This is a gorgeous food hall featuring chefs who usually might not have access to this type of venue. i’ll let someone else share photos. I have trekked to poncho’s front yard for his tlayudas but now he gets to serve them to a much larger audience here at his new spot, called lugya’h, and they are even better here than at his original spot. I also tried the pozole from the afro-mexican spot malena. I haven’t tried the stall from the holy basil crew yet, nor have i eaten the wings from melnificent wings. But i love how Rose Previte, this lebanese restauranteur is featuring Black, Brown and southeast asian chefs. last night, i ate at the more formal, sit down part of Maydan. The turmeric chicken was incredible as was the mushroom kebab and the various spreads and items “from the fire.” i worried that Maydan would be a gentrifying force in the neighborhood, but there were lots of people of color and folks involved in community work who were there. I’m excited to explore more of what’s on offer at Maydan.
There are some posts already in Adams Blvd.
I think Maydan is a big enough opening It warrants its own thread - I’m down to keep it contained here
Was lovely but really expensive. A bowl of pozole was $34 with tax and tip, which is a lot! Loved the space, loved my tlayuda. If things were a bit cheaper, I’d go often, but right now it’s in this weird in-between price-wise where I think I’ll be tempted to go to actual restaurants or do cheaper spots.
A $30 dollar pre-tip/tax two-meat tlayuda seems like a lot too. I don’t want to sit here being like Mexican food shouldn’t be expensive (I was probably this boards biggest taco Maria advocate) but at this price point I might as well go to A Ti.
I thought the two meat ttlayuda was more than enough for my wife and I to split though! which for 15 a pop was reasonable.
How much was the same at ponchos OG location?
This is it. The food lineup is probably the best I seen in a food hall/market/etc.
Tamales Elena and Poncho’s are some of the best that LA has to offer for Mexican food. Holy Basil team has really grown to be some of the best Thai food in LA.
If I can remember it was between $15-20. I just did a quick check on Yelp for menu pics and they had it at $20 (9 month old pic).
lol I’d admittedly just walked 18 holes of golf. Split the pozole plus a two-meat guy and that was perfect. I’ll reassess when not famished, ha
Tried the full Maydan restaurant!
Was very very good. I’m guessing it’s a little more dialed in than last week. Great service (they fired everything at once for us at our request because we were trying to get in and out with a baby quickly). I know @PeonyWarrior didnt love their hummus but I’m gonna zag - this is the kind of texture I had growing up in a Georgian and Persian family. It’s not super silky, yes - but that’s because it’s not emulsified with a ton of tahini compared to others. Also it’s only 11$ and they keep the very good bread coming without even asking. Loved the carrot dip too.
the real highlights were the halloumi, sweet potato, oyster mushroom, shrimp kebab (they were out of the prawn dish) and the whole turmeric chicken inspired by a Georgian recipe I had growing up.
my cocktail was good - wish it had better ice for the Negroni riff - a minor quibble but makes a big difference.
overall - I’d say different than bavel and Saffy’s - a much lower price point though. The whole chicken dish was 45$ and the only expensive items were 4$ condiments but I get it - the harissa was particularly tasty. Thr tahini developed a bit of a skin rather quickly.
about to try the dessert we got to go but for a spot in the neighborhood this hit all the marks for the right price and the service was very warm. The space/hearth is beautiful and I look forward to trying the pre fixe and the giant lamb shoulder dish.
gonna take a break from my usual hiatus–that nobody cares about–to say some shit everyone will hate.
$45 for a chicken dish “in the neighborhood,” with $4 per condiment, where the neighborhood is Historic West Adams? that’s not the “right price,” particularly for the dummy small portions.
nothing against any of the chefs involved. i’m glad Maria’s Tamales Elena has a residency and is able to charge $34 for a bowl of pozole; Holy Basil is miles ahead of what Anajak (and 100% Farmhouse Thai) does for Thai food at a slightly lower price point–and a bit more authentic, IMHO.
call a spade a spade. it is a gentrifying force, even if you see “lots of people of color” eating there. hell, i moved into West Adams, and i’ll tell you for a fact that i’m part of that POC gentrifying force.
there’s practically no attention paid to quality, regular-ass shops:
places that have recently closed, like Rick’s Fish, which took SnapFresh. El Milagro.
vendors on the street. the chilaquiles dude that sets up on Hauser and Venice two days a week at 7AM until he sells out? all the taquerias that set up and tear down every night. Pollo Wally’s? on-the-spot half grilled chicken, rice, beans, tortillas, and a roasted poblano for about a quarter of that chicken dish.
i love this forum so much for its recommendations. nobody here ever misses. i also love spots like Cento and Highly Likely.
but let’s not kid ourselves that we have money and/or connections and can afford to eat places, regularly, that most people cannot. and let’s definitely not pretend that, despite how undeniably good everything in Maydan is, that is isn’t a “gentrifying force”
Sorry, which two days? this is big news i can use.
Im not trying to get into an argument here but a whole chicken in a restaurant in LA sometimes pushes 65+ I’ve had half chicken dishes that push 40$
all I was saying is for what I paid our portions were big and my whole family ate. I also live 3 blocks away and have been in west Adams since I got to LA. I have no illusions that new restaurants are not part of gentrification. I lived in Brooklyn most of my life and saw the same trajectory for my neighborhood. I can have Maydan and still frequent other spots in the neighborhood - but Id sooner eat at Maydan again than like..:Vicky’s
Tacking on - a new buzzy restaurant in a gentrifying neighborhood could’ve charged way more and you know it. You can interpret “right price” all you want but it’s not egregious for what you get regardless of neighborhood.
You’re not wrong, but you talking about these places will will get people to go. If you really like a place don’t self sensor. We want to hear about it or at least I do.
Wally’s is great, but it is 16$ for a half chicken now. So 32 for a whole with rice and beans and some tortillas. I’m going to venture to say that a 45$ whole chicken at a seated restaurant with bread, and garnish etc is not that crazy for the quality.
Again, I’m splitting hairs - but places are going to keep opening in this neighborhood - we have a Jon and Vinnys on Slauson - we have the clubby as hell cento raw bar. It’s not a cheap spot, and of course every real estate listing will mention Maydan - but I don’t think they’re operating at a price structure that is a glaring disconnect from the neighborhood.
For everyone else clicking refresh until your mouse breaks, it’s @chila_quiless on ig – fridays and saturdays.
Appreciate the dialogue here. Of course, so many of these places are gentrifying forces. My point is that Maydan market is being intentional to play a different role. Bringing in all these POC chefs. There are numerous Latino families each time i’ve been.
But let’s circle back to the food. Some of the spots already seem to have expanded their menu. The wings and lemon cake at the melnificent were excellent. i tried much of the menu at the holy basil yhing yhang spot. really enjoyed the chicken and pork. and the anchovy and egg salad tartine was a pleasant surprise. i had another of poncho’s tlayudas which hit just right. And i’m eager to try more of the menu at the afro mexican spot.
Also, they have swapped in some new seating that is more comfortable. and the front door and lighting throughout have to be some of the prettiest front doors and lighting in the city.
we should probably start a thread on Black owned spots that continue to thrive in the area that hopefully folks will frequent…
Back at you! I love the engagement and just didn’t want my thought to be misinterpreted.
the changes are great, they even moved some of those oversized pots on the floor that…everyone including myself and wife tripped over
Did the Tawle experience at $95/pp - enjoyed the seating at the counter.
Before I ordered it, we knew it was going to be a ton of food, I even recall the waiter saying he’s never seen someone finish the entire thing yet - be ready to eat!
Been enjoying the Maydan lamb shoulder the last 2 days at home 
not a bad problem to have, it’s excellent with their highlight hearth charred carrots and their delicious tzatziki. Also really enjoyed Maydan’s bread, mouneh platter, halloumi, muhammara, hummus, walnut casik, chicken shish, and the mint tea pudding. Cocktails were pretty good, not great. They said as of now the menu is about 80% of what the menu at Maydan DC is and they leave the other 20% to experiment with California seasonality.
i loved the space and these were all quite good.
Not so good: terrible lamb skewer - almost all gristle