LA Culinary Opinions…From An Australian
As soon as I laid eyes on my guest, a dashing gent (as) fresh (as one can be) off a 14+ hour flight from Melbourne, I knew his three-week stint in Los Angeles would be way too short. And while this Politico/Music loving Journo would be looking to soak in all the Sunny Southern California News and Local Music Venue rays, I had some luminous objectives of my own. If it wasn’t obvious enough, the mission was simple; To shower him with the best Eats (and Homecookin’) that LA has to offer. In return, he’d pamper me with feedback – A proper Outsider’s perspective into Eating In LA.
(Top L) Wat Dong Moon Lek - Shrimp & Rambutan Salad/Coconut Shake/Signature Soup/Spicy Crispy Pork Belly
(Top R) Din Tai Fung’s Pork and Crab Soup Dumplings
(Lower L) Elf Cafe‘s Tahini Avocado Dip
(Lower R) Somosa House‘ Combo Meal: Here with Jackfruit Curry, Aloo Chole, Malai Kofta, Brown Rice, Roti
Various factors (Money/Timing/The Holidays/Location) got in the way of experiencing some of my beloved destinations (The Adored Urasawa, Tubs, [Sunday Supper at] Lucques, Chung King, Breed Street, Marisco Chente, Sapp Coffee Shop, La Estrella, The Verdugo Bar, The Trails), but after running around Southern California, from Malibu to the Salton Sea; Idllywild to Sunset and Vine, our final list of culinary establishments was 1part Best Dishes shaken with 2 parts accomplishment – all served in a tall glass of Lardo gluttony.
| LA Restaurant Consciously Visited During 3-Week Stint (+) = Visitor Preferred. (-) = Disfavor |
|
| Best Fish Taco In Ensenada (+) | Taco Zone Taco Truck (+) |
| Umami Burger | Wurstkuche (-) |
| Philippe’s Original French Dip | Scoops |
| Hot Pot City (+) | Din Tai Fung |
| Jitlada | The Village Bakery (For Bread) |
| Ruen Pair | El Gran Burrito |
| Wat Dong Moon Lek Noodles (+) |
Mozza2Go |
| Fatties | Elf Cafe |
| Samosa House + Bharat Bazaar | |
| LA Coffee Spots Consciously Visited During 3-Week Stint | |
| LA MILL | Café Tropical |
| Intelligentsia Silverlake | Intelligentsia Venice |
| LA Bars Consciously Visited During 3-Week Stint | |
| Tiki Ti (+) | Big Foot Lodge |
| The Varnish | El Prado |
| Events: Hotel Café + Piano Bar | (Unconscious) Good Luck Bar (+) |
As a seeker of all things cuisine related, I find satisfaction in being able to recommend culinary establishments. We all look for places that speak to us – whether it’s because they are meaningful creatively/provide a unique example of ‘place’/have honed their extraordinary craft/etc. So, the easy part of the trip was traversing the culinary landscape of my choosing. But, would this Fish And Chips eating, Long-Black drinking, Aussie feel the same? Not always.
Thinking back, divulge two Memorable Bites.
“I guess I’m a sucker for spicy comfort food, so anything simple and wholesome with lashings of condiments stands out. With that in mind, The Best Fish Taco In Ensenada, the first place I ate in LA, was a standout. You can’t go wrong with tender fish bites, deep fried while-you-wait, with at least four different salsas at the ready. Best to stick with fish, rather than the shrimp, and wash it all down with an enormous cup of sugary horchata.”
[Ed. Notes – Australia is quite covetous with their condiments. It’s rare to purchase a Meat Pie (let’s say) and have unlimited access to Tomato Sauce (Their version of Ketchup). Instead, you’ll receive a squint-enducing 14g package of the condiment, with each additional costing around 50cents. When he realized that there was a wall dedicated to DIY, unlimited condiments, his eyes glistened with apparent elation. Endearing I must say. And much sweeter than witnessing my reaction in Australia upon grasping the opposition notion…]
Hot Pot City’s Flavor-Filled Chengdu
“Hot Pot City was the other revelation. Although way out in the Valley, the spicy broth option, bubbling with all sorts of root flavourings and massive chilles, was a midnight meal worth negotiating four interchanges for. The broth was so good that it didn’t really matter which of the hundreds of veggies and animal parts options I decided to dunk. Forced to choose, I’d nominate the thinly sliced marbled beef, requiring about 15 seconds cooking time, which literally melted on my tongue in a bath of sweaty cleansing goodness.”
John Baldassari-esque homage to eating rituals at Taco Zone Truck
“Special mention: Taco Zone chorizo [Mulas - a griddled two corn tortilla meat and cheese sandwich]. Worth getting drunk on cheap lager to taste the 1am goodness amid a never-ending queue of asymmetrical haircuts.”
Give me Mulas, Baby
[Ed. Note: Or, more like fist-pumping two beers to taste 10:30pm goodness...The night started early, OK? But so did the asymmetrical Do's - it's Echo Park so we're certain to amass no matter the hour. When in 'The Zone' don't fight it. Embrace it - with your arteries pried open. The (Suadero + Chorizo) Mulas' are delicious, tender, and not to be missed - just note that it is bit of a grease lagoon (Not dissimilar to our local, Echo Lake).]
What places would you like not to remember…?
“Brite Spot diner on Sunset. We ate here on New Year’s Day, and while the kitchen was probably stressed by a lack of staff, my Louisiana hot links with poached eggs could have been cooked by a 12-year-old. The food arrived after a wait of over an hour in a mysterious coupe bowl swimming in cloudy water. The sausage, although reasonably moist, arrived unaccompanied save for some random under-fried potato cubes. Coffee was weak.”
[Ed. Note: With Whiskey-filled heads, we peeled ourselves from the house and met up with friends at the communicated location. The Vacationer speaks the truth: Our eggs swam in an unidentifiable liquid while the sausages easily could have been grilled Pine Tree branches. The food actually accentuated the hangover.]
A Wurstkuche Hotdog and Fries cost around $15 – 45 minutes of our lives
“Wurstkuche, The much-hyped Downtown concept barn did a reasonable job grilling the snags but the night was dampened by a dining room heaving with almost double the optimal number of patrons. Tellingly, the proprietors of this place truck in all their produce and prepare it for the masses on demand. Partially saved by the excellent beer selection with the option of massive 1 litre steins for gluttons.”
[Ed. Note: We waited an absurd 45 minutes to place our order. In retrospect, lines of that size are preserved solely for possibilities of a free reward; Not sheckeling out for dinner. And once the order was placed, there was the additional obligation to eye-grovel and ask alms from self-entitled seat holders for a 5" space of bench. I'm not doubting the food standards: fries are good – the curry ketchup, flavorsome – their hot dogs (made elsewhere) are varied and enjoyable – with a decent beer selection, but sadly, during this experience, The Scales Of Justice were leaning in great opposition to Wurstkuche.]
Any Coffee Standouts?
“Coffee purists appear to have a hard time in LA with menus dominated by milky brews that would cause palpitations if they were offered on the Continent or anywhere in Melbourne’s inner north. My least favourite coffee wasn’t the notorious filter drip at most restaurants (that was at least predictable) but the specialist places, that while clearly trying to break the Starbucks mould, still retain strong traces of that chain’s cookie cutter approach. LA Mill and Intelligentsia tried hard but I never really found an acceptable straight, simple long-ish black. In most cases, visitors might do better to bring their own stove top espresso machine.”
Think you can taste the difference?
(L) 9th Street Espresso’s Latte. Chelsea Market, New York.
(R) Gunshop Cafe’s Flat White. Brisbane, AU
[Ed. Note: Melbourne is Rug Burn serious about their coffee/espresso. The visitor’s “Milky Brew” comment stems from having one too many face-sized Lattes. Australia’s version of the Latte, called a ‘Flat White,’ is typically served in a small 150-160ml mug allowing for a greater ratio of espresso to milk.
Additionally, Australians predominant, without-milk-not-straight-espresso, choice is the Long-Black. The Long Black is water first (through the Espresso Machine)/Espresso Second (retaining the structure of the crema) while an Americano is the opposite - with added injury of hot water through the Tea Tap. Like Red Riding Hood in search of the perfect porridge, the only thing this gent wished for was a stellar Long Black. He begrudgingly went with the Americano and deemed it too weak. Upping his game to Espresso shots left him eyelid-pried - heart palpitating. It would seem that the only "just right" coffee was not surprisingly, in Australia.
I see his Los Angeles Coffee experience partially mired by the inability to speak our Coffee Language. Ordering "strong espresso" in LA means, “I like strong espresso. Please make me an espresso that is strong.” However, in Australia, ‘strong espresso' means, “I’d like an add shot.” Perhaps it is best to bring the stove top contraption next time...]
Who doesn’t love Tiki Ti?!
Favorite LA Bars?
“Tiki Ti and the Good Luck, close to each other on Sunset [Silverlake], are both essential, especially if you can get a seat at either bar. Tiki’s “no beer” policy focuses the palette on Actual Hard Liquor while the Good Luck signature cocktails result in serious late night rambling. Drink two and your night’s over! The good thing about LA bars though, compared to the pubs scattered across Melbourne, is the cosy sensation you get entering the usually heavy-curtained entrance into a dimly lit shrine to boozyness and sketchy pick up lines. The opposite of screeching footy fans in a loud Sunday afternoon beer garden.”
Sydney Pub – The famous watering-hole, Hollywood Hotel
[Ed. Notes – Australia bars are direct descendants of the English Public House with the majority of ‘Pubs’ landing on the first floor of a multi-functional hotel. There are exceptions, but it is indeed much easier to find a cozy bar to retreat to than in Melbourne.]
Just another day at Joe Jost‘s
Do any of the places outside of LA conjure positive memories?
“Joe Jost’s: the perfect place to sit around shooting the shit while watching the NFL. Excellent combination of no-nonsense sandwiches, pickled eggs, and ice cold lager. Makes life as a permanent barfly seem like a solid option. Also, Hank Williams on the jukebox.”
Joe Jost’s Pickled Eggs + Coherts
Photo courtesy of Durbanator
[Ed Note: Joe Jost’s is an institution. If an Aussie recognizes this, you will too. Go...immediately.]
Wat Dong Moon Lek’s Signature Soup
Photo courtesy of Anjali at deliciouscoma.com
Any meals Melbourne?
“The [signature] soup at Wat Dong Moon Lek reminded me of the pho at Melbourne’s excellent Vietnamese restaurants — with the addition of lashings of sliced chilli it got close to topping Pho Chu The in Footscray — no mean feat.”
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THE MEAL MAP
View The Foreigner Ate/Drank His Way Through LA in a larger map
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So, an Australian came, ate, and had opinions about it all. What’s the point?
Like Conde Naste’s hiring of the Gourmet-folding Consultants, McKinsey, we, too, sometimes need an Outsiders’ perspective to help develop our comprehensive understanding of what’s in question (In this case, our local culinary culture).
And we’re not always going to agree…and most of the time we’ll strongly disagree. But, at least we can be sure of one thing; We’re bound to be full…of opinions.
