July 15, 2021Three days in the city of Angels is hardly enough time to sample all that Los Angeles has to offer. Nonetheless, it's fun to take on a new culinary adventure in one of the most vibrant cities in the State of California.
Los Angeles ranks high as one of the most populated cities in the United States. Plus, it’s a gastronomic melting pot of cultures from all over the world. From sampling of authentic Asian dishes in the heart of K-town, to the tempting offerings of modern gastronomy, there are literally thousands of restaurants from all price points worthy of quick bites or sit down feasts. For food lovers everywhere, this is where you quell your most savage appetites.
Here are some of our most delicious stops in Los Angeles California:
Yamazaki Bakery (Little Tokyo)
123 Japanese Village Plaza Mall #3908, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Yamazaki is a delightful cafe specializing in various Japanese-style breads, pastries, buns and cakes. Their vibrant collection behind the glass counters makes you want to try every item just to satisfy both your curiosity and your sweet tooth. You can even quench your thirst with their collection of hot and cold drinks, or take home a nice hot steamed bun with various fillings.
Kagura (Little Tokyo)
137 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Kagura is a nice restaurant located in the middle of Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza with outdoor seating for a relaxing al fresco experience. They offer Japanese fare with menu items like fresh sushi rolls, appetizers, salad, soup and even ramen noodles and various Asian-inspired noodle dishes. They also have a pretty extensive collection of sake, along with some Japanese beer, soju and wine. Plus, check their Dalgona coffee. For those who haven’t heard of it, it is a glass of whipped, slightly sweetened instant coffee layered atop cold milk with ice. Try it, it’s delicious.
Sprinkles Cupcakes
735 South Figueroa Street #210, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Sprinkles Cupcakes has been around since 2005 in various locations across the United States. But we’ve never had a chance to savor their delicious cupcakes until our LA visit. What makes Sprinkles a noteworthy contender on this list? Their cupcakes are freakin’ awesome! Most cupcakes we’re tried are mostly too sweet for our tastes. Hence, we’ve never been a big fan of them. Sampling one of their cupcakes changed all that! Their frosting reminded us of the some of the best desserts we’ve tried in Europe. There’s a level of creaminess and flavor you can taste, instead of just a robust amount of sweetness hitting you straight on. The cakes are very moist and true to their flavors. Our favorite by far are their Double Chocolate Cupcakes. Yum!
Ladurée
311 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Nothing speaks French elegance than an afternoon tea with some delightful crumpets. LaDuree in Beverly Hills is a French luxury bakery with some of the most gorgeous collection of pastries, sandwiches and more. French macarons are one of our personal favorites with their crisp crust and chewy center, and of course that nice cream in the middle. This is a good place to try them. They even have chocolate dipped macarons! You have to also sample their eclairs and tarts. They’re to die for.
Turn Dough
1425 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
Who doesn’t want ice cream on a hot day in LA? Turn Dough specializes in chimney cakes and ice cream cones which are actually freshly-baked cinnamon cones with your choice of filling. You can pile your ice cream high with your own choice of toppings including a gigantic piece of toasted marshmallow, or a lit candle if you get their Bday Cake, which is the one we got. It’s a bit too sweet for our taste, but it’s a lot of fun and definitely an Instagrammable treat!
Egg Tuck
3458 Wilshire Blvd Unit #1/2, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Egg Tuck is an unintentional find while waiting for our ride at a Korea Town bus stop, and it as well worth it! Egg Tuck is a small restaurant offering some of the best Korean egg sandwiches we’ve ever had. You’ll be lulled by a mouthful of flavors with every bite. The scrambled egg filling is super soft like eating a delicious creamy cloud. The toppings adds a delicious layer of flavor complimenting the egg cloud it sits on. Even the thick toast is super delicious, buttery and fragrant. Perfect to-go breakfast to match the fast-paced LA lifestyle.
Waffleshot (Original Farmer’s Market)
6333 W 3rd St stall 530, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Ever had a cup of coffee where you can literally eat the cup? Sure, why not? Waffleshot offers coffee and hot chocolate in waffle cones coated with bittersweet Belgian chocolate, white chocolate, or cookies and cream. The guy at the stall was super awesome! He tried to make a heart on our hot chocolate because Jen Jen asked, even though it was darn near impossible because of its small size. You can also have ice cream in these delicious cones.
Monsieur Marcel Bistro (Original Farmer’s Market)
6333 W 3rd St #150, Los Angeles, CA 90036
French restaurant in the middle of a public market in LA. Monsieur Marcel Bistro offers a refreshing al fresco dining venue for busy market shoppers, with offerings of fresh seafood, salad, cheese, charcuterie and choice of fine wines, shellfish and caviar. As seafood lovers, we were naturally drawn towards the Grand seafood platter with fresh mussels, oysters, clams, scallops, jumbo shrimp and lobster. Be warned that some of the shellfish is raw. If you’re not a fan of raw seafood, you can always ask them to grill it for you. Either way, the freshness and quality is superb.
Nonna’s Empanadas (Original Farmer’s Market)
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Empanadas are baked or fried turnovers with different delicious fillings inside its delicious flaky exterior. You can’t miss Nonna’s delicious empanadas with mouth-watering flavors like chicken, beef, pork, seafood and veggies along with some unique combinations like chicken alfredo, mac & cheese, salsa verde chicken, Philly cheesesteak, and many others. Each empanada is made with their signature mark on the outside. Perfect finger food for foodies on the go.
Singapore’s Banana Leaf (Original Farmer’s Market)
6333 W 3rd St #122, Los Angeles, CA 90036
If Asian fare is what you crave, Singapore’s Banana Leaf is a great stop as they bring in delectable flavors with their exciting menu of stir fried noodles, curry, and meat skewers. Dishes are served on banana leaves prepared fresh while you wait. Of course there’s a sign that says, and I paraphrase, “this is not fast food, please wait patiently”. Glad it’s worth the wait. The food is delicious and the flavors robust. Love the perfect blend of spices of their Mee Indo Style noodles. Pan-fried noodles with two chicken skewers and a fried egg on top. Delicious.
Water Grill
544 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Downtown LA has countless dining options. Elevated among the many is this landmark serving all kinds of delicious seafoods from vibrant sushi options, raw bar, chilled shellfish, salads, sandwiches, and whole fish to premium cuts of steaks like filet mignon and a nice juicy bone-in ribeye.
We barely made it to our reservation but they were nice enough to accommodate us. We tried their spicy lobster roll and the wild Hawaiian swordfish. The swordfish was quite delicious with the spaghetti squash adding a nice touch and textural contrast. The lobster roll was pretty awesome! Delicious bits of lobster meat rolled up with rice, creamy avocado with spicy mayo and lobster eel sauce.
Somi Somi
11311 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025
One of our most memorable stops in LA was this Korean ice cream and taiyaki chain restaurant. It’s our first time in this restaurant so we have no idea what to expect.
Ube should be a common ice cream flavor in the United States. This purple colored sweet delight has been our favorite ice cream flavor since childhood. But Somi-Somi got everything right on this one. Soft-served ice cream served in a fish shaped waffle cone. Heaven! The ice cream is top notch. Not overwhelmingly sweet, and we can taste the creaminess unlike any soft-served ice cream we’ve ever had. The taiyaki, or fish shaped waffle, is also out of this world with different fillings of ube, cheese, as well as cookies and cream. It’s no ordinary waffle either. The outside has that slight crunch and the inside is satisfyingly chewy, almost like it’s made with sticky rice. Such a wonderful find!
Veranda Al Fresco
939 S Figueroa St #500, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Hotel Figueroa boasts of this lovely poolside lounge tempting their guests with authentic Mexican cuisine, great selection of cocktails, and a relaxing tropical vibe that spells relaxation and fun. Long story short, it’s the perfect place to chill and enjoy a great meal while staying in this iconic boutique hotel, Hotel Figueroa. You can never go wrong with seafood and their shrimp tacos are simply delicious!
Sun Nong Dan
3470 W 6th St #7, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Sun Nong Dan is another unexpected find during our LA Trip, but the food is simply delicious and without doubt a noteworthy dining destination. Our initial hankering for Korean BBQ led us to Koreatown where the exhilarating late night scene brims with Korean BBQ restaurants with tabletop grills, karaoke joints and flamboyant clubs. Unfortunately for us, long lines await hungry patrons and it was much too long of a wait for our empty stomachs. Check out their spicy pork belly stew. Sorry forgot the actual name of the dish. The pork was amazingly tender and super flavorful. Fatty, melt in your mouth goodness with that superbly delicious sauce that goes perfectly with rice.
Mexican Street Corn at the Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Strolling through the crowded paths of Santa Monica Pier, you can’t help but notice street vendors selling Elotes, or Grilled Mexican Street Corn charred on the grill and slathered in creamy mayo, chili, garlic and lime. Oh these things are mucho delicioso for sure!
