Food Guide to Los Angeles — Where and What to Eat

Food trucks: the LA original

Los Angeles invented the modern food truck. The Kogi Korean BBQ truck (Roy Choi, 2008) started the fusion food truck movement that swept the US. Find current trucks at Roaming Hunger (app and website). Me So Hungry: Filipino-Hawaiian, the garlic noodles are legendary. Peaches Smokehouse: Texas BBQ in LA form. The trucks post their locations on Twitter/X and Instagram daily. In Koreatown: the Korean BBQ trucks outside the malls on weekends are an institution.

Koreatown: 24-hour eating

Koreatown (K-Town) is a 24-hour city within a city: 10 square miles, over 100 Korean restaurants. Park's BBQ: the gold standard, charcoal-grilled galbi (short ribs), no marinade, just salt. Soontofu House: sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) at midnight. Hanjip: modern Korean, the chicken wings are extraordinary. Brothers: all-night Korean fried chicken. The K-Town scene peaks at midnight — this is when you want to be here.

East LA and the taco trucks

The Los Angeles taco is not a Mexican thing — it is a Los Angeles thing, developed by Mexican-American communities in East LA and South Central. The Guisados (multiple locations): the braised beef tongue taco is the version that made LA tacos famous. Tlayudan (East LA, reservations essential): the mole negro is one of the best things you will eat in California. Leo's Tacos: the Korean-Mexican fusion al pastor (Korean marinade on Mexican spit-roasted pork) is an LA original. The debate about which truck is the best has been running for 20 years.

Silver Lake and Echo Park: the new food neighborhood

Silver Lake and Echo Park are where LA chefs open their personal projects. Mayroot (Echo Park): Korean fine dining, tasting menu. Elmet (Silver Lake): Welsh-Cali fusion, small plates, excellent natural wine list. Millie's (Echo Park): the Californian brunch institution. The Friend (Silver Lake): the restaurant from the people behind the best coffee in LA (Go Get Em Tiger). Walk the Echo Park Lake and the Silver Lake Reservoir loop after.

Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu Farm (Malibu Pier): farm-to-table at the water's edge. The avocado toast and the seasonal salad are the reasons to come. Nobu Malibu: the original Nobu (Robert De Niro, Nobu Matsuhisa): oceanfront omakase, reservations 3–6 months ahead, the black cod miso is the dish that launched a global empire. The Backstreet: the beachside dive bar that has been at the same spot since 1958, the burgers are extraordinary, the view is priceless.