Besha RodellLeading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes.
67: Son of a Gun's Uni and Burrata.
There are quite a few contenders for favorites on Son of a Gun's menu, dishes that made this restaurant a destination in the first place. But right now on the menu is a dish that is more about texture and purity of flavor than the toasty deliciousness and fried chicken and mayo-rich lobster that chef-owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are known for.
The uni and burrata is as simple as it is brilliant: Pieces of sea urchin are layered over tufts of milky burrata, the orange uni standing out against the stark white backdrop of the cheese. The plate is garnished with a few crunchy light green lettuce leaves, slivers of button mushroom (Is there an ingredient more underrated than the button mushroom?) and the bright citrusy ping of yuzu. But the real magic of the dish is in the way the two creamy textures play against and meld into one another — one the pure essence of ocean; the other, the unadulterated expression of everything good about dairy. It's a highly sensory experience, and one that stays with you for days.
Check out the rest of our 100 of our favorite dishes. Suggestion? Write us a comment.
100: Lukshon's Dan Dan Noodles
99: Cemita de Milanesa at Cemitas Poblanos Elviritas #1
98: Chichen Itza's Cochinita Pibil
96: La Cevicheria's Bloody Clam Ceviche
94: Peruvian Chicken at Pollo a la Brasa
93: Squash Blossom Quesadilla at Antojitos Carmen
92: Thai Boat Noodles at Pa-Ord
90: Furikake Kettle Corn at A-Frame
89: Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns at Providence
88: Fried Pig Tails at Night + Market
87: Egg Salad Sandwich at Euro Pane
85: Truffle Honey-Laced Fried Chicken at Manhattan Beach Post
84: Mool Naeng Myun at Yu Chic Naeng Myun
83: Chicken Vampiro at Mexicali Taco & Co
81: White Anchovy, Tomato and Fresno Chile Pizza at Pizzeria Mozza
80: Shu Mai at Elite Restaurant
79: Tandoori Chicken at Al-Watan
78: Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding at The Hungry Cat
77: Agedashi Tofu at Izakaya Bincho
74: The Sea Urchin Tostada at La Guerrerense
73: Wood-Roasted English Peas at Tar & Roses
72: Persian Mulberries at Weiser Family Farms
71: Hunan-Style Preserved Pork with Tofu at Hunan Chilli King
70: Brisket Banh Mi at Gjelina Take Away
69: Yukhwe Bibimbap at Oo-Kook Korean BBQ
68: Lamb Pie at Beijing Pie House
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