Midtown Lunch

When Grub Street reported back in September that a place called Thai Market had opened on Venice and Sepulveda, I got pretty pumped.  Not only was the place going to be an actual Thai market, where dry and fresh Thai ingredients could be purchased, but it was also going to feature a “selection of very low-cost traditional dishes made in the kitchen and left heated at a counter up front”.  Because as much as I love Thai Town, how could I not be excited by the possibility of having decent (read: authentic) Thai food on the westside.  (Sorry Natalee Thai… you just don’t cut it.)

Sadly the Department of Health made it over there before I did, and they were forced to close down and renovate the space before they could serve hot food.  (I’m guessing hoping it was just a permit issue?)  Anyway, after months of waiting it appears as if they finally have the hot food bar back up and running and-brace yourself- it’s 3 items for just $5.

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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 it’s Steven, a writer who works in the lunch wasteland of Miracle Mile.

Name: Steven Armstrong

Age: 28

Occupation: Writer/Journalist

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Freelance for Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, MadeMan.com, Mutineer Magazine, among others. I work from home, in the Miracle Mile.

Favorite Kind of Food: Raw oysters; Pork; All things spicy, particularly Mexican, Indian, and Korean cuisines

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Peas (unless they’re stewed in curry)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The food trucks on Wilshire. I usually stop by Bool for bibimbap or Phamish for pork banh mi. Miracle Mile’s tough because it mostly caters to non-foodie office workers who don’t know any better. So, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are a lot of chains (Baja Fresh, Chipotle, etc). But one of the better chains is The Counter (5779 Wilshire Boulevard). It’s not the best burger in L.A. Not by a long shot. But it’s pretty decent. They also have some tasty sides. The chili cheese fries are surprisingly delicious. And the fried pickles are delicious. The craft beer selection is also fairly decent — if you’re in the mood for a wet lunch.

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I love stuffing my face with a good sausage just as much as the next guy, but I could take or leave the new tube meat craze that seems to be sweeping through L.A. over the past year. Don’t get me wrong… if Hot Doug’s expanded to L.A. I would probably advise my friends and family to sell any stock they held in my health insurance company (after all, duck fat fries every Friday and Saturday are probably not good for your long term health.)  As a resident of Culver City I’m mildly excited about Wurstkuche expanding to Venice, but the opening of Wirtshaus on La Brea brought a major yawn, that is until I saw their lunch menu.

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Prik khing crispy pork from Crispy Pork Gang & Grill. Photo by Sinosoul

• DTLA Suehiro Cafe makes a good pork katsu don [The Minty]
• HWOOD 3 Thai Town lunch specials [Squid Ink]
• HWOOD There’s a new crispy pork place in Thai Town [Sinosoul]
• KTOWN A list of great places for pork belly [Mattatouille]
• KTOWN Wako Donkasu is now Guru approved! [LAW]
• KTOWN Yuk hwe bibimbap sounds awesome [LAW]
• WESTWOOD For Persian pizza head to Café Glacé [LAT]
• WESTWOOD There’s a BBQ Chicken in Westwood!? [Squid Ink]
• WEST LA Hopefully this new okonomyaki place will be open for lunch! [GS]
• WEST LA Tsujita LA is now open on Sawtelle… [Squid Ink]
• WEST LA … but lunch service doesn’t start until Sept. [LAT]
• MOBILE The pernil at Lidia’s Dominican is great [Squid Ink]

It’s no secret that the Jogasaki Truck is one of my favorite new trucks to hit Los Angeles in the past year. Their sushi burritos are not only the perfectly portable food truck treat, but they’re also a good value and delicious. If they parked outside my office, I’d probably eat one every day.  Most of the press they received (and it was a lot for awhile there) was of the “can you believe this truck is making sushi burritos!?” variety, but apparently there were others who saw Jogasaki for what it is… a genius idea, worthy of copying.

A few months ago The Pokey Truck hit the streets of Los Angeles, and if you thought their signature item was going to be Hawaiian poke (like you get at this great place on the Venice Beach boardwalk) guess again.  It’s another sushi burrito truck.

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If there is a better work day lunchtime set up than the mall food court, I haven’t seen it.  What other place can you go with your co-workers (or family for that matter) and everybody be able to get what they want.  You’re in the mood for a turkey sandwich but I want shitty Chinese food?  Food court can make it happen.  You want a salad, but I’m in the mood for- oh who am I kidding.  I always want the shitty Chinese food.  Point is, food courts have got something for everybody.

Recently food courts have taken to looking outside the standard fast food joint model that has dominated the scene for decades.  The Westfield mall in Century City is well known for their upscale food court, which features a number of interesting and kind of upscale options.  And I’ve explored the hidden mysteries of the Santa Monica Place food court.  But nothing could adequately prepare me for the announcement that 101 Noodle Express, the San Gabriel Valley institution famous for their beef rolls, was now open in the Fox Hills Mall Westfield Mall Culver City.  Could this be the Chinese food savior the westside has been praying for?

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