The SGV continues to offer new finds, at least for me, despite eating through the neighborhood for nearly 17 years. Driving past the destroyed-by-fire Shau May and the remnants of what was once Dean Sin World, we landed at Noodle Art, a terrific little restaurant that comes straight from Xi’an. Founded by Xibao Wen, who’s been cooking since 1985 but opened Noodle Art in 2021, the place has all the makings of a modern SGV noodle classic. My “three toppings” noodles featured tender pork belly chunks; beef and potato; and tomato and egg, all typical noodle accompaniments in their own right that work together. The hand-pulled noodles are bouncy and chewy, longer than they’ll ever need to be but not so heavy that they’ll break your wrists. All the flavors are bound in chile oil and pepper flakes that add a simmering but not overwhelming heat. I can’t wait to return to try this dish again. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

On the corner of Anaheim and Obispo, the edge of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, Vannak Tan is wokking up spectacular Cambodian-inflected dishes. The unmistakable scent of garlic wafts from the 280-square-foot stall at all hours. After passing the reins of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack in Long Beach and Rice String Noodle Shack in Cerritos to his siblings in 2019, Tan and his wife, Manika, opened A&J Seafood Shack in 2020. Drawing on family recipes and street food traditions from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore, the diverse menu transports diners to far-flung destinations with pitch-perfect flavors. The house-special lobster, wok-tossed with aromatics, is hacked into manageable bits for easier eating. The Hawaiian garlic shrimp channels the food trucks dotting Oahu’s coastline. (It’s served with fresh pineapple slices and is one of the restaurant’s best-sellers.) The turf side of the menu features grilled beef baguette sandwiches, deeply redolent of lemongrass, along with sour and smoky Khmer sausages served over steamed white rice. — Cathy Chaplin, former senior editor

Few foods are more perfect than a tray of crispy fried wings swathed in a sticky, sweet, sour sauce. Enter Shlap Muan, a Long Beach Cambodian restaurant that also pops up at Smorgasburg on Sundays; its namesake means “chicken wings” in Khmer. The headlining Dirty Elvis wings are “violently tended to” in a searing hot wok, although the result is all love: a batch of fatty wings tossed with verve in a glossy, rich caramel sauce that coats each flat and drum from top to bottom. Finished with thinly sliced green onion and fish sauce-soaked chiles, there’s nothing to not like about this, whether ordering a batch to eat at home before the big game or making it part of a greater Smorgasburg stall crawl. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

Carlos “J.C.” Guerra has a hold on Northeast Los Angeles. Taqueria Frontera, Guerra’s compact and mighty spot, has everything one needs for any type of visit, whether taking something to-go or sitting down at the open-air counter to witness the house specialty: a massive trompo looking like a Christmas tree with a pineapple star stationed right on top. The al pastor is the star at Taqueria Frontera and packs a bit of heat and smokiness. When they ask if you want everything, just get it and don’t eat it too quickly. There are layers of this taco, burrito, torta, mulita (however you want it) that must be appreciated and savored. Though only open since August, it’s not uncommon to see Guerra wave at a neighbor passing through, or people just hanging out because they want to while eating from the simple menu. Frontera’s prices are reasonable, so one can eat a feast for under $12 and walk away with a complete meal. Plus, there’s one more element that makes a visit to Frontera worth it: freshly made tortillas. — Mona Holmes, editor

First, Loreto’s physical space is spectacular. It’s a former warehouse converted by designer Lena Kohl, who turned it into a modern, inviting room with high ceilings, rust colors, a fantastic back patio, a custom kitchen, and hidden wine drawers in its banquettes. The winding L-shaped bar can easily host those in search of cocktails or a nine-course meal by chef Paco Moran. Moran programmed Loreto’s tasting menu as a seasonal experiment that takes place throughout the year. When each week’s tasting ends its run, some dishes will earn a permanent spot on the menu.

The lobster dumpling, which Moran spells “don pling,” looks like a hybrid of a xiao long bao and jiaozi Chinese dumpling. The glistening pocket of dough is stuffed with Maine lobster, cabbage, Chinese broccoli, carrot, cilantro, and garlic then doused in a flavorful salsa macha. Loreto has some of the freshest seafood in town, so this bite is especially powerful. I am happy to say it earned a permanent spot on Loreto’s Baja-inspired menu. 1991 Blake Avenue, Frogtown, CA, 90039. — Mona Holmes, editor

Ordering by the slice is the true test of a great pizzeria. While puffy Neopolitan pies have their place in my heart right alongside crisp-edged Detroit-style pies, most of the time I’m looking for a quick slice that’ll make for an affordable lunch or snack. Luckily LaSorted’s, one of LA’s best pizzerias, has added a second location in Chinatown to its repertoire, making it easier than ever to grab a slice or two. My go-to is the Upside Down Mamba, a cheese slice flipped on its head so the sauce is on top, while the melty cheese forms a salty layer between the tomato and the bread. It’s a don’t-knock-it-until-you-try-it situation — I like it more than the classic cheese. If not near Chinatown, check out the original slice shop in Silver Lake. — Rebecca Roland, editor

When I interviewed chef Dan Rabilwongse about his signature pork sausage dish, the story behind it made me appreciate Budonoki even more. Decades prior, Rabilwongse’s mother Suda created the regional Thai dish in his Historic Filipinotown home, named it after his brother, and sold it to Thai markets and restaurants in LA. Her son watched his mother create a cult following with a flavorful ground pork sausage, though Budonoki serves it with crispy rice balls and a tangy, herb-filled slaw. It’s gloriously briny, unique, and full of textures that the entire table will marvel over. This dish is perfect with a very cold Sapporo, but also pairs well with the crisp martini made with sake and shochu. — Mona Holmes, editor

Ending up in Virgil Village on one of Bridgetown Roti’s first days open felt like too good of a twist of fate to turn down, so I endured the hunt for parking with the dream of a roti and patties at the forefront of my mind. Sure, it was a hot day and the sun wasn’t especially forgiving, but once I was in line outside there was no turning back. Within minutes I was at the counter putting in an order for mac and cheese pie, a cocobread cutter with fried fish, and more. Sitting at a wooden table in the corner, I watched orders come out and go past me as I tried to manifest that the next one would be mine. When I saw a server make eye contact with the number on my table, I knew the bounty of items in his hands was headed my way. There was no way to go wrong here, but it was the goat roti that I couldn’t get enough of. The supple wrap held in rich, spiced, meat with a hint of nuttiness from the peanut sauce. The crispy potatoes inside offered a counter to the tender meat, while a slaw gave it all a little crisp. The first opening weeks, and even months, are sure to be busy, but this is a roti that’s worth the wait. — Rebecca Roland, editor

Roasted Duck by Pa Ord, which sits in the same space as the original Pa Ord that owner Lawan Bhanduram opened more than two decades ago, is a study of a restaurant with a singular, near-obsessive focus. The namesake dish permeates all sections of the menu: served with golden grains of fried rice, submerged in soup or herbaceous green curry, studded with bright chiles and basil leaves, and nestled alongside jade noodles and sauces. Perhaps for security, diners can also order dishes with chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp, but the headliner is clearly duck, which arrives with its glistening, crackling skin smothered in a gravy-like sauce, falling apart at the touch. Chef Bob Vongfanikul, tapped by Bhanduram to open this restaurant, prepares each dish to order in the narrow space, and seats most of its visitors at the counter (a row of crispy ducks waiting to be cut hangs on a rack in its foreground). The duck special for one — sliced roasted duck, vegetables, a vinegary soy sauce with chiles, and a side dish like jade noodles or rice — is enough to serve two, which gives the place a high affordability factor, too. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager

Maybe it was the Emily in Paris binge-watch, or just the cloudy weather, but I woke up this weekend craving something French-ish. With no real destination in mind, I hopped in the car and drove vaguely toward bakeries, before settling on Friends & Family in East Hollywood. By mid-day, the pastry case was down to just a few choices, but the sandwich selection hadn’t been depleted yet. Spotting just a few prosciutto baguettes left, I crossed my fingers that they would still be available by the time I got to the counter. Luckily, it seemed like I was the only one in line with prosciutto on the mind, and the sandwiches remained untouched until I got to the counter to pick up one for myself. I couldn’t resist adding in an espresso and whisking the sandwich outside to one of the bright orange tables on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s not quite a European street, but there was a charm to sitting outside and watching the cars drive by between bites of chewy baguette, creamy butter, and salty prosciutto. — Rebecca Roland, editor

The story of Malai Data’s stand-turned-permanent restaurant serves as a true American success story. Mae Malai went from serving noodles to opening at a nearby retail development surrounded by Jamba Juice, a bank, Daiso, and a Ralphs grocery store. The wide storefront belies the dining room’s relatively small size, leading to some waits for a table. Your patience is rewarded by a flavor-packed bowl of the city’s best new boat noodles, jammed with liver, tender pork, and rice noodles with an umami-riddled broth. The size reflects a typical one in Thailand, so order at least one per person, and maybe another if you’re still in need of boat noodles. (I would likely need three for a complete meal.) However, my experience was overshadowed by the house-made and fermented Isaan sausage, grilled to a near-jerky level and sliced into bite-sized pieces. Isaan sausage will always be one of my favorite Thai dishes of all time, informed by my street food experiences in Chiang Mai. Mae Malai’s version captures the chewy but fermented essence of the dish, sided with crunchy cabbage, cucumber, raw ginger, and chiles. My only regret was not having a bottle of cold beer on the side. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

One of the most compelling contrasts in sushi comes from the difference between Hokkaido and Santa Barbara uni, a ploy that many chefs in Los Angeles have displayed in their omakase. This slightly novel tweak from Udatsu in Hollywood isn’t just a study of two types of sea urchin roe, it’s a satisfying subversion of nigiri construction. Typically uni preparations will have the sweet, saline flesh sailing on top of a rounded piece of seaweed. Instead, chef Hisashi Udatsu places a crisp square of nori between a ball of seasoned rice. The entire mouthful is a real flavor bomb, one that’s sure to bring a smile to one’s face. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Hunger hit hard during a Saturday morning trek to Ikea. Swedish meatballs at 10 a.m. don’t sit particularly well with me, but the all-in-one burrito at Cafe de Olla certainly does. This Victory Boulevard restaurant opened in 2015 and even has a Monrovia outlet where specialties flourish, especially the traditional Mexican coffee cafe de olla. It’s particularly good served over ice while digging into saucy chilaquiles, omelets, and traditional breakfasts. The restaurant is so popular that there can sometimes be two-hour waits for a taste of the peanut butter-stuffed French toast, dry shredded beef platter combination, and sandwiches. For me, it’s all about the all-in-one burrito filled with three eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, avocado, hash browns, cheese, and salsa. I opted for bacon-only while taking in sips of my coffee from the comfort of my car. No wait, pure satisfaction. — Mona Holmes, editor

Though already a fan of Two Hommés, the standom officially kicked up a notch when the Inglewood restaurant received a fall makeover. Chefs Abdoulaye Balde and Yaw Marcus Johnson approached local designer and AfriCali cookbook author Kiano Moju to accomplish the task, turning the casual dining room into a relaxed, gorgeous space to consume the unique LA-West African menu. Though the deep-fried honey berbere chicken bites and root beer braised shortribs over whipped yams are absolutely stellar, the jollof rice is something to behold. LA’s Nigerian options are a bit limited, so finding jollof feels akin to finding the holy grail. The flavors are bold, the toppings vary from shrimp to lamb, and it is such a labor-intensive dish that I appreciated every bite while downing one of the restaurant’s margaritas. And you can enjoy it all in a bright, festive room that is in one of the most compelling corridors in LA. — Mona Holmes, editor

Everyone has a Caesar salad on the menu in Los Angeles, so it’s easy to get a little bored of the concept now. Thankfully chef Wes Avila has tried to spin up something completely different at MXO, his new Mexican steakhouse in West Hollywood. Served on a wide, shallow plate, the salad is built around a charred one-inch steak-style slice of cabbage, sitting in a pool of dashi broth. It’s then topped with a thick Caesar dressing, a heavy dusting of grated Parmesan, and crunchy croutons. Servers will typically slice up this up into quadrants before portioning it out for the table. The charred cabbage mixed with the savory broth ended up tasting less like a salad and more like a thoughtful, wood-fired main. A lot of the other dishes — like the charred bone-in New York steak — were well-prepared at MXO, an improvement over what I had heard from the restaurant’s first couple weeks. I could see myself coming back later during the holidays for a festive meal. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Tucked in the parking lot foregrounding Dreamworld Comics in Culver City, Tacos del Valle, a taco operation that has been servicing the Westside for nearly two decades, serves rich Oaxacan fare to comic book aficionados, locals, and drivers passing by. A visit typically requires a taco or few, but regulars know that the menu’s real prizes lie in its behemoth tlayudas, served folded on a plate with tasajo, chorizo, and cecina, and the thick, chewy memelas, which are painted with refried beans and roped with quesillo. All meats are fired on the charcoal grill that butts against the sidewalk; an abstract splash of green and red salsas and handful of buttery radishes round out the perfect plate. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

I can’t say there’s another restaurant in recent memory where I’ve become a “regular” more quickly than I have at Si! Mon. That could point to its close proximity to me, only three or so walking blocks from my home in Venice. More likely, it’s the unbridled pleasure I get from trying more and more of its bold, fantastically realized menu. I often go for the uni shooter, a slick two-slurp operation involving a shot glass of uni, littleneck clam, and achiote-spiced ponzu, perched in a small bowl holding the ponzu’s overflow liquid — as well as the surprising apple-pear salad, which treats its chopped fruit like a ceviche base. But the showstopper is the Dungeness crab guacho, Si! Mon’s Panamanian rice porridge spiked with rum. The spicy notes of the dish were tempered by the sweet, buttery chunks of crab, doled generously throughout the stew. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager 

As a fan of cooking techniques, I would pay good money to understand how the cooks at Si! Mon in Venice makes the skin on the grilled branzino as shatteringly crisp as a piece of paper-thin crystal. Served head-on like a proper regal feast, the butterflied fish comes deboned and skin side up, dusted with shrimp salt and sesame seeds. The combination of the umami-riddled salt and the brown skin results in one of the most fantastic grilled fish dishes I’ve had in recent memory, its succulent meat hiding underneath to be enjoyed with the creamy, spicy green chile salsa. Miso butter-fried plantains add a sweet counterpoint to the savory fish while pickles add a final tangy punch. Even though the year is far from done, consider this my best dish of the year. — Matthew Kang, lead editor