Minibar. A small-plates restaurant situated in a patch of Universal City that doesn’t like to admit it’s part of the San Fernando Valley, Minibar is a tall lounge with sofas, throbbing post-rock and hidden antechambers. The snack-food-intensive menu — put together by Sharon Hage, who is often called Dallas’ answer to Alice Waters, and executed by Noah Rosen — is as cross-cultural as they come. And there’s a lot of interesting wine priced around $20 a bottle — which is good, because it takes a lot of experimentation to figure out the proper thing to drink with plantain latkes smothered in Salvadoran crema. Go with the Albarino, I say. Merlot and plantains are just not a match. 3413 Cahuenga Blvd., Universal City; (323) 882-6965. Sun.–Thurs. 5:30–11:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–1 a.m. Full bar. Takeout available until 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Fri.–Sat.). Valet parking. AE, D, DC, MC, V. $35–$45 per person. Global tapas. JG $$?
Señor Fred’s. The food at this stateside Mexican restaurant with American sensibilities is pretty good, and sometimes even surprises with an occasional spike in quality and deftness. Taquitos have a delicate chewiness and related textural pleasures. An ensalada pico de gallo — big chunks of papaya, orange, cucumber, jicama and mango tossed in a lime-and-chile dressing — is especially spirited and quenching. 13730 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 789-3200. Lunch and dinner Sun.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m.–mid., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m. Full bar. Valet parking. Entrées $8.50–$18.50. AE, D, MC, V. Mexican. MH$$b[Â?
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Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe
2122 W. Seventh St.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Category: Restaurant > Central American
Region: Westlake
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Le Comptoir at Tiara Cafe
127 E. 9th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90079
Category: Restaurant >
Region: Downtown
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Tama Sushi. Studio City’s Tama Sushi is owned and run by veteran sushi master Michite Katsu and his wife, Tama. Katsu’s first restaurant, which opened on Hillhurst in the ’80s, was seminal for its beauty and art, both on and off the plate; subsequent establishments upheld his aesthetic standards. Now, there’s only Tama Sushi, with Katsu himself expertly carving up fish at the bar. Start with a plate of assorted sashimi, and you’ll find he cuts fish as a gem cutter works with rubies, accentuating inherent virtues. And don’t miss his live scallop sushi, dressed in lime juice with a sprinkle of Italian sea salt. 11920 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 760-4585. Open daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly 5–9:30 p.m. Beer, wine, sake. Valet parking. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Sushi and sashimi, $1.50–$15. Japanese. MH $
?LA99? Wat Thai. At the northern end of drab, endless Coldwater Canyon Boulevard lies this massive, gold-encrusted Thai Buddhist temple, grounds crowded with parishioners, saffron-robed monks, and small children who run about as if the temple were a private playground. On weekend afternoons and during festivals, the air around the temple almost throbs with the smells of Thai cooking; the inexpensive Thai feast is open to everyone who cares to come. 8225 Coldwater Canyon Blvd., N. Hlywd., (818) 785-9552 or www.watthaiusa.org/engmenu.html. Open weekends only, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. No alcohol. Parking lot. Cash only. Thai. JG $$b
South Bay/LAX/South Los Angeles
El Pollo Inka. Beyond the roasted chicken that earned the chain its reputation, El Pollo Inka’s menu is filled with the seafood dishes typical of Lima’s industrial port suburb, Callao. The fish soup parihuela is close to the classic version, dark and pepper-hot as a superior Louisiana gumbo. 15400 Hawthorne Blvd., Lawndale, (310) 676-6665. 1425 W. Artesia Blvd., Gardena, (310) 516-7378. 23705 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, (310) 373-0062. 11000 Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach, (310) 372-1433. Lunch and dinner daily (some locations close late on Fri. & Sat.). Beer and wine. Lot parking. AE, DC, MC, V. Entrées $5–$17. Peruvian. JG ¢b
Flossie’s. Flossie’s, located on the eastern edge of Torrance, a couple of blocks from El Camino College and a two-minute drive from the sushi bars and poi slingers of Gardena, is the closest you can get in Los Angeles to Mississippi boarding-house cuisine. What Flossie’s serves is mostly daily specials, except for the perfect Southern fried chicken, which is always on hand. Come hungry. 3566 Redondo Beach Blvd., Torrance, (310) 352-4037. Lunch and dinner Tues.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat. noon–9 p.m., Sun. noon–7 p.m. No alcohol. Takeout. Lot parking. Cash only. Dinner for two $12–$18. Southern. JG ¢
Harold & Belle’s. Many of the best Cajun and creole restaurants in Los Angeles seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Orleans and Patout’s and Gagnier’s and Sid’s Café have been gone for years. The Gumbo Pot, in Farmers Market, is past its glory days. And we recently had a Cajun-ish meal, in Monrovia, so bad that we believe the state of Louisiana may be entitled to sue for damages. We highly recommend Harold & Belle’s, an old-line creole restaurant down by USC, where the smoked sausage is delicious, the fried seafood is formidable and the oyster po’ boys are fine. 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A., (323) 735-9023. Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Full bar. Takeout. Parking lot. AE, MC, V. JG $Âb
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