Strip malls might not be the most sightly installations of Los Angeles architecture around, but anyone who's lived in L.A. for a while knows that these ungainly blights house some of the best restaurants in town.Some of these hidden gems are well known, while others thrive on the cult-like devotion of a select clientele who jealously guard their whereabouts. Want to know where some of these clandestine kitchens operate? Take a look at my article in LA Confidential's Food Issue below, or simply read on to see the text of my piece.
Link: http://www.la-confidential-magazine.com/dining_0610_article5.html
Strip Mall Treasures
Unsightly strip malls typify LA architecture, but surprisingly they also house some of its best restaurants. Wine lovers come to Lou (724 Vine St., Hollywood; louon vine.com)—sandwiched between a Laundromat and a nail salon—to see what wine shop owner Lou Amdur is pouring. The ultra-spicy Thai food at Jitlada Restaurant (5233 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; jitladala.com) and the Hemingwayesque Cuban flavor at El Floridita Restaurant (1253 N. Vine St., Hollywood; elfloridita.com) lurk in Hollywood’s darker corners. On the Westside, there’s fine dining to be had at Nook (11628 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; nook bistro.com), which looks like a travel agency from the outside. Hamasaku (8360 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; hamasakula.com) has fabulous high-end sushi, and Sushi Time (8103 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; 323-658- 6700) on Beverly is an unlikely favorite of Hollywood A-listers. Though it moved across the street from its location in a luncheonette next to a locksmith to larger digs, Sunnin (1776 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles; sunnin.com) still boasts LA’s best Lebanese food. Finally there are Peruvian delicacies to be found in the food-court atmosphere at Mo-chica (3655 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles; mo-chica.com) in the Mercado La Paloma, south of Downtown.
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