Vote for the best Hole-In-The-Wall (Michelin-style)
Obviously the Michelin guide has a different, more rigorous set of standards. But hole-in-the-wall restaurants are a vital part of the Los Angeles food scene, and deserve just as much recognition as their white-linen cousins. And while I'm sure we would all love to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant every time we go out, chances are we're more likely to hit up something a bit less lofty. Plus, finding these hidden gems are what Chowhound is all about. So I propose we vote for who think are best, in the style of the Michelin guide:
3 stars - Worth making your destination
2 stars - Worth a detour
1 star - Interesting, if you're already the area
Here are my votes for the, uh, Micholein Guide. Don't be afraid to let your neighborhoood bias shine since you probably know your immediate surroundings the best.
THREE STARS -
Musha
Sokongdong
Hungry Cat
Langer's
TWO STARS -
Pie N Burger
Oinkster
Santouka
Beverly Soon Tofu
Pho 79 (San Gabriel)
Vito's Pizza
Porto's
ONE STAR -
Chili My Soul
Scoops
Cactus Taqueria
Doughboys
Pho So 1
Lares
Las Fuentes
Brodard
Village Pizzeria
Furaibo
Father's Office
SauceSupreme
Nov 15, 2007 08:51AM
three stars--samosa house
two stars--hungry pocket for falafal sandwiches (across the street from santa monica college)
don't know if they are too fancy to be considered a 'hole-in-the-wall' but rahel for ethiopian food on fairfax--three stars
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I second Samosa House. That place is seriously awesome.
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is samosa house on washington in mar vista? is there more than one?
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there is only one
11510 W Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, 90066. (310) 398-6766
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Three Stars
Woodlands Pure Chatsworth
Rahel Veggie Cuisine Little Ethiopia
Leda's Bake Shop
Artisan Cheese Gallery
Two Stars
El Katracho Van Nuys
Alexis Greek Northridge
Follow Your Heart Canoga Park
One Star
Chili My Soul
Lucky Baldwin's
Kyushu Ramen
Studio Yogurt
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well, if we're including yogurt places, sno:la gets 3 stars from me.
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completely concur
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sno:la? lol what a hilarious name.
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Michelin does acknowledge outstanding cheaper options in it's Bib Gourmand category. These are usually places you can have a full dinner for under (I think) $25.
Mine would be:
3 Stars - Guelaguetza, Musha, Orris, La Buca
2 Stars - Beechwood, Father's Office, 3 Square, Meals By Genet, Sabor a Mexico
1 Star - Abbot's Pizza, Sakura House, Hinano, Il Tramezzino, J&J, Shamshiri
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Bib Gourmand is still a place where you're expected to have a French-style three-course meal (entrée, plat, dessert), though.
3 Stars - Santouka, Skaf's, La Huasteca, Porto's, Tony's Little Italy, Tsuruhashi, El Taco Nazo
2 Stars - Raffi's, Shamshiri, Top Falafel (NH), Spumoni, Park's BBQ, Banh Mi Che Cali, Banh Mi Cho Cu
Too many 1 Stars to count
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Not really. The Bib Gourmand restaurants for LA include Kiriko, Baran, Cholada, Lares, La Serenata, Hide, Monte Alban, Nyala and many others where 3-course meals are not necessarily the norm.
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I can't believe I forgot Monte Alban, Shamshiri and Guelaguetza. I'll give 'em all a star.
La Super Rica gets two stars from me. I don't know if I'd drive to Santa Barbara just for their calabacita, but I'd definitely swing by.
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With you on La Super Rica. expensive, but i love their sunday pozole.
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Shamshiri doesn't really strike me as a hole in the wall place though...
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It's not a hole in the wall but it's a little hidden restaurant and not exactly the height of elegance, you know?
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shamshiri is good stuff.
I love the beef soltani. But the best deal on the menu there is the shwarma.
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porto's? really? I disagree whole heartedly. There is nothing noteworthy about their food.
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More for me then -- their pastries, potato balls and cakes are terrific.
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I don't know of any fruit tart better than theirs.
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Wow, have you tried the pastries? The guava strudel? The meringue frosted cakes? The mango mousse?
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And I've got to give love to their sandwiches. Their medianoche preperada is my ultimate comfort food fix.
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3 stars: Monte Alban, Mateo's Paletas, Brent's Deli, Woodlands, La Super Rica, Tacos Baja Ensenada, Sa Rit Gol, Phillippe's
2 stars: Mama's Hot Tamales, 3 Square, Brodard, Skaf's, Mei Long Village
1 star: Antica Pizzeria
Would taco trucks ever make the list? You'd think Michelin of all people would embrace the taco truck...
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ONE STAR
Won Won Kitchen
Sin Ba La
Dai Ho
Wood Spoon
Scoops
Pann's
Seafood Village
Yuca's (for the burgers)
Golden Deli
TWO STARS
Sushi Ike
Luscious Dumplings
Julienne
Fosselman's
Chang's Garden
THREE STARS
Sea Harbour
Babita
Park's BBQ
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Having made numerous detours and something like three full crosstown trips to Pann's, I would give it another star at least. I do agree with your two-star choices, though Julienne qualifies IF you're in the general vicinity and IF your bank balance is healthy. Fosselman's worth a detour? Hey, that's why we patronize the Alhambra Costco!
As for making my own list, I just can't. Whatever place I'm eating in right now is usually my favorite...
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"Fosselman's worth a detour? Hey, that's why we patronize the Alhambra Costco!"
Spoken like a true intrepid chowhound. My favorite treat? A Costco churro matched with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream from Fosselman's.
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AHHAHAHAHA
ipsedixit, we do that all the time! GO to costco, pick up a churro, and then go to fosselman's
taro/cherry vanilla FTW
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3 Stars: Monte Alban, Vito's, El Taurino, Newport Seafood (Santa Ana), Langer's
2 Stars: Mei Long Village, Din Tai Fung, Surya, India's Grill
1 Stars: Tuk Tuk, Yabu (La Cienega), Versailles (La Cienega), Chabuya, Absolutely
Phobolous
Guess where I live?
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Near Vito's I would say!
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Yes, too close for a cannoli.....
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THREE STARS
Caioti
Father’s Office
John O’Groats
Langer’s
La Super Rica
TWO STARS
Casa Bianca
Chili John’s
Oinkster
Swinging Door
Yang Chow
ONE STAR
The Bucket
Fat Jack’s
Fred 62
Gumbo Pot
In-N-Out
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I'm surprised to see Fred 62 on this otherwise stellar list. The meals I've had there over the last couple years have been pretty mediocre.
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The definition of one star is "Interesting, if you're already in the area." I live within walking distance of Fred 62 and I have breakfast there four or five times a week. I wouldn't recommend anyone drive from Tustin to go there, that's for sure.
As they say, YMMV. Come to think of it, I was in the area of Encino last night and I had dinner at The Stand, which probably deserves to be on the one-star list as well.
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Always derided Fred 62 based on lunch and dinner, recently had b-fast there and surprised that it was above decent for in the area.
Agree with other post , no Chichen Itza ? 3!
Also not mentioned Marouch, Carousel- 2
Parus, Yuca's for the taco's -1
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Hey Max,
what do you like at Fat Jack's? I've lived a couple blocks from there for a while now but have never been.
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Fat Jack's is the Official Restaurant For After You've Been Kicked Out Of Nozawa For Asking For California Roll.
Triple Fat Jack with everything and steak fries. Here's a menu:
http://www.menupix.com/losangeles/men...
11402 Ventura Blvd Studio City CA
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LAWL Sauce... I'ma upend your rules a little bit, take out the budget criteria, and just make my own dang personal Michelin guide. They're ALL destination places anyway, as far as I'm concerned, depending on what I'm craving at the moment, and if there's any place I've forgotten, chalk it up to... exclusivity! Yeah, that's it!
* * * Manpuku
* * * Mon Land Hot Pot
* * * Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori
* * * Sushi Zo
* * * Tama-en
* * * The Boiling Crab
* * Asa Ramen
* * El Taurino
* * Golden Deli
* * Ichimi-an Honten
* * Little Fat Sheep
* * Mei Long Village
* * Park's BBQ
* * Quality Seafood
* * Ruen Pair
* * Santouka Ramen
* * Torimatsu
* * The Hungry Cat
* * Yu Chun
* 101 Noodle Express
* Albene's
* Bacon-wrapped Hot Dog Guy
* Daikokuya
* Dan Sung Sa
* Gaja
* Gardena Ramen
* Gingergrass
* Hakata Shin-Sen-Gumi
* Han Bat
* Hanaichimonme
* Hoan Kiem
* Honda-ya
* Izakaya Kan Yuzen
* Kiriko
* Kokkekokko
* Kyochon
* Lee's Sandwiches
* Orochon Ramen
* Papa George's Hy-Mart Deli
* Pho 79 (Alhambra)
* Ramen-ya
* Ryo Zan Paku
* So Kong Dong
* Sushi Don Sasabune
* That Taco Stand at Vermont and Venice or was it Pico
* Yabu
* Yakitoriya
oh and uh,
* * * * T-------
(Think the Michelin guys made it in there? "Reservation sil vous plait?" "Eh, to... eh... to... mmm... gomen...")
yeah. i know. i'm super bored at work as our clients are out for the day.
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I really doubt that even the Michelin guys made it to That Secret House On Pico That Shall Not Be Named.
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Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
Totoraku
Teriyaki House on Pico
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Yeah that's the one. Sssh! Don't tell anyone! They can't get in anyway!
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Wow! Very impressive. Even in alphabetical order.
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Rameniac, we are both pigs I have pretty much the same list but i'll list anyway.
3 Stars
Seafood Village
So Kong Dong
Han Bat Shul-Lung Tang (hangover soup)
Park's BBQ
Mien Nghia
Golden Deli
Shin Sen Gumi - Yakitori and Ramen
Sushi Zo
Yuca's - burger and cochinita pibil
Musha - torrance
Father's Office
Elite Restaurant
2 Stars
Viet Soy Cafe
Corner Place
Pho 79
Savoy
Noodle King
Yun Gui Garden
Dumpling 10053
Kiriko Sushi
Sushi Komasa
1 Star
Terried Sake House
Honda Ya/Kappo Honda
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa - bun bo hue
Fatburger - with EGG!
Oinkster
Santouka
Sanuki No Sato
Mario's Peruvian
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Okay, I've passed Mien Nghia on Garvey for YEARS and never stopped in. What's good there?
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mien nghia serves chiuchow style noodles with stuff like fish balls and shredded chicken atop a half egg noodle/half pho noodle concotion. our good buddy edbm mainlines their soups like a fish guzzles water...
http://eatdrinknbmerry.blogspot.com/2...
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haha thanks rameniac.
das ubergeek, seriously, i've been there over 25 times. they know me by name.
if you eat there, i recommend the chinatown location over rosemead/alhambra locations. try out #36 with fresh chicken (from poultry shop around the corner) and fresh fish slices on egg/rice noodles. try with their homemade saute sauce (i bought my own jar for home) and pickled green chiles. their chicken stock is quite flavorful.
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Mmmmm... you know, I always thought, "Could that be a Chaozhou place?" I will definitely make a point of stopping in when I get out that way at a time that makes sense... perhaps one day I'll deke out of work a bit early and make a C-town detour on my train ride home.
About that poultry shop... they wouldn't happen to carry roosters, would they?
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Uber, i'm sure they have all walks of life in that store haha.
reply back once you try Mien Nghia. Not my favorite Chao Zhou (chiu chow) place, but definitely a solid soup. My favorite Chao Zhou place is in Santa Ana, called Trieu Chau Restaurant on Newhope/1st St.
Straying off topic, i saw your fish taco face-off topic recently. loved it. i had to do my own fish taco taste-off... with Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada, Siete Mares and Tacos Baja Ensenada in East LA. I still have one more to add to the list... El Taco Nazo. posting will be on my blog next week. cheers.
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Trieu Chau, huh??
Hm... I *am* on my own for dinner tonight... and I live in Anaheim... and I'm home early for once... hard to decide between the "legal crack" pizza of Luigi's D'Italia or driving down to Trieu Chau... hmmmmmmm...
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Yeah, great soup. not sure what you're into, but i always get the beef ball/fried fish cake rice noodles. seafood rice noodles is good too. i think they open from 7am - 5 pm and expect lines and random table mates at your table. they stopped opening at night b/c of gang shootings around the area.
4401 W 1st St
Santa Ana, CA 92703
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Alas, I am reading this AFTER I went to go check it out. I went to "New Trieu Chau" instead, and it was a crime against food.
I noticed a bunch of random people standing in the shadows as I peeled out of the lot. That's not a good sign in Santa Ana.
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note that edbm didn't put trieu chau oin his quasi-michelin list, despite it being his fave chiuchow place. a simple oversight? or could it be because of a traumatic experience there? dah dah daaaaahahaha...
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i keep seeing Park's BBQ. what and where is this?
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It's the board favorite for Korean BBQ and it's located in K town.
Park's BBQ
955 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 380-1717
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They make a marinated kalbi -- that is, rib plus a long ribbon of meat about a foot long -- that is the best friggin' piece of meat ever to be associated with the Korean people.
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i must agree with Das... the belt o' beef is truly a beauty. nothing is easier than grilling a long length of beef. only 1 flip and it's ready to be devoured. Park's is also known for its solid and tasty line of ban chan... 11 i counted last time i went.
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the spicy raw crab banchan at park's approaches divinity, as far as spicy raw crab banchans go. whatever that means.
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