There are few breakfasts more satisfying than the ones in the Taiwanese canon. While warm soy milk and crisp-fried dumplings both have their merits, it’s always been the fan tuan for me. The one served at Yi Mei comforts with carbs (purple rice and fried doughnut rods), savoriness (pork floss), and intrigue (pickled mustard greens). Eating one a day keeps the hunger pangs at bay. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor

It seems unlikely that one of LA’s oldest seafood restaurants specializes in Key lime pie, but that is exactly the case at Water Grill. Every slice has the right amount of tartness and tang that rivals its South Florida counterparts and makes for an excellent dessert at the end of a meal or right at the bar with two forks. — Mona Holmes, reporter

It’s hard to have any expectations when it comes to stadium food these days, but Ludo Lefebvre’s duo of Crypto.com Arena restaurants are near the top of the tier. Ludobab, his former Highland Avenue restaurant that operated during the pandemic, has resurfaced inside a cantina at the Downtown LA sports and concert venue, serving Parisian-inspired kebab sandwiches. The mint-topped steak version, held together and topped over a crunchy mesh of cabbage, is one of the more tasty things to eat while watching the Lakers (or Clippers) play. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

As an omnivore, I wasn’t expecting to feel so deeply about a ceviche without a drop of seafood. But on a particularly warm fall day, this fruit-filled ceviche hit all the right notes with watermelon, parsley, avocado, a bit of heat, and a hint of yuzu with the citrus. It’s a reminder that sometimes while dining in LA, less can be so much more. — Mona Holmes, reporter

The three-layer chocolate cake at Cindy’s is a wonder to behold and a pleasure to eat. The cake is moist and deeply chocolatey, while the frosting is velvety and rich. Taken all together, along with the diner’s energetic room filled with smiling patrons, it’s a satisfying combination that takes care of one’s sweet tooth and sense of community, too. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor

Budonoki chef Dan Rabilwongse’s tapped his mother to make the Spam-like Thai naem sausage, a lacto-fermented slightly sour forcemeat studded with bright red chiles. Served in lovely bite-sized sausages with crispy rice balls and a refreshing mound of shredded cabbage, it’s an unforgettable starter that shows the ideal mishmash of Thai and Japanese flavors at the energetic Virgil Village izakaya. And it’s even better with a glass of crisp Orion beer. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

The caviar tasting at Petrossian is a sumptuous affair. Picture this: Upon entering the restaurant-slash-boutique, one is handed an expensive pour of Champagne before being escorted toward a private dining room in the back. In this secluded space, a specialist dives into a caviar lesson that includes sampling eight different types. Next is a coursed dinner with rare wine pairings. It’s as decadent an affair as it sounds and worth every penny. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Ototo in Echo Park may be a “younger brother” (literally, in its Japanese translation, and figuratively, to next-door izakaya Tsubaki) but its James Beard Award-winning sake program and irreverent, frequently changing menu of Japanese bar snacks has given it a main character energy all its own. On a recent visit, we marveled at our array of dishes, including fluke sashimi spiked with ponzu and patches of limey yuzu kararin, okonomiyaki topped with fluttering bonito flakes, and a filet-ototo-fish sandwich that can only be tamed with a two-hand grip. But the standout was a deceptively simple scallop tempura, marked by its precision and accompanying griddled shishito peppers. Each bite burst with the fresh, slight sweetness of the scallop, its interior texture almost milky. The perfect bar snack doesn’t ex— well, maybe it does. —Nicole Adlman, cities manager

Much of my last month has been swathed in sickness, as me or my family members succumbed to the miscellaneous RSVs lurking around Los Angeles right now. The remedy to feeling unwell is always soup, of course, and that soup can very often be found in Koreatown. On a crisp fall day, we visited soup and naengmyeon specialist Lee Ga, a new-school favorite popular for its hangover-abating seolleongtangs and cold noodle dishes that spin long, springy buckwheat strands into gold. For whatever reason, the signature gukbap struck me: The ox bone stew, while spicy, was not hot enough to be a throat irritant, and filled with soul-warming ingredients like napa cabbage and other vegetables. I left feeling not only fuller, but a little more whole. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

The brilliant Argentina melted cheese dish works like a deconstructed pizza at Qué Bárbaro, with Ray Garcia’s heavily herbed and gently tomato-infused version served in an escargot cast iron plate, which keeps it oozy until the last bite. With ample crisp baguette slices and a terrific chimichurri as a foil, this is the best starter at Garcia’s new Leve 8 restaurant in Downtown. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

There’s something viscerally satisfying about watching a small, brimming skillet of kefalotyri cheese get doused in Cognac and set ablaze tableside at Taverna Tony in Malibu. It’s a pleasure that starts somewhere in the realm of the “This is fine” meme but mounts, as you bite into dripping, molten cheese bedded into fresh pita bread or roped onto a spoon, to “This is exactly what I need.” For all its kitschiness, the food at the longtime Malibu Country Mart staple is actually very good, and the pomp of cheese bursting into flame at your table is convincing enough to order another round, or two — depending on how large the group is. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

The juicy, rice-stuffed Siti’s chicken at Jerusalem Chicken comes coated with spices and lemony chicken juices, sided with two options. I chose melt-in-your-mouth roasted eggplant and browned cauliflower, which accentuated the comforting, deep flavors of the tender chicken. — Matthew Kang, lead editor