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For mid-day musubi: Yama Sushi Marketplace. | Rebecca Roland Your handy guide on where to eat from the editors at Eater LA Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.
For coffee on a rooftop: Elorea Rebecca Roland For coffee on a rooftop: Elorea. For such a dense neighborhood, Koreatown has an utter lack of rooftops accessible to the public. There’s Apartment 503 (a popular nightclub), and then, of course, the luxury high-rises popping up everywhere that all seem to have rooftop pools, though those rooftops are not easily accessible to even the local community.
Cue Elorea, a new Korean perfumery and cafe in the vaguely medieval-looking Chapman Tower. Head up the winding stars (or the much less-confusing elevator) and emerge in a Spanish-style atrium where perfume samples are laid out on rounded counters and a small cafe resides in the corner. Grab an Americano or one of the more inventive scent-inspired drinks, and head right out the door to the rooftop that has a handful of couches and tables.
3511 W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/SouthwestFor mid-day musubi: Yama Sushi Marketplace Rebecca Roland For mid-day musubi: Yama Sushi Marketplace.
Musubi is technically a very easy dish to make, but honestly, so are a lot of things. The pockets of rice and Spam tucked between sheets of seaweed are only a few ingredients, but then there’s the whole having to open a can of Spam, fry the slab, and assemble the thing in a way that won’t fall apart. While Los Angeles may not have a strong convenience store onigiri or musubi culture just yet, it does have Yama Sushi Marketplace and its very good Spam musubi that requires no cleanup afterward.
Slices of Spam, fried like katsu, are tucked between a sheet of egg and bed of rice with a swipe of a sweet and savory sauce. It comes with six pieces to a tray, cut so that the musubi is gazing upwards. While at the marketplace, you might as well get a tray of sashimi, a few sushi rolls, and some other Japanese nibbles to make it a meal.
3178 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/SouthwestFor exquisite drinks in a relaxed cocktail bar: Real Charmer Mona Holmes For exquisite drinks in a relaxed cocktail bar: Real Charmer.
The former Bolita space in Virgil Village has one hell of an LA history. Before becoming the seductive Real Charmer, the space was previously the Equal Parts bar. Before that, it was the longtime dive Smog Cutter.
Virgil Village’s current Real Charmer hails from the same crew that owns Shim Sham, Capri Club, and Bar Covell. They performed some magic with the design, resulting in an interior that channels nautical and pirate-esque themes without being too over the top. Real Charmer’s vibe starts when you grab a seat and open the cocktail booklet menu, which details the story they’re trying to tell.
The stars of the bar are beverage director Kayla Dowell (Thunderbolt) and bar consultant Pete St. Peter (Capri Club), who came up with a creative drinks menu that honors the classics while feeling fresh. Here’s how to make the most of a night at Real Charmer: grab a seat along with free popcorn; order the Midsommar Sour with gin, rosemary, dill, and kalamata olives; try the musubi or mussels, and hang out.
Locals stroll in for a friendly hang, which seems to be the theme of this spot. As the name suggests, it’s got real charm in this corner of Virgil Village. 864 Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029.
— Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/SouthwestFor an easy breezy spring patio brunch in West Adams: Mizlala Matthew Kang For an easy breezy spring patio brunch in West Adams: Mizlala. Probably my favorite meal near our Culver City office is Mizlala, an affordable and very quick lunch and dinner spot with excellent cooking and a top-tier patio. Danny Elmaleh, who opened the first Mizlala in Sherman Oaks, has a way with Middle Eastern flavors, a credit to his Moroccan father and Japanese mother and an upbringing in Israel.
Before Mizlala, he developed Cleo, an SBE restaurant that expanded to numerous locations across the country with modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. He’s quietly one of the best chefs in Los Angeles, shaping the dishes at Vicky’s All-Day and Mizlala for CIM, the major real estate player in West Adams. The dishes here are fun, shareable (except for the sandwiches), and packed with flavor.
I tend to order the chicken shawarma, shaved thin and seasoned with an aggressive spice mix of cumin and coriander. Beef and lamb kofta come in large nuggets, grilled over charcoal, and placed over softened onions and Anaheim chiles. It’s not quite traditional brunch fare, but Mizlala is a great weekend hang with a central location that should be accessible to most Angelenos.
5400 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest.
