The Pasadena dining community is expanding in both breadth and depth. No longer is Old Pasadena limited to chain restaurants, and no longer is Pasadena dining limited to Old Pasadena. Now the unofficial capital of the 626 area code has drawn international influences and top culinary talent to help complement the city’s rich history.
The sizzle and smoke of the tabletop Korean barbecue is one of the definitive features of the LA dining scene. The abundance of well-priced American protein and a rabid following of diners has created a critical mass of restaurants specializing in grilled meats, nearly overshadowing the love of barbecue in the motherland itself. Through the years, barbecue restaurants have segmented into various categories – premium, all-you-can-eat, and middle-ranged a la carte, with each place trumpeting a particular specialty or stand-out side dish. Still other places emphasize the grilling devices and methods, where some employ charcoal for a smokier experience and others rely on special grates for more direct heat.
Barbecue is best enjoyed with a glass of ice cold Hite, a simple Korean lager, or a chilled shot of soju, the national spirit of choice. Think of Korean barbecues almost like more affordable steakhouses, where it's easy to get together with friends and family for a casual lunch or evening to celebrate the variety and quality of great beef, pork, and banchan. It's hard to go wrong with that formula.
Meeting for coffee is well and good, but afternoon tea is a treat. It’s a special occasion with tiered trays, porcelain pots, and adorable miniature sandwiches and sweets that look almost too good to eat. Almost. While Los Angeles is an ocean and a continent away from London, there are a surprising number of local spots that offer excellent afternoon tea. Whether you’re looking for a civilized way to spend quality time with your BFF or a venue for a wedding shower, there’s a hot pot of tea with your name on it.
In addition to Mother’s Day specials that include room packages and spa days, Los Angeles hotels are offering some of the best brunches in town for mom’s special day. To go with the lavish buffets and brunches, many hotels are also featuring special kids' menus and activities for the whole family. All of the following Mother’s Day brunches are offered on Sunday, May 12, 2013 unless otherwise noted.
When it comes to Los Angeles dining, think beyond the white tablecloth. A great meal is all about the taste, not about the bill. Find a place to suit your tastebuds with our guide to some of LA's best meals under $20.
For more budget-friendly ways to experience LA, visit our guide to the 100 Almost-Free Things to Do in Los Angeles.
Koreatown, located west of Downtown LA and south of Hollywood, is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Encompassing roughly 3 square miles, the area was once the epicenter of Golden Age Hollywood, home to the Ambassador Hotel, the Cocoanut Grove and the Brown Derby. Today, Korean and Latino populations contribute to Koreatown’s rich cultural diversity. K-town is also known for having one of the largest concentration of nightclubs and 24-hour businesses and restaurants in the country. Even frequent visitors have only scratched the surface of this vibrant district. Discover Koreatown with our guide to one of LA’s most exciting neighborhoods.
Andrew Zimmern is a two-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer and teacher. The globe-trotting host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern recently led an expert panel of celebrity foodies to create the list of 100 nominees for the 2013 Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards. Now through April 30, 2013, the public is invited to vote for the Munchies here.
Find out some of Andrew Zimmern’s favorite places to eat and stay in Los Angeles.
What do you do after GQ dubs you "The Coolest Block in America”? In the case of Abbot Kinney, you just keep getting cooler. In fact, the hip factor seems to permeate the whole neighborhood. But Venice has always done its own thing. An alternative area since real estate developer Abbot Kinney founded it as the “Venice of America” in 1905, the beach community is distinct for its Italian-inspired canals, the carnival-like Ocean Front Walk and its ever-evolving restaurant scene.
From pioneers like the Rose Café and Joe’s, to vanguard restaurants like Tasting Kitchen and Superba Snack Bar, find out more about one of the best dining neighborhoods in LA.
Los Angeles loves its organics: organic baby clothing, organic sheets, and most of all, organic food. Lots of restaurants dabble in organics, but some of them stand out for their efforts. Whatever your reason for choosing organic—fewer unwanted chemicals in your system, an opposition to GMOs, sensitivity to the environment—these restaurants will hook you up with some tasty organic grub and in some cases, something delicious and organic in your glass as well. Organic gimlet anyone?
In cultures around the world, noodles are an integral part of everyday life, from waiting two hours outside of a ramen stall in Japan to the instant form that’s become a rite of passage for college undergrads. Noodles offer therapy for those feeling under the weather or homesick, or to begin the healing process after a night of overindulgence. Whatever the case, for millions of people hardly a day goes by without noodles at some point.
Los Angeles and its surrounding areas offer a lot of heavy noodling, and for aficionados there’s even more enjoyment to be found with noodles than Chinese dumplings. During the late 1970s, the Vietnam War caused an influx of Asian immigration into the United States. The people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) sought refuge here and they brought the one thing that kept them alive for generations: noodles. A key influence on the noodle dishes from these countries are the Southeast Chinese from the province of Chiu Chow (pronunciation in Cantonese), Chao Zhou (pronunciation in Mandarin), Trieu Chau (pronunciation in Vietnamese) and Teo Chew (pronunciation in Thai/Cambodian).
Historically, the Chiu Chow Chinese are some of the smartest, fastest-moving, hardest-working merchants and sojourners of the Chinese diaspora. Their footprints can be tracked in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan (Fujian), Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and even the Philippines. Essentially, they are everywhere, and so is their food. When you walk into a restaurant that offers 3-4 different languages on the menu, you're most likely in a Chiu Chow establishment. It will usually be Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and sometimes Thai.
The following round-up of some of the best noodles in Los Angeles County focuses on dishes from Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle" and Southeast China (Chao Zhou/Fujian/Hainan provinces).