Alex’s
no-frills la

February 19, 2025

Last updated: February 19, 2025

First, I want to thank you for all your encouragement after no-frills NYC. You texted me that you tried Kopitiam’s oyster pancake. Or you tagged me in your story that you finally went to Abuqir. And each time I was filled with a warmth that made me feel as though I was eating there with you. It was this rush of warmth–a tunneling sense of connection–that motivated me to start writing no-frills LA.

…which means: yes, I started no-frills LA two years ago. yes, no-frills LA has been sitting half-written in my drafts for two years. no, I will not make any excuses for myself. 

So, why no-frills LA now, Alex? I want to write more this year. But I say that every year though. So really, why now, Alex?

my city is* on fire.

*was

I can send as many texts to my family group chat: “Stay inside!”, “Make sure you check the 101 hasn’t been closed down,” “Love you.” I can check in with my friends and their families. I can doom scroll: “2024, the hottest record year yet.” I can decide that I am going to stop eating red meat and go back to being pescatarian again. I can repost mutual aid events. I can donate to incarcerated firefighters’ needs and commissaries. But still, I feel helpless. 

We are all helpless. A fire does not choose its victims. It eats and eats and eats and never feels full. Along with land and lives it claimed, the fire stripped away a facade too. The glamour, the glitz…gone. And in its place is the face of Los Angeles that I have always known. 

I lived the first 22 years of my life in Los Angeles. When people ask me about my experience growing up in LA, I know I deliver an underwhelming answer. “Well, LA is just home.” To me, LA is not dreamy, star-studded, or frills. LA is home, and we take care of each other at home. Writing this list is taking care of me and you.

 I want to highlight that as Los Angeles rebuilds, it will be rebuilt by immigrant labor–the same hands that built it. As such,  22 of the 25 restaurants are BIPOC-owned. Speaking on collective care, Mariame Kaba writes: “You can care for yourself and your community in tandem, and that can actually be much more healthy for you” (28).

– Where are you from?
– Los Angeles.
– Oh, where in LA?
– It’s like in the middle. Like really central.

1. Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese  

(Larchmont Village)
Sandwiches

Forget this shop’s full name because we all refer to the shop simply as “Wine and Cheese.” I remember how risque I felt as a teen, saying  “Yeah, let’s get wine and cheese for lunch.” And no one batted an eye because everyone–whether my mother, my friends, or my teachers–knew that “wine and cheese” really meant the best sandwiches in LA.. From the spread and balsamic to the crusty baguette, every layer of these sandwiches is perfect. I don’t use absolutes lightly.  FYI, lines tend to form around lunchtime. Call your order in ahead of time, and it will be waiting at the register. 

• Best for: no-fuss lunch to take to the movies, on a picnic, or…because you’re in LA…movie-picnics
• What to order:  “Half-#4 on baguette” is my go-to.  But if you prefer prosciutto over turkey, then #5.  If you’re veg, then #1. If you are pescatarian, I forget what number the tuna is, but it is good as well. If your teeth are sore after getting your braces tightened, order on ciabatta instead. 

2. Bricks and Scones

(Larchmont Village)
Cafe

I have studied for every major exam in my life at this cafe. SAT, MCAT, Step 1, Step 2–you name it. My favorite nook is the alcove on the second story. Go up the spiral staircase and all the way down the hall on your left. You will find the perfect seat, sequestered away from the  chatter. You face a window for natural light and also overlook the atrium (for stimulation as needed). The alcove also has two outlets. There is also lots of seating (albiet dim) on the first floor and a peaceful patio in the front. My favorite part of this cafe though is the man in the newsie hat, who sits right by the register everyday. He sketches everyone who walks in as they place order. Yes, he is there everyday. If you quickly run up the stairs with your coffee, you might be able to peer over his shoulder and see yourself before he erases the sketch!  

• Best for: studying for hours; yapping with a friend
• What to order: The coffee and scones are mid; I don’t have any particular recommendations. I really do come here for the charm (and my own personal lore).

3. Mexican Fruit Cart

(All over LA*)
Snack

*I frequent the one outside Wells Fargo on Larchmont.

Fruit carts dot the sidewalks of Los Angeles. If you are feeling peckish on your crosstown commute, then pull over, walk up to the vendor, select either a cup or container, and choose your favorite fruits/vegetables. The vendor will masterfully chop your selections into chunks and then will ask you if you would like lime, salt, and/or tajin on top. You say: Sí, con limón, sal, y tajín. Pay in cash, add a dollar for tip, enter your car with a minute left on the meter, and shovel fruit into your mouth as you continue your make your way to the Westside.

• Best for: on-the-go snack while driving across town; lunch picnic
• What to order: Watermelon, mango (depending on how ripe they look), and jicama with lime, salt, and tajin. 

4. Desanos

(Hollywood)
Pizza

Forget this shop’s full name because we all refer to the shop simply as “Wine and Cheese.” I remember how risque I felt as a teen, saying  “Yeah, let’s get wine and cheese for lunch.” And no one batted an eye because everyone–whether my mother, my friends, or my teachers–knew that “wine and cheese” really meant the best sandwiches in LA.. From the spread and balsamic to the crusty baguette, every layer of these sandwiches is perfect. I don’t use absolutes lightly.  FYI, lines tend to form around lunchtime. Call your order in ahead of time, and it will be waiting at the register.

• Best for: big pizza to share
• What to order: My mother always makes us order a pizza with a lot of veggies, but I think their signature pies are probably better.

5. Andre’s

(Mid-Wilshire*)
Italian

Andre’s was probably my favorite restaurant as a child. It was my favorite, perhaps for its symbolic significance rather than actual quality of food. Throughout elementary school, my teachers managed classroom behavior with a points system based on seating arrangement. Students were grouped into tables, and the table with the most points at the end of a month–that is, best behavior–was rewarded with a lunch field trip to Andre’s. Therefore, growing up, Andre’s was always equated to some sense of morality. A signed permission slip to Andre’s was a sign of goodness, a token given only to the most righteous. My mother would give me a $10 bill the morning of and I would stride in those pearly front doors with a sense of pride. I’m not saying Andres is the best Italian food in L.A., but it sure is no-frills.

*The original Andre’s location was on Fairfax and 3rd, in the plaza next to CVS and Kmart, across from the Grove. They seemed to have closed down in 2022 and recently open up a new location on Wilshire! FYI, I have not been to the new location.

• Best for: big pizza to share
• What to order: My mother always makes us order a pizza with a lot of veggies, but I think their signature pies are probably better.

6. Yuko Kitchen

(Miracle Mile/Mid-Wilshire*, also DTLA)
Japanese-ish

*I frequent the Miracle Mile location because no one who is actually from LA goes downtown.

My friends and I call this place, “yuk-ohhhhhhh.” It was a high school haunt and remains a watering hole for us. Yuk-ohhhhhh has something for everyone–from katsu bentos, greens-packed poke-esque bowls, sushirittos, boba slushies, to gluten-free cookies. I have tried all of the above meals, and each is hearty and wholesome. Best of all–walking into Yuk-ohhhhhhh feels as though you have found a small oasis in other office and business-lined district. It features a hut-like patio, the pitter patter of a small fountain, and a fence of bamboo trees.

• Best for: the spicy tuna bowl or sushirrito
• What to order: when you want/need to eat a lot of veggies but do not want to eat a salad; something for everyone; large portions; casual lunch or dinner for 1-4 people

7. Versailles

(Mid-City, also Palms and Encino)
Cuban

This is Versailles on Venice, not Paris. Versailles is a family favorite on our rotation. I feel as though our go-to places tend to sway one way or another: dine-in or take-out. . But Versailles is good regardless (which I think says a lot).hat to order: the chicken that all the fix-ins (beans, rice, and plantains). 

• Best for: the chicken that all the fix-ins (beans, rice, and plantains).
• What to order: casual dine-in or takeout; filling dinner plus leftovers

8. House of Pies

10. Han Bat Sul Lang Tang

• Best for: Everyone writes about the broth, but I think the accoutrements (the coarse salt, scallions, and kkadugi) at Han Bat are the most special. When your bowl comes out, salt your broth; it comes unsalted. To your bowl, then add a generous serving of scallions. My aunt (or 이모) likes to say that at Han Bat, you eat pa (scallions) with a side of sul lang tang. Finally, intersperse spoonfuls of broth with the best kkadugi (radish kimchi) in town.
• What to order: take-out when under-the-weather; comforting, hearty meal; filling dinner with leftovers

11. Jin Sol Guk Bap

Think Han Bat–that is, the same rich and milky broth–but made from pork bones instead of beef bones. (FYI, the location on 3rd is better than the location on 8th)

• What to order: Jin Sol does have a variety of options on its menu, but if you are Korean, you come for the guk bap. Rinse and repeat the same coarse salt, scallions, and kkadugi routine as above.
• Best for: comforting, hearty meal; filling dinner with leftovers; a pair or small group with something for everyone

12. Madang Guk Su

I never loved Madang Guk Su growing up. The food is standard Korean fare. The ambience resembles most restaurants in Ktown with ajummas serving front-of-house and middle-aged, Latino men working back-of-house. The ajuumas relay orders in Spanish, and the men answer their calls in Korean. I have come to appreciate Madang Guk Su now though since living in NYC. In my humble opinion, NYC Korean restaurants rely too heavily on being the coolest new resy in town and thus filter in and out as trends. (Remember Ari Ari two years ago? When was the last time you heard someone going there?)

When I want to eat Korean food, I do not want new and eccentric. I want to feel at home. I want to know exactly what I am going to get.  And at Madang Guk Su, you know exactly what you are going to get: traditional Korean food, an average banchan spread, and microcosm of Ktown. 

• What to order:  I order the dolsot bibimbap (hot stone rice bowl). My mom orders the kal guksu (knife cut chicken noodle soup).
• Best for: when the wait at BCD Tofu House next door is too long; standard Korean fare, groups of two to four with something-for-everyone

13. Koreatown Plaza food court

There is also a H Mart in this mall. I actually grew up not knowing H Mart was a chain. And not even knowing it was called H Mart. I always knew it as Plaza Market.

• What to order:  frozen shikeh from Awoolim, wang mandu from Pao Jao, dolsot bibimbap from Gamja Jawi, donkatsu from Tonkatsu House
• Best for: when you don’t know what you want to eat; large groups with something-for-everyone; afternoon pick-me-up

14. Sul and Beans

Every time I come home, it seems like there is a new trendy dessert cafe. In 2008, it was Boba Time. In 2018, it was Somi Somi. Last January, it was About Time. This past July, it was Bumsam. In December, it asHarucake. Sul and Beans though is the cafe that resists the trend cycle. I will ll come here with my mom or my grandma. I will come here with out-of-towners. I will forever be coming here.

• What to order: black sesame pat bingsu
• Best for: dessert after dinner year round; after you see a movie at CGV cinemas next door

15. Noshi Sushi

Noshi Sushi is No-frills Sushi. Noshi is known for its large seating area, waits often at dinner time, good price, and cash only. In fact, I remember my first ever sushi was at Noshi. Noshi is where my family (and many other locals) continue to go back. My grandma will make a face when we go eat Japanese food (#colonialism). But I think she is okay with Noshi now that it is owned by Koreans.

• What to order: your normal sushi order + the Dynamite
• Best for: your sushi craving; casual dinner for two-to-six

16. Coffee Mco

Coffee Mco is my most recent discovery on the list, but it quickly has become my new get-shit-done haunt, supplanting my beloved Bricks and Scones. My routine at Mco is as follows. I arrive when they open at 8am, order my coffee, and head to the second story. I claim my spot at the long table with North-South facing window overlooking Olympic Blvd. This table has outlets. I charge up. Right before noon, I find myself a little antsy, satisfy my restlessness with an almond croissant and a change of scenery. I migrate to the patio on the second story. I order a pastry around noon and then continue studying for Step 2 or writing my personal statement for residency. I featured it in this TikTok!

• What to order: The drip coffee is a really good, fruity medium-roast. The pastries are decent too!
• Best for: studying for hours; yapping with a friend; cafe with free, huge parking lot

17. Diddy Riese

(Westwood Village)
Dessert

While the best cookie in NYC is hotly contested, everyone knows the best cookie in LA is Diddy Riese. Diddy Riese cookies–soft and freshly-baked–are each 75 cents–-cash-only. You will probably pay more for parking than the cookie itself. I will not say more because I feel silly writing about a cookie that is already so acclaimed. 

• What to order: Ice cream cookie sandwich. Yes, you will finish it all. (The Hawaiian shaved ice is also delicious here.)
• Best for: when you are already on the West side; when you already found parking in Westwood Village; dessert after dinner;  midsummer’s day

18. Shamshiri Grill

(Westwood/Little Tehran)
Iranian

There are so many wonderful Iranian/Persian markets and restaurants on Westwood Blvd. I am sure there are better spots on Westwood Blvd, but Shamshiri is the one perhaps most well-known on the block and the one on my family’s take-out roulette. My step dad started working on the Westside a few years ago, so we have a routine where I’ll call in our order (off the lunch special menu, which runs until 4p), and he will pick it up for dinner on his way home.

• What to order: Gnormeh sabzi with lamb, kashko bandejem, although I don’t think you can go wrong here. If you are eating or picking up before 4pm, order off the lunch specials menu. The lunch special portion sizes are still generous and shareable.
• Best for: veggie-friendly; family-style portions; filling dinner with leftovers

19. Pinches Tacos

(West Hollywood, Culver City, Westwood, Santa Monica)
Mexican

I use Pinches as a go-to mid-point for dinner. The Pinches in West Hollywood is an accessible option from the Westside, Mid-city, and the Valley whereas the Pinches in Culver City is a better option if everyone lives off the 10. Some other points of distinguishment: Only the West Hollywood one is BYOB though. West Hollywood is outdoor seating only while Culver City is indoor seating only. No matter what though you will get handmade tortillas and fresh, sizeable portions.

• What to order: The offerings are expansive, extending off the menu and on to the wall. Pinches is ready to satisfy any of your Mexican food cravings. But if tacos are in the shop’s namesake, I think you are required to order the tacos.
• Best for: when you want to change it up from your usual taco truck or Guisado’s; casual weekday dinner; mid-sized groups with something for everyone; BYOB (West Hollywood only)

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20. Back Home in Lahaina

(Carson)
Hawaiian

My paternal grandparents were born and raised in Oahu and migrated to the mainland after they got married. I was raised amongst a fair amount of island culture, eating my grandmother’s poi and my father’s kahlua pork at home and traveling almost every summer back to Hawaii for extended family reunions. All this is to say is that I know good Hawaiian food, and Back Home in Lahaina is good Hawaiian food.

• What to order: Fried saimin (fried ramen noodles with cabbage salad) for if you’re feeling healthy-ish. Hawaiian-style Katsu or fried chicken for a main.
• Best for: hearty comfort foods; large group dinners

21. Revolutionarios

(previously West Adams, now catering only)
North African tacos

Yes, you read that correctly: North African tacos. As chef-owner Zadi says, you won’t find North African tacos anywhere else. The original Revolutionarios location on Adams had a seasonal salsa bar and walls covered with pictures of post-colonial and socialist revolutionary figures. The husband-and-wife team Zadi and Susan could always be found playing both front and back-of-house. Their Algerian-Korean-American children might be running in and out of the shop as well. Beyond cuisine and culture, Revolutionarios is also the most unique recommendation on my list in terms of their mission. In 2020, the family behind the restaurant led mutual aid efforts during the pandemic, leading food drives for elderly folks in Ktown and unhoused folks on Skid Row. Today, Revolutionarios operates as a catering only business. So, please do consider Revolutionarios for your next work lunch or party!

• What to order: Fried cauliflower tacos and shrimp tacos.
• Best for: catering for large parties, gatherings, events

22. Tacozone

(Adams-Normandie)
Tacos

Los Angeles is dotted with pop-up taco stands that usually set up in the same intersection under a canopy around sunset and serve until past midnight. I am partial to the stand that sets up in the parking lot outside of Autozone at Vermont and 30th–fondly known to students in the area as Tacozone. It is a late-night institution. Now defunct, the fan-run account @istacozoneopen used to post daily updates…if indeed taco zone was open.

• What to order: your usual taco order. (I was pescatarian for seven years, with three of those years in college, so I always ordered a quesadilla.)
• Best for: late-night munchies; post-game taco cravings; if Holbox is closed

24. Sáu Can Tho

(Rosemead)
Vietnamese

The first time I ever met my stepdad’s parents (or my Viet grandparents), we ate whole baked catfish. To this date, baked, Vietnamese-style, whole catfish is one of my favorite meals. The catfish comes out adorned with crispy skin, orange slices, and shelled peanuts and sides of rice paper, vermicelli, and herbs. You eat DIY-style, making your own summer rolls with the silky, white fish. 

We used to frequent Phong Dinh, which featured a large dining hall, large aquariums, and Vietnamese trot singers playing on the big screen. Phong Dinh has since closed, but before my Viet grandpa moved back to Vietnam a few years ago, he made sure to research and ask around for a new catfish place for us. He actually tracked down the original family that owned Phong Dinh and discovered that they opened up a new restaurant not too far away called Sáu Can Tho. Sáu Can Tho features more modern decor, but the catfish is delectable as ever.

• What to order: Ca Nuong (or whole baked catfish) and Canh Chua Cá (sour catfish soup)
• Best for: celebratory feast with a group of 4+; when you’re really hungry; when you want/need to eat a lot of veggies but don’t want to eat a salad; when you’re already making a day out of going to SGV
  

25. Pho Pasteur

(Rosemead) 
Vietnamese

Pho Pasteur is my stepdad’s parents’ (or my Viet grandparents) favorite pho in San Gabriel. Pho Pasteur is also the first place in which I ever ate pho, setting high standards for all future pho that I would eat. Nevertheless, as I explored more Viet cuisine, bun–not pho–has become my go-to order at any Viet restaurant. Bun is a dish that is not technique-wise difficult to make as it mostly consists of things thrown together (my favorite way to eat!): vermicelli, assorted raw veg, bbq protein, and nước chấm. An even ratio of noodles:vegetable:protein makes the best bun, and Pho Pasteur’s ratio is golden.

• What to order: bun, either with BBQ pork and/or shrimp, and the Viet Coffee or Thai Ice Tea
• Best for: casual breakfast, lunch, dinner (did you know pho is technically breakfast food?); when you want/need to eat a lot of veggies but don’t want to eat a salad; when you’re already making a day out of going to SGV

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