Archive for January 2012

PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Gil”

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 happy to welcome art curator Gil, the friend who introduced me to La Cienega Kebab House and took down that massive falafel in laffa at Ta-eem. Now it appears as if he’s become obsessed with Ink.Sack.

Name: Gil

Age: 30

Occupation: Writer/Curator

Where in L.A. do you Work?: SEGALprojects (art gallery), Currently in West Hollywood

Favorite Kind of Food: Cheese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salad

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Soda Pops (349 North La Cienega Boulevard) – Veggie Reuben is ridiculously good. Ink Sack (8360 Melrose Ave) – I’m pretty sure the sandwiches contain meth, as there is no time in the day that I am not craving one. I am mad that they stopped making the “Nu-tella” sandwich. Apparently, I was the only person who ordered it.

Read more »

Myeongdong Donkasu’s Lunch Specials Give Wako a Run For its Money

DSC00786

If you are super fan of the Japanese fried meat cutlets known as tonkatsu (and quite frankly, how could you not be?) then you likely have discovered that one of the best versions in the city can be found not in the South Bay or on Sawtelle or in Little Tokyo, but in Koreatown, at a Korean/Japanese place called Wako Donkasu.  They’ve pretty much perfected the lunchtime katsu, but it doesn’t stop me from trying any new places that may pop now and again.  So when I saw this photo on Food GPS from the 6 month old Myeongdong Donkasu, I thought… don’t mind if I do!

Read more »

Lunch Links (The “Next Time I’m Splurging For Pork!” Edition)

IMG_6643
Chashu Tsukemen from Tsujita L.A. Photo courtesy of Gourmet Pigs

  • WEST LA Tsujita’s chashu tsukemen looks worth the extra $3 [Gourmet Pigs;Darin Dines]
  • DTLA Daikokuya’s shredded pork bowl is better than their ramen [Chowhound]
  • DTLA How do we get this market to open on the weekdays!? [Street Gourmet LA]
  • DTLA Philippe’s is raising the price of their 10 cent coffee to 45 cents [Blogdowntown,LAT]
  • HWOOD Ruen Pair’s tom kha gai is a great cold remedy [Amateur Gourmet]
  • KTOWN The katsu at Meyongdong Donkasu looks really good [Food GPS]
  • SAMO Arepas are back at Cafe Bolivar [Squid Ink]
  • WEST LA Clusi Batusi jumps on the personal pizza bandwagon [Eater]
  • WESTWOOD This blogger agrees with our assessment of 800 Degrees (and he didn’t even get the food for free!) [Sinosoul]

Where To Find California Burritos in Los Angeles

DSC00755

What do falafel sandwiches, chicken parm sandwiches, gyro pitas, and burritos all have in common? Answer: They are all made infinitely better when stuffed with french fries. Don’t agree? Then you’re probably a communist. (Or a far less disgusting eater than I.) But in California, the king of the french fry stuffed lunch has got to be the California Burrito, a San Diego creation that is essentially carne asada fries, wrapped in a giant tortilla. Or as I like to call it, a nugget of deliciousness.  I’ve never actually had a California burrito in San Diego, but that’s probably a good thing. Because it means that I can enjoy these 3 (presumably more mediocre) versions available right here in Los Angeles.

Read more »

New Anatolia Mediterranean Cafe Replaces Canary on Westwood Blvd.

DSC00759

Westwood lunching has been on fire since the beginning of the year.  800 Degrees continues to rack up fans with their Chip(otle)izza, Yamadaya just opened a new branch on Westwood Blvd just south of Wilshire, and the anticipation over the new Five Guys is palpable on Broxton during lunch. Plus there’s Wakasan, sandwiches that run the spectrum from grossly insane (Fat Sal’s) to grossly refined (Fundamental), and a ton of Middle Eastern food. In other words, Westwood is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in L.A. to eat lunch.  But it’s not all good news.  Canary, an old Persian standby on Westwood Blvd. whose tongue sandwich made it onto JGold’s 99 Things You Have To Eat Before You Die list in 2010, has been replaced by a new Turkish restaurant called New Anatolia Mediterranean Cafe.

Westwood is known for its Persian food (Attari will ensure that we don’t miss Canary’s tongue sandwich too much), and you can find solid Lebanese food at Sunin. But Turkish? That’s a new one. Tasting Table got pretty excited about their funky lamb soup (kette pacha) but I was super curious about their two shawarma spits they had rotating behind the counter, and their $7 lunch special.

Check it out after the jump…

Read more »

4 Of My Favorite “Chinese” Food Lunches Not in the SGV

All the chatter about Chinese New Year is making me hungry for some Chinese food! Of course who has time to trek to the San Gabriel Valley for a weekday lunch? So here are 4 of my favorite “Chinese” lunches between Downtown and Santa Monica. (With Chinese in quotes so that when the inevitable comments come in saying that nothing in this post is actually Chinese food, I can be like “Uh… dude. Didn’t you see the quotes!?”)

DSC07157

DOWNTOWN: If you work Downtown you could venture into Chinatown for some orange chicken from Yang Chow, or some dim sum from Ocean Seafood or Golden Dragon. But I’ll pretty much use any excuse I can get to eat lunch at Uncle John’s Cafe, the displaced Downtown diner that pairs Americanized Chinese food w/ greasy spoon breakfast fare. Salt and pepper pork chops or char siu with home fries and eggs? Yes please. [link]

Read more »

Lunch Links (The “Funky Westside Thai” Edition)


Yen Ta Fo from Moo Moo Thai. Photo courtesy of Garrett Snyder