“You are going to LA? You have to try this…”
Before I came here, my friends always told me that LA is home to many great foods and restaurants that were incomparable to Boston, so I had high expectations going in. From brunch to drinks, I dine out with my friends on the weekends to try different foods. With their great variety and quality, the restaurants here in LA never let us down. Now that the semester is coming to an end, I have a list of great foods that I want to share with you. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Republique
624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA
One of the most famous and popular brunches on social media. The interior decorations are stylish and unique. Some people think it looks like the dining hall from Harry Potter.
Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Walking inside, I was immediately attracted to its minimalist interior. As you can see, the utensils are pretty simple as well, but not the food. This restaurant changes its menu every day, and the foods are delicate.
Chinchikurin
350 E 1ST , Los Angeles, CA
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese dish from Osaka. Noodles, cabbage, fried egg, and toppings of your choice pile up into a burger-like dish. The cooking process continues from the kitchen to your table, and adding mayonnaise on top just makes it more delicious.
SomiSomi
332 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
Taiyaki is a kind of Japanese traditional fish-shaped cake, but SomiSomi offers fancier taiyakis with ice cream and toppings. You can choose the filling of the taiyaki as well, such as red bean or cream cheese. For ice cream, I like the ubi flavor, which comes in a unique purple color.
Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong
3465 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA
Kang Ho-dong is a well-known Korean BBQ. The quality of the meats is great. My friend ordered a plate of raw frozen beef seasoned with egg yolk. I refused to taste it in the beginning, but trust me, you will fall in love with the unique taste and texture of frozen beef, and you won’t feel disgusted by all the uncooked ingredients.
Blu Jam Café
7371 Melrose Ave. , Los Angeles, CA
Blu Jam Café is another popular brunch place, with several stores around Los Angeles. We went to the one on Wilshire Boulevard. The line was crazy on the weekend, and we waited for 2 hours! I recommend its signature Fried Toast.
Boiling Point
250 W Valley Blvd, Ste J, San Gabriel
As the name implies, the restaurant offers Taiwanese hot pot. Because of the base soup, this small Taiwanese hot pot tastes different from the traditional, big hot pot. It is also called smelly pot, since some of the pots have sour and foul odors. They all taste good, as long as you can accept the smell.
Meet Fresh
400 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA
Meet Fresh offers traditional Taiwan desserts and drinks. From herbal jelly to bubbles, and from peanuts to red bean, diverse ingredients make up a great variety of dessert options. One bowl is big enough for two people to share.
Haidilao Hot Pot
400 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
Haidilao is very popular in China, and I’m surprised to see them expand their business in the U.S. However, rather than the traditional big pot shared by the whole table, they offer a small pot for each individual here. From spicy-based or mushroom-based soup, everyone can choose their own flavor.
Original Farmers Market
6333 W 3RD St. Los Angeles, CA
Farmers Market is a plaza that consists of many restaurants and stores. It’s right next to the Grove, a great shopping center. We picked a hot dog shop, but I forgot the name. Here, you can also find sushi, pizza, Italian food and so on.
Moonshadows
20356 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA
We found this restaurant on Yelp. It sits right along the coast of Malibu and mainly serves seafood. We went there for the amazing view of the sea, but were later surprised by the food. Remember to reserve a table before you go, as the window tables are very popular.
IN-N-OUT
In-N-Out was my last meal before I headed to the airport and left LA. It is the famous burger chain store from California, and only available in California. We ordered the animal-style fries, cheese and special sauce on top. When I got my burger, it was already cold, so it just tasted so-so, but the bun was still really soft.
Ziqi Yang, Study Abroad Correspondent
Ziqi Yang is a junior in the College of Communication at Boston University who is majoring in Film and TV, and Advertising. She is currently studying abroad in Los Angeles and has an internship at Done+Dusted. As a foodie, she loves exploring great foods as well as trying new recipes in her kitchen. Her favorite quote is “Photography is the beauty of life captured”, and through her photos and blogs, she would like to share those beautiful moments with you.