On the surface, Tulsi is a nondescript fast-casual Indian spot, devoid of the large crowds or fanciful flair (and prices) of a more upscale place. But a closer look will reveal a menu with more range and better execution than most places can claim to have. That’s the beauty of Tulsi, where most dishes are under $10 and the menu’s worth a thousand words. The menu — which represents Southern, Northern, and Western India and has arguably the best Gujarati food in the San Fernando Valley, if not all of Los Angeles, has to offer — speaks volumes if you know how to listen. The team works with chefs actually from those areas in India to ensure that the dishes taste like distinct and accurate representations of the areas they originate from. Try the undhiyu, a 10-vegetable medley with sweet potatoes, potatoes, eggplant, yam, coconut, and more. It’s a Gujarati staple that is at once bitter, sweet, salty, and savory, and it’s not easily found in LA.— Virali Dave, editor

Peter Lai, the acclaimed chef at Embassy Kitchen in San Gabriel, took over the stoves at Colette in Pasadena in November 2022 and serves some of the most innovative and intricate Cantonese-influenced cooking in Los Angeles. Though the restaurant’s decor hasn’t changed much since the kitchen switch, the menu is all-new and something worth gathering around the lazy susan for. Many of the restaurant’s signature dishes including the stir-fried lobster sticky rice and crispy-stuffed chicken require advance notice, so call to reserve ahead to avoid any disappointment at the table. Menu standbys like the classic beef chow fun, cola-glazed chicken wings, and all-day dim sum are just as enticing. – Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

The feeling of a bustling dinner party persists nightly at Anajak Thai in its intimate, laid-back dining room lined with bottles of natural European wines. The room brims with the aromas of expertly crafted Thai food from Justin Pichetrungsi and his family, which can be ordered a la carte or in a special tasting menu format (which is nearly impossible to book). Still, there’s something for everyone, from classic pad Thai and sticky fried wings to its inventive Thai Taco Tuesdays, which take over the next-door alley and back parking lot for a natural wine bacchanal. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

Though many often mistake Bar Chelou’s menu for French, chef Doug Rankin clearly loves Spanish, Californian, and Asian flavors. By utilizing the region’s produce in this endeavor, this Pasadena restaurant is one of this year’s sleeper hits. The menu includes plenty of dishes to show off Rankin’s skill with vegetables alongside bone-in pork chops or a dry-aged bone-in ribeye. One wouldn’t expect the carrots râpées with coconut dressing, a hint of lime, peanuts, and thin fried potatoes on top of shredded carrots to be a showstopper, but it is. The rich and salty clam toast is decadently messy, but the confident execution with the trout makes it a must-order. There’s barely a bone in sight, with an herby pil pil sauce laced over a bed of rice. If a table isn’t available, the bar is an ideal place to take in the room and watch diners obsess over dishes expedited to their table. After one visit, one will easily understand why LA diners followed Rankin from his former Bar Restaurant and right into Bar Chelou. — Mona Holmes, reporter

It’s hard to argue with the classicists who say that Pie ’n Burger is the most representative Los Angeles burger. This 1963-era standard is still hitting all the right notes, marrying Thousand Island dressing, pickles, tomato, and a touch too much lettuce to create something so inherently LA it cannot be missed. Pasadena is said to be the home of the cheeseburger, and Pie ’n Burger is its timeless crowning achievement, located within walking distance of CalTech and still carrying its local feel and diner vibes. And yes, the pie is great, too. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

Ruen Pair’s bold spicing, fast service, and good value offer wide appeal across the board. A papaya salad with raw crab legs makes for an exciting starter with its pleasant snap and well-balanced lime and fish sauce vinaigrette. The roasted duck red curry with pineapples, tomatoes, and loads of fresh Thai basil teeters deliciously between spicy and creamy. Don’t hesitate to order the ever-popular pad Thai, which is executed with funk and precision. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

If driving or walking near Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue, look for the green sign that signals your arrival to Musso & Frank Grill. Head to the retro car-filled parking lot before descending into the nearly 104-year-old restaurant. While walking in, take a quick glimpse into the loud kitchen and observe the slightly faded chandeliers, wall light sconces, 1930s art, wood paneling, or even the customers who might be casually dressed or donning a tuxedo before settling into a red leather banquette or the bar. There’s something about the pageantry of uniformed waiters and bartenders wearing white or red jackets, but their skill and dedication are why management embroiders the number of years employed on their shirt cuffs. The staff gracefully move throughout the room with intention. They’re always in a hurry with a goal to make diners feel important while dropping off a glass of pinot noir or baked escargot, crab Louie, filet of sandabs, or a perfectly cooked prime rib. One might overhear a newbie diner complaining about the peeling wallpaper or lack of new dishes, but quell the haters by taking in a stirred-only martini. Musso & Frank is old-school Hollywood charm. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Sometimes the Chinese restaurant selections in SGV can be overwhelming. Jiang Nan Spring works as an ideal middle ground between, sporting a massive, crowd-pleasing menu, a sizeable dining room that can accommodate large groups, and reliable cooking that shows the best of LA’s top dining neighborhood. The regionally-agnostic menu does almost everything well, including fried rice cakes, honey walnut shrimp, braised pork belly, and seaweed-crusted fried fish filets. Order a bunch and know that the leftovers will be pretty good the next day. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Though LA is full of innovative and often fancy plant-based dining, Pura Vita has a relaxed approach to dining in West Hollywood. Pura Vita’s carefully curated wine list is vegan of course (some other winemakers use animal-derived products) with mostly Italian blends and plenty of natural varietals. The setup at Pura Vita is easy, with a slender bar, a handful of indoor tables, and a romantically lit outdoor patio in the evenings. Chef Tara Punzone’s menu includes antipasti, cashew mozzarella sticks, chard with Calabrian chiles, and one of LA’s best eggplant parmigiana alongside pizzas, salads, and creamy pasta without an ounce of dairy cheese or heavy cream. Order a glass of prosecco with Punzone’s carbonara where she substitutes smoky shitakes for the traditional guanciale in a macadamia romano cream sauce. Her black lasagna is also compelling with house-made cashew ricotta, spinach, a vegan spin on bechamel, black truffle cream, and pesto. Whether dining at the West Hollywood or Redondo Beach location, book a table and settle in for a few hours. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Ronan is the ideal neighborhood restaurant that Angelenos from all over the city call their own. Yes, there are beautifully blistered Neapolitan-style pizzas from co-owner Daniel Cutler, a Sotto alum who tops his red and white pies with everything from house-made guanciale to squash blossoms. But the care that goes into everything else — from the mismatched antique glasses used to serve top-notch cocktails, or market-fresh sides one could make a meal of — is what makes this a truly special spot. Add to that the fact that Cutler and his wife and business partner, Caitlin, have been outspoken advocates for small businesses throughout the pandemic, and it’s easy to see why a lot of people root for Ronan. — Karen Palmer

There are pop-ups, and then there is Kuya Lord, the unstoppable Filipino powerhouse that now has a permanent home in LA’s Melrose Hill neighborhood just north of Koreatown. Maynard Llera didn’t create Kuya Lord as a result of the pandemic (he was already cooking his personal Filipino delights like lechon at one-off nights around the city), but the pandemic did move the whole operation into his home garage for a time. There Llera focused on family and flavor, and the results have been nothing short of miraculous. He’s been profiled nationally, written-up and reviewed all over the place, and now has a small and very mighty storefront along Melrose to serve pork belly rice bowls, pancit, supremely delicious grilled prawns, and whatever else he and wife Gigi Llera can think up next. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

The father of LA’s modern barbecue movement is busy in 2023. In early July, Bludso’s BBQ co-owner Kevin Bludso opened a new Santa Monica location. A month prior, Bludso won a coveted James Beard Award for his book Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul, while appearing as a judge on Netflix’s American Barbecue Showdown. Bludso, along with business partner James Starr, also operates the original location on La Brea, a takeout counter at Proud Bird near LAX, plus another barbecue restaurant in Australia. One could say that Bludso is having a moment. This Compton native’s fame and strong following are years in the making, developed through perfecting Texas-style barbecue with a Los Angeles inflection. Traditional side dishes abound on the menu with cornbread, mac and cheese, baked beans, and potato salad. Every meat is placed in a custom-built smoker for up to 14 hours, adding the perfect amount of flavorful vapor to brisket, chicken, Texas-style hot links, pulled pork, and even smoked jackfruit for vegetarians. Though the takeout business is brisk, it’s best eaten while hot on-site with one of Bludso’s strong cocktails, especially the pitmaster’s punch with Fugu Vodka, pineapple, grapefruit, and ginger. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Pijja Palace is the kind of spot that’s worth the hype. On the ground floor of a motel, it fits the bill of so many things Angelenos love — sports, pasta, pizza, and flavor-forward regional cuisine. Whether it’s called a pizza parlor, Indian restaurant, sports bar, or something else entirely, the owner Avish Naran doesn’t care. Nor should he, when the food so clearly speaks for itself. The green chutney pizza serves as a testament to how well cheddar cheese goes with a cilantro and green chiles paste, and the malai rigatoni flavored with fenugreek will remind you of the importance of a good spice blend.— Virali Dave, editor

It wouldn’t be fair to entirely call Ototo an “in-the-know” spot, given its James Beard Foundation win in 2023 thanks to its robust sake list. Still, this snacks and sipping hangout in Echo Park, just down the hill from the entrance to Dodger Stadium, is relatively far from the busy restaurants of Hollywood and the dedicated Japanese restaurants of the South Bay or Little Tokyo. Engaging staff love to pull out details to make each pour of sake more personal while serving up staples like a katsu sandwich, delightful okonomiyaki, and a Japanese-by-way-of-LA burger. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

My Dung (pronounced “me yoong”), a teeny tiny market-slash-sandwich-shop on Ord Street, doesn’t offer much in the way of ambience, but that matters little with one bite of its fantastic banh mi. Every sandwich is made to order on a baguette that’s airy yet substantial and toasted to a warm, inviting crisp. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the stuffings, from simple pate to shredded chicken to the house special with cold cuts and head cheese. The next time you’re in the neighborhood and hunger pangs hit, head to the back of My Dung’s cramped quarters, fork over $6, and be prepared for one of the greatest sandwiches in town. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Yes, the No. 19 pastrami sandwich is an amazing sandwich, but this long-standing deli’s pure pastrami on house-baked rye is simplicity at its best. There’s a reason why people make pilgrimages to try Langer’s pastrami and even corned beef: There is no better version anywhere in town. Try the No. 44, served on griddled rye bread with hand-sliced pastrami, nippy cheese, and sauerkraut, for a decadent take on a Reuben sandwich. But don’t skip the rest of the classic Jewish deli menu either, from potato pancakes to cheese blintzes — it’s all very well executed in one of the best daytime dining rooms in town. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

There are countless Korean barbecue restaurants in Koreatown but few draw the passion and fervor of this intestines specialist, owned by intrepid restaurateur Jennifer Choi, who also owns the popular Ong Ga Nae and a Rowland Heights outlet of Yangmani. The lines start at Koreatown’s Yangmani right at opening, so expect to wait upwards of an hour for a chance to try the plump grilled cow’s intestines and non-marinated primal cuts like galbi. Choi pays special attention to the details, with a crisp, lightly dressed salad that helps cut through the oily richness of intestine pieces that sizzle in their own fat on the tabletop grill. There’s a reason why nearly all the patrons are young, well-heeled Korean Americans. Yangmani has gained its loyalty with peerless execution and reasonable prices. Try the kimchi fried rice studded with grilled gopchang for extra credit. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Nicole Rucker’s colorful tiny stall at Grand Central Market sells what is, unquestionably, LA’s best pie. And while pie alone may not otherwise be enough to elevate such a space to cult status, when combined with Rucker’s infectious attitude, playful presence, and unambiguous skill, there’s just something really special at play. The heavily-awarded Rucker knows how to coax the most possible flavor from the crust and from fruits, whipping up seasonal specialties that are, bite for bite, some of the best things to eat anywhere in Los Angeles. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

LA’s Brazilian barbecue scene hasn’t evolved much beyond the always-solid Fogo de Chão, a chain with numerous locations, and the excellent by-the-pound grilled meats at Pampas, but H&H Brazilian is looking to change that, with two handy locations in LA featuring organic salad bar ingredients and prime-grade meats. An expansive Beverly Center restaurant offers seared picanha, lamb leg, short ribs, and garlic culotte sliced fresh at the table while the original Downtown outlet has another all-you-can-eat bonanza that works great for after-work feasts. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Chef Jon Yao and his team have carried the torch of Taiwanese cuisine for almost seven years since its origins at a West LA strip mall. In its dining room in Downtown LA’s expansive Row project, Kato has a menu focused on the subtle, elegant flavors served in a handsome but relaxed space. The tasting menu, featuring intricate bites of caviar-studded Dungeness crab with Chinese celery or grilled freshwater eel served over seaweed fried rice, costs about twice what it did in West LA. But the menu boasts a more thoughtful progression of whimsical bites to more substantial explorations of Taiwanese comfort fare, and the service situation is multitudes better than the original Kato. Plus, everything from the wine list to the cocktail menu are world-class, with compelling vintage bottles to inventive milk punches or shaken drinks designed by bartender Austin Hennelly. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Mexico City chef Enrique Olvera’s Los Angeles restaurant didn’t land with quite the fanfare of his New York City restaurant Cosme when it opened amid a particularly grim portion of the pandemic in 2020, but soon enough, it found its footing as one of the most intriguing modern Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles. Like Cosme, Damian has a choose-your-own-adventure approach that departs from Olvera’s more celebrated tasting-menu restaurant, Pujol, in CDMX. Ultimately, Damian has made its impact by resonating with Los Angeles flavors, serving everything from duck al pastor and pescado “a la brasa” to hibiscus-infused meringue dessert. Service, from start to meal’s end, is impeccable (your server will predict, not react to, your requests). A restrained dining room and sleek outdoor patio setup further amplify the elegant experience. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

James Beard-nominated chef Keith Corbin’s Alta is not just a soul food restaurant, or a California restaurant, or even a cool-kid kind of weekend hangout — though it obviously has shades of all. The deviled eggs and black-eyed pea fritters tell one kind of story, while the smoked tofu with spicy tartare sauce and vegan California gumbo tell another tale entirely. The wine list and cocktails pack a punch, and there’s always room at the end of the night for the one thing that everyone agrees always works: banana pudding and a few spoons to share. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

Fried chicken is one of America’s true culinary heroes, an infinitely malleable and variable food that beckons opinions from every angle. It’s hard, however, to argue against the excellence of Honey’s Kettle, founded in 2000 by Vincent Williams and basically, at least from the perspective of this writer, perfected. Williams’s batch frying method, something that helps this restaurant go through hundreds of pounds of chicken a day, yields beautifully golden brown crusts so shatteringly crunchy and crisp that the most treasured shell of legs and thighs and breasts will be fought over among the table. The meat is juicy but not overly seasoned, tasting of chicken more than brine or other seasonings. Pair with biscuits and fries, and have a sauce party with tangy hot sauce, honey packets, and ketchup. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Even with its counter dormant during a 2023 remodel, Gilberto Cetina’s jewel box of a mariscos restaurant, Holbox (pronounced ol-bosh), kept crowds gathered just outside the doors of Mercado La Paloma with a truck parked in front. There, diners could order from a tightened menu that included some of the 6-year-old restaurant’s greatest hits: the taco de pulpo en su tinta, “su tinta” referencing the ink-stained sofrito the curled octopus tentacle rests upon; limey, lip-puckering aguachiles and cocteles served with tostadas and Saladitas crackers, respectively; a smoked kanpachi tostada topped with bay scallop and zigzags of a nutty chile de arbol sauce. Its $115 8-course tasting menu, which features a rotating selection of Cetina’s most-loved dishes, returned in May with a few more seats at the counter. Still, better to make a reservation for the two dinnertime seatings, which are held on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. only. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

Though this weekend-only pop-up serves at a backyard in South LA, Alfonso “Poncho” Martínez’s ode to Oaxaca’s incredible grilled tlayudas is on full display every weekend. With expanded hours to Friday and Saturday evenings, 4 p.m. to about 10 p.m., Martínez assembles fine dining-worthy tlayudas, painted with asiento, filled with smooth black beans, and packed with cheese and shredded cabbage. There are traditional proteins like chorizo, tasajo, and cecina, but opt for the moronga blood sausage when it’s available. These dense, meaty sausages — kissed with wood fire — are glorious. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

La Casita Mexicana is one of LA’s best restaurants, period. Located in tiny Bell, this is the homey place for Mexican fonda dishes both familiar and fantastic, from queso fundido with herbs (or chorizo) and corn tortillas to enchiladas and, most famously, the stuffed chiles en nogada topped with a gorgeous white walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. There is beauty in every bite at Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu’s loving neighborhood restaurant. — Farley Elliott, senior editor