Although we have only been living in L.A. for two years, we have tried quite a number of restaurants and I feel that I can at least make some recommendations of my personal favorites. We were very excited about the food scene when we first moved, as it is much larger and more diverse than what we had in Phoenix. This list isn’t necessarily ranked in order of preference, but is rather a compilation of all the places I enjoy the most in Los Angeles.
Pizza
I am a pizza lover. I could eat pizza almost every day of the week (and sometimes do). We have tried many many pizza places in LA and sadly, many have been disappointing. Here are the ones that we return to again and again.
- Pizzeria Sei is maybe the best pizza I’ve ever had? Tokyo style Neapolitan (look it up!) at it’s finest, in a cozy spot in Pico Robertson. We always order the Diavola pizza (tomato, fior di latte cheese, basil, soppressate, chili flakes, Castelvetrano olives, and parmigiano reggiano), the burrata with toasted bread (save the plate of yummy olive oil to dip pizza crust into), and tricolore salad (arugula, radicchio, endive, parmigiano reggiano, and preserved lemon dressing). The service is always lovely and the prices are relatively reasonable (for LA). I would recommend reservations if you’re going for dinner.
- Pizzana was formerly my favorite LA pizza spot, before I discovered Pizzeria Sei, and it’s still one of my top picks. They have an inventive menu with different specials and a cool indoor/outdoor vibe at the West Hollywood location. I recommend the Diavola pizza (spicy salami, fior di latte cheese, charred shallot, walnut romesco, and honey) or the classic pepperoni. The wood-fired broccolini with whipped ricotta, roasted garlic, parmigiano, honey, and calabrian chili oil makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I’ve hear their chocolate olive oil cake is amazing as well, but haven’t had a chance to try it yet. This is another spot where reservations are a good idea for dinner, with locations in Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, and West Hollywood.
- Pane Bianco is a Phoenix transplant from chef Chris Bianco. I grew up eating at Pizzeria and Pane Bianco and was so excited to have locations in LA open recently. They are located at the Row in downtown LA. I have not yet had dinner at Pizzeria Bianco in LA, so I will stick to adding Pane Bianco to the list for now. This is an offshoot of Pizzeria Bianco that features NY style pizza by the slice, as well as sandwiches and “alla paella” focaccia slices (my favorite). Parking is free and easy (rare!) and it’s counter service so no reservations necessary. Only open until 4 pm.
Japanese
There are lots of amazing Japanese restaurants in the L.A. area, but these three are our favorites in their respective categories. We go to Iki & Kura very often, and Hamasaku for special occasions.
- Iki Ramen would make my list of top 5 restaurants in LA. The best ramen I’ve had outside Japan (get the burnt garlic tonkotsu or truffle butter tonkotsu), as well as fresh, delicious sushi. Our go-tos are the crispy rice tuna, the pork kakuni bao (pork belly bao), the chashu don (pork belly rice bowl), and the salmon truffle grab hand roll, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Don’t forget the shio koji ice cream for dessert! The service is efficient and friendly (they always remember us!) and the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality. Parking can be challenging in the small lot (typical for Koreatown) and the strip mall exterior disguises the aesthetically pleasing interior. They utilize Yelp Waitlist and you can also make a reservation. They have opened a second location in Hollywood but we have yet to visit.
- Kura Sushi is a chain, but a good one. This is our go-to for affordable sushi in LA. We always go to the Koreatown location, which is clean and has easy garage parking. We never order enough to get any of the prizes, but it would be fun to come in a larger group and see what comes out of the machine when you insert enough plates. My favorite is the seared salmon with cream cheese and the bluefin tuna. They have a waitlist feature through their app, which I would recommend since there is usually a line for dinner. You really can’t beat it for the price, and the quality has never been bad.
- Hamasaku Sushi in Westwood is the place to go for omakase. It’s hard to believe now but I didn’t really like nigiri before we went to Hamasaku for my birthday last year. I only ate spicy tuna rolls or Philadelphia rolls (cream cheese and smoked salmon), not exactly the most authentic sushi. But we had such a delicious meal here sitting at the sushi bar, with freshly made nigiri served with the perfect amount of wasabi and ginger that now I can’t get enough raw fish. Sad for my wallet but happy for my tastebuds; Hamasaku is the perfect place to go for special occasion sushi.
Korean
We live very close to Koreatown and are so grateful because it is an area with so many delicious food options, as well as some of the best coffeeshops in LA (which will be detailed in a future post).
- MDK Noodles is my favorite spot for Korean noodle soup, especially when I’m sick. I always get the spicy knife cut chicken noodle soup. It comes with tasty kimchi and beansprout sides dishes and is big enough to share. Prices are very affordable and the soup always comes out quickly.
- Magal BBQ: Korean bbq is always a crowd-pleaser with large groups or visitors from out of town. We’ve been to a couple spots in Ktown but this is our favorite due to the high quality of the meat, banchan (side dishes), and classy interior. The servers also cook the meat for you, which is nice if you’re intimidated by the thought of cooking it yourself. Don’t forget to order a couple bottles of soju to share!
- CHD Mandu LA: Mandu are yummy yummy Korean dumplings. The kimchi pork mandu are my favorite, but they offer a sampler plate so you can try several different flavors. They also have a variety of dipping sauces (I recommend the lime mayo and the gourmet soy). The menu features other Korean dishes to supplement the mandu as well, like tteokbokki, noodles, and fried rice. Super affordable and quick place to grab a fantastic meal.
Everything Else
- Din Tai Fung is also a chain but their consistency and quality of food makes it worthy of being on a best restaurants list. Originally from Taiwan, Din Tai Fung is known for their Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), as well as a variety of other tasty Taiwanese dishes. The service is always on point no matter what location we go to and the food is delicious every time. Our typical order for two people: soy noodle salad, pork xiao long bao, sesame noodles, pork and vegetable spicy wontons, and the amazing chocolate mochi XLB for dessert. Locations in Glendale and Century City.
- The Win-dow is best known as a burger spot but basically everything they do is amazing. We probably come here twice a month on average, which is saying something because their two locations are in Silverlake and Venice- not exactly nearby. While the burgers are fantastic, with grilled onions and a light spread of sauce, my favorite item is their kale salad. God, it’s good. Kale, parmesan, croutons, juicy little raisins, and a lemony vinaigrette to top it off. And it’s only $8. The other components of my usual order are the crispy chicken sandwich (light, with a tangy slaw) and the lemonade (just the right mix of sweet and sour and only $2.50). If we lived close by, I would be grabbing the salad multiple times a week to eat as a side dish for dinner. I really can’t say enough good things about the Win-dow. We prefer to go to the Venice location, as it’s located at the same site as a steakhouse called American Beauty and has a lovely patio, while the Silverlake location is just more of sidewalk seating situation. I recommend ordering online, as the line can get long on the weekends.
- Simpang Asia: I had never tried Indonesian food before dining at Simpang but I fell in love immediately. Our usual order: the roti (flaky, comes with an addictive curry dipping sauce), the chicken satay (best I’ve ever had), and the Rames plate (includes fried noodles, coconut beef, turmeric chicken, rice, and garlic string beans). Very affordable, while still offering a nice dining environment. Locations in Palms and Venice.
- Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar in Venice is a restaurant you can find us at at least a couple times a month. They have a great happy hour in the bar/lounge area until 7 pm and a huge selection of cheeses. We usually order the gnocco fritto (fried puffs of pizza dough with cold burrata and tomato sauce to dip in), the mezze manicche (rigatoni with sausage and peas in cream sauce), the crispy artichoke salad (heaven on earth), and a couple of cheeses, which come with accompaniments like crackers, nuts, dried fruit, honey, and jam. The service is wonderful and it’s a casual yet classy environment and the perfect way to unwind after a long week. There’s another location in Santa Monica but I’m not sure what the relationship is between the two restaurants as they are very different, so I would recommend the Venice location. Reservations not usually necessary.
- Badmaash is a very hip Indian restaurant (picture dark lighting and thumping bass). The food, while expensive, is phenomenal. The fried chicken with serrano-cream dipping sauce is a favorite of mine, along with the butter chicken, and rosemary naan. Don’t forget to end your meal with a cup of chai. thingsLocations in Downtown LA and Fairfax (my preferred location).
- Grand Central Market is not a restaurant, but rather a food hall with a variety of eateries inside, located in Downtown LA. This is a great place to take out-of-towners, as it showcases LA’s diverse dining scene while allowing everyone to get whatever kind of food they want, rather than all having to eat at the same restaurant. We haven’t even come close to trying all the different places to eat inside the market, but our go-tos are Shiku for delicious Korean food, Olio for a quick and yummy pizza, and Ana Maria for tacos.
There are many great places that I don’t have on the list, I may do a more thorough list by area or cuisine down the road!
