Enjoy perusing my Travel Blog Post: Los Angeles! I find L.A. to be one of those cities where you just have to go and see it for yourself in order to appreciate it and understand the hype around it. If I just went to the touristy areas like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc., I would have hated it but having ventured outside of those spots and gone to neighborhoods such as Echo Park Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Chinatown, Koreatown, and Highland Park, I absolutely fell in love with L.A. L.A. is an incredible amalgamation of global cuisines, vibes nestled on hills and a short drive away from the beach with gorgeous sunsets.
While I have previously written about L.A. gems, I’ve returned several times since I first wrote those blog posts in 2020 since L.A. is my favorite American city to visit. So I figured it was time to update my recommendations. However, my previous blog posts are still very helpful and are more thorough.
I decided to organize my recommendations by neighborhood/regions since L.A. is so vast and each neighborhood truly has a different vibe.
Downtown, Chinatown, Koreatown
The past few times I’ve visited L.A., I have stayed downtown so these recommendations are either downtown or in neighborhoods relatively close to downtown such as Chinatown and Koreatown.
Given how Chicago doesn’t really have Taiwanese cuisine (that I know of), I was hungry to try some in L.A. Pine & Crane is an absolute gem of L.A. with another location in Silver Lake that I also hear is wonderful with a slightly different menu. Come hungry because you’re going to want to try a lot of different dishes.
We started out with their soothing vegetarian hot and sour soup, which was bursting with flavor. And one can’t go to a Taiwanese spot without trying some dim sum so we got chive dumplings, which were crispy and delicious. As a vegetarian, I have a difficult time finding DanDan Noodles without pork so I definitely had to try their DanDan noodles, which is an absolute specialty. It’s a casual order-at-the-counter spot with indoor and outdoor seating.
Why would I go to Cabra when there’s one in Chicago? Each Cabra has a different seasonal menu and I love all of Top Chef Season 3 winner Stephanie Izard’s restaurants, so yes I went here. There are also beautiful views of downtown L.A. so I highly recommend coming to The Hoxton’s Cabra during sunset.
Come here for a cocktail and views or stay for some bites. Their menu rotates seasonally but whatever vegetable you get, it’s going to be delicious. I had incredible brussels sprouts on a bed of whipped tofu, bing bread, and crispy cauliflower. While there is a lot of seafood here, you can get a vegan menu!
How could I not visit a spot with a French name that translates to something along the lines of “sad café”? This super hip neighborhood café is always bustling. Their sidewalk patio has a DIY aesthetic and you can go indoors for something cozier. Café Triste specializes in natural wines so I of course had an amazing funky orange wine. Their bites looked intriguing but I was full from Cabra.
Oaxacan cuisine is a specialty in L.A., and while it may seem meat heavy at times, I was able to find this unique gem of a spot called Guelagetza that has vegan and vegetarian versions of Oaxacan classics. I was so grateful to be able to try a vegetarian Tlayuda with a sultry mole and satisfying enchiladas both smothered in Oaxacan string cheese. I cannot wait to return here the next time I’m in L.A.!
Everytime I come to L.A., I have to come back to Majordomo because it’s a phenomenal spot and the only way I can try David Chang’s cuisine since I am not in NYC frequently (the home of Momofuku). There is usually a wait but it’s not super difficult to get a reservation. As I would expect for a David Chang restaurant, it’s a super hip/vibey spot with a rich assortment of cocktails.
For more gustatory delights, I always love their seasonal rotating salads as they’re always crunchy and of course their bing bread with an assortment of dips like eggplant and sea salt butter honey. Their mushroom fried rice is super appetizing served in a deep bowl with crispy rice at the bottom.
Conveniently located across the street from Majordomo is hidden cocktail oasis, Apotheke. The vibe and cocktails are just as hip as the name. Apotheke has a collection of absinthe and very unique well-balanced cocktails. If you’re looking to dance, they have a DJ on the weekends playing disco/house.
Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park
These neighborhoods are how I fell in love with L.A. and always make a point of hanging out here as there is plentiful vegetarian food, beautiful parks, and lots of hip coffee/matcha cafes!
Craving matcha? Enjoy this super chic spot with a quaint sidewalk café specializing in matcha lattes while also having serious coffee beverages like espresso and pour-overs.
Botanica Restaurant and Market
I appreciate that with the temperate climate of L.A., there are more opportunities to experience fresh, farm-to-table cuisine that truly honors vegetables. You just feel good and healthy after experiencing a meal at Botanica. We started off with citrus-coriander Castelvetrano olives topped with rose petals (I know, what a dream) and then proceeded to have a comforting marinated heirloom white bean toast topped with fennel pollen on divine bread. We concluded our meal with some crispy mushroom brown rice and an intriguing root lasagna topped with heavenly parmesan.
Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher Shop
One can’t go to L.A. without visiting an exclusively vegan spot so I had to go to Maciel’s and try this casual vegan butchery. While they do have brunch options, I came for the vegan Italian sub because I used to love eating these before I became vegetarian. The Italian is a robust sandwich with vegan salami, pastrami, provolone, tomato, arugula, pepperoncini, and a red wine vinaigrette on a toasted hoagie. I wish I could have tried more here but will just have to return!
Whenever anyone tells me they’re going to L.A., I tell them they MUST go to Night + Market Song because it’s unique and bursting with flavors. Being a Thai food lover and living in a city where there isn’t great Thai food, I get very excited as I arrive even though there’s always a wait. But it’s worth the wait and since you’re in L.A., it’s usually warm enough to walk around outside while you’re waiting.
Grab a bottle of natural wine (what place doesn’t have natural wine in L.A.?) to share with friends to start and then order a bunch of appetizers to share such as their vegan larb salad (it’s hard to find vegan larb because it usually comes with minced meat), tofu lettuce wraps and divine green beans. Then, order some curry like their sweet potato Massaman Curry with roti, Pad See Ew Gai (drunken noodles), and obviously the royal Khao Soi (golden curry – a vegetarian one).
If you’re craving a refreshing natural wine spot after gorging your face at Night+ Market Song, look no further than Bar Bandini. This cozy, dimly lit neighborhood spot has a great assortment of natural wine with a side of vinyl. A perfect spot for long-lasting conversations.
- Hungry for more travel recommendations? Check out my other travel blog posts here.
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