You know what just about everyone could use right now? A gigantic, delicious, satisfying meal from a local restaurant — which is precisely the point of the Polish boy at Barbie-Q, a takeout spot in Encino. Formerly a food truck run by owner Fortune Southern, the spot on Ventura Boulevard now traffics in Midwestern comfort dishes and a touch of barbecue, with the star of the show undoubtedly the massive Polish grilled sandwich. The whole thing is topped with sauce, laced with coleslaw, and finished with French fries for the kind of sink-into-yourself meal that might put anyone into an afternoon nap. —Farley Elliott

For a hot minute in Highland Park, Bang Bang Noodles was the most popular street food sensation, with former fine dining chef Robert Lee slapping long strands of biang biang noodles to the delight of eager patrons. Lee has transitioned to a more permanent, contactless pickup spot during the pandemic, but the well-coated flat noodles are the best example of “do one thing really well” in LA’s dining scene. With a pliant, satisfying bite and layered spices, the plate of noodles will be empty before you realize just how quickly you’ve been wolfing them down. —Matthew Kang

One of LA’s best underground meat masters is now in the Hollywood spotlight. Avi Cue, the Sherman Oaks backyard maestro known for his unique riffs on decadent chops and Middle Eastern dishes like arayes, has burst onto the wider food scene with a series of wagyu shawarma pop-ups around Hollywood. The shawarma is always worth the price of admission, and makes for a far easier ticket to score than an invite to Avi Cue’s back yard. —Farley Elliott

Though all four dishes — khao soi, pork curry, house-made sausages, and smokey jackfruit salad — gracing the table were truly fantastic, the gaeng hang lae was absolutely tops. The Thai-Burmese pork curry with tamarind paste and ginger root was unrivaled in its balance and flavor, and every last bit of the gravy was sopped up with sticky rice for good measure. —Cathy Chaplin

This classic Sichuan dish has all the simplicity of a home cooked dish but can go in so many directions depending on the spices and the addition of meat. Xiang La Hui makes one of the most compelling mapo tofu dishes in the city. Gentle tofu cubes swim in a dense sauce imbued with multi-dimensional peppercorn heat. The balanced heat simmers and dances on the palate, with not quite the piquant hit of black pepper, nor the overly numbing spice of peppercorn. —Matthew Kang

Spoon by H is quietly cooking some of the best Korean food in LA despite having to shut down indoor seating and only rely on takeout and delivery. What’s available depends on what owner and chef Yoonjin Hwang prepares by the week, but earlier this year she made a spicy beef noodle soup featuring whole beef ribs and a hefty broth that very much resembled khao soi. Though this soup didn’t have any of the curry or coconut undertones of khao soi, the marrow-infused broth did its job of capturing the same rich essence of the northern Thai dish. Instead of Thai spice, the bowl featured the gentle heat of gochujang and a hint of sweetness that the thick hand-cut noodles easily mopped up. My personal all-time favorite Korean dish is yookgaejang, and this hand-cut spicy beef soup is probably the finest modern version I’ve ever had. —Matthew Kang

Canned sardines in tomato sauce was a lunchtime staple growing up. Mom emptied the sauce-soaked fishes onto a plate, topped it with paper-thin slices of onions and ground black pepper, and served it with a toasted baguette. Gamboge, a Cambodian spot in Lincoln Heights, serves a scratch-made version that’s truly irresistible. Gently braised in tomatoes, onions, and garlic, the meaty sardines meld into the sauce. It’s served with a sturdy baguette that makes for a trusty vehicle to deliver simmered sardines and sops up all that’s left with aplomb. —Cathy Chaplin

My breakout restaurant of the year was Joshua Gil’s Mírame, a modern Mexican restaurant in Beverly Hills serving sneaky-good Baja cuisine in the ritzy neighborhood. Their brief outdoor dining session during the summer yielded this surprising fried snapper, served with sturdy purple tortillas. With a light, crisp skin dusted with marron chintestle (a Oaxacan paste), swimming in a pool of tomatillo salsa and masa jus, it’s a memorable main dish that would’ve captured more attention had the restaurant continued to serve. Gil has transitioned to a takeout taco package for anyone looking to try the food until on-premise dining returns. —Matthew Kang

Surawon might be one of the most unassuming Koreatown restaurants with its lack of windows and hard-to-see signage. But inside resides one of the best places for soondubu in town. The silken tofu stew is excellent here for its complex flavoring and house-made tofu (a rarity in LA). If available, Surawon makes its soondubu with black soybeans, which offer a hint of nuttiness versus the completely bland standard-issue tofu. The star of this $20 combo, however, is the fried mackerel, a generous portion made just right with a squeeze of lemon. At a pricier restaurant, this mackerel might cost two to three times as much, but instead budget diners get to indulge in this fatty fish blessed with intense flavor with a hint of sweetness in the tender flesh. Los Angeles. —Matthew Kang

After months of ordering only takeout from restaurants, I finally broke my streak for the love of kitfo — an Ethiopian dish of raw chopped beef with clarified butter and mitmita (chile powder). The fine folks at Awash don’t serve this specialty to-go, which makes sense given its delicate composition, so my husband and I decided on-the-spot to dine on one of the restaurant’s two tables on Pico Blvd. Laced with warm cardamom and a rush of heat, the buttery beef was a total flavor powerhouse. The injera’s inherent tang kept the meat’s richness in check, while striking a beautiful balance of textures. —Cathy Chaplin

The underground Instagram food scene is awash in baked goods right now, but that does not mean that everyone is created equal. There are chocolate chip cookies and then there is Largwa, the upstart online bakery run by Laura Hoang out of her small apartment in City Terrace, east of Downtown LA. Expect a rotating collection of baked goods from the longtime pastry professional (who was running the sweets side of Buddy’s in Downtown and Kensho in Hollywood, at least before things went south), including a melty chocolate chip cookie that may restore your faith in the world. Not for weeks on end mind you — there’s still a pandemic on after all — but at least for a few glorious bites. Sign up if you can, because Largwa sells out fast. —Farley Elliott

Goodboybob is a bit of a find in Santa Monica, hiding amid film production offices and buildings, but everything from the stellar coffee and wine menu to the food is worth the effort. The well-named Rolex chapati wrap takes warm Indian flatbread and rolls in scallions and eggs for an alternate take on the popular breakfast burrito. A spicy sauce adds heat and an acidic punch. Coffee nerds might be keen on tasting one of the shop’s Cup of Excellence brews for a special morning drink pairing. —Matthew Kang

N/Naka’s end-of-year jubako, or stacked bento, featured an array of incredible kaiseki bites from cherry wood-smoked salmon to yamagoyaki. The lower bento featured a gorgeous sashimi and nigiri set with pristine seafood. An indulgent chocolate Basque cheesecake from chef Hansuk Cho provides a rich, sweet finish. N/Naka offers a champagne pairing with Dom Perignon, just one more way to cap off a truly remarkable restaurant meal at home. —Matthew Kang

During a fall RV road trip where most meals were prepared on a camping stove top, we grew tired of this challenge and made a stop two hours north of home at Bettina. It took minutes to place a phone order, a quick hop off the 101, and Bettina’s carbonara pizza was in my possession. Cocktails also come in a cup (my husband was designated driver), so the Venetian spritz keeps enough acidity to pair with the rich, overwhelming, wonderful topping with ricotta, mozzarella, spicy provolone, pancetta, egg, pecorino, and so much black pepper. We ditched the RV for a bit and sat on the beach while I loudly wished this shop were closer to Los Angeles. —Mona Holmes

Puerto Vallarta-style food truck La Burrita Marina in Jurupa Valley was my destination dish of the year. The mixta burrita comes with chopped octopus, shrimp, and marinated marlin, creating a trio of deep seafood flavors encased in cheese, vegetables, avocado and tortilla. It’s a specialty worth seeking out from LA, or for anyone skipping between the city and Palm Springs. Or for anyone lucky enough to live in the Inland Empire. This is the best burrita I had this year, and I hope they’ll make further inroads into LA as they gain in popularity. —Matthew Kang

There’s much to love on the menu at A&J Seafood Shack in Long Beach, which is located on the corner of Anaheim and Obispo on the edge of Cambodia Town. The surf side of the menu is spectacular with fresh lobsters hacked and stir-fried with aromatics, along with garlic shrimp that rivals the trucks on Oahu’s North Shore. Still, it’s best not to overlook the turf side of the menu. The grilled beef baguette sandwiches are seriously fantastic, while the Khmer sausages served over steamed white rice is worthy of obsession. Every taut and caramelized link delivers an avalanche of smoke and funk. Don’t let this year get away without partaking in Cambodia’s wonderful tradition of charcoal grilled proteins. —Cathy Chaplin