Singapore’s Banana Leaf’s Mee Indo Style is My Go-To Farmer’s Market Lunch. What’s Yours?

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I still remember the first time I want to the Original L.A. Farmer’s Market.  The year was 1994 and I may or may not have just been a studio audience member of the Price is Right (sadly I didn’t get called to come on down.)  Getting to go to Los Angeles, and visit my cousin, was my High School graduation present and I remember thinking the Farmer’s Market was quite possibly the greatest food court I had ever been in.  Fast forward 17 years later, and the excitement has worn off a bit.  Most of the places are pretty mediocre, and even the decent ones are kind of pricey for what they are (I’m looking at you Loteria.)  Was it always that way? Probably.  The 18 year old me also thought that I would never find better clothing stores than the T-shirt shops on Hollywood Blvd.

And yet, it’s rare that you’ll find somebody willing to outright bash the Farmer’s Market food court.  The place is an institution, and for somebody who loves food courts it is hard not to get a little bit excited walking into that place on a beautiful day.  (And let’s face it, it beats eating at La Piazza.)   But I think the real reason most people have fond feelings about the Farmer’s Market is because everybody has their one go to dish.  The one thing they always order, every single time, without fail. After all, the number of options can be intimidating.  And it’s easy to get lost in that maze.  Going back again and again for the same thing is the easy solution for that.

My go to dish?  The Mee Indo Style at Singapore’s Banana Leaf.

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Indonesian style mee goreng, topped with a fried egg, and served with two satay sticks for $9?  Yes please.  Is it the best, most authentic mee goreng I’ve ever had?  Maybe not.  But it is a damn tasty plate of sauteed noodles.  And the fact that it comes with two sticks of satay (and a delicious peanut sauce) is huge.  Oh, and a fried egg makes everything better.  I thought for sure that after discovering Simpang Asia (and visiting Bali in person) that Singapore’s Banana Leaf wouldn’t be nearly as good as I remember it being years ago.  But there’s was nothing to get mad about in this dish.  Coerce a friend into sharing some roti canai, and you’ll be that much happier.

So… there’s mine.  What’s your never disappointing, go-to order at the Farmer’s Market? Next time I’m on the Price is Right I want to be more prepared.

The Original Farmer’s Market, 6333 West 3rd Street, 323-933-9211

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2 Comments

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Clearly, I am in total agreement!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Now I’m starving. I also love the rojak salad. And the father and son who own The Banana Leaf are two of the nicest guys around. I took a friend who had a ten hour lay over in LA there and when the son heard she was going to Australia he sat with us and told her about all the places she had to visit. Love that place!

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