Eat Like a Local in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, food trucks are a religion, green juice is practically a birthright and sushi borders on divine. Don’t go for the obvious eateries – it’s time to seek out the secret sauce. Here’s how to eat your way through Los Angeles like the locals do.  

Best budget-friendly eats in Los Angeles 

Marugame Udon 

Marugame Udon serves made-to-order udon bowls with thick, chewy house-made noodles and dashi-based broths. Highlights include crispy prawn and vegetable tempura and caramelised teriyaki chicken, served with garnishes like green onions, soft-boiled eggs and nori. With no meal over US$16, quality comes without the high price.

Porto’s Bakery & Cafe 

Porto’s Bakery & Cafe crafts Cuban-inspired baked goods like golden cheese rolls, hand-folded empanadas, croquettes and cakes. Everything is made fresh daily using time-honoured techniques –pastries are expertly laminated for perfect flakiness, fillings are slow-cooked and desserts are layered with rich dulce de leche, whipped mousses and seasonal fruit.

Zankou Chicken 

Founded in Beirut and now with multiple locations across Los Angeles, Zankou Chicken is known for bold, no-frills Middle Eastern fare. Specialties include spit-roasted, marinated whole chickens, sliced-to-order beef and chicken shawarma, plus crispy falafel. Meals come with house-made hummus, tahini, pickled turnips, warm pita and the brand’s cult-favorite garlic sauce.

Kogi BBQ

Founded by Roy Choi, co-host of Netflix’s The Chef Show, Kogi BBQ serves bold Korean-Mexican fusion. Try the famed short rib taco – grilled, soy-marinated beef on a corn tortilla with slaw, sesame seeds and chilli-soy vinaigrette – and the wet burrito, packed with meat and rice, topped with melted cheese and cilantro-onion-lime relish. Dishes are available by tracking the truck’s rotating schedule across the city.

Best Mexican food in Los Angeles 

Leo’s Taco Truck 

Leo’s Taco Truck nails hand-pressed corn tortillas, slow-cooked pork and carne asada (grilled beef). Tortas come stacked with creamy avocado and tangy pickled jalapeños, while quesadillas filled with gooey Oaxaca cheese and spicy chorizo steal the show. Each dish is complemented by house-made salsas, from smoky chipotle to fiery habanero.

Guelaguetza 

Guelaguetza combines a full-service Mexican restaurant with a boutique market specialising in Oaxacan regional products. The kitchen focuses on traditional recipes, preparing dishes like mole negro – slow-simmered with over 30 ingredients, including toasted chilles, nuts, seeds and chocolate – and mezcal-infused cocktails crafted from native agave varieties.

Best undercover Los Angeles restaurants 

Chainsaw LA 

Chainsaw LA hosts pop-up dinners in a small Echo Park backyard, accessible only by subscription and waitlist. The menu features Latin American flavours, with pies and desserts served family-style to encourage sharing. Collaborations with emerging chefs ensure a diverse, ever-changing selection of dishes.

Gjusta 

Gjusta is a deli, bakery, cafe and market focused on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. The bakery crafts breads and pastries using organic flours and long fermentation, while the deli offers house-cured smoked fish, charcuterie and dishes like anchovy toast with slow-cooked tomato confit.

Best restaurants for celebrations in Los Angeles

n/naka

Michelin-starred n/naka offers a captivating 13-course tasting menu – an inventive, seafood-led take on the Japanese art of kaiseki. Rooted in seasonality and balance, each dish highlights premium ingredients from the coasts and farms of California and Japan, brought together with precision, artistry and quiet intention.

Petit Trois 

Petit Trois is a Parisian bistro-inspired restaurant known for expertly prepared French classics like caramelised onion soup with gratinéed Gruyère, crab mousseline and herb-seasoned tuna tartare. The wine list features carefully selected French vintages, while the cocktail menu highlights spirits such as Cognac and Chartreuse.

Best eats in Chinatown, Koreatown & Silver Lake

Pine & Crane 

Pine & Crane serves authentic Taiwanese cuisine. Signature dishes include three-cup chicken braised in sesame oil, soy and Shaoxing wine, and beef noodle soup with slow-simmered beef shank, hand-pulled noodles and pickled mustard greens. The menu also features traditional appetisers like house-pickled vegetables, crispy scallion pancakes and marinated tofu.

Howlin’ Ray’s

Howlin’ Ray’s serves Nashville-style hot chicken with spice levels from “Country” (no heat) to “Howlin’” (extremely spicy), featuring hand-brined, double-battered fried chicken served on white bread with pickles. Located in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza, the restaurant’s long lines reflect its devoted fan base.

Quarters Korean BBQ  

Quarters Korean BBQ offers meats in precise quarter-pound portions, allowing small and large parties to customise their experience without excess waste. The menu includes marinated galbi short ribs, thick-cut pork belly and sweet-savoury bulgogi, each prepared with traditional Korean marinades.

Feature image: Visit the USA