Midtown Lunch

As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week its Veronica, a Downtown marketing expert looking for some solid Vietnamese food in Chinatown.

Name: Veronica

Age: 29

Occupation: Online Marketing/Social Media

Where in L.A. do you Work?: During the day, at First 5 LA – Downtown, near Chinatown/Little Tokyo

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I can’t stand veal or fois gras. Regardless of the ethical reasons, I just really, really don’t like the taste of either of them.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Despite working at the transportation mecca of Los Angeles, we hardly ever go anywhere that’s not within walking distance. The Rattlesnake & Rabbit or the Austin Blues at Wurstkuche (800 E 3rd St), along with a bucket of their life-changing fries. I also love hitting up the Little Tokyo Marketplace (333 S Alameda St) for fresh sashimi from Woori Market, the Spicy Champon at Hana Ichimonme and the macrobiotic bento boxes at Shojin. Phillippe’s (1001 N Alameda St) would also be on this list if I could ever get in at lunch without a huge line out the door.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? La Noche Buena (12 Olvera Street). It’s all about their avocado sauce. Followed by a trip to Mr. Churro (12 E Olvera St.) for their fresh-made, custard-filled churros. Although now that I’ve discovered La Luz Del Dia’s (W-1 Olvera St) homemade tortillas, I might be switching it up.

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Just about every Indian food place in Culver City: Zam Zam, Mayura, etc. I knew about Bawarchi, but I have yet to eat there. Now I know what to get first! I’m also excited to add Yakitori Koshiji to the to-do list in Downtown.

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? Probably Sunset Junction area (4-5 miles). Places like Alegria (3510 W Sunset Blvd), Garage Pizza (4339 W Sunset Blvd), Intelligentsia (3922 W Sunset Blvd) and Pazzo Gelato (3827 W Sunset Blvd) are well worth the drive on a Friday when the workload is light.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Probably Paris, but not for the fancy bistro food. My mom is French and every time we’d visit, we’d find little hole in the wall places run by old ladies who would serve us a simple platter of baguette, cheese and charcuterie. That, or a simple croque monsieur at a street cafe every day and I’d be set for life.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers in L.A.? I keep hearing Chinatown actually has great Vietnamese food. What’s up with that, and where do I get it?

Funny you should mention that. On The Guru’s recommendation I hit up Bu’u Dien in Chinatown for a banh mi a few days ago. Obviously it’s not as good as the places in Westminister, but it’s solid, super cheap, and unbelievably homey (aka dingy in the best possible sense.)

Anybody else got a recommendation for Veronica? Put it in the comments. And as always if you want to be next week’s Profiled: L.A. Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d want to nominate), email me- zach@midtownlunch.com.