Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.
For gimbap and seaweed tacos: Kingbop in Harvard Heights
Head to local lunch favorite Kingbop for spicy tuna–filled gimbap, honey butter fries, and salmon-packed seaweed tacos. You can find all the usual gimbap suspects on the menu, including tuna mayo, bulgogi, and pork belly, plus mala tteokbokki, crispy honey butter fried chicken, and egg-topped kimchi fried fried. Or go for one of the tacos, which get served in a crunchy seaweed shell with toppings like spicy tuna and crab, unagi, beef belly, or calamari. The menu’s variety makes Kingbop an especially easy stop for groups, where each person can order their own gimbap or taco, and share a larger dish like poke nachos served on crunchy seaweed chips. If this heat ever breaks, Kingbop makes for an ideal picnic setup. Plus, Kingbop just opened a second location right in the heart of Koreatown off Vermont. 2190 W. Washington Boulevard, E, Los Angeles, CA 90018. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For an Italian sub on your way to Catalina: Thunderbolt Pizza in Long Beach
Unfortunately, none of the best restaurant meals on my recent trip to Catalina Island were actually on the island; they were instead on my way to and from the ferry terminal, on the mainland in Long Beach. On the way there I stopped at Sonoratown for a chivichanga and bean and cheese burrito — always a good decision, especially with Ism Brewing around the corner — and on the way back I dropped in to the charming Bixby Knolls pizzeria Thunderbolt (no relation to the excellent cocktail bar in Echo Park). A slice of cheese pizza checks the right boxes, but the Italian sub is something special; it arrives on bread made from pizza dough, served warm and doubled over in a thickish fold somewhere between a calzone and an oversize bao, pleasantly oily and dusted with a generous shake of dried herbs. The fresh bread creates a clever juxtaposition between its warmth and the cold cuts and pickled peppers inside, and I found the right balance of acid and oil in the fillings. It is also big as hell — eating it slowly over the hourlong crawl home made slogging up the 710 North distinctly more manageable. 4085 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90807. — Ben Mesirow, Eater travel editor
For a feast in Little India: Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India in Artesia
It’s daunting to pick a restaurant to eat at on the stretch of Pioneer Boulevard between 183rd and 188th Street in Artesia — otherwise known as Little India — because there so many incredible restaurants live in the compact neighborhood. Nevertheless, when I found myself in the area with my mom this week, we rolled into Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India and, as the name suggests, had a great meal. Ashoka does the classics well: shrimp vindaloo, saag paneer, chicken tikka fired in a tandoori oven, and garlic naan all found their way onto our table. But we also ordered their butter chicken pasta, a new-school take on an Indian classic that became our favorite dish. Creamy butter chicken sauce with a fiery kick coats each penne noodle while tender hunks of chicken hide plentifully throughout. (The bowl can easily feed two and we took home leftovers.) If you can swing it, I would make a day of eating down Pioneer Boulevard to try other spots, like Indian-Chinese fusion joint, Wok ‘N Tandoor, and Podi Dosa for crispy, potato-filled dosas. 18614 Pioneer Boulevard, Artesia, CA 90701. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For South Bay oceanside dining with a view: La Playita in Hermosa Beach
My East Coast family is baffled by the fact that I rarely take trips to the beach. It’s a lot of things, but sidestepping the trek from Northeast Los Angeles usually comes down to traffic and freezing water. Still, an ocean breeze on the face can steady any soul, especially in the summer months. Enter: La Playita. Open since 1980 and steps away from the Hermosa Beach Strand, this charming restaurant is one of the area’s oldest and each seat is stellar. The team will drop off chip baskets and salsa before bringing a machaca burrito, shrimp enchiladas, huevos rancheros, or a Caribbean-influenced breakfast with curried scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and a mango chutney. No need to be fussy — just grab a seat, order a Modelo Negra or margarita, and figure out the rest while listening to the waves crash nearby. 37 14th Street, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
