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 we’re excited to welcome Hadley Tomicki, Grub Street Editor and westside lunching expert.

Name: Hadley

Age: 34

Occupation: Editor, Grub Street L.A.; Co-Founder, L.A. Taco

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Penmar, Venice

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese, Mexican

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Fast food

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The tuna poke and sixty-cent sodas at Murakai (12121 W Pico Blvd) are my current obsession. I love the San Biagio sandwich at Centanni (1700 Lincoln Blvd) and the tortas from El Super Taco (11300 W Pico Blvd). Shrimp tacos at Mariscos Chente (4532 S Centinela Ave) and La Playita (3306 Lincoln Blvd). Rellenos at Fiesta Brava (423 Rose Ave). Avocado sandwich and shrimp and mango quesadillas at Windward Farms (105 Windward Ave). Mole negro at Juquila (11619 Santa Monica Blvd). When it’s not so hot, I like to battle with the crab noodles at Poom Thai (2204 Lincoln Blvd). And if I’m not feeling like too much of a porker, I may walk to Baby Blues (444 Lincoln Blvd) or Uncle Darrow’s (2560 S Lincoln Blvd) or drive to Aunt Kizzy’s (523 Washington Blvd), the seaside’s extended family of soul food. And also, the Clevelander sandwich at Shoop’s (2400 Main St).

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If you love pork you were undoubtedly excited by Jonathan Gold’s (aka “The Guru” on this site) review of Palsaik Samgyeopsal, the Koreatown pork belly specialist whose signature dish features 8 thick slices of fatty goodness, each drenched in its own special marinade.  Somewhat surprisingly, they do offer a lunch menu featuring galbi tang (beef stew), naengmyeon (cold noodles), and $9 orders of pork belly.  But clearly the 8 slices of pork belly dinner is the draw of this place.  For lunch you’re better off stepping a few doors down to Jang Tou Bossam, a 2 year old semi-hidden gem  (it’s literally hidden behind the building that houses Ma Dang Gook Soo and BCD Tofu House) of a restaurant that specializes in that other Korean pork fat dish- bossam.

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Ramen at Shin Sen Gumi. Photo courtesy of Darin Dines

• DTLA Shin Sen Gumi is now open, and lets you customize your ramen [Darin Dines]
• DTLA Chimu is as good as everybody says  [Treasure LA]
• DTLA The Guru liked the curry at Fat Spoon, but not the pasta [Squid Ink]
• HWOOD Arax & Spicy BBQ make for a good mashup!? [Squid Ink]
• HWOOD Chick-Fil-A opens 9/22 and first hundred people get free food for a year [Squid Ink]
• HWOOD Adam Roberts gets his first taste of Zankou [Amateur Gourmet]
• KTOWN On Monday, Roy Choi had a great lunch at Chosun Galbee [Grub Street]
• SAMO Fat Spoon has plans to open a branch on the westside [The Feast]
• WESTWOOD The torta is the best sando at Fundamental L.A. [Gourmet Pigs]
• MOBILE Check out this great history of tamale carts in L.A. [LAT]

If you live or work in the Culver City/Palms area (or spend as much time at Scoops Westside as I do) finding lunch around Overland and Venice has become a constant mission. After all, one cannot live off ice cream and Intelligentsia coffee alone (although a few people I know are certainly trying).  If you’re in the mood for Indian, there are a ton of options.  Mexican?  It’s Angelica’s Cemita truck FTW. Indonesian?  Simpang Asia is right around the corner. And I’ll be very excited when the Westside Food Truck Central lot opens back up.

But what about Japanese food?  Yamadaya just opened on Sepulveda and Washington, but what about sushi?  Finding decent sushi for under $10 is practically impossible, but when paired up with some cheaper items in lunchtime bento box form it becomes a bit easier. And when I heard that Sushi Central (on Overland & Palms) does exactly that, for only $9.95 I got pretty excited.

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Shhhhh… please don’t tell, but there’s a new “secret” burger place in Downtown L.A.  You would think that opening a burger speakeasy would be impossible in a city that treats every bit of Umami news like it’s a presidential address, but there it is off of San Pedro Street between 3rd and 4th, nestled in the no-mans land between Little Tokyo and Industrial Street’s restaurant row.  The building is completely unmarked, and according to the owners they plan to keep it that way (Escondite literally means hiding place.) But a restaurant that is truly serious about remaining completely hidden is a restaurant run by idiots, so in place of a full scale PR onslaught they have subtly taken to Yelp, Facebook, and Twitter, in the hopes that word of mouth would slowly bring the crowds.

Last week, they got their first hit of press- a blog post by L.A. Food God, which was quickly picked up by Grub Street.  And while it sounds like this place will be more nighttime bar hang out than daytime lunch spot, their menu was cheap enough for me.  And once I heard they were topping burgers with fried eggs and hash browns, I didn’t need to hear anything more.

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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 Susie, an importer/exporter who hates American food, and needs a good Jamaican rec.

Name: Susie

Age: 26

Occupation: Fashion entrepreneur: Stylist, Merchandise Coordinator, blogger, buyer, creative director, & Brand strategy consultant. My full time job is Executive Merchandise Coordinator of Imports and Exports (Japan)

Where in L.A. do you Work?: COC Downtown Los Angeles, Fashion District

Favorite Kind of Food: Thai & Spanish Caribbean

Least Favorite Kind of Food: American. E.g., Turkey and Gravy or Stew (eww)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Orochon Ramen (123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka Street) for Mild Miso pork Soup. Blossom (426 S. Main St.) for Bun and Cha Gio. Sandwich Shop (531 W 6th St) for their Curry Chicken Sandwich. Teno Sushi (207 S Central Ave) for the combination lunch special and their salad. Officially the most affordable and fresh sushi in LA. TOT‘s (345 E 2nd St) avocado tuna salad (awesome lunch special also). And Spice Table‘s laksa (Spicy noodle soup).

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The Captain Kangaroo Burger from The Escondite. Photo by LA Food God

• DTLA The Escondite looks like a tasty burger speakeasy [LA Food God via GS]
• DTLA The seafood curry at Fat Spoon is also good [The Minty]
• DTLA Flying Pig Cafe is still disappointing [Darin Dines]
• FAIRFAX Currywurst is now open [Eater]
• INGLEWOOD Is Mariscos Chente’s changing its name? [Grub Street]
• KTOWN A new Oaxacan restaurant has taken the Pal Cabron space [Eater]
• MID CITY Five Guys is coming to Miracle Mile [I Love LA But… via Eater]
• WEHO Soda Pop’s makes the best chicken sandwich in L.A. [Unemployed Eater]
• WEHO The Guru weighs in on ink.sack [LAW]
• WEST L.A. Kabab Mahaleh has great koobideh, and fresh sangak [Squid Ink]
• MOBILE Ludo and Roscoe’s make some of the best fried chx in L.A. [LAT]