Though they were only serving in town for one night, the chefs and staff behind the Mexico City supernova Masala y Maíz managed to cause what felt like a temporary ripple in L.A. dining during their pop-up last week. It reminded this diner that despite the era's current dedication to culinary and cultural boundaries - you should only cook what you know, write what you know - a spirit of mixture and melding can actually lead to something extraordinary, and not cringey, in practice.
Los Angeles is one of the greatest food cities in the world, but making any kind of dent in trying its sprawling offerings - from world-class tacos to Korean barbecue to innovative California cuisine - can feel like a Sisyphean task. There's never a shortage of new places, surprise closings have become the norm, and more harrowingly, prices keep climbing with no ceiling in sight.
The James Beard Foundation revealed its full list of James Beard Awards semifinalists today, Jan. 21, with more than two dozen Los Angeles County chefs and restaurants receiving recognition. The semifinalists for Best Chef: California include Dave Beran of Seline, Brian Dunsmoor of Dunsmoor, Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer at Kismet, Andrew Muñoz and Michelle Muñoz of Moo's Craft Barbecue, Charles Namba of Camélia and Kwang Uh of Baroo.
The last decade has seen monumental shifts toward vegan dining, and Crossroads Kitchen in Beverly Grove has played a major role. Clichés can overwhelm discussions surrounding vegan restaurants, with side-eyed assumptions on menus that emphasize tofu, meat substitutes, and nutritional yeast. Yet chef and founder Tal Ronnen has struck a chord in Los Angeles and beyond with white tablecloths, stellar wines, intimate service, and an innovative menu favored by locals and A-list celebrities.
The great truth of Los Angeles dining has, and I trust always will be, that $500 omakases and caviar-spackled tasting menus exist alongside tacos stands, noodle parlors, shawarma shops and sandwich specialists - the places, often mirroring the culture of their communities, that give the city its truest from-the-ground-up identity. This is the second year that columnist Jenn Harris and I have co-written the annual 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles,
In early August, Food columnist Jenn Harris and I convened at Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles in Hollywood for a lunch meeting. Our purpose (beyond savoring $8.95 bowls of Malai Data's signature boat noodles): to begin creating The Times' annual guide to the 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, our second one together. The 2025 edition - the work of which kicked off over our summer meal - goes live online on Tuesday evening.
After years of anticipation, Singapore's xiao long bao specialist Paradise Dynasty just made its Los Angeles debut. The restaurant opened on Friday, November 21, at the Americana at Brand, in the former Din Tai Fung space. Joining Paradise Dynasty at the Americana is Le Shrimp Noodle Bar, a sister restaurant serving shrimp broth noodles. This is the second U.S. location for Paradise Dynasty, which made its stateside debut in 2021 at South Coast Plaza;
You're here for the pizza, so start with a cheese slice: Like a French omelet or a pilsner, there's nowhere to hide with a plain pie. Bub's version is pristine with bright tomato sauce tempered by dried herbs and sourdough tang throughout. They don't claim to be New York style, and that's wise: the pie is a little puffier with a tart crust that yields rather than shatters.
One of my favorite things to eat when I'm in Thailand is leng saap, a tower of pork ribs drowned in an aggressively spicy blend of fish sauce, lime, and Thai chiles that's often served with cubes of pork blood. It's a dish that's hard to come across in Los Angeles, but I enjoyed it recently in an unlikely place: Haemaru Sullungtang in Koreatown.
On L.A.'s heat map, you'll often find the hottest temperatures concentrated in the San Fernando Valley. But despite this reputation, there are still plenty of places worth ducking into for more than a blast of cool AC. Home to roughly half of L.A.'s population and dozens of neighborhoods, the Valley boasts a parade of sushi restaurants along Ventura Boulevard, a thrilling Thai food scene, long-standing burger shacks and plenty of breweries, wine and cocktail bars. And arguably the best restaurant in the region just reopened its doors after remodeling its dining room.
