Where to get the best FLAN in LA?

[waxfondler]

I really like the Flan at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday. Where do you guys go for your Flan cravings? The almond flan at Gelsons deli is pretty good too.

[Das Ubergeek]

Since this has been reopened, I would like to submit the flan at Mercado. It's unbelievably rich, yet it's not overwhelming.

[jzalvidea]

If you prefer a very dense flan made with 2-3X the amount of eggs, may I suggest the Filipino version found at any of the bakeries on Carson St. & Main in Carson.

[SusieBee]

Maybe I am way off, but I LOVE Pollo Loco flan. Best I have ever had. Thick, so rich, flavorful and sweet and creamy. But I love their chicken also. Anyone else tried their flan?

[Kris P Pata]

Apart from my aunt's version (Unfortunately, regular trips to visit her in San Sebastian aren't pragmatic nor affordable) , my favorite flan comes from the good folks at Creme Caramel LA. Taste, texture, proper density -- their flan has it all. The original is the standard but, if available, the ube with macapuno is so, so worth it. Heck, they even deliver to your door on holidays although I won't wait that long.for a fix.

cremecaramella.com

[Jerome]

la Paella - cream catalana was great last time i i had it.

porto's in glendale and burbank, very good.

also el morfi, (argentine pizzeria in glendale) has nice flan. to my taste.

[tissue]

Picca

[trvlcrzy]

Bazaar or at home..same texture, same flavor.

[happybaker]

To my surprise, I had an amazing flan at Lola's Peruvian in Glendale. Really rich and dense, not too sweet - lovely.

[Feed_me]

I like the flan made by Claudia at Sazon at the corner of Washington/Centinela. There was a similar enquiry a while back and I recall Dommy mentioning it as being good. Normally I don't eat flan, but I do like Sazon's version. I've found Dommy and Matt P have very good taste, so I feel pretty confident it's one of the better versions around. http://sazonlatinfusion.com/Menu.html

[Dommy]

Glad you liked it! :) To me the flan at Sazon is perfect. Not too Jelloy. Not too Eggy. Great balance of richness and caramel taste. It's also nice and firm with very little air bubbles so it's quite satisfying

--Dommy!

[Servorg]

Dommy, how is their mofongo (if you've had it)?

[Dommy]

I've had it and it's good, just a little under seasoned. Claudia has a light hand on salt and other spices (She wants to keep things healthy), so if you have the itch, it will scratch it. But it won't take you back home... I much perfer her soups (You can often see her at Mar Vista Farmers Market), empandas and Calabacitas dish (one of the best veggie plates around) . Also, she has great specials too.

--Dommy!

[Servorg]

I've been tempted to try the Pescado Tropical with the coconut breading on spinach mashed potatoes with the green sauce, crema and fresh mango salsa.

[Dommy]

I like the dish. The fish is well cooked, but the spinach mashed potatoes are the weakest link. Again, light on the salt and missing the creamy component... But if course, Tender Greens and their butter bomb mashed taters has spoiled me for life...

--Dommy!

[Feed_me]

Dommy is right (is she ever wrong?). Claudia does (to me) tends go really easy on the salt, but she emphasizes that she tries to keep everything healthy.

[Jase]

Have you had the mofongo from El Camaguey Market now that they have the takeout food again? I really like it. Garlicky, porky, very hearty and satisfying.

[Servorg]

I didn't know that they were doing takeout food. What else have you tried? Thanks for the tip, Jase.

[Jase]

Yeah, they started up the take out again last year. Then streetgourmetla wrote about it in LA Times so I stayed away for a while to avoid the crowds. I've had the oxtail, the pork chops with grilled onions, the tostones, and the ropa vieja. Oh the fried chicken and beef stew too.

The prices are portions are ridiculous. $8-11 according to the menu I have. The plates all come with fried plantains, rice and beans. I've also gotten a small side salad included a couple of times but I wouldn't count on it. I haven't been there since last year though. Hopefully nothing has changed. I might have to pop in soon now that this has reminded me.

But all the food was really good, hearty and rich. I really liked their oxtail and mofongo. Those are the two I've gotten without fail with every visit. Be warned that unless you call ahead, expect to wait. A lot of the dishes she'll make fresh. I watched her pound the mofongo. It's so good with the crunchy pork bits.

Curious what you think.

[Jase]

Yeah, the flan there is pretty darn good.

[attran99]

I'd like to add the flan from The Bazaar by Jose Andres to the list. It's his grandmother's recipe, and is the best flan I've ever had. Not to dense, not too airy, just the right amount of caramel/dulce de leche....just absolutely perfect...except, I wanted more after I'd finished the one I ordered.

[LATrapp]

Bossa Nova in WeHo has a good coconut flan (Pudim de coco). Firm and rich, it's sold by the slice. Toasted coconut on top that I believe is unsweetened, and sweet velvety flan below. Served with slightly burnt sugar syrup.

[coco puff]

go to THEARTOFFLAN.COM....by far, the best!!!! website only!

[Kate is always hungry]

I always loved the flan at El Criollo, the Cuban restaurant in Van Nuys. When I went with a friend a while back, she confirmed my suspicions when she exclaimed, "this is the best flan I've ever had!"

[waxfondler]

Thanks guys! Ok so I realized that the kind of Flan im into is the more dense,rich cheesecake like Flan, I dont like the airy light flan thats drenched in syrup only. I gotta try La Casita and compare. Also Vallarta since I live right down the street from one.

[revets2]

BORDER GRILL has phenomenal flan. they condense their own milk. flavors vary.

[sweetTooth]

Hearty second for Border Grill's flan. If they have two in the desserts case - ask for the one that looks darker. Very addictive!

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Border Grill
1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401

[Das Ubergeek]

OH, and I forgot -- if you're a fan of the dense rich kind (not the airy gelatin-y kind) try the leche quemada (maybe it's called leche asada?) at Las Quenas in North Hollywood.

[jaykayen]

Border Grill, Santa Monica. It's of the dense variety.

[Eat_Nopal]

That is typically called Flan Napolitano... the light variety is often known as Flan Espanol

[Eat_Nopal]

You can find outsanding Flan Napolitano about $12 for a large flan... at the Fruteria in Lincoln Heights corner of Broadway & Workman... they also have solid Sherry Gelatine... good hand churned Sorbets & Ice Cream... as well as the best fruit salads in the City.

[sel]

I bought several flans from the guy at the Hollywood Farmer's Market last Sunday and they were some of the best that I have ever had. Not as special but more available are the flans at Vallarta Markets. Try a small and report back! A large one is $9.95. Oh yea, they have two kinds. One is a regular flan and the other is a Flan Napolitano which is denser. Both good, depends on which type you prefer.

http://www.vallartasupermarket.com/

[KaceyLaine]

This is really embarrassing to admit..... but, I LOVE the flan from El Pollo Loco. It's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine :-)

[silverlakebodhisattva]

There seems to be a division of opinion as to "dense" flan vs. "airy" flan. I've always liked Versailles' (the Venice location).

BTW, even though it's pre-made, I gotta admit, KL, that Pollo Loco flan's still pretty good...

[BearCity]

I have to agree. I just recently tried the flan at EPL, and my next flan from a sit-down Mexican restaurant didn't measure up. It's more delicious than one would expect.

[cjla]

I had some tasty, tasty flan at Canele, in Atwater Village.

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Canele
3219 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

[Diana]

I think those same FM Flan guys are at the Sunday Encino Market, or is it Studio City? I tried some, it's good.

[Renault78law]

I like the flan at Monte Alban.

[Mr Taster]

La Casita Mexicana in Bell conjures up an otherworldly flan.... outrageously dense and velvety smooth on the tongue. It doesn't have that springy Jell-O consistency as many inferior flans do... it's just dense, smooth, creamy and wonderful.

As a bonus, they top it with rompope or kahlua (or both, if you wish). It was $4.00, but because it was our first visit they comped us!

Well worth the trip to Bell for the flan alone. Seriously.

Mr Taster

[Mel Gee]

Will wonders never cease. I'm a regular at La Casita and have never had dessert, probably because the chips w/mole, excellent soup, and two delicious chiles en nogada that I generally order are more than enough. I'll save room for the flan next time -- thanks for the information. Also, thanks to Ubergeek for the Serenata alert. I usually go to the Boyle Heights location, but I'll try the flan in SM sometime.

[Mr Taster]

If you would report back here once you've tried the flan, I'd be very curious to hear your impression of it!

Mr Taster

[gado_gado]

I tend to go to Porto's Bakery, in Glendale. Firm (I personally don't like those watery, too airy ones). And a whole flan for under $9. I don't think you can go wrong with that.

It actually reminds me a lot of the Brazilian pudim my mom used to make.

[compucook]

Ditto on Porto's! We were at a Cuban birthday party and they eschewed what the catering restaurant had in favor of bringing in Flan from Porto's. It was amazing!

[Mr Taster]

My boss is heading to Porto's to pick up a birthday cake for our supervisor, and thanks to the advice of gado_gado and compucook, I've given him an extra $5 to pick up a small flan for me as well :)

Mr Taster

[Mr Taster]

Just had the Porto's flan.... very yummy, but definitely not in the same league as the one at La Casita Mexicana

Mr Taster

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La Casita Mexicana
4030 Gage Ave, Bell, CA 90201

[Das Ubergeek]

La Serenata Gourmet in West LA. The meals are "just OK" and are trumped easily by the mother ship in Boyle Heights, but for some reason the Pico branch has the very best flans... and they're simply not sold at the mother ship nor at the 4th St. SM branch.

[JAB]

I have to disagree with them not being available at the mother ship. I had a memorable coconut flan there once. It's not been available any other time that I've gone. I did try a chocolate flan there another time but, was very disappointed.

[Mel Gee]

I hope you get some good responses, because I could use a decent flan. My Cuban office manager in Miami used to make the most incredible firm but tender and creamy flan, flavored with Kahlua, for example. She would bring one in whenever we had to con some part of the bureaucracy into behaving like human beans. Worked every time!

[anita3526]

Just heard Fratelli Cafe on Melrose (near La Brea) has added a delicious flan to their amazing dessert collection. I think I'm going to have dessert for lunch today. :)