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.
Hand rolls and fatty tuna toast from Ine in Highland Park
I almost don’t want to write about Ine because I selfishly don’t want to, as they say, “blow up the spot,” but this quaint, inventive little Japanese restaurant in Highland Park has completely won me over. I loved that the “crispy rice,” a term which typically refers to a square puck of rice topped with spicy tuna, was instead a cylindrical hand roll encased in delightfully crunchy nori; I loved that the briny uni appetizer was balanced with creamy sweet potato puree, and that there were lovingly fileted farmers
market snap peas in the seasonal salad, revealing the individual peas inside. I loved the fatty tuna toast, with chive and shiso flowers cutting through the toro’s richness, and the Kyoto-style ramen with a light sea-bream dashi broth and fish meatballs, and that chef Sang Tae’s mother was on site for dinner service as she prepped desserts. I loved the full-bodied red-rice sake our server recommended, and I loved that the bill didn’t give us sticker shock and undo all the joy we just experienced. Ine has the attention to detail of high-end Japanese dining inflected with young, modern flourishes — I can’t wait to go back. 672 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041. — Hilary Pollack, Eater deputy editor
Seolleongtang from the Dae-Mun in Alhambra
Two days prior to catching a summer cold and experiencing a miserable weekend being sick, I enjoyed the comforting warmth of seolleongtang — or Korean ox bone soup — from the Dae-Mun in Alhambra. (It’s as if my body was preparing me for the congestion and general achiness to come.) Seolleongtang at the Dae-Mun is rich and creamy with a velvety viscosity that makes sipping spoonful after spoonful delightfully soothing. Tender slices of brisket fall apart within the soup, a welcome contrast against bouncy tendon, while a generous portion of soft vermicelli noodles makes the seolleongtang feel more like a complete meal. The addition of sea salt and sliced green onions — which you can add to your heart’s content — amplify the savoriness of the broth. 410 W. Main Street, Suite 110, Alhambra, CA 91801. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Red snapper nugget basket from Hot Grease at Smorgasburg
I often develop an online kinship with members of Los Angeles’s food community, where we get to know each other through texts and DMs first. That’s the case with Asha Starks, the owner of pop-up Hot Grease, whose shining personality comes through in person and via Instagram. Every Sunday, Hot Grease’s Southern-inspired fish fry sets up at Smorgasburg. Starks, an Orange County native, has made some of the best fish fry in all of Southern California: Her bite-sized snapper feels light and wonderfully crispy thanks to its cornmeal batter, augmented by an umami bang from her proprietary seasoning. As a natural community builder, Hot Grease pop-ups might host a game of dominoes, spades, and double dutch to accompany its menu. Starks also donates a percentage of sales to her reproductive justice mutual aid fund, the Potlikker Line. She’s typically in Santa Ana and Placentia every week, but check Hot Grease’s Instagram to see where she’s frying next. 777 S. Alameda Street, Downtown, CA 90021. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Asada taco from Tacos Royale in Silver Lake
It seems like everyone in Los Angeles somehow found themselves in a Silver Lake parking lot this weekend to try the new Hermosillo-style taco superstar, Tacos Royale (me included). The stand specializes in steak cooked over charcoal, served in sturdy but soft tallow flour tortillas. On opening night, only the carne asada taco and the OG with a smear of beans were available, with the promise of burritos to come next week. Tacos arrive with three ounces of meat arranged in a formidable pile awaiting crunchy shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, a dollop of guacamole, and salsas. The star of the taco is the steak with its simple smoky flavor that melds into the tortilla below. I’ll definitely be back when burritos hit the grill. 2511 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
