Los Angeles recs for end of march visit

[busterbrown]

going to visit some family in LA for a few days then head down to SF for the tail end of the trip. taking my two children but have lots of relatives so not everywhere needs to be kid friendly, would like one splurge night out with my brother for steak and one for sushi....... for the steak how is cut? the sushi urusawa ... wouldnt like to splurge that much there as i have read the prices are crazy but if its that good then i have to try it......... dim sum recs , vietnamese for pho and banh mi (the crazy good french bread sandwiches)...... izakayas ..... also want some feedback on animal and hungry cat.......... as they are definetly on my radar.... naimal i hevent heard one bad thing, hungry cat on the other hand have heard all good just not that mabny reviews...... thanks

[bulavinaka]

Where in LA are you folks staying? I'm sure you've heard about the sprawl of Southern California and how we traffic can make or break one's day. I think if you're open to Urasawa, then you should go, but you need to get a reservation as the number of guests served each night is extremely limited. Your window of opportunity are basically the nights that you are in LA. I've yet to do Urasawa - "only" have enjoyed kaiseki in Kyoto (tears pool in my eyes just thinking about kaiseki in Kyoto) - but if Hiro-san can replicate the best meal experiences I've ever enjoyed in my life, then it's worth the effort and money.

I can't help you with steaks - I'm pretty capable of doing that at home, but Cut has received a fair amount of good tidings on this board.

Dim sum tells me you will be going to the San Gabriel Valley, and can get mildly contentious on this board - carts versus menu. I now prefer menu, and the top two that I know of are Sea Harbour (Rosemead) and Elite (Monterey Park). Your timing will offer a third option as well. I believe Mission 261 in San Gabriel will reopen March 16 after a long hiatus. If you're taking only one shot at dim sum, I might pass on this option as I have no idea if they will be on the top of their game and how crazy busy it will be with a grand reopening and the discounts that are usually offered to draw in the business. Mission 261 has a special place in my psyche as it was the first dim sum place that I experienced the wonders of a menu-driven dim sum experience.

If you find yourself closer to the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) than North Orange County, I would seek my Vietnamese food fix there. While Little Saigon in the OC is still the Mother Ship of the Vietnamese community, SGV has a large and thriving Vietnamese community with so many offerings. Since you're probably going to SGV for you dim sum fix, you can hit the daily double and tick off Vietnamese while your there as well.

Viet Huong (El Monte), Viet Nam, Saigon Flavor and Golden Deli (all in San Gabriel) would be my first choices for Vietnamese in general - all serve pho that we've enjoyed.

Banh mi is more Wild West. It's such a competitive arena. Almost all places that serve banh mi specialize in this which is great. The problem is there are so many places that sell banh mi that most play the buy two, get one free type of game - it seems a lot of folks base their buying decision on this alone. Personally, I wouldn't bite at a place just because of these offers. The quality, spectrum and quantity of ingredients often suffers at least slightly at places like this. Some places bake their own bread, while others source their bread elsewhere. While super fresh baguettes can be alluring to the customer, it again isn't the sole criterion to choose your banh mi. I've tried so many of these banh mi places in SGV and I find myself going back to one: Banh Mi My Tho on Valley in Alhambra. It's a family-run operation in a tiny storefront that could practically fit in a thimble. But they consistently put out great banh mi with the proportions, quality and spectrum of ingredients that I like. If anything, the line going out the door is a testament to their customer loyalty. If you're not averse to pork, get the grilled pork (banh mi thit nuong). The place is packed with ready-to-go items that you can take with you.

As for places that have a more chain-like feel like Lee's or Mr. Baguette (and to a lesser degree Banh Mi Che Cali), Tip Top Sandwiches recently opened in Rosemead, also on Valley. I really enjoyed with their Special Combination banh mi - it exemplifies the banh mi that I first think of. I think for now at least, they are worth trying for their banh mi and some of their ready-to-go foods that are plastic-wrapped on the counter. I think Tip Top is making a huge mistake in offering so so many other food items and the store space/manpower they've committed to these items - those things are a total distraction to the core of their business, but that's another matter.

Izakayas make me think of two places. Izakaya Bincho (Redondo Beach on the pier) and Musha. Izakaya Bincho is tiny and somewhat out of the way, run by the nicest couple, and serves up a great lineup of izakaya items. IB puts a strong focus on their dishes and you will not be disappointed.

Musha is a little more avante-garde with the menu, while also being larger and more party-like in atmosphere. You can benefit from going to the Torrance location, as you would be directly across the parking lot from another exceptional place - Torihei. Torihei excels at yakitori and oden (which takes a more discerning palate to appreciate in its subtleness). If you decide to do both, make reservations and go early.

I defer on Animal or Hungry Cat - haven't been. Enjoy your stay - the weather in LA at the end of March is usually superb.

[Phurstluv]

Definitely go to Animal if you can. Excellent food. Not recommended with kids, pretty tight inside.

If you search this board for hungry Cat, can get lots of info - haven't been myself, but have heard/read negatives lately.

Cut is great - big bucks. Beautiful room. Lots of great steak places, depends on what atmosphere you want and where in the city.

Others can chime in for dim sum & vietnamese, but I think you would have to go to the east side, to the San Gabriel valley, where the best places are. And as for sushi, I'm not a huge regular, but I want to go to Nobu in Malibu. Great sightseeing in Malibu. Especially on a gorgeous beach day. Enjoy your stay!

[uwsister]

Love both Animal and Hungry Cat. Hungry Cat's been our regular stop along with AOC (and a few others, but both Suzanna Goin-related restos) every time we visit, which is about 4 times a year. We made it to Animal for the first time in January and it'll definitely be one of our "regular" spots for sure.