Los Angeles · United States
The Los Angeles food cheat sheet
One page from Chef Amazing · November 2026
The dish to eat
Beef short ribs marinated in soy, pear and garlic, grilled at the table and eaten in lettuce with banchan.
Best at Park's BBQ, Koreatown, Vermont Avenue. Get: Galbi (marinated short rib) and the prime beef cuts
Five places, and what to order
- My Dung Sandwich Shopmarket stall · ChinatownGet: Bánh mì đặc biệt (the classic with pâté and cold cuts)
- Liu's Cafecafé · KoreatownGet: Braised pork belly rice
- Borekas Sephardic Pastriesbakery · Sherman OaksGet: Spinach and cheese borekas with the pickles and eggs
- Mariscos Jaliscofor tacos dorados de camarón · Boyle HeightsGet: Taco de camarón, shrimp taco fried crisp
- Philippe The Originalfor French dip · Chinatown / Olvera Street areaGet: Beef or lamb French dip, double-dipped, with hot mustard
The market
Market hall. Tacos, multicultural food counters
The line worth it
Howlin' Ray'sChinatown
Get: Nashville hot chicken sandwich, ordered medium if you're new to it
Expect: Often 1 to 2 hours on weekends. Beat it: Join the online waitlist or go at weekday opening.
In season this November
Persimmon · Pomegranate · Dungeness crab
How it works here
Tip: Tip 18-22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at the bar.
Book: Book the hot places on Resy or OpenTable, often the day tables drop (2-4 weeks out); counters and slices are walk-in.
When locals eat: Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6-9pm; it gets late only in the big cities.