📍 Added in April: One of L.A.’s greatest offerings is its plentiful Korean BBQ options, and when my daughter craves it, we’ve found this South Bay spot to be one of the most consistent. The beautifully marbled, thin-sliced prime brisket, the unctuous bulgogi, and the boneless short rib are top-notch, and the perfectly prepared sides round out the experience. But there’s more: The kimchi soup is deliciously wholesome, and the marinated pork ribs will make you want to lick your chopsticks.

📍 Added in April: We just don’t have enough Puerto Rican food in L.A. Thank goodness for this casual North Hollywood spot that specializes in its namesake, the smashed-and-fried plantain dish that you can order stuffed with stews, meats, or veggies. If it’s your first time, just go for the mofongos. Then, move on to arroz con gandules and the daily specials. It’s the closest to Puerto Rico you can get in L.A.

📍 Added in April: Berge’s is a neighborhood favorite for great sandwiches. Queeny, the owner for more than 50 years, has turned a dining table for her customers into her office, with paperwork, news clippings, and family photos. I come for the turkey sandwich, with globs of avocado pummeled to a creamy finish inside spongy Armenian bread. I don’t think there’s another sandwich like it: light, filling, and satisfying. If you’re going up the Angeles Crest Highway, stop here and grab one to go.

📍 Added in April: I love that we can be halfway around the world from Myanmar and still find remarkable Burmese food. At this family-run shop, you’ll see Thai and Indian options, like samosas and curries (just not as spicy) alongside California-inspired dishes. Ask for the authentic stuff, like the soothingly sweet coconut soup with thick egg noodles or the flaky fried paratha bread with crushed peas. Finish it off with a faluda, pink milk filled with tapioca, jelly, egg pudding, and ice cream.

📍 Added in April: This tropical Panamanian restaurant, half a block from the ocean, is my kanpachi paradise. Look, it’s a perfect place for a date, but I’ll shamelessly sit at the bar alone, order a fine tequila, the sweetest coconut shrimp dumplings, a kanpachi ceviche, and their specialty: a banana leaf–wrapped kanpachi coated with a brisk, herbaceous spread. You’re not just eating steamed fish. It’s so meaty and juicy, it’s like eating a perfectly cooked steak from the sea. 

You know my love for street food. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon a new sign in Eagle Rock that promised “Lebanese Street Food” at A la Beirut. Mom, dad, son, and daughters work together to take grandma’s marinades and dad’s sandwich techniques and create toasted vessels of new flavors in either a pita wrap or a flaky French baguette. The beef or chicken shawarma is magnificent, but go for the beef tongue with garlic spread and pickles—it’s a sprightly bite.

For a flavor rush of psychedelic proportions, the tikka masala at this South Bay strip mall will have you forgetting your woes—your full concentration will be on slowly tackling this vigorous dish. Order fresh garlic naan to dip into the rich, sweet, and spicy sauce as you eat or to use as a swab to comfort your taste buds between spoonfuls. If there’s room, finish off this roller coaster of flavor with a samosa served with a sweet and tangy sauce.

All Time has become a favorite spot for a lunch date with my lady: It has class and comfort without being presumptuous or showy. The chef’s offerings always seem to include a touch of genuine L.A. while feeling fresh, healthy, and filling. I’ve enjoyed tender carnitas tacos on blue corn tortillas, crispy rice breakfast bowls, and a Good Ass Salad that’s very popular. This little gem keeps it fresh with a changing menu, adding some excitement each time I return.

Do I like cheeseburgers? Yes. Do I like cheeseburgers with a chunky 10 ounces of dry-aged beef cooked to a meat snob’s standards, a puffy sesame seed bun, American cheese, and a humble sauce that enhances but doesn’t overpower the burger flavor? Of course. Ask for the DH (the dry-aged patty); you can get it in different styles, but the Amboy is the best introduction. I would expect nothing less from The Burger Show’s Alvin Cailan, a true burger intellectual.

I’m always hesitant to recommend legendary places because how have you never heard of Arturo’s puffy tacos? It’s one of Texas’ most unique tacos, and you can find it here in our backyard. The freshly made tortilla is thrown in a deep fryer, puffing up like a balloon, creating a crispy shell. You can get it with ground beef, lettuce, cheese, and chunky tomato salsa, but try the chunky beef guisado or tender bits of asada. It’s a unique experience worth a trip across town.