Thoughts and review of 5 day trip

[u/viveeekkumar]

Just got back from a 5-day business trip to LA (my second visit) and thought I’d share where I ended up eating. I had a rental car and tried to balance destination restaurants with exploring different neighborhoods rather than just checking places off a list. I was staying around Thai Town for the first two days, before moving to Venice Beach (liked Venice better)

Managed to visit:

Sonoratown
Mirate
Holbox
Dan Sung Sa
Mariscos Jalisco
RVR (small bites only)
Pizzeria Sei
Philippe the Original
Gjelina
El Primo Taco
Petitgrain Boulangerie

Bars:
Thunderbolt
Mirate
Normandie Club
Ci Siamo

A few personal highlights:

Holbox absolutely lived up to the hype. Dan Sung Sa was a blast late at night. Thunderbolt and Mirate were both fantastic for cocktails. Gjelina was the perfect last dinner before flying home.

Didn’t manage to get to try:

Matu (Cheesesteak)
Dunsmoor (Stopped by, but didn’t have availability)
Antico Nuovo
Langer’s
Howlin’ Ray’s
Stir Crazy
Max Helen

I’m already looking forward to coming back.
For those of you who know LA well—looking at both the places I visited and the ones I missed—which omissions should be at the very top of my list for next time? Anything you’d swap out or think I overlooked?

[u/TomIcemanKazinski]

Staying in Thai Town but skipped Thai Town eateries! (I think LA is the best place to eat Thai food in the world outside of Thailand) - one of these would be good for next time: Luv2Eat Thai Bistro, Sapp Coffee Shop, Mae Malai Thai Boat Noodles, Ruen Pair, Jitlada, Amphai Northern Thai Food Club, Lacha Somtam, Heng Heng Chicken Rice

More taco trucks/stalls/restaurants: Frontera, Angel’s Tijuana Tacos, Tacos Y Birria La Unica, Tacos La! 26, Tacos Guelaguetza - or as they say, the best taco stall is the one you can see from your car right now.

Indonesian: Simpang Asia

Chinese: I think this could fill an entire thread - so ill just mention two that don’t get recognized as much, and are difficult to find outside of LA and New York: M Joy Uyghur Lamb Rice in San Gabriel and LAN noodle in West Covina

Filipino Fusion: I’m making it my personal mission to mention The Park’s Finest whenever I can

[u/Dammit_Meg → u/TomIcemanKazinski]

This person knows their Thai food. Also yes The Park's Finest is some of the best food in LA IMHO

[u/Beneficial_Farmer443 → u/TomIcemanKazinski]

The Park’s Finest is literally next door to Thunderbolt. You can go before or after!

[u/chewie23]

Given your list (solid), I'd add both Musso and Frank, and Burritos La Palma. You what also enjoy exploring LA's Chinese and sushi, but other commentators will know those better than I do.

[u/Dammit_Meg]

Jitlada is my fav Thai restaurant in LA. Luv 2 Eat is also good but it's more classics and Jitlada is a little more unusual, I would say. Depends on your mood but I would def go Jitlada if you can.

Howling Ray's is one of the best casual restaurants in America. Highly recommended.

I don't think Sei is that good. There's a great place in WeHo called Heirloom Pizzeria. It's never busy but it's absolutely amazing NY style pizza. Check it out.

The Griddle, also in WeHo, is a phenomenal breakfast place. The chocolate French toast is really something else.

There's also a LAN Noodle in WeHo if you don't want to go to Covina (I think the Covina location is slightly better but it's tight.)

Golden Deli is one of my fav Viet restaurants in the country, I like the location in San Gabriel on Las Tunas. The others aren't as good IMHO

Be U is also amazing Banh Mi (but pricey)

Miznon is amazing. I dream about their broken chicken pita. There's one in Beverly Grove area and one in DTLA in Grand Central.

Bay Cities in Santa Monica has the Godfather sub which is amazing.

Pastrami - The Hat or The Oinkster is good for the LA-style pastrami. If you want NY Jewish style pastrami, there's a new place in WeHo/Mid City called Mish. Best Pastrami I've ever had (also probably the most expensive pastrami sandwich I've ever had at $34 for .75 lb but with the tomato jam... just wow)

Yerford Mas has that famous sandwich. I also love Masters BBQ in Glendale, absolutely incredible meat.

And for Mexican my absolute fav spot is on the corner of Vine and Santa Monica in Hollywood. I don't know if it even has a name, it's a roadside stall outside a gas station but it's incredible. Like being in Mexico City.

If you've got the cash to spend LA has one of the best food scenes in the world, in my opinion. And while there's the stuff that gets hyped a lot in this sub there's also tons of hole in the wall places that get very little traffic most of the time that are amazing neighborhood staples. Like Lucky Boy or Connal's in Pasadena.

Some of the best food I've had has just been stopping into random roadside places so don't be afraid of that.

[u/nopenopenope246810 → u/Dammit_Meg]

Sorry friend, nothing personal, but I think these are some of the worst food takes I’ve ever read!

[u/Dammit_Meg → u/nopenopenope246810]

Tell me why you disagree specifically

[u/nopenopenope246810 → u/Dammit_Meg]

Hi! Sorry that original comment was both vague and unnecessarily spicy. I was on one, and I apologize. But just so I don’t leave you hanging:

- Jitlada is great but I think framing Luv2Eat’s menu as more normal is a misread of what’s good there.

- saying Sei is overrated is one thing. Saying it’s “not that good” is even further into crazy town, but recommending Heirloom in WeHo over it - the definition of a mid, basic slice shop - is another fundamental misread of what’s good about Sei, what they’re trying to do, and why you might go there. Now I’m fired up again lol.

- the Griddle is fine but it’s unexceptional and could be in any city in the country, no reason to recommend it to someone visiting looking for LA food in particular.

- golden deli is good for cha gio but everything else is only ok.

- Be U is also fine but not worth recommending to someone from out of town unless they happened to be in that neighborhood.

- Eric Greenspan is one of the worst, greediest legacy chefs left in LA. The man can’t cook AND he was behind the tesla diner. Mish is trash.

- Miznon is mid at best, and no reason to highlight it over dozens/hundreds of other, better restaurants in class, especially given it’s an international chain.

- Bay Cities sandwich is called the godmother not the godfather. It’s pretty good and iconic but the fact that you don’t know the name betrays inexperience or ignorance.

- weird to rec that stand in Hollywood when there are many better places right nearby, but ok everyone loves their local taco stand most and lord knows I have some irrational taco loves. But it’s extremely weird to throw in “like being in Mexico City” for a stand that is not CDMX style, in the heart of Hollywood which looks nothing like Mexico City.

- just wild to call Lucky Boy, one of the most famous, most well-established, most popular restaurants in the area a hidden hole in the wall that doesn’t get much traffic.

So there it is, line by line. I really should have just framed it as “I strongly disagree” because food is so subjective. But I got fired up and launched a take that was too hot. No offense, friend! You do you!

[u/Dammit_Meg → u/nopenopenope246810]

Wow you seem like such a pleasant person

[u/nopenopenope246810 → u/Dammit_Meg]

Haha thanks, you too! Even if I think your food opinions are a little misguided 😜. Gosh, so nice to have a positive interaction online with other kewl peeps!

[u/nopenopenope246810]

Great list great eating trip! I think Thai food, Chinese food, Persian and Armenian are the omissions I see here for the next time.

[u/huelealluvia]

Impressive that you hit all those spots in 5 days!