Covering just over three square miles of L.A., Koreatown has made its impact. Whether its the fried rice at Honey Pig or the spicy garlic chicken wings at O B Bear—or barbecue from pretty much anywhere—Los Angeles chefs crave Korean more than most anything. Other than sushi that is: Urasawa, Matsuhisa and Sushi Nozawa get props again and again. While the celebrities are dining on salad-add-chicken-breast, chefs here are headed to Mozza—the osteria but even more so, the pizzeria—to carbo-load on Nancy Silverton’s phenomenal crust. The only thing that competes might be Bay Cities Italian Deli, a true LA institution known for The Godmother, a classic sandwich which begs for a picnic on the Santa Monica beach.
"Chef Evan Funke sources all of his produce locally and his simple preparations showcase the freshness. This is just one example. I love everything he does."
Akasha Richmond
Akasha
Albert Aviles Corkbar
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Breakfast burrito
@ Larry’s Chili Dog
"This little stand in the middle of Burbank never has more than a couple people working, but it's well worth the wait. The burrito filled with egg, cheese, sausage, bacon, hash browns and green-chili salsa will blow your mind. It's great way to start your day."
Albert Aviles
Corkbar
Ben Bailly Cliff's Edge
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Chubby pork belly
@ Chego
"I live within walking distance of Chego, so it has sort of become my canteen. The pork belly bowl offers a well-balanced dish of spicy and sweet flavors; the jalapenos, sour cream sauce, cilantro, and watermelon radishes make it my favorite dish on their menu."
Ben Bailly
Cliff’s Edge
Brendan Collins Waterloo & City
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Butter chicken
@ Shershah
"My favorite dish here is the murgh makhani or butter chicken. Like most restaurants, you need to get buddy buddy with the owners if you want to get the authentic stuff. Sonny is the man to get buddy buddy with."
Brendan Collins
Waterloo & City
Bryant Ng The Spice Table
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Cheeseburger
@ Pie ‘n Burger
"Pie ‘n Burger is the classic burger joint that’s been around almost 50 years. The cheeseburger is a bare-bones burger with American cheese, thousand island dressing, pickles, and lettuce. I like to add raw red onions to mine as well. The meat is perfectly seasoned and cooked. Plus, you know they’re awesome and old-school when they still hand pump the root beer syrup for their root beers."
Bryant Ng
The Spice Table
Casey Lane Tasting Kitchen
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Ramen
@ Santouka Ramen at Mitsuwa Market
"It's in a food court, so it feels odd to say, but it may be the best ramen in the city or that I've had. I've been to the places I had to go in NYC to eat ramen, but this is simply delicious."
Casey Lane
Tasting Kitchen
Craig Thornton Wolvesmouth
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Tamal de mole
@ Antequera de Oaxaca
"This tamale is steamed in banana leaf with mole and chicken mixed throughout. The mole has a great balance of bitterness with a touch of sweetness."
Craig Thornton
Wolvesmouth
David LeFevre Manhattan Beach Post
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Brooklyn Ave. sandwich
@ Canter’s
"This classic sandwich is made up of killer, thin-sliced pastrami that's just fatty enough, not too lean and topped with coleslaw that isn't too sweet."
David LeFevre
Manhattan Beach Post
David Myers Comme Ça...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Chicken meatball
@ Yakitoriya
"Toshi San's tsukune, or chicken meatball, is amazing. It incorporates a very delicate grind on the meat and a bit of hemp seed. Then he grills it with the Japanese bincho tan and finishes it with spicy Japanese mustard. Unbelievable!"
David Myers
Comme Ça, Pizzeria Ortica, see more – SOLA by David Myers (Tokyo), David Myers Café (Tokyo), Comme Ça at The Cosmopolitan (Las Vegas)
Eric Greenspan The Foundry on Melrose
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Monkfish liver hand roll
@ Sushi Nozawa
"Sit at the bar and play nice. Omakase, a chef's menu, essentially means "
Eric Greenspan
The Foundry on Melrose
Evan Kleiman Angeli Caffe
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Clam tamale
@ Rivera
"Chef John Sedlar's playful intelligence is on display as you open a huge clam shell to discover a perfect fresh corn tamale filled with briny clam and the vegetal pop of poblano chiles."
Evan Kleiman
Angeli Caffe
Giselle Wellman Petrossian Boutique...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Dungeness crab
@ Jitlada
"This crab comes with garlic or curry sauce. Try putting Thai rice in the body of the crab and scoop it out with all of the good stuff that's in there."
Giselle Wellman
Petrossian Boutique and Restaurant
Jason Michaud Local, Chimú
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Ravioli di magro
@ Farfalla
"Knowing the challenges of handmade pasta, I marvel at how consistent these are and how the ravioli are both delicate and still toothsome."
Jason Michaud
Local, Chimú
Joachim Splichal Patina
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Any dumplings
@ Luscious Dumplings
"At this tiny, family-owned spot, I like all the dumplings, especially the fried dumplings and the ones with pork and celery. Everything is made fresh and it's wonderful."
Joachim Splichal
Patina
Joe Miller Joe's Restaurant...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Moelle de bœuf
@ Church & State
"The roasted bone marrow here is cooked perfectly, and it tastes amazing on their toasted bread."
Joe Miller
Bar Pintxo, Joe’s Restaurant
John Rivera Sedlar Rivera, Playa Rivera
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
butterscotch budino
@ Pizzeria Mozza
"Destination: dessert. No doubt about it. Go now!"
John Rivera Sedlar
Rivera, Playa Rivera
Jordan Kahn Red Medicine
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Crispy pork ka prow with fried eggs
@ Ord Hoyka Noodle
"This embodies the complexity of Thai cuisine. It hits everything I look for in a dish. It's got chili, acid, sugar, crispy pork fat, runny egg yolk, browned egg whites, pungent herbs, and fish sauce."
Jordan Kahn
Red Medicine
Josef Centeno Lazy Ox Canteen
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Escarole and sunchoke salad
@ Gjelina
"I love this salad for its freshness and simplicity. It has crunchy hearts of escarole and paper-thin slices of shaved, raw sunchoke with a bright preserved-lemon vinaigrette and house-smoked almonds."
Josef Centeno
Lazy Ox Canteen
Karen and Quinn Hatfield Hatfield's
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Kaiserschmarrn
@ Spago
"We've been enjoying this classic Austrian dessert made with shredded, egg-soaked pancakes since Spago Beverly Hills opened. It's unusual for LA and it never loses its appeal."
Karen and Quinn Hatfield
Hatfield’s
Kris Morningstar Ray’s & Stark Bar
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Al pastor tacos
@ El Chato
"The tacos from this truck—which parks Monday through Saturday evening at the corner of Olympic and La Brea—are spicy, caramelized and lightly saucy. There is always a line, but it's the perfect food after a hard day in the kitchen."
Kris Morningstar
Ray’s & Stark Bar
Laurent Quenioux LQ @ SK (pop-up)...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Spicy shrimp wonton
@ Din Tai Fung
"The sweetness of the shrimp wonton with its chili–Thai basil infusion is simply the best. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Laurent Quenioux
LQ @ SK (pop-up), Vertical Wine Bistro
Ludovic Lefebvre LudoBites
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Chopped chicken salad
@ Gram & Papa’s
"Everything at Gram & Papa's is fresh and prepared on site. They buy whole chickens, roast them and chop them for the salad. It doesn't get much fresher."
Ludovic Lefebvre
LudoBites
Marcel Vigneron Modern Global Tasting
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Poutine
@ Animal
"If you're in the mood for carnivorous gluttony, this is the dish for you. Oxtail gravy, combined with creamy cheese curds and crispy french fries make for a deliciously rich dish."
Marcel Vigneron
Modern Global Tasting
Mark Gold Eva
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Cheese pie
@ Vito’s Pizza
"Is there anything else that needs to be said??!! Perfect sauce and whole milk mozzarella. Best pizza in LA!!"
Mark Gold
Eva
Mary Sue Milliken Border Grill
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Octopus carpaccio
@ K-ZO
"French and Japanese-trained Keizo and his wife Yuki run a fantastic sushi and small-bite place in the heart of Culver City. The octopus carpaccio is great, but just order anything on the specials page and you'll never be disappointed."
Mary Sue Milliken
Border Grill
Michael Cimarusti Providence
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Sashimi
@ Urasawa
"Chef Hiro Urasawa is a master of Japanese cuisine on par with anyone you will come across, here or in Japan. Have everything, minus the environmentally-incorrect bluefin tuna."
Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Michael Voltaggio ink.
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Chilaquiles with mole and fried egg
@ Loteria Grill
"It's tortillas, mole, fried egg and queso fresco. How could you go wrong? Sweet, salty, spicy, runny yolk. A great snack anytime of day."
Michael Voltaggio
ink.
Neal Fraser BLD
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Chilaquiles de mole with carnitas
@ Loteria Grill
"It's Sunday. You are hungry and you don't want to eat for the rest of the day. Eat these chilaquiles at the Farmers Market location of Lotteria and you're done, satisfied and ready to go."
Neal Fraser
BLD
Nyesha Arrington Wilshire
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Roasted organic beet salad
@ JiRaffe
"It’s such a good balance between sweet, crunchy, and fresh, and the goat cheese cream brings the whole dish together."
Nyesha Arrington
Wilshire
Piero Selvaggio Valentino
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Green corn tamales
@ Border Grill
"Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken are raising the bar because they know how to make simple street food so delicious, like their mini green corn tamales that are the best."
Piero Selvaggio
Valentino
Ray Garcia FIG
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Cheeseburger
@ Westside Tavern
"This is a marriage of simple, yet high-quality, ingredients. The arugula and roasted garlic spread are a great balance of peppery and sweet, while the soft egg bun ties the whole thing together."
Ray Garcia
FIG
Ricardo Zarate Mo-Chica, Picca
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Sashimi
@ Sushi Gen
"This place is known for its sashimi, and the quality of the fish is exceptional here. I like it because it is very traditional. There's a reason it's one of the most popular sushi restaurants in LA."
Ricardo Zarate
Mo-Chica, Picca
Roy Choi Kogi, Chego...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
soup dumplings
@ Din Tai Fung
"I could eat 40 of these in one sitting. Juicy morsels of pork and cartilage melting away in a little bag of goodness."
Roy Choi
A-Frame, Alibi Room, Beechwood, Chego, Kogi
Sang Yoon Father's Office, Lukshon
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Juicy pork dumplings
@ Din Tai Fung
"As a chef, you appreciate food that takes a lot of effort and skill to make. These soup-filled dumplings are not only delicious, but they're little works of art."
Sang Yoon
Father’s Office, Lukshon
Sebastien Archambault L'Epicerie Market
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Pork belly with corn grits
@ RH
"Executive chef Pierre Gornes gets his high-quality pork belly from Niman Ranch, cooks it with some maple syrup and roasts it until it's very crisp. It's served with flavorful corn grits that are very creamy and sweet."
Sebastien Archambault
L’Epicerie Market
Susan Feniger Border Grill...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Loroco pupusa
@ Sarita’s Pupuseria, Grand Central Market
"You can't find loroco, a Central American flower, in many places. But at Sarita's, they manage to stuff the pupusa with a lot of cheese and loroco, which means it's not too doughy. With the cortida—a vinegary slaw of cabbage and carrots—it just makes a fantastic lunch."
Susan Feniger
Border Grill, Susan Feniger’s Street
Suzanne Goin AOC, Lucques, Tavern
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
French toast with mascarpone and prunes
@ Canele
"Corina Weibel's Canele is the ultimate neighborhood restaurant, perfectly LA casual and cool. The French toast is the ultimate weekend food. It's thick-cut, crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside with two of my favorite ingredients on top: melting creamy mascarpone and glazed prunes. Order a side of bacon (I like mine rare) to really push it over the edge."
Suzanne Goin
AOC, Lucques, Tavern
Suzanne Tracht Jar
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
The Godmother
@ Bay Cities Italian Deli
"I always order The Godmother, spicy with the works. It is so darn good. Don't plan on sharing this sandwich. If you let anyone have a bite you will never get it back."
Suzanne Tracht
Jar
Thomas Keller The French Laundry...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Omakse menu
@ Matsuhisa
"Opened in 1987 by the famous Nobu Matsuhisa, this is a true Los Angeles classic. I recommend the omakase menu. It's the best way to taste a range of things and get a real sense of the chef's talents."
Thomas Keller
The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon Bakery, Bouchon, Ad Hoc
Walter Manzke Republique...
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
King crab
@ Newport Seafood
"At this Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant in San Gabriel Valley, the live king crab is prepared right before you order it. There's nothing like it."
Walter Manzke
Wolfgang Puck Spago, CUT
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
Beef brisket
@ Red Medicine
"It's rare to see a whole brisket come to your table that is braised perfectly. It feeds the whole family and it's delicious to look at too."
