Midtown Lunch

As amazing as the food at Zam Zam Market is, even I’ll admit there are a number of things holding it back from becoming a go to spot in L.A. for Pakistani food.  First, the food is too amazing. Well, too authentic anyway. (Aka, not made for white people.) Most Angelenos are probably not interested in picking through a biriyani minefield, trying to avoid bones, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns and red chilies (although I’m proud to say my 3 1/2 year old son is not one of those people!) They’ve also got the weirdest hours- for anybody who isn’t intimately familiar with the prayer schedule at the mosque just up the street whose congregants make up the bulk of the customer base at Zam Zam. Aaaand there’s the big Dept of Health “C” on the door, the overrun by zombies decor, and the lack of a fixed menu. Did I mention the food is really freakin spicy?

Well, it appears as if a few of those issues have been fixed! As of last week Zam Zam Market is now open 7 days a week from 11am to 9pm. And they’ve added a bunch of new menu items, including a ridiculously huge $9 mix plate that you have to see to believe.

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If you are a fan of ten-don but haven’t been to Hannosuke, the new tempura specialist in the Mar Vista Mitsuwa, what the hell is wrong with you!?  Seriously.  You need to go ASAP.  And if your excuse was “I don’t really like eel or fish” or “I’m a vegetarian”, that’s not going to hold water anymore either because Hannosuke has added two more ten-don bowls to their menu.  One replaces the fish with extra shrimp for $8.95, and one is all vegetables.

Check out the new vegetarian bowl after the jump…

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It has been my long held position, and the position of Midtown Lunch, that dipping something in batter and deep frying it will always improve the original item (hot dogs I’m looking at you.)  Sure, even I will draw the line at candy bars and sticks of butter- after all, I’m not a Republican.  But even the most progressive of crunchy, granola bar eating vegetarian liberals will have to admit that treating vegetables to a spa-like batter treatment, followed by a hot oil bath, is the most humane death you could give to something that grows out of the ground.

So, naturally, when Grub Street announced yesterday that Tokyo tempura specialist Hannousuke was now open in the Mitsuwa Marketplace I became as excited as a… well… a fat guy who likes things that are battered and deep fried.

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The Beefy T

Have you ever wondered why Chego isn’t open for lunch?  I have. And by “wondered why” I mean “complained that”.  In fact Roy Choi’s Asian rice bowl restaurant in Palms not serving lunch appeared as one of my very first gripes about lunching in L.A. Well, it only took two years but today at 11:30am Chego will officially start serving lunch.  Since they still are using Chego to prep all of the Kogi trucks, lunch is only available for take out.  But most of the entire dinner menu is available (with just a few exceptions), and you can order in person or through their new online ordering system.

Check out the menu, plus a look at Day 1 (as it was twittered and instagrammed live from the scene) after the jump…

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Mexican smoothies, shakes, and paletas might be ubiquitous in some parts of Los Angeles, but in Culver City if you want a mamey shake, watermelon liquida, or mezcal & walnut ice cream there’s only one place you’ll ever need to go: Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars.  Nestled in the corner of a strip mall on Sepulveda between Jefferson and Culver, Mateo’s is well known for their fruit juices, Mexican popsicles, milk shakes, and ice cream.  (And apparently their coffee ice cream is especially good.) But did you know they also serve sandwiches?

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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.

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If you want the best barbecue in all of Los Angeles, go to Bludso’s in Compton.  Sure, it’s out of the way and doesn’t really have any seating- save for a few bar stools across from the ordering window. But it all becomes worth it when you pull into that parking lot and see the gigantic smokers doing their thing.  It’s the kind of sight that makes you instantly realize you made the correct decision, even before having a single bite of food.  But how many of us can realistically hit up Bludso’s for a weekday lunch?  30 minutes from Downtown L.A. or the Westside isn’t going to happen on even the most loosely enforced one hour lunch breaks… so where does one go when the craving for ‘cue hits?

For me, it’s now JR’s Barbecue on La Cienega just south of Washington.

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