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Eater
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: June 27
Skip to main content Current eater city: Los Angeles Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. Los Angeles seems to be teasing us with waves of summer, stretches of long days where the sun beats down and doesn't disappear until 8 p.m. But those who have lived in LA for some time know that the best part of the day is the hours when the sun is waning and it's still warm. It's in those evening hours that bingsoo (Korean shaved ice) jumps to the top of my agenda. At Sul & Beans, tucked into the second floor of MaDang Courtyard, snow-like ice is layered with flavors like taro, green tea, and injeolmi. It's sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving, but not so sweet that it becomes overwhelming before you reach the bottom of the bowl. Keep an eye out for special seasonal flavors, like corn bingsoo. 621 S. Western Avenue #208-A, Los Angeles, CA 90005. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Jamaican chef Donovan Gray has been running a streetside stand for traditional, drum-smoked jerk chicken in Westchester for two years, where he has gained a loyal following for his reasonably priced, generously piled plates of jerk chicken (sold by the half-chicken with diner's choice of white, dark, or mixed meat), slightly sweet fried festival, stewed cabbage, and allspice-flecked rice and peas. The stand beckons with the smoky, almost nutty scent of the chicken's barky exterior; the only other things sold beyond the jerk plates are a handful of drinks. Don't miss him from Thursday through Saturday: Thursday is a pared-down offering with just jerk chicken and festival, while Friday and Saturday offer the whole shebang. 6921 South La Tijera Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90045. —Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager As summer kicked off on June 21, it's an ideal time to sip an inventive cocktail or nosh on food from a popular pop-up in the newly converted parking lot patio at Good Neighbor Bar. This Altadena spot exudes pure neighborhood vibes, perfect for friends, families, or any gathering when you're hanging outside. The 21 and up crowd can remain happily sequestered indoors at the bar, which is attached to owners April Langford and Randy Clement's Silverlake Wine shop. It's always fun to explore the menu, which is expertly organized into sections like refreshing highballs (try the summery mezcal Paloma), booze-forward drinks (a hearty mezcal Negroni), sweet tiki-oriented cocktails (rum-blended Puka Puka Punch), and more. They typically schedule food pop-ups (Shucks Oyster Company will appear Friday and For the Win on Saturday evening), so there's not much else to say or recommend, except to start texting, rally a group of friends, and figure out a time to meet. While there, check out Good Neighbor Bar's mural. It's a stunning visual of Altadena's wildfire damage. Langford and Clement are Altadena residents who care very much for their neighborhood, and this depiction is a stunning reminder of what happened, and to keep it in our memory. 2311 Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, CA, 91001. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For years, I'd passed by Azuma in Gardena, wondering what the deal was. Walk inside and see a loud, tightly-packed front dining room with a fully open kitchen that gives way into an even louder back area where families and groups can pile into tables. Open the menu and it'll make the Cheesecake Factory blush, with something like a 100 menu items that seem to go over the entire canon of casual Japanese food. Portions here are as big as the Cheesecake Factory, too, with combination or dinner sets large enough for two people to share. The crispy pork tonkatsu curry probably comes with four pounds of food, a pool of thick, meat-studded curry (they throw in bits and pieces of chicken and pork) alongside a small hill of steamed white rice. On top, sliced pork cutlet pieces are ideal for dipping into the curry or the tonkatsu sauce held in standard Bull Dog-brand bottles. Beef teriyaki makes a fine companion, an entire 3/4-inch cut rib-eye steak seared on the grill and dressed with sweet teriyaki sauce. Tempura is fantastic too, crispy and still juicy inside, loaded onto a plate and big enough for the table to share. Azuma is nothing if not fun, a relaxed hangout for Gardena locals who aren't taking the food too seriously, a solid complement to the slightly more precious Otafuku a few blocks away. 16123 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA 90247. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest See More:
Eater
20 hours ago
- Business
- Eater
This Sleek Set of German-Engineered Zwilling Steak Knives for 61% Off
I'm a big proponent of thoughtfully curating which kitchen gadgets you actually need, and an even bigger champion of investing in high quality when it comes to essential dining tools, such as a set of German-designed steak knives. Lo and behold, I'm adding-to-cart this sleek set from Zwilling, which is already a whopping 61 percent off on Amazon in anticipation of Prime Day: If you're new to Zwilling, it's a legacy brand with a serious history; founded in 1731 in Solingen, Germany by blacksmith and knife-maker Peter Henckels, it's one of the oldest trademarks in the world. But to understand its continued commitment to quality in modern times, you need only read the company's enthusiastic description of its knives on the set's Amazon product page. 'WE KNOW MORE ABOUT KNIVES THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD,' it declares. In fact, Solingen has been dubbed the 'City of Blades' thanks largely to companies such as Zwilling that have been smithing swords, razors, and knives for centuries. A set of steak knives can be a game-changer for dinner parties and home dining; even if you think you can get by with whatever cutlery you have lying around, you'll quickly realize what a pleasure it is to use a nice steak knife. As a former vegetarian, there was a time when I, too, was content using the knives from my flatware set at the dinner table, but that's because I thought it was normal to fumble slicing overripe tomatoes in Plato's Cave. Now, I am happy to report that I am cutting through both wagyu beef and plump, fussy fruits alike with one effortless gesture of my steak knife. The only downside is that I only own four knives, which is why this silver-colored set from Zwilling caught my eye in the first place: for under $100, you will receive not four or six but eight knives that are svelte enough to fit in with all the other flatware in your kitchen drawer organizer (as opposed to steak knives with chunkier wood handles). And with a set of eight, you can truly amp up your summer entertaining. I say, smash the order button and start making your life a whole lot easier. The Zwilling steak knife set is available on Amazon , and check Eater's coverage of early Amazon Prime Day kitchen deals here .
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
How an Eater Editor Spends a Dreamy Weekend on South Korea's Jeju Island
'The one thing you'll notice is that it's really windy,' my mother said as we took off from Seoul's Gimpo Airport this past spring. We were on our way to Jeju, the island destination off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, accompanied by my wife and 2-year-old son. It was my first time visiting the island, but my mom had been half a dozen times with my dad before he passed away in 2021; they went whenever they wanted a break from bustling Seoul, where they were both born, or from Southern California, where they moved in the 1970s. It was the ultimate getaway. Though I'd traveled throughout South Korea, Jeju always felt like a fabled land, sunny and warm at times, rainy and blustery at others, but endlessly romantic. It's easily the most popular vacation spot for South Koreans. The flight route between Seoul and Jeju carries the most passengers in the world; on any given day, a plane takes off every seven to eight minutes. Jeju's fame outside of South Korea has grown recently with shows like Hyori's Bed and Breakfast (a super-chill reality show about people staying at the K-Pop star's actual vacation home) and Netflix's When Life Gives You Tangerines , a sappy coming-of-age drama starring yet another pop star, IU. The culinary nods in those series titles give a hint to the island's famed food. Surrounded by a bountiful ocean, Jeju depends heavily on seafood. Haenyeo, legendary free-diving women, hunt for abalone, urchins, and sea snails; they've developed an international reputation thanks to Japanese Breakfast singer Michelle Zauner, who wrote a song about them, and Eater's own James Beard-nominated coverage, but they also embody the resilience of Jeju culture against the mainland (even my mom has difficulty understanding their dialect). A distinct, moderate climate and eons of activity by the island's towering volcano, Mount Halla, have also made Jeju a fruitful place for raising all manner of agriculture and livestock, namely pigs. One long weekend isn't enough time to fully experience the island, which is about the size of Maui and requires up to an hour to drive across in any direction. Because we stayed at the towering Grand Hyatt in Jeju City instead of the more popular southern city of Seogwipo, most of our adventures were inland and scattered across the Western side. No matter where you stay or visit, the island provides opportunities to eat well in virtually every corner. There are cute cafes for matcha- or coffee-tinted drinks, homestyle restaurants offering bubbling stews and banchan, sleek barbecue spots serving Jeju black pig sliced over tabletop grills, seafood establishments turning out all manner of raw, grilled, and braised shellfish and fish, and rustic markets selling pristine produce and fried street food. The island abounds with incredible food, so trips long or short will include plenty of highlights. Note: The easiest way to get around is by rental car, which requires an international driver's license. Addresses for each venue below are presented in Korean so they can be plopped into a Korean-language navigation app like Naver. After a day of travel from LA (and a day lost to the time difference), we were in desperate need of a comforting, traditional Korean meal as soon as we landed on Jeju. We walked half a block behind the Grand Hyatt for a quiet mid-afternoon meal at Modajeong Haejangguk, a mom-and-pop restaurant filled with weathered tables, mismatched fans, and air conditioners. After reviewing the compact menu posted on the wall, we nibbled on nine types of banchan (including kimchi, lightly dressed soft tofu, candied anchovies, potato salad, and bean sprouts) until our meals arrived. After a long trip, nothing hits better than seolleongtang (profoundly sustaining beef bone soup) or haejangguk (a thrilling hangover cure with wilted cabbage leaves and chunks of coagulated pork blood). We also ordered godeungeo gui: pan-fried, extra-long mackerel (also called Korean seerfish) that boasted a luxurious texture, oily but not the least bit fishy. We scarfed down the fish, which were roasted a golden brown and served on an iron plate, until we'd picked the last bit of flesh from the bones. South Korea is more known for its dismal birthrate than its amenities for children, but when the country does have something for kids, it's world-class. The Arte Kids Park, a 20-minute drive from Jeju City, offers an immersive and extremely clean play experience for little ones. Upstairs, there's an adorable elementary school-style cafeteria with snacks, where we ordered a simple bowl of udon in odeng (fish cake) broth for our 2-year-old. Other dishes include jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), tonkatsu, corn dogs, and fried rice. My favorite part was the well-organized array of utensils, metal cups, and other eating materials tucked into heated cases to protect against germs. A lot of play spaces I've experienced in America are kind of gross, so seeing this pristine haven in Jeju was itself a marvel (and the udon noodles were pretty tasty too). Address: 929 Wolgak-ro, Aewol-eup, 특별자치도, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea After leaving Arte Kids Park, our son fell asleep, which meant I needed to find myself a grown-up meal. Jeju's famous black pigs provide the island with ingredients for some of the best pork dishes in South Korea. I found this tiny roadside spot popular with golfers, and while my wife stayed with our son in the car, I bopped into the restaurant for a quick bowl of dwaeji guksu. The milky broth was sweet from the pork bones, making a great medium for simple wheat noodles and bite-sized pork belly slices. A tangle of sliced Korean scallions brought in a heady allium aroma, while seasoned radish shoots and short-fermented kimchi acted as the only sides. It reminded me a bit of Hakata-style ramen, with slightly chewy thin noodles and bites of meaty pork, and the simple broth was my favorite part. I spied a bottle of Jeju tangerine-flavored makgeoli in the fridge and wished I didn't have to drive, but otherwise it was a satisfying lunch just off the main highway. Address: 방문자 리뷰 86블로그 리뷰 15 I made it a point to try the popular galchi (belt fish, aka largehead hairtail), a silvery swordlike creature with elegant, flaky flesh. This popular seafood restaurant near the coast serves a twofer of spicy braised belt fish and whole-grilled belt fish. The braised version, also called jorim, comes in a big steel stainless box containing whole abalones, chopped octopus, rounds of radish, rice cakes, shrimp, and onions; a camping stove placed underneath the box keeps the fiery red chile broth simmering, reducing the liquid to a thick, sweet, salty, spicy sauce. Admittedly, eating belt fish requires picking out dozens of tiny bones, but it's worth the effort. The grilled version, which tastes of Dover sole, is a little easier to handle. Banchan of well-fermented kimchi, tiny anchovies, and even ganjang gaejang (raw soy-marinated crab) provide punches of umami between the spicy braised fish and the pan-grilled variant. Address: 제주 제주시 도리로 50 2층 The Five Day Folk Market in Jeju City opens on days ending in 2 or 7 (so each month on the second, seventh, 12th, and so on). We happened to catch it on a Sunday, when we had to fight for a free parking spot before entering. Walk through the sprawling semi-covered emporium for all manner of food, produce, clothing, and electronics. We picked up multiple varieties of Jeju gamgyul (tangerines), which lived up to their reputation as the finest citrus in the world, even out of peak season. The main hallabong variety is excellent — fragrant, sweet, tangy, and balanced — while the cheonhyehyang variety has thinner skin but a juicy flavor that's so sweet it hurts your teeth. We also snacked on piping hot hotteok: molten sugar-filled pancakes fried in butter. Just before heading out, we picked up a ketchup-laced corn dog fresh out of the fryer: a smoky, meaty wiener in a panko crust that was far better than anything at an American theme park. Osulloc is a big touristy tea farm and museum with a slick retail cafe serving matcha drinks and desserts. The day we went, the place seemed almost overrun. The classic steeped tea — brewed for exactly two minutes according to a tiny hourglass timer — was my favorite, a mellow, toasty sip whose aromas were amplified by the gourd-sized cup. On the more saccharine side, a cream-topped wedge of moist green tea cake was cut into a shape meant to recall Jeju's Mount Halla, while swirled soft serve ice cream blended yet more matcha with a simple sweet cream. The white-and-brown boricaeyeok spanner (green tea matcha floated over sweet barley tea) was probably the one to skip. After overloading on sugar, we headed to the tea fields for photo ops. My son found it hilarious to run through lanes of tea bushes that were too narrow for adults to chase him. Address: 15 Sinhwayeoksa-ro, Andeok-myeon, 특별자치도, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea Of all our meals on Jeju, I was most excited to try the island's famed black pigs, designated a heritage breed in 2015. Chef Hoon Song of Crown Pig carefully butchers the best-quality pigs and ages them to amplify their distinct, tender flavor, before lightly smoking the pork in applewood and oak. His somewhat isolated restaurant looks like a traditional Korean barbecue spot, with tables centered around steel pan grills, where servers handle most of the cooking. We opted for the Combination C, which comes with a pork tomahawk, arm shoulder, pork belly, and Boston butt for 99,000 won (about $70). Servers snip the rich, glistening pork with scissors as it cooks on the pan, allowing some fat to run off but keeping plenty of fatty chunks on the meat. Taking a bite, there's a gentle whiff of smoke followed by the most ethereal, tender pork that almost crumbles on the palate. The sensation isn't that different from a well-seared piece of wagyu beef, but with a juicy porcine sweetness that's distinct from almost all American pork. (There simply is no equal, and I'll fight someone on that.) The experience is heightened with chopstick dabs of ssamjang (fermented bean paste), grated wasabi, fine sea salt, and gochujang that add bursts of savory flavor. We wrapped our bites in fresh green lettuce or mounds of shredded scallions dressed in a red chile sauce. Korean barbecue might be known more globally for its tabletop grilled beef, but Jeju pork might better represent the spiritual zenith of the genre. Address: 특별자치도, 애월읍 애월읍 상가목장길 84 After a few days eating through South Korea's favored vacation destination, there's nothing better than strolling through a well-organized Korean supermarket for snacks to take home. Anyone who's enjoyed visiting a Korean grocery store in the U.S. should check out a Lotte Emart in South Korea. The location in Jeju City has some handy and affordable souvenirs to take home, including tangerine-flavored confections that are unique to Jeju. While you can find soju bottles from the more industrial brands like Jinro or Chamisul for around a dollar, there are also more expensive beverages, like the Asia-only crystal bottle of Suntory Kakubin blended whisky, which reminds me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation ('For relaxing times…'). The hot foods section had handmade dumplings, pan-fried and boiled, while all manner of kimchi (napa cabbage, garlic chives, etc.) were displayed in the refrigerated areas. Those wouldn't necessarily travel well (though my mom likes to bring huge bundles of fresh banchan back to LA), but the rows of Korean candies (Koreans are particularly good at making coffee-flavored hard candies), chocolates, crispy snacks, and other sweets certainly would. Address: 제주특별자치도 제주시 탑동로 38 See More:
Eater
a day ago
- Business
- Eater
The 15 Best Deals of the Week (Including a Sale on Japanese Pantry Staples)
We have finally reached air-fryer levels of heat in New York City, which means every bartender you know is toting their Coleman cooler to the nearest body of water before their shift and every office-goer is trying to figure out what level of ventilated shoe they can get away with. (Personally, I say let the platform Crocs rip.) We're also edging some of the biggest sale events of the year: Amazon Prime Day, aka Bezos' annual deals bacchanal, and an influx of Fourth of July sales on all kinds of summer-centric kitchen items, from Traeger grills to mid-century modern patio furniture; there are plenty of picnic table-ready finds, what with savings on gingham European linen tablecloths and tomato-shaped cocottes from heritage brands like Staub. Whether you're restocking your somen noodles for easy, cool summer dinners or looking to save $640 on the ultimate outdoor sectional, this week's deals are ripe for the picking. There was a point a few years ago when every design-savvy apartment in Williamsburg had the cult-fave Sven sofa — and the company behind it, Article, has managed to maintain its place as one of the most prominent makers of mid-century-modern-style furniture. It has already kicked off its Fourth of July sale with deals of up to 40 percent off, and we have our eyes on its bistro sets, statement dining chairs, and an outdoor sectional worthy of a 1970s conversation pit. I only discovered Piglet in Bed this past year, but the Horsham, U.K.-based brand is exactly what it sounds like: a purveyor of ultra-soft gingham linens, striped ceramic mugs, and other cottagecore items that would be right at home in Kate Winslet's cottage in The Holiday. There are quite a few tablecloths, napkins, and throws for sale on the site right now that are made in Portugal from 100% natural stonewashed European linen. Williams Sonoma always has some juicy sales cooking, but it's not every day that you can find Staub cookware in its hallowed halls for up to 50 percent off; highlights include deals on Dutch ovens of varying sizes, as well as whimsical artichoke- and tomato-shaped cocottes. Japanese Taste is an online Japanese marketplace where you can find everything from at-home sushi kits to smoked Kewpie mayonnaise (!). There's a nice selection of pantry goods on sale right now, but our top picks include a three-year barrel-aged soy sauce and handmade somen noodles, the latter of which are ideal for whipping up a refreshing, cold summer dish. While Amazon Prime Day proper will run from July 8–11, there are already deals rolling out in all kinds of kitchen-related categories. The Eater shopping team will be hunting down the very best savings — meaning, deals that are at least 20 percent off — for the next few weeks, and standouts so far include Italian tablewares from Alessi, affordable Japanese chef's knives, high-tech kitchen vacuums, and non-plastic storage containers. There's an Eater guide dedicated to the best non-plastic food storage options beloved by our staffers, and this set of BPA-free glass containers definitely makes the cut.
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Tracking the NYC Restaurants in ‘And Just Like That...' Season 3, Episode 5
And just like that, HBO Max's Sex and the City sequel series returns for its third season. And Just Like That... brings back our long-time New Yorkers Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis), as well as relative newcomers Seema (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker), to our televisions and laptops. What is summer without our gals talking candidly about sex, making bad puns, and dining and drinking around the city? Like previous seasons , Eater will be tracking where the gang is eating across New York City, from brunch sessions to romantic dinners to cocktail dates. This guide will be updated weekly when each episode airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m., leading up to the finale. And we're saying it now: there will be spoilers ahead. Thank god: Carrie is back in New York, but still in weird relationship limbo with Aidan (again). But now on her home turf, she's experiencing that evergreen urban problem of cohabiting. First, she's got a basement tenant, Duncan (played by Jonathan Cake), who is back from his travels and immediately gets annoyed with Carrie's clacky heels (but really, no one should walk inside their homes with shoes on). She attempts to make nice by giving him a gift basket with goodies from the neighborhood, including tea from a local shop. Miranda moves in with Carrie after dealing with an Airbnb neighbor blasting music, but it isn't working out well. Miranda is not the best roommate, eating Carrie's last yogurt and bananas and spilling sticky soda all over her fancy new table. In the meantime, Charlotte is dealing with a heavier issue — it turns out Harry has prostate cancer. But instead of stewing in her worries, she, Lisa, and their respective families head out to glamp on Governors Island, where they make s'mores and croque-monsieurs. 23 Grand Street at Sixth Avenue, Soho The ladies get brunch at the ModernHaus Soho restaurant. Someone orders a grain bowl (I think Charlotte), Seema the brassicas, and Carrie the goat cheese. They talk about Carrie's neighbor dilemma, when Charlotte rightly says that taking off your shoes is more 'sanitary.' 129 East 18th Street at Irving Place, Gramercy Park Duncan almost accidentally burns down his apartment, but Carrie saves the day. To repay her, the two go out for dinner at one of New York's oldest bars. She eats the perfect meal of steak, fries, and wine. He shares that this was 'a rare meal out' for him; he usually makes stew at home and holes himself up while writing his next biography for six months. Could this be a blossoming friendship or even a relationship? We'll see!!! See More: Dining Out in NY NYC Guides
