The editors at Eater Los Angeles dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we’re always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here’s the very best of everything the team has eaten this week.
Blue crab onigiri from Onigiri Time in Pasadena
I stumbled upon this
cute onigiri cart in Pasadena on the way to pick up special-occasion croissants from Artisanal Goods by Car. The onigiri range from $9.99 to $13.99 — which admittedly feels steep for a simple rice ball. Still, I picked up a spicy tuna version, smoked scallop onigiri, and one filled with blue crab. When I unwrapped my onigiri later on the beach, the nori had remained crispy while its rice was soft and well-seasoned. The center had been packed with Kewpie mayonnaise–dressed blue crab, a portion so generous that by the end of my rice ball, I felt genuinely full. What makes Onigiri Time more unique is the wasabi sauce that accompanies each order, intended to seep into a pre-made well in the top of the rice ball. (I found the sauce to be just okay — it was a little sweet for my liking and I would prefer shoyu.) Even so, I think Onigiri Time makes for a faultless handheld snack for a trip to the Hollywood Bowl or a beach day. 999 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91106. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Chive cakes from Holy Basil in Atwater Village
Though it’s tempting to order Thai food in, visiting a Los Angeles Thai restaurant offers the right immediacy for the brightness and heat of the food’s flavor. Angelenos can never go wrong with Deau Arpapornnopparat and Joy Yuon’s Holy Basil, which now has locations in Downtown Los Angeles, Atwater Village, and Santa Monica. When you come in, start with a handful of appetizers, including chive cakes, a recent menu addition. The pan-fried cube takes on a punk rock presentation: beautifully dominated by a deep brown, almost black soy vinaigrette and Chinese garlic chives tossed with a blend of three flours before frying. The cakes have a delightful chew and slightly crisp texture that might compel you to order a second one for the table, though you really should save room for the yum kao with three types of rice and, hopefully, dessert. 3170 Glendale Boulevard, Unit C, Atwater Village, 90039. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Dan dan noodles at Mala Class in Highland Park
As a heat wave descended on Los Angeles, I found myself in Highland Park’s jewel box Sichuan restaurant Mala Class, prepared to double down on the sweat for tingling, spicy dan dan noodles. Clearly, the rest of the neighborhood had the same idea, with every table in the tight restaurant full of groups sharing plates of mala-coated crunchy tofu, steaming bowls of chile-tinged spicy beef soup, and thin-skinned dumplings. Dan dan noodles get tossed tableside, coating the carby tendrils in a nutty sauce dotted with ground pork. If it’s your first visit to Mala Class, order the spice levels as they come on the menu — you can always ask for a little more or less hit on a return visit. 5816 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Basque cheesecake from République in Hancock Park
On our way out to the desert for a milestone birthday weekend, we stopped at legendary cafe, bakery, and restaurant République to pick up a last-minute cake order. The whole Basque cheesecake here is not cheap ($80 for a cake that will feed eight if you slice on the larger side), but worth it to get one of the best renditions of this beloved (and now ubiquitous) dessert in Los Angeles. République’s Basque cheesecake eschews the classic burnt black caketop for a milder deep golden-brown leopard spotting that nonetheless delivers the same silky, creamy (near custardy) texture underneath, its flavor brightened by some subliminally citrusy, acidic element we could not quite put our finger on. It’s the kind of cheesecake that tastes even better the next morning for breakfast with a mug of home-brewed coffee — the kind you can spoon at infinitely throughout a weekend until nothing but its shadow remains in the box. 624 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
