. Arroz and Fun, with its sun-drenched Lincoln Heights patio, is a good reminder that brunch doesn't have to be a whole affair — it can just be a breakfast sandwich with some friends and great coffee. Opened by Humberto Leon, a multi-hyphenate creative who founded the fashion brand Opening Ceremony, opened Peruvian Chinese restaurant Chifa, and is currently the creative director of girl group Katseye, Arroz and Fun blends Asian and Latin flavors and ingredients on its daytime menu. The bolo bao sandwich, served on a crackly sugar-topped pineapple bun, comes stacked with fluffy folded egg, American cheese, and the choice to add on meats like bacon, Spam, or a Salvadoran chorizo patty. For something sweet, try the French toast made with Japanese milk bread, or the youtiao (Chinese doughnut) Chinchurro tossed in cinnamon and sugar. The bolo breakfast sandwich starts at under $10, and nothing on the menu breaks $20. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Bolo bao breakfast sandwich, Chinchurro Taquería Frontera — Cypress Park Taqueria Frontera. Matthew Kang It's been quite a year for Taquería Frontera. Since opening in mid-2024, the Cypress Park restaurant has stayed busy, garnering local and national attention, including a recent glowing review from the New York Times. Frontera has a pleasant counter-sitting area, which offers an ideal vantage point of the open kitchen. Visitors can, and should, take a front seat to watch each dish being prepared, especially the al pastor. It's hypnotizing to watch workers manning the trompo, carefully cutting a slice of pork and pineapple onto a tortilla or bread. Two can easily dine for under $25 at Frontera, which will always be playing local sports teams on the indoor TV. 700 Cypress Avenue, Cypress Park, CA, 90065. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Al pastor taco, asada quesataco, both with all toppings Mala Class — Highland Park Beef noodle soup at Mala Class. Mona Holmes Set along the quieter end of York Boulevard, Mala Class is a jewel box-sized restaurant serving peppercorn-laced Sichuan dishes that all come in below $20. While it may be tempting to jump to the heartier mains like mapo tofu or shrimp in garlic sauce, the restaurant really shines in its smaller places, which include dumplings in a shallow puddle of chile oil and sweet soy sauce, as well as refreshing cucumbers and beancurd. To try two items off the menu, and still keep the meal under $25 pre-tax, go for the crispy dry pepper fried tofu and outstanding dan dan noodles. 5816 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Dry pepper fried tofu, dan dan noodles Delicias Bakery & Some — Highland Park Open since 1991, Delicias Bakery & Some is one of LA's oldest Mexican bakeries. It's on a popular stretch of Figueroa Street where high-priced meals from newcomers are the norm. But every year, Delicias reminds Los Angeles of why this family-operated bakery has staying power. It's unpretentious, busy, and makes stellar pan dulce, conchas, and some of the neighborhood's most refreshing drinks with aguas frescas, cafe de olla, cappuccinos, and cold brews. The breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, and open-faced mollete sandwich with beans, cheese, crema, and salsa will make anyone's day. It's one of the best deals in town, and everything is made in-house. 5567 N. Figueroa Street, Highland Park, CA, 90042. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Tortas, conchas, puerquitos, and breakfast burritos Byblos Bakery — La Crescenta Ajarski khachapuri. Matthew Kang. A few years ago, I wrote about the tasty lahmajune (sometimes spelled lahmajoun) at this humble neighborhood bakery in La Crescenta, a place I lived in before moving to Torrance. Last year the building burned down but the restaurant has fully reopened down the street with a huge menu of baked Armenian specialties. The lahmajune is tasty as ever, still under $3 apiece, spread thin and baked to a tender pliancy. The tomato-meat topping comes with strong dried herbs, making every bite heavenly and comforting. Ajarski khachapuri ($16) comes with runny egg yolks, meaty basturma rounds, a layer of melty cheese, and fresh spinach for balance. Warm spinach and cheese mini-boeregs are good for sharing, too. It's wonderful to see this family-owned bakery back on the block with reasonably priced fare, the place bustling with take-out orders and families just trying to feed the kids before the sun goes down. 3115 Foothill Boulevard, Suite O., La Crescenta-Montrose, CA 91214. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Lahmajune, ajarski, spinach and cheese mini boeregs Potato Powder Love Noodle — City of Industry Potato Powder Love Noodle. Rebecca Roland In Los Angeles, steaming hot bowls of spicy noodles are a year-round affair, whether it's a 50-degree California winter day or temperatures are pushing the triple digits. For something with a serious kick that's also kind on the wallet, seek out Potato Powder Love Noodle, a Chinese noodle shop with locations in Koreatown and Industry City. The Sichuan spicy noodles, with a choice of slippery potato noodles or chewy hand-cut noodles (or both), are the restaurant's signature, dotted with enough peppers to make the broth a fiery red. For those looking for less spice, the restaurant also offers a tomato broth base, as well as a milder version of the Sichuan soup. 18222 Gale Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91748-1220. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Premium beef belly hot pot Roti from Trinistyle Cuisine — Gramercy Park Trinistyle Cuisine owner Merlin Garcia has a legendary story. Working as a City of Los Angeles employee for her day job, Garcia prepares her Trinidadian dishes on a street corner every weekend. Set up at a semi-permanent location on Century Boulevard and Van Ness in the Inglewood adjacent neighborhood of Gramercy Park, she serves doubles along with chicken, goat, curry goat, beef, or shrimp roti. On Saturdays, Garcia's stand serves a weekend Trini tradition: soup. There's covered seating and a refreshing ginger-pineapple drink to wash everything down. Don't order the dishes here to-go; instead, sit down and take in the scene. 2159 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90047. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Curry goat roti, scorpion pepper wings Carnitas El Artista — Inglewood Carnitas Al Artista owner owner Gustavo Chavez is a beloved member of the Inglewood community. Locals make regular pit stops for the restaurant's specialty: slow-cooked, Michoacan-style carnitas served as tacos, nachos, and on traditional plates piled with meat alongside rice and beans, salsa, and pico de gallo. Chavez prepares up to 220 pounds of carnitas in a day. On weekends, order the carne en su jugo stew with pinto beans, blistered scallions, quesadillas, cilantro, and onions. El Artista's chilaquiles are made with tortillas from Tortilleria de Bajio in Boyle Heights. All combination platters are under $20. 510 N. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood, CA, 90301. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dishes: Chilaquiles, carnitas platter Sue's Kitchen — Torrance Mapo tofu from Sue's Kitchen. Matthew Kang Longtime blogger and food photographer Dylan Ho recently shared a visit to deep Torrance strip mall gem Sue's Kitchen, where a somewhat cranky Taiwanese chef churns out some tasty and hugely portioned Sichuan food. Expect a bit of a struggle if the chef is running the place solo and you don't speak good Mandarin, but point to things on the menu and dishes will arrive with incredible speed. Ho recommended skipping the cold appetizers and opting for the beef noodle soup. On my visit, I tried the numbing mapo tofu, boiled pork and chive dumplings, shrimp fried rice, and dan dan noodles, each costing around $11 or $12. The dumplings were juicy and hefty, the noodles nutty and laden with Sichuan peppercorns, their heat only tempered by rough-julienned cucumbers. There will be leftovers, because the plates are portioned for about five people to share. Do not expect Panda Express-level sweetness — everything has ample 'yum yum' (MSG) and spice, which I really like (my father-in-law was not quite a fan). Even wok-fried bok choy gets a dusting of MSG and heat from dried chiles. Sue's Kitchen is probably designed to be unaccommodating to an unfamiliar crowd, and it's not about hospitality or ambience. It's about hosing down massive plates of flavor-packed Chinese food in a true hole-in-the-wall and hoping for a sweet boba drink down the block after lunch to wash down the cavalcade of salt, umami, and spice. Must-try dishes: Mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, shrimp fried rice Go Go Curry — Gardena Go Go Curry. Matthew Kang Japanese curry chain Go Go Curry quietly opened at Tokyo Central, the first West Coast outlet for the Japan-based restaurant. The chain boasts a ridiculous 55-hour process for its dark, almost blackened curry, dense like veal demi-glace, and almost chocolatey. It's not quite the more heady, spice-forward stuff at the now-gone Curry House or the still-kicking Coco Ichibanya. Like Oaxacan mole, in which the liquid is the star over the solid, Go Go Curry is more about the sauce than the fried cutlets, which are serviceable but act more as vehicles. One wishes the kitchen were more liberal with their curry ladles, but it suffices like a proper Japanese portion. The Home Run combination plate comes with a tasty sausage link and crispy tempura shrimp in case munching on tonkatsu slices dipped in curry starts to feel boring. Hard boiled eggs add…nothing? But they're nice to have for protein's sake. Maybe the world is telling me to order the massive Grand Slam or World Champion combos just for myself. 1740 Artesia Boulevard, Gardena, CA 90248. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Home Run combination plate Bread Head — Manhattan Beach BLT from Bread Head. Bread Head The Los Angeles sandwich superstars behind Bread Head opened a second location of their focaccia sandwich shop in Manhattan Beach just steps away from the water. Here, you can get summer's ultimate sandwich — a peak-season tomato BLT, obviously — on salty, crackly bread that texturally crosses somewhere between focaccia and ciabatta. The Bread Head BLT, swiped with garlic mayo and piled with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, and Nueske's bacon, makes for near-ideal picnic fare once you add companions like the store's 'picnic nachos,' really a small pint of homemade pimento cheese with Have'a tortilla chips, and an icy Arnold Palmer. Go for the half-sandwich option to keep it under $25 (most range between $14 and $16 for a sizable half). For a lighter lunch, the much-talked-about vegetarian sandwich features mozzarella stacked high with springy alfalfa sprouts. 1129 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager Must-try dishes: BLT, vegetarian sandwich Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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2 days ago
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Messy, Peppercorn-Packed Chinese Irish Spice Bags Take the World
is the associate editor for the Northern California and Pacific Northwest region writing about restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups. On any given night, a tactile, no-frills plate of fried splendor lands on tables at Little Dumpling in Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood, right around the time it lands on thousands of other tables throughout Ireland. It's a spice bag: a collection of spicy, starchy bits and bobs on top of chips (french fries). Something like disco fries, it's a staple of Chinese takeaways across Ireland, and the stuff of post-bar street food legend. Since the dish premiered at Templeogue's Sunflower Chinese restaurant around 2006, the spice bag has morphed and spread in Ireland, abroad, and all over social media. As chefs mix in their own variations, it's become an entire genre of food, its own galaxy in the universe of Irish culinary culture. Unless it arrives in a tremendous pizza box (in which case it might be called a 'spice box'), the dish's traditional packaging is a brown paper bag nearly translucent with grease. This quotidian container unleashes a messy, yet tantalizing combination of fried and spicy items. There's always chicken, usually in strips, whether they're coated, breaded, or fried. And there are always fries and onions. There might be other vegetables too, like spring onion, fresh chiles, or grated carrot. Then come all sorts of accouterments, from spring rolls to chicken balls. And there's curry sauce on the side, except if the takeaway is among the feverish camp that swears by satay sauce. Then there's the signature spice, which varies bag to bag. The Gaelic name for the finger-licking late-night hit, 'mála spíosraí' (roughly 'mala spice') hints at the dish's particular genre of numbing heat. Sichuan peppercorns are a throughline, as is nutty, earthy Chinese five spice, but chefs apply flavors in various forms. Chef Jules Mak goes for muddled and ground Sichuan peppercorn, salt, pepper, sugar, a bit of chile powder, and a tap of MSG. Once a year, his high-end Hong Kong-inspired Mak At D6 in Dublin sells a metric ton of spice bags for one month only. 'We blitz them out a bit more bougie,' he says. 'We do a hundred a night.' Per national outlet RTE, Hong Kong diasporic communities, known simply as 'Hongkongers,' represent much of Ireland's Chinese migrants. Their use of spice in items like spice bags looks a lot like the genre of salt and chile dishes that spans across South Asia, applied to everything from ribs to prawns. Mak, whose father hailed from Hong Kong and mother from the Emerald Isle, grew up seeing to-go orders for chips, curry, and rice at Furama, his dad's stalwart Chinese restaurant in Dublin that closed about a decade ago. It was called a 'three in one' then, and Furama wasn't the only place doing it. Following Sunflower's spice bag, Mak says, the three in one faded, as the three items fused into spice bags across the restaurant scene. 'It's a bit of a bastardized Chinese dish,' says Irish food critic Russell Alford, 'but it's ours.' As Sunday Times food critics, hosts of the Gastro Gays podcast, and authors of Hot Fat (a book all about fried foods), Alford and Patrick Hanlon have watched the spice bag spread over the years. They point to the early 2010s as the first time the dish jumped to the international stage. Australia and New Zealand were early adopters. 'It's kind of this icon of Irish cuisine, of Irish culture,' Hanlon says. 'It's changing the perception of Irish cuisine abroad.' The Chicken Salt Fries at Pecking House. Pecking House Spice bags are particularly tuned to spread on social media. The dish combines items — fries, fried chicken, spicy food — that are known winners online. The oil-slicked bag also unfolds to reveal its contents like a Christmas present, making for a great reveal in TikTok or Instagram videos. Versions made with an air fryer, which received international star treatment in 2017, spurred the dish further into the global consciousness. The dish also capitalizes on a rising tide of Irish cultural exports. Arguably Ireland's most famous culinary offering, Guinness, is also having a moment; 'splitting the G' (downing a Guinness until the foam lands in the middle of the letter G on the glass) has fueled a boom in the Dublin-made beer. Actors like Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and Cillian Murphy have cemented themselves in young American minds the way John Hurt and Richard Harris did for their Gen X parents, rap group Kneecap is taking the world by storm with frenzied gigs, and global focus on the ongoing siege of Gaza has brought Ireland's own history of colonial struggle into focus. A lot of these factors come together at Bar Snack in New York's East Village (recognized as the 85th best bar in North America), where Kneecap plays on the speakers all the time, a dedicated tap whips up foamy pints of Guinness, and the spice bags flow like stout through cobbled streets. When co-owners Iain Griffiths and Oliver Cleary were ideating the menu for the bar, which opened in November 2024 before the kitchen came online in April 2025, they saw the smash burger trend waning. Griffiths, who is Scottish, and Cleary, who is Irish, thought spice bags could be the next hit thing. Their rendition arrives in the characteristic paper bag: buttermilk-fried chicken tendies, peppers, onions, and fries with spices and a curry sauce. They also put the Spice Girls logo on T-shirts to hype the bag's debut. 'That felt like one of the most U.S. things we could do,' Griffiths says. But the spice bag was good enough to earn fans among their Irish clientele as well. '[They] would look up and give us the nod, like, this is good.' At New York's spicy fried chicken specialist Pecking House, chef-owner Eric Huang approached the dish from another side. He grew up in a Chinese restaurant, so the flavors of the spice bag were nothing new to him. After learning of the dish while cooking with chefs from the United Kingdom and clocking the version by New Zealand's Andy Hearnden, Huang rolled out his own iteration, titled Chicken Salt Fries, on Saint Patrick's Day 2025. The dish goes heavy on an in-house seasoning salt, along with cumin, coriander, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few more seasonings. It arrives with a curry sauce meant to evoke classic Japanese brand Golden Curry, providing a sweet, sentimental edge to the feisty medley. All around the globe, the cost of the dish has a lot to do with its cultural supremacy. Little Dumpling serves a generous spice bag for just 13 euros, Pecking House's goes for just $9, and Bar Snack serves the Georges St Special, a happy hour-ish combo of a spice bag and a Guinness pint for $22. As a U.S. recession looms and the EU fights to avoid sliding back into an economic downturn of its own, these familiar, affordable items — especially versions given a facelift to make them feel like a treat — draw diners out when James Beard starts to look like a bank robber. But chefs also recognize that upscaling the dish too much would rob it of its 1 a.m., effortless cool. Though some international spice bags have diverged significantly from the original dish, including 'healthy' recipes made with tofu or more vegetables, most iterations stick to the unkempt joy of a greasy, cheap mess of fried stuff. Despite the spice bag's online virality, Hanlon and Alford insist it shouldn't be a destination, phone-eats-first dish. Huang acknowledges that, for Pecking House at least, the spice bag's viral moment is already over. But he keeps serving it for the Irish expats and anyone who fell in love with the dish while visiting Ireland, the folks who tell Huang the dish takes them right back. 'They pour the sweet chile sauce over, the hot curry sauce, too,' Huang says, 'and it's this steaming, greasy bag they're eating. And when they put their hands in the bag, it's a really, really awesome eating experience.' A few more spice bags to try around the world: The Kitchen Bronx (New York City)
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The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 28
The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's Summer Series with Funke in Downtown LA Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's summer series with Funke Rebecca Roland The latest installment of Kato's Summer Series, a dinner collaboration series bringing chefs from across LA to Row DTLA to collaborate with the restaurant, welcomed Evan Funke. On Sunday night, Funke could be spotted in the corner of the spacious tasting menu restaurant, clad in a denim shirt and apron, rolling out sheets of pasta by hand. Each dish channeled a bit of Funke and Yao, like chile crisp-topped burrata and tomatoes, and cacio e pepe tossed with zingy Taiwanese pepper. But the xiao long bao tortelloni stood out among the other dishes, with its carefully folded edges holding back rich broth. The outer was thinner than most pasta and slightly chewier than the usual xiao long bao, filled with pork and prawn. There was only one in the dish, but I would've been happy if the entire meal were just a steamer full of these. It's nice to see a fine dining restaurant let loose a little at collaborations, with hip-hop blaring over the speakers, and menus that read like a chef's fever dream. 777 S. Alameda Street, Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park. Rebecca Roland There is something about hot days that makes me crave spicy food, specifically Sichuan spice. On a recent afternoon when the sun was beating down on the city, I found myself in Highland Park looking for some heat. I tucked into jewel-boxed-sized Mala Class, a neighborhood Sichuan restaurant that punches well above its weight, and price point. The tight menu comprises mapo tofu, dumplings in chile oil, dan dan noodles, and a handful of other dishes. My favorite from the lineup was the dry pepper fried tofu, with crispy pieces of tofu dotted in numbing Sichuan peppers. The spice mix was flavorful, while still packing a punch, and the tofu cubes were fried until crispy on the outside with a still-soft interior. Each bite just made me want another, chased by bits of rice and dumplings every so often. 5816 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District. Matthew Kang By now, the word on Joshua Skenes' Happies Hand Made has shown up on multiple social media accounts touting the fried chicken, like Hungry in LA's Eddie Sanchez declaring it his new favorite fried chicken in LA. While declaring anything comprised of chicken tenders (the least-interesting part of the bird) as the best fried chicken is initially suspect, Skenes does make a really delicious bird coated in a salsa macha and dried chile seasoning. Skenes quietly rolled out his double-fried cherrywood smoke chicken wings last week, served over a golden-brown waffle that he once topped with caviar at his temporarily closed Leopardo on La Brea Avenue. The wings are juicy and sweet with smoke flavor, cracker-like on the outside, and incredibly satisfying to eat. Skenes himself is often mixing drinks or prepping orders up front, with the line of customers not realizing the former chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant (Saison) is making some of the best comfort food in Los Angeles right now. Or maybe they do realize that Skenes has poured so much energy into simple, reasonably priced food, and that's why they're willing to wait. 427 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90013. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Baja tuna tower at the Koast and Crossroads collaborative dinner in Hollywood Koast. Wonho Frank Lee It's always a delight when a dinner collaboration goes right; I always appreciate the effort brought about by chefs and operators preparing a meal together, but the meal is not always a great fit. But when Crossroads chef Tal Ronnen joined Koast chefs Kevin Meehan and Michael Kerner on July 24, everything hit. Ronnen created dishes that reinvented some of Koast's most memorable bites through a vegan lens, like a dreamy watermelon crudo, spectacular lobster mushroom cake, and citrusy rambutan ceviche. My crew nabbed a few Koast dishes a la carte, and all agreed that the Baja tuna tower filled with Baja bluefin tuna, avocado, and tons of tobiko fish eggs is worth returning for. It's as creamy as one would hope and bursting with roe. In short, it's a gorgeous bite of the ocean from the two Koast chefs served in a stunning and intimate room with an entry that's dramatic and fitting for the concept. I've been admiring Ronnen's menu at Crossroads for years, and now it's clearly time for me to make regular stops at Koast to try the rest of the menu. 6623 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90038 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
