The Best Steak Dishes in Los Angeles

10/31/2013

Matthew Kang

Los Angeles might not have the pedigree of Chicago, New York, or even Las Vegas when it comes to steakhouses, but that doesn't mean that it's lost a step in presenting solid interpretations of steak. Though steak is often the most ubiquitous and predictable order on menus across the city, restaurants have drawn from everything from mid-century dining style to ethnic flavors, such as Korean and Peruvian. The result is this eclectic collection of the best steaks in Los Angeles.

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Deep-fried silkworms at Jitlada

The Scariest Dishes in Los Angeles

10/21/2013

Joshua Lurie

We dare you to try one the 15 most frightening foods in Los Angeles. Sure, some diners have more intestinal fortitude than others, but we’ve got a variety of flavorful, visual and aromatic options that will get anyone's attention.

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Inaba bowl at Ichimi Ann

The Best Japanese Noodles in Los Angeles

07/12/2013

Matthew Kang

Japanese cuisine has a wide range of styles and contexts, but noodles are one area that the culture has essentially mastered. Placed in broth, dipped in sauces, tossed with every possible ingredient, these chewy strands are addictive, fun to eat, and incredibly adaptable. Los Angeles has benefited from the proliferation of Japanese cuisine, not just through sushi, but through the common comfort food that pervades the East Asian country. Much of L.A.'s Japanese cuisine finds its foundation in the South Bay, where many immigrants first arrived and set up shop. But there are also great noodle restaurants on the Westside and of course Little Tokyo in Downtown L.A. From hefty white udon noodles to umami-rich ramen and chewy soba, here's a sampler of some of the best Japanese noodles in Los Angeles.

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The Best Seafood in Los Angeles

06/20/2013

Bill Esparza

Catch a wave, Los Angeles - we are seeing the city transform into a seafood paradise with the fresh addition of new American and globally influenced seafood raw bars and hot bars. Thanks to our many international communities, we’ve got even more of the ocean to explore. Here are some cool spots for the best seafood in Los Angeles.

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Top Korean Barbecues in Los Angeles

05/02/2013

Matthew Kang

The sizzle and smoke of the tabletop Korean barbecue is one of the definitive features of the L.A. dining scene. The abundance of well-priced American protein and a rabid following of diners has created a critical mass of restaurants specializing in grilled meats, nearly overshadowing the love of barbecue in the motherland itself. Through the years, barbecue restaurants have segmented into various categories – premium, all-you-can-eat, and middle-ranged a la carte, with each place trumpeting a particular specialty or stand-out side dish. Still other places emphasize the grilling devices and methods, where some employ charcoal for a smokier experience and others rely on special grates for more direct heat.

Barbecue is best enjoyed with a glass of ice cold Hite, a simple Korean lager, or a chilled shot of soju, the national spirit of choice. Think of Korean barbecues almost like more affordable steakhouses, where it's easy to get together with friends and family for a casual lunch or evening to celebrate the variety and quality of great beef, pork, and banchan. It's hard to go wrong with that formula.

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Andrew Zimmern's Los Angeles

04/10/2013

Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern is a two-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer and teacher. The globe-trotting host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern recently led an expert panel of celebrity foodies to create the list of 100 nominees for the 2013 Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards. Now through April 30, 2013, the public is invited to vote for the Munchies here.

Find out some of Andrew Zimmern’s favorite places to eat and stay in Los Angeles.

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Beef stew egg noodles at Kim Kee Noodle House

The Best Southeast Asian Noodles in Los Angeles County

03/15/2013

Dylan Ho

In cultures around the world, noodles are an integral part of everyday life, from waiting two hours outside of a ramen stall in Japan to the instant form that’s become a rite of passage for college undergrads. Noodles offer therapy for those feeling under the weather or homesick, or to begin the healing process after a night of overindulgence. Whatever the case, for millions of people hardly a day goes by without noodles at some point.

Los Angeles and its surrounding areas offer a lot of heavy noodling, and for aficionados there’s even more enjoyment to be found with noodles than Chinese dumplings. During the late 1970s, the Vietnam War caused an influx of Asian immigration into the United States. The people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) sought refuge here and they brought the one thing that kept them alive for generations: noodles. A key influence on the noodle dishes from these countries are the Southeast Chinese from the province of Chiu Chow (pronunciation in Cantonese), Chao Zhou (pronunciation in Mandarin), Trieu Chau (pronunciation in Vietnamese) and Teo Chew (pronunciation in Thai/Cambodian).

Historically, the Chiu Chow Chinese are some of the smartest, fastest-moving, hardest-working merchants and sojourners of the Chinese diaspora. Their footprints can be tracked in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan (Fujian), Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and even the Philippines. Essentially, they are everywhere, and so is their food. When you walk into a restaurant that offers 3-4 different languages on the menu, you're most likely in a Chiu Chow establishment. It will usually be Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and sometimes Thai.

The following round-up of some of the best noodles in Los Angeles County focuses on dishes from Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle" and Southeast China (Chao Zhou/Fujian/Hainan provinces).

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Xiao long bao

The Best Chinese Dumplings in Los Angeles

01/10/2013

Dylan Ho

In Chinese culture, dumplings symbolize wealth and good fortune. For Chinese New Year and beyond, here’s a selection of the best Chinese dumplings in Los Angeles, many that are likely outside your comfort zone.

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