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Coppa di testa at M.Georgina.
Coppa di testa at M.Georgina
Molly DeCoudreaux

Get Into the Guts of LA Dining With 15 Tasty Offal Dishes

Discover delightful innards in every corner of the city

by Cathy Chaplin Updated
6 comments / new
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Coppa di testa at M.Georgina
| Molly DeCoudreaux
by Cathy Chaplin Updated
6 comments / new

With a growing appreciation for nose to tail cooking among Los Angeles’s diners, chefs across the city are experimenting with underused trimmings in creative and unexpected ways. Menus will never be devoid of crowd pleasing cuts like filet mignon or chicken breasts, but the uptick in livers and gizzards is cause for celebration. Here now are 15 awesome offal dishes to try in Los Angeles.

Removed: Tripe at Elite, Beef Tongue at Here’s Looking At You, Pork Liver at Petit Trois, Pigs Ears at Noodle Harmony, Chicken Liver at Pizzeria Mozza

Added: Heritage Pork Plate at Redbird, Coppa di testa at M.Georgina, Blood Cake at Here’s Looking At You, Pigs Feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle, Carnitas at Los Cinco Puntos

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Pig feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle

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The marinated pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle is utterly fantastic, with meat that tenderly falls off the bone in gelatinous chunks. The flavor profile is sweet and savory without a hint of heat.

148 E Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 447-8686
(626) 447-8686
Pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle.
Pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle
Cathy Chaplin

Sweetbreads at Ma'am Sir

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Here at Silver Lake’s Ma’am Sir, chef Charles Olalia serves up the kind of Pinoy cooking that appeals to old and young alike. Take for instance the pork sisig, a sizzling platter of sweetbreads dotted with chiles, scallions, and sweet onions. A careful squeeze of calamansi juice balances everything just so.

4330 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 741-8371
(323) 741-8371

Also featured in:

Pig tails at Night + Market

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Hailed on the menu as the “perfect proportion of skin, fat, tendon, and meat,” chef Kris Yenbamroong salty-sweet pig tails pair tremendously with any of the restaurant’s cocktails, like the Thai martini with lychee vodka and orange bitters.

9043 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 275-9724
(310) 275-9724
Night + Market
Pig tails at Night + Market
@GastronomyBlog

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Chicken gizzards at Mian

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There’s a lot to love about the Chongqing-style noodles at Tony Xu’s Mian, especially the gizzard noodles complete with bouncy noodles and a properly tongue tingling broth.

301 W Valley Blvd #114, San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 693-6888
(626) 693-6888
Mian, a Chinese spicy noodle spot, shows a black bowl with lots of chili-infused red liquid inside.
Gizzard noodles at Mian
@GastronomyBlog

Also featured in:

Pig blood at Here’s Looking At You

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Using pig’s blood as his muse, canvas, and binder, chef Jonathan Whitener forms a loaf with the addition of cornmeal, butter, onions, garlic, chile flakes, and pork fat back. Sliced, pan-seared, and butter-basted to order, the blood cake arrives gloriously glistening with a fried duck egg, green tomato relish, and pickled mustard seeds.

4202, 3901 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 568-3573
(213) 568-3573
Here’s Looking At You
Blood Cake at Here’s Looking At You
Cathy Chaplin

Also featured in:

Chicken gizzards at Lasa

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Marinated in ginger-annatto then charcoal-grilled and served in sukang sili, chili-tinged vinegar, the chicken gizzards are as tender as they were punchy. Be sure to order a bowl of steamed white rice alongside the inasal skewers to sop up the sauce.

727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 443-6163
(213) 443-6163

Also featured in:

Beef blood at Eighth Street Soondae

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This soondae specialist does Korean blood sausage right. Made from a mixture of cow’s blood, glass noodles, ground beef, and vegetables, the soondae is sliced and served with a side of offals. Whether a late-night snack or a hangover cure, it’s best to order enough sausage to share for whatever ails.

2703 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Also featured in:

Pig parts at Carnitas el Momo

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A true star in the Los Angeles taco scene, Carnitas El Momo is a family-run operation that specializes in long-cooked cuts of pork, from the snout on down. Look for them in Boyle Heights, Compton, and anywhere porky smells can be found.

2411 Fairmount St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 627-8540
(323) 627-8540

Also featured in:

Pig parts at Redbird

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Comprised of four different pork preparations — thinly sliced headcheese, pork belly terrine, marinated pigs ears, and cotechino sausage — this heady sampler is a pork lover’s dream.

114 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 788-1191
(213) 788-1191
Heritage pig plate at Redbird in Downtown.
Heritage pig plate at Redbird
Cathy Chaplin

Also featured in:

Pig parts at Los Cinco Puntos

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The folks at Los Cinco Puntos take carnitas seriously. Every piggy part is cooked up carefully and served on thick, handmade tortillas. The snout is particularly pleasant with its ideal ratio of skin to meat. 

3300 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063
(323) 261-4084
(323) 261-4084

Also featured in:

Pig face at M.Georgina

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A favorite of chef Melissa Perello, the coppa di testa arrives thinly sliced and punctuated with pickled citrus and a fish sauce vinaigrette. The headcheese makes for a memorable starter, along with an expertly crafted cocktail from the bar. 

777 Alameda St Building 1, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 334-4113
(213) 334-4113
Coppa di testa at M.Georgina.
Coppa di testa at M.Georgina
Molly DeCoudreaux

Chicken gizzards at Bestia

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The pan-roasted chicken gizzards have been on the menu since day one and chef Ori Menashe wouldn’t have it any other way. The gizzards, caramelized and tender, are brightened with beets and fresh endive.

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Also featured in:

Lamb innards at Barba Kush

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East LA’s Barba Kush serves one of the rarest menudos in Mexico: mole de panza enchilada made with lamb offal instead of beef. Petra Zavaleta, who has been preparing barbacoa and lamb menudo since she was 10 years old, started as a prep cook for her father, Julian Zavaleta, in Tepeaca, Puebla.

2637 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
(323) 282-0665
(323) 282-0665
Lamb menudo, or mole de panza enchilada, from Barba Kush
Lamb menudo from Barba Kush
Stan Lee

Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana

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The anticuchos de corazon, thinly sliced beef hearts seasoned in an aji colorado marinade, are the restaurant’s signature dish. While the heart of the matter is appealingly chewy, its edges are charred just so.

14351 Pioneer Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 929-3398
(562) 929-3398
Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana.
Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana
Cathy Chaplin

Pig parts at Phnom Penh Noodle Shack

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The Tan family has been dishing up Cambodian-style noodles, porridge, and fried breads in this quiet building on Long Beach’s Cherry Avenue since 1985. The Phnom Penh noodles are a must-order for first-timers and regulars alike. Each bowl is layered with springy rice noodles, tail-on shrimp, porky odds and ends, fried garlic, and fresh cilantro.

1644 Cherry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813
(562) 433-0032
(562) 433-0032

Also featured in:

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Pig feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle

148 E Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA 91006

The marinated pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle is utterly fantastic, with meat that tenderly falls off the bone in gelatinous chunks. The flavor profile is sweet and savory without a hint of heat.

148 E Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 447-8686
(626) 447-8686
Pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle.
Pigs feet at 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle
Cathy Chaplin

Sweetbreads at Ma'am Sir

4330 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Here at Silver Lake’s Ma’am Sir, chef Charles Olalia serves up the kind of Pinoy cooking that appeals to old and young alike. Take for instance the pork sisig, a sizzling platter of sweetbreads dotted with chiles, scallions, and sweet onions. A careful squeeze of calamansi juice balances everything just so.

4330 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 741-8371
(323) 741-8371

Pig tails at Night + Market

9043 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Hailed on the menu as the “perfect proportion of skin, fat, tendon, and meat,” chef Kris Yenbamroong salty-sweet pig tails pair tremendously with any of the restaurant’s cocktails, like the Thai martini with lychee vodka and orange bitters.

9043 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 275-9724
(310) 275-9724
Night + Market
Pig tails at Night + Market
@GastronomyBlog

Chicken gizzards at Mian

301 W Valley Blvd #114, San Gabriel, CA 91776

There’s a lot to love about the Chongqing-style noodles at Tony Xu’s Mian, especially the gizzard noodles complete with bouncy noodles and a properly tongue tingling broth.

301 W Valley Blvd #114, San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 693-6888
(626) 693-6888
Mian, a Chinese spicy noodle spot, shows a black bowl with lots of chili-infused red liquid inside.
Gizzard noodles at Mian
@GastronomyBlog

Pig blood at Here’s Looking At You

4202, 3901 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Using pig’s blood as his muse, canvas, and binder, chef Jonathan Whitener forms a loaf with the addition of cornmeal, butter, onions, garlic, chile flakes, and pork fat back. Sliced, pan-seared, and butter-basted to order, the blood cake arrives gloriously glistening with a fried duck egg, green tomato relish, and pickled mustard seeds.

4202, 3901 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 568-3573
(213) 568-3573
Here’s Looking At You
Blood Cake at Here’s Looking At You
Cathy Chaplin

Chicken gizzards at Lasa

727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Marinated in ginger-annatto then charcoal-grilled and served in sukang sili, chili-tinged vinegar, the chicken gizzards are as tender as they were punchy. Be sure to order a bowl of steamed white rice alongside the inasal skewers to sop up the sauce.

727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 443-6163
(213) 443-6163

Beef blood at Eighth Street Soondae

2703 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

This soondae specialist does Korean blood sausage right. Made from a mixture of cow’s blood, glass noodles, ground beef, and vegetables, the soondae is sliced and served with a side of offals. Whether a late-night snack or a hangover cure, it’s best to order enough sausage to share for whatever ails.

2703 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Pig parts at Carnitas el Momo

2411 Fairmount St, Los Angeles, CA 90033

A true star in the Los Angeles taco scene, Carnitas El Momo is a family-run operation that specializes in long-cooked cuts of pork, from the snout on down. Look for them in Boyle Heights, Compton, and anywhere porky smells can be found.

2411 Fairmount St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 627-8540
(323) 627-8540

Pig parts at Redbird

114 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Comprised of four different pork preparations — thinly sliced headcheese, pork belly terrine, marinated pigs ears, and cotechino sausage — this heady sampler is a pork lover’s dream.

114 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 788-1191
(213) 788-1191
Heritage pig plate at Redbird in Downtown.
Heritage pig plate at Redbird
Cathy Chaplin

Pig parts at Los Cinco Puntos

3300 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063

The folks at Los Cinco Puntos take carnitas seriously. Every piggy part is cooked up carefully and served on thick, handmade tortillas. The snout is particularly pleasant with its ideal ratio of skin to meat. 

3300 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063
(323) 261-4084
(323) 261-4084

Pig face at M.Georgina

777 Alameda St Building 1, Los Angeles, CA 90021

A favorite of chef Melissa Perello, the coppa di testa arrives thinly sliced and punctuated with pickled citrus and a fish sauce vinaigrette. The headcheese makes for a memorable starter, along with an expertly crafted cocktail from the bar. 

777 Alameda St Building 1, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 334-4113
(213) 334-4113
Coppa di testa at M.Georgina.
Coppa di testa at M.Georgina
Molly DeCoudreaux

Chicken gizzards at Bestia

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021

The pan-roasted chicken gizzards have been on the menu since day one and chef Ori Menashe wouldn’t have it any other way. The gizzards, caramelized and tender, are brightened with beets and fresh endive.

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Lamb innards at Barba Kush

2637 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023

East LA’s Barba Kush serves one of the rarest menudos in Mexico: mole de panza enchilada made with lamb offal instead of beef. Petra Zavaleta, who has been preparing barbacoa and lamb menudo since she was 10 years old, started as a prep cook for her father, Julian Zavaleta, in Tepeaca, Puebla.

2637 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
(323) 282-0665
(323) 282-0665
Lamb menudo, or mole de panza enchilada, from Barba Kush
Lamb menudo from Barba Kush
Stan Lee

Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana

14351 Pioneer Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650

The anticuchos de corazon, thinly sliced beef hearts seasoned in an aji colorado marinade, are the restaurant’s signature dish. While the heart of the matter is appealingly chewy, its edges are charred just so.

14351 Pioneer Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 929-3398
(562) 929-3398
Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana.
Beef hearts at Anticucheria Peruana
Cathy Chaplin

Pig parts at Phnom Penh Noodle Shack

1644 Cherry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813

The Tan family has been dishing up Cambodian-style noodles, porridge, and fried breads in this quiet building on Long Beach’s Cherry Avenue since 1985. The Phnom Penh noodles are a must-order for first-timers and regulars alike. Each bowl is layered with springy rice noodles, tail-on shrimp, porky odds and ends, fried garlic, and fresh cilantro.

1644 Cherry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813
(562) 433-0032
(562) 433-0032

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