Eating ON OUR RADAR CHEF’S CHOICE
f Little Fatty ttttt Chef David Kuo returns to his
f Ramen Room ttttt Valley dwellers, meet Ramen Room: a Japanese and
Filipino hybrid that serves six types of ramen (we suggest the spicy miso version) along with Filipino rice bowls and starters like lumpia (crispy fried spring rolls) with shrimp and pork. Ramen Room’s decor is subdued and simple, with dark-wood booths and a covered outdoor patio—great for people-watching while slurping your noodles. à 13355 Ventura Blvd (818-855-1706,
ramenroomla.com)
roots at Little Fatty with a menu that focuses on Taiwanese soul food. Dive into classics—beef noodle soup, egg rolls and mapo tofu—along with reimagined staples (hello, General Tso’s cauliflower). Next door, Little Fatty’s bar, Accomplice, offers food for takeout plus cocktails, punches, beer and wine. à 3809 Grand View Blvd (310-574-7610,
littlefattyla.com)
s Café Birdie ttttt Highland Park continues
to boom with Café Birdie, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with a Californian twist. There’s creamy mushroom toast and hearty butcher’s pasta, but the real winner is the Moroccan-spiced fried chicken. A robust drink list includes beer, wine and modern cocktails, or you can head to Good Housekeeping, the bar out back, for a more classic libation. à 5631 N Figueroa St (323-739-6928,
cafebirdiela.com)
d Honey Hi ttttt If you were wondering whether
L.A. needs more bone broth and quinoa bowls, Honey Hi will convince you that, yes, it does. The minimalist Echo Park eatery is a hub for all things organic and artisanal, offering seasonal grain bowls, smoothies, tartines and a killer chia jam toast drizzled with tahini and bee pollen. Pick up some shelved kimchi or brown butter ghee on your way out for healthy home cooking. à 1620 Sunset Blvd (213-221-7810,
honeyhi.co)
Time Out Los Angeles January–March 2017 32
Esdras Ochoa
Salazar à 2490 Fletcher Dr (
salazarla.com)
Esdras Ochoa opened Salazar in Frogtown last summer, but the chef has been on the scene since 2009, when he introduced Mexicali Taco & Co. (702 N Figueroa St; mexicalitaco .com)—and his famous vampiro quesadilla. Now with two successful restaurants and a new venture, Califas Taco at Smorgasburg (785 Bay St;
la.smorgasburg.com), Ochoa is helping to shape the city’s modern taco culture. Here are some of the chef’s favorite local spots.
Top tacos “I go to Mariscos Jalisco (3040 E Olympic Blvd) for its famous tacos de camarón. For carnitas, I stick to buche [pig stomach] from Los Cinco Puntos (3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave; 323-262-4084,
los5puntos.com).”
Alfresco vibes “Daily Dose Cafe (1820 Industrial St; 844-932-4593,
dailydosela.com) has an industrial, relaxing, romantic vibe that’s totally worth checking out. Sarkis Vartanian, the owner, is a master at making you feel at home.”
Smorgasburg stops “When you’re at Smorgasburg, chow down on a sweet potato taco, tostada or whatever chef Wes Avila has on the specials list at Guerrilla Tacos (guerrillatacos. com). Then stop by the Jolly Oyster (
thejollyoyster.com).”
Brunch bites “Frida (
fridarestaurant.com) has a great Mexican buffet on Sundays and live mariachi to top it off.”
PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP LEFT, TOP RIGHT, BOTTOM CENTER: ROZETTE RAGO; TOP CENTER: COURTESY LITTLE FATTY; CENTER LEFT: COURTESY CAFE BIRDIE/TESSA NEUSTADT
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