LA Part II: Food, Part I

Time for the most important aspect of my holiday… Food.

Street Tacos at Atlantic Station

In order to beat jetlag, I didn’t call it a day when I arrived but had John show me one of the places he usually hangs out at, Chicago-style bar Escondite in Little Tokyo. When we finally made our way back at around 10pm, I was more than happy to see a taco stall at our metro station and decided to have my first street tacos. Went for carne asada (basically grilled beef) and al pastor (marinated and grilled pork with a piece of pineapple). As with every street taco stall in LA, you can pick and choose your own trimmings, so I went for a variety of sauces (one of them actually really spicy), raw onions, marinated onions, coriander. I also opted for some spicy, pickled cucumber slices which proves my no. 1 food theory: a bit of cucumber makes every dish a tiny bit better.

I also tried their Horchata on another occasion, which is traditionally made from blending rice and cinnamon, which is then being soaked overnight. Sugar and other spices are added, which makes for a very refreshing and tasty beverage.

The tacos did not disappoint and I already went back several times (just too convenient to have them at your door step) but I certainly need to try different stalls as well, especially those that make their own tortillas.

Price: $2.5 per taco

Ranking: 8/10

That Boat Noodles at Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles

When I do my food research for travels, I also always consult the Guide Michelin. However, I don’t only check their fine dining recommendations but first and foremost the local Bib Gourmand selection, which is made up of more accessible and cheaper restaurants. What instantly spoke to me, was Mae Malai Noodle house because I love Thai food and Nuremberg doesn’t really have lots to offer in that respect. The most famous dish at Mae Malai is their boat noodles, a soup traditionally made from pork and beef broth, which is then seasoned (and coloured) with some pig or cow blood. The name „boat noodles“ simply derives from the fact that this type of soup was typically sold from little boats going down the river in Bangkok.

The boat noodle soup was extremely tasty and the flavour of blood was covered by lots of spices (cinnamon, star anise, pepper…) and heat coming from crushed and toasted chilies. The beef was tender and a little piece of Thai meatball in the soup served as a pleasant surprise (mistook it for some kind of dumpling). Crunchy pork crackling topped of the dish, that I would happily eat again. I went for the spicy version chickening out of going full in with Thai spicy. Probably a smart choice.

Price: $18 (incl. tax, tip and Thai iced coffee)

Rating: 8/10

Chicago Dog and Malört at Tiny’s Hi-Dive

In preparation for my trip, I also picked out a few dive bars and after a trip to Santa Monica ended up in Tiny’s Hi-Dive. While I did know about their good happy hour deals ($6 beers), I was not aware that the bar was (again) a Chicago-style one, so I also had to go for a shot of Malört and a Chicago Dog.

Let’s start with the Malört: Malört is a Chicago based brand of bäsk liqueur flavored with anise and wormwood. It is infamous amongst barkeepers and widely regarded as the most horrible shot in the world due to its very bitter and long-lasting aftertaste. It is known for circumventing the alcohol prohibition laws of 1933 because it was simply marketed as a medicine. It is also known for the „Malört face“. I had heard about it for the first time two years ago when I went to Chicago and my favourite bar keeper back home asked me to bring a bottle. I like bitter as a taste, so I never found it that horrible in the first place but I don’t think I will order many more shots of Malört here (so I say now…).

Now on to the hot dog: In my opinion, the Chicago Dog (served in a poppy seed bun with chopped white onions, a dill pickle, fresh tomato slices and pickled peppers) is the king of hot dogs. Ever since I had it at Portillo’s in Chicago (review here), I have been craving it (although to be fair it’s kind of easy to recreate at home but I just never do). The hot dog at Tiny’s Hi-Dive was certainly a good one but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my memories of Portillo’s. Maybe it is time to make my own at home?

Price: $6 beer, $6 hot dog, shot of Malört: unknown

Rating: 6/10

Lengua y Cabeza Tacos somewhere in the Arts District

At yet another little late night taco stall, I had lengua y cabeza tacos (tongue and meat from the head). I wish I could tell you more about it – expect that I really liked them – but unfortunately I had them after a night out at a roof top bar followed by a dive bar followed by a karaoke session (Pink Pony Club… obviously) where I was talked into having a mystery high ball (thanks, John!), so my taste buds were not prepared for an in-depth review. Guess, that’s the devious thing about late night taco stalls…

But will certainly have the opportunity to try them again.

Price: unknown

Rating: good… I think

Double Double and Animal Style Fries at In-N-Out Burger

Obviously, the infamous In-N-Out Burger was on my list as well, although I have to say that I am not a big fan of burgers in general. But as I do easily give in to hypes, me and John made our way to one of their many restaurants here. For many Europeans, going to In-N-Out Burger and ordering the classic Double Double and Animal Style Fries (an off menu dish) is the ultimate LA experience. I was sceptic from the beginning and my scepticism was proven to be justified. While it was a really good, fuss-free burger with fresh ingredients – raw onion rings, crunchy salad, a big slice of tomato – and a chunky, tasty sauce, it was still just a burger and not a foodie epiphany to me. The fries were unseasoned and tasted slightly old and stale. It really needed the sauce and the roasted onions. What I did really appreciate though were the complimentary pickled peppers. Spicy and tangy, just how I like it.

While my trip to In-N-Out Burger will certainly not define my LA trip, the following image might: a couple eating a low carb version of In-N-Out with salad leaves serving as the bun. Why though???

Price: $11.89

Rating: 7/10

Pozole at John’s Parents‘ Place

What’s better than good restaurant food? A good home-cooked meal! When John’s parents invited me to have lunch at theirs, they cooked Pozole for me. A sour and spicy stew I hadn’t heard about before which is made from hominy (dried maize kernels treated with alkali in a process called nixtamalization… says Wikipedia). John’s mum cooked it with pork but you can basically use any kind of meat. You can also serve it with any kind of trimmings, which are added freshly to the bowl of stew. The trimmings, John’s mum served us included freshly sliced cucumber, which again proves my theory mentioned above.

The pozole was tangy, spicy (you usually add some kind of hot sauce as well) and hearty and the hominy was a welcome change from all the stuff we would add to stews back home. The kernels were soft but still had some bite to them. Would happily eat again!

Price: free