House Roots, Granada Hills
Best coffee and espresso in all of Los Angeles. They serve beans from my favorite roaster, Heart. Guatemalan gesha pourover ($12) is absolutely fantastic. I hope they sell out soon because I can’t afford to keep buying more cups of this.
Tortas Ahogadas Las Originales, San Fernando
The torta ahogada is porky deliciousness. Very spicy and the heat builds up. Part of the bread was a bit hard but did get softer as the juice soaked in. Maybe I should’ve let it sit for a few minutes. Carne en su jugo was just ok, probably wouldn’t get this again. Tortillas were pretty darn good though. Other popular dishes I saw were the taco rojo de pierna, molcajete, quesadillas, and regular tacos.
Binh Minh, Garden Grove
Meh, I wished we’d just gone to Garlic and Chives next door. It was all edible, just nothing exciting. Pork in the bun cha hanoi was a little dry and the seasoning didn’t quite come together cohesively. Pork sausage was just ok. Noodles themselves were very good though, but I feel like the difference between great and so-so thin rice noodles is just not that significant unlike with fun or even wheat noodles. It was my first time having bun rieu. Tasted homey and oddly plain, but maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be?
Jollibee, Panorama City
One of my favorite desserts, the peach mango pie. It’s deep fried, the way it should be. Filipino spaghetti with fried chicken and gravy. Am I the only one who likes filipino spaghetti? Every time I get someone to try it with ample warning that it is sweet, you would think based on their reaction I gave them some durian or balut.
