ASIAN SPECIALTIES IN LA
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With all the Asian dining in LA — and with so many specialties — where do you begin? Sashimi or bulgogi? Shu mai or kimchi? Whatever type of cuisine you’re looking for, start with these Asian restaurants in LA to whet your appetite.
Chinese Dim Sum
What it is: Hong Kong-style dim sum brunch is dumpling-palooza in cavernous restaurants that seat up to 1,000 diners. Servers wheel heated carts around the room, stacked with tapas-sized portions of dumplings — steamed, fried, baked and boiled — while diners point and eat. The hubbub is great for kids with adventurous palates, and it’s a natural for grownups fond of sharing and sampling. Classics include har gao (steamed shrimp dumplings), shu mai (round pork dumplings) and, for dessert, lotus paste inside sesame seed-coated rice dumplings.
Where to find it: Empress Pavilion is the dim sum queen of LA’s historic Chinatown. East of Downtown LA, the San Gabriel Valley cities of Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra and Rosemead are home to many new and authentic restaurants. Ocean Star in Monterey Park is always busy, while elegant Mission 261 in San Gabriel dispenses with the carts and lets you order off a menu.
Japanese Izakaya
What it is: Izakaya are Japanese-style pubs serving small plates meant for sharing, along with sake and Japanese beer. With dark beams and stucco walls, some izakaya look as rustic as the Japanese countryside, while others evoke only-in-Hollywood glamour.
An izakaya dinner might start with edamame (steamed soybeans in the pod) and move on to sashimi marinated or served with soy sauce for dipping. It might then progress to yakitori (chicken on skewers), flash-fried shishito peppers or “tofu steak” served with egg on a hot steel plate. Fish, tofu or eggplant might arrive grilled with miso sauce. Cap off dinner with green tea ice cream.
Where to find it: LA has two Japantowns: Little Tokyo in Downtown LA and the Sawtelle neighborhood in West LA. In Little Tokyo, look for Izayoi. Along Santa Monica Boulevard near Sawtelle Boulevard are contemporary En and homey Sasaya.
Korean Barbecue
What it is: The tables at bustling Korean restaurants come with grills set right in, while families and friends happily cook their own galbi (short ribs), bulgogi (thin slices of marinated beef) or chicken, shrimp or pork. Large range hoods above each table whisk the smoke away, leaving only the aromas of garlic, soy and sesame to waft through the air.
Vegetarians are well cared for, too, with savory vegetable pancakes, noodles and bibimbap (assorted Korean vegetables over rice). A typical Korean table also features at least a half-dozen small side dishes called panchan — mostly vegetables marinated in sesame or hot chili paste —at no extra charge. Among them will surely be Korea’s national dish, kimchi, a spicy pickled cabbage that Koreans claim to be one of the world’s healthiest foods. Complement your meal with a soothing shot of soju (Korean vodka). Ask for yours infused with cucumber.
Where to find it: Among the 900 restaurants in LA’s Koreatown, Chosun Galbee is a chic and sleek barbecue house, while the charcoal grills of Soot Bull Jeep create a traditional Korean atmosphere. Glossy Woo Lae Oak serves similar cooking in a swanky setting on La Cienega Boulevard’s Restaurant Row.
Empress Pavilion, 988 N. Hill St. # 201, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213.617.9898
Ocean Star, 145 N. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754, 626.308.2128
Mission 261, 261 Mission Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776, 626.588.1666
Izayoi, 132 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213.613.9554
En Sushi, 11651 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, 310.477.1551
Sasaya, 11613 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, 310.477.4404
Chosun Galbee, 3330 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019, 323.734.3330
Soot Bull Jeep, 3136 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, CA 90005, 213.387.3865
Woo Lae Oak, 170 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211, 310.652.4187
