Ethnic Los Angeles
A Journey Through L.A.'s Ethnic Neighborhoods
Los Angeles
is the most spread-out city in America; it is also
one of the most ethnically diverse. Once you know your way around
L.A., the excitement lies in being able to
maneuver your way from Little Tokyo to Little India and
from Fairfax Avenue to Olvera Street. We've selected some of the best ethnic eateries around the city to help you discover the culinary diversity of Los Angeles.
LATIN
LIVING
Drive along Broadway Street downtown on a Saturday
or Sunday morning, and you'll think you're in Mexico
City. Everyone speaks Spanish, from the vendors
hawking little girls’ party dresses or papayas-on-a-stick
to Latino families doing their weekly shopping.
See the colorful murals in East Los Angeles, shop
for fresh corn tortillas and handmade tamales, then
listen to a battle of the mariachi bands in El Mercado.
At the Grand
Central Market, choose from Salvadoran, Guatemalan
and Mexican specialties, including the best gorditas
in L.A. Or head to colorful Olvera Street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and stop by La Golondrina Café for a margarita. See our
Top 10
Mexican Restaurants in Los Angeles. |
KIMCHI
& CULTURE
Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean population
in America, much of it concentrated between Western
and Vermont Avenues. In Koreatown, you'll find everything
from barbecue, noodles and dumplings to all-you-can-eat
buffets. Try Yong Su San or Bann. To experience the thriving Korean nightclub
scene, check out Chapman Market which has a number
of popular Korean clubs and restaurants including
Gaam and Toe
Bang. See our Top 10 Korean Barbecues in Los Angeles. And if you're a fan of food trucks, look for Kogi, the Korean Barbecue Truck! |
LITTLE
TOKYO EAST & WEST
A center of Japanese culture and history, Little Tokyo
has become a tourist destination where you can find
authentic Japanese food, restaurants and products
from electronics to fine china. You can even get a
Japanese massage and stay in a Japanese-style suite
at the elegant Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens. In West L.A., a stretch of Sawtelle
Boulevard just north of Olympic
has become a Little Tokyo West. Here, you'll find
Japanese restaurants and noodle shops, several wonderful
Japanese nurseries, and even Japanese video stores. See
our Top 10
Sushi Restaurants in LA and Top 10 Japanese Restaurants in LA. |
BAGELS
& BORSCHT
On Fairfax Avenue between Melrose and Beverly, you'll
find kosher restaurants, kosher markets and a landmark
Jewish deli, Canter's,
which sells giant hot-pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup
24 hours a day. The neighborhood is also home to many
Russian shops and restaurants, for this has become
the center of L.A.'s Jewish-Russian émigré
community. Pico Boulevard, running west from Fairfax
towards Century City, has lately become a Kosher Restaurant
Row, with numerous eateries, including the Milky
Way, which belongs to one of L.A.'s most famous
Jewish mothers, Leah Adler, mom of mega-director Steven
Spielberg. See our Top 10 Delis in Los Angeles. |
ETHIOPIAN STEWS
A whole host of Ethiopian eateries lines S. Fairfax Avenue, between Pico and
Wilshire. Dig into rich stews full of lentils, beans and vegetables with chunks of injera, a sour, crêpe-like flat bread. Great for groups, Nyala is a fun place to forgo the use of utensils and taste herb-marinated meats paired with Ethiopian wines. At Meals by Genet, the neighborhood's crown jewel, the Vegetarian Combination is a great way to sample different flavors, consisting of ten distinct piles highlighted by sinus-clearing green lentils with hot Ethiopian mustard, collard greens and a mix of thin-sliced potato, carrot, green bean and onion. |
SOUL
CENTRAL
Leimert Park, near Crenshaw and Leimert, is a center
of African-American artistic life. The jazz scene
here is thriving, especially at Fifth Street Dick's,
a coffeehouse and after-hours club where local musicians
and jazz superstars perform. At Harold and Belle's, where the quality of the food matches the gargantuan proportions, you can feast on fiery jambalaya, crawfish etouffée and authentic filé gumbo. Or for something a little more exotic, try the banana-stuffed chicken breast at Coley's Caribbean American Cuisine. For upscale Southern-style food and star spotting,
head to The
Porch at House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard. |
INDIA
IN ARTESIA
In Little India you can find saris and sitars, Indian
restaurants representing every region of the subcontinent
and shops selling the 24-karat-gold jewelry that Indians
prefer. The action is clustered along Pioneer Boulevard
in Artesia. Expect to find cafés and take-outs
featuring vegetarian cuisine or meats roasted in the
traditional Indian wood-burning clay tandoori oven.
Try the vegetarian lunchtime thali at Rajdhani or a malai kulfi dessert at Saffron Spot. There are also Indian spice shops, sari shops and
cafés clustered in Culver City. See
our Top 10 Indian Restaurants in Los Angeles. |
THAI TIME IN TINSEL TOWN
One of the highest concentrations of Thai restaurants, markets and shops can be found in East Hollywood, especially along Hollywood Boulevard between
Gower and Vermont. There you'll find Palms Thai, which is more Sin City than Tinsel Town. A Thai Elvis-impersonator provides entertainment to accompany deep-fried trout in mango sauce, quail with mint leaves and spicy venison — and we mean spicy! Or for late night grub, grab a take-out from Ganda. See our Top 10 Thai Restaurants in Los Angeles. |
AWASH WITH LAVASH
With one of the world's largest ethnic Armenian populations outside Armenia, concentrated in Glendale, Los Angeles is awash with Armenian food. Just drive down Glendale's Central Avenue and read the cursive Armenian writing advertising bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. At Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine, feast on hummus and lavash, kebabs and quail, before finishing with sweet baklava and strong Armenian coffee. On Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood is Marouch, a top Armenian restaurant, and original Zankou Chicken, considered by many to be the best rotisserie-roasted chicken (smeared with garlic-lemon paste) in town. |
A
PIECE OF PERSIA
Turn south on Westwood Boulevard from Wilshire,
and suddenly you're in the heart of L.A.'s Iranian
commercial area, with its abundance of Persian grocery
stores, cafés and restaurants like Shaherzad.
Pick up meats and spices for making your backyard-barbecue
kebabs, and don't forget the basmati rice and sticky-sweet Persian pastries. Neighboring Beverly Hills is also home to many Persians. Fill up on fesenjun, a rich walnut and pomegranate stew topped with tender chicken and saffron-tinged basmati at Ruby Room on Wilshire or finish up with Persian rosewater or pistachio ice cream at Aram Restaurant.  |
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