based on the LA Taco article that @PaulF posted, i figured it was time to try EK Valley, which i’ve driven past a million times and thought ‘oh that looks so cute i should try it.’
lovely little operation! small spot, maybe ten tables inside. festive decor. we got the mole negro with dark meat chicken, and the enchiladas (enmoladas?) with chicken and mole coloradito. both delicious. was it the “fruit-forward mole negro a shimmering obsidian” from the article? sure! every time i eat mole i think “man, there’s a lot going on here!.” and this was no different.
i had a little sip of the coloradito, which also had a lot going on, but tangy.
two mains, one beer, a side of guacamole cost us $75 after tax and tip.
Yay!! Glad you tried it and hope more do! I am actually really shocked they were not higher on the list as I like them better than a couple of other places that were ranked higher….
But one dish I love is the Carnitas Oik Oik, it’s not like Carnitas how most people know it. But the flavors are incredible.
It’s also just a good place to pick up a Burrito. Super nice folks too!
another table ordered the mole negro burrito and it looked massive. my one failing as a human is i can only eat so much mole – it’s so rich that i can get overwhelmed. the table-salsa is a real sleeper hit at EK and its acidity was a nice counterpoint to the bottomless richness of the mole.
thanks for the carnitas rec. it caught my eye, but i felt like i had to try the mole at a oaxacan spot, especially after it garnered some purple prose from LA Taco.
EK Valley also has a terrific and unique take on shrimp enchiladas. They’re prepared with a green tomatillo that’s infused with spinach and clams. It’s got a great tangy flavor and they are very generous with the shrimp.
Holy Basil, Atwater Village. I like the thinner rice noodle in the pad see ew. It works and it got some decent wok hay to it. The eggplant and squash is beautiful and tasty I just wish they put more of the fermented soy beans for more flavor. With the garlic and chiles it would be a trifecta.
I agree that the best item at Falafel Arax is the falafel (obviously), but I also like the grape leaves. They’re soggy from being soaked in lemon, but I like that.
Glad you enjoyed it! LSXO really is a hidden gem—super intimate with that tiny dining room. The seafood focus sets it apart, and snagging a walk-in at 7 sounds like a lucky break
I think the sandwiches are seriously under $7 or $8 dollars, so it’s hard to criticize at the price. The bread is totally wrong (it’s fine as bread but it’s not a baguette) and the whole thing is ~1/3 shorter that I’d expect. But the filling tasted pretty good (although I forgot that “pork and pate” is not the same thing as “grilled pork and pate,” and the pate is of the terrine variety). Def not a destination, but for the price and given how close this is to where I live, I’d def have it again (and partner actually did the next day).
I know nothing about Vietnamese coffee, but partner liked it. I thought it was (unsurprisingly) super strong. Strawberry drink was quite tasty.
Purveyor is also super sweet.
Since @CiaoBob thought Pizza Fling was pretty good, we actually returned to the same development for dinner that night (Pizza Fling is right next to Tran Coffee). Delish! I think partner was thrown off by just how thin the crust was, but I thought it was great. I think the pies might also be a touch bigger than 12”.
I remember 18 years ago when I came to LA there was a lot of buzz about Blossom on Chowhound and the likes. Patina and Water Grill were the two high-end DTLA restaurants, and Blossom was an everyday local favorite.
no. that is a banh mi shop for Santa Monica. hopefully when they say “mayo” they aren’t referring to Hellman’s.
Also, that bread looks totally right - for some OG Vietnamese banh mi using baguette is sacrilege.
//edit
Ok I’m going to dial the above back a little bit, besides the “thousand island” option the banh mi does look pretty ok. I’d need to see a “crumbs” pic to comment further on the quality of this bread
not pictured was the flan, absolutely delicious and lived up to the hype!
