I’m back in London after spending five days in La Jolla, California, which included quick trips to LA and the ‘burbs of Orange County. I couldn’t get enough of the sunshine and wide, sandy beaches of SoCal, but sadly, my year-old Canon Elph drowned in seawater during a kayak outing off the coast of San Diego (Ziploc, how could you fail me?!?), so all the food photos I wanted to share are now lost.
Nonetheless, here’s a picture-free roundup of three seriously good meals in case you ever find yourself hungry in SoCal (and click here for my earlier post about our phenom meal at Tacos Por Favor in Santa Monica):
Hodad’s. It’s a San Diego institution. And once you’ve tried the goods, it’s easy to understand Hodad’s popularity. The sweet, crispy onion rings are alone worth the 11-hour flight to LAX and 2.5-hour drive down to San Diego. I ate so many of them that I failed to save room for their equally-fabled milkshakes. Next time (and there surely will be a next time) I won’t make that rookie error.
Hodad’s, 5010 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107; +1 619-224-4623.
Cho Sun Galbee. My close friend and Orange County-Korean-chick-about-town, Jane, recommended this Korean barbecue in the heart of Koreatown. In the heat of summer, I had my doubts while driving past ugly concrete-block strip malls, but Cho Sun Galbee is an oasis. Jon and I sat outside in a shady garden and devoured Cho Sun Galbee’s tender, smoky-sweet bulgogi, which may be the best we’ve ever had. It wasn’t cheap ($24 a portion), but good Korean barbecue never is. Job chae and bibimbap were also tasty, but paled in comparison. Sleek interiors tells you this isn’t your grandmother’s Korean barbecue, but the food is classic and quality. The restaurant offers free valet parking, which I think is so L.A.
Cho Sun Galbee, 3330 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019; +1 323 734 3330.
Nha Hang Van. OC-born-and-bred, our friend (and talented wedding photographer) Lu knows his Vietnamese food. And when I told him I was craving banh xeo, he took us to Nha Hang Van, which specializes in banh xeo, of course. Perfect. The pancakes were thin and crispy and the prawns and beansprouts plentiful. A first for me, Nha Hang Van’s version included mashed-up mung bean which glued the fillings together and added a creamy texture. Also on offer were gorgeous sweet-potato fries and banh khot, which are coconut-scented mini-pan pizza versions of banh xeo. Basically, the cooks at Nha Hang Van know how to work a fryer and pancake batter, and with most dishes costing about $5, it’s no wonder that the place is busy all day. Wrap everything in lettuce and mint leaves and you can pretend you’re not clogging your arteries, but for a “lighter” dish, the steamed banh beo were excellent, too.
Nha Hang Van, 14122 Brookhurst Street, Garden Grove, CA 92843; +1 714-530-6858.
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Howdie, welcome “home” to sunny London! In California do Korean restaurants charge, as is the annoying case here in London, for the kimchee and sundry namul? In NY’s Koreatown you get like 10 different dishes to pick at even with the most basic lunch.
And… where in London do you think you get the best banh xeo? I used to lurve Green Papaya on Mare Street in Hackney (where there is a Vietnam Town) but over the years I’ve found the quality variable and was disappointed on a recent visit.
Mike
Oh no! How annoying about your camera and only one year old. I had a canon elph as well – now a sony cybershot which I would recommend if you are just looking for point and shoot. Sounds like you had a great trip though.
So glad you enjoyed Chosun glabi! The decor is definitely “fancier” than your standard Ktown restaurant, but the barbeque is excellent.
Mike, Korean restaurants in LA (like in NY, Korea and everywhere else!) do not charge for banchan. As far as I’m aware, charging for kimchee and banchan is specific to London.
Mike – Jane is, of course, right that London seems alone in charging for banchan, and as for where to find the best banh xeo – I used to swear by the version at Huong Viet, but I’ve had two bad experiences there with tiny prawns and overly-oily pancakes, so I have no recs in London, unfortunately. Perhaps another reader will help out with a rec.
GC – Yes, indeed, it’s pretty annoying to have lost yet another point and shoot. I will def check out the sony cybershot pronto.
Jane – I always trust your taste in restos, so thanks again for the Chosun tip.
so glad you enjoyed the banh xeo at nha hang van..it’s our go to place when not making it. We’re going to post the recipe for banh xeo soon!
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