Restaurants in Los Feliz
IF YOU KNOW | SEP 28, 2020
Alex Lacasse
WHO
Restaurants
WHAT
Los Feliz
WHERE
About
Alex Lacasse is a trained chef from the deep countryside of Quebec. By the time he had his first babysitter, Alex’s Italian uncle had taught him how to age prosciutto, make wine and prepare an octopus. By that young age, he already knew he wanted to own a seafood restaurant one day.
At 18, Alex headed to San Francisco for cooking school where he discovered a new version of farm-to-table cuisine. Post graduation, he worked for chef Melissa Reitz, making his way up the food chain in the back of the house. In less than two years he became executive sous chef. Alex then followed his heart to Los Angeles where he discovered the ins and outs of the food scene in Los Feliz with April Bloomfield as a new mentor. Today he lives in Los Angeles with his partner and looks forward to figuring out the restaurant industry post quarantine.
PHOTO BY COLLETTE WYLIE
I had to throw Ruen Pair in there. Why? Because it’s simply amazing! In my opinion, the best Thai restaurant in Thai Town. I go for the classics: morning glory, beef larb, sticky rice and papaya salad. The flavors always hit right and make your palate feel like you haven't had real food your entire life and that you have been waiting patiently this whole time just for Ruen Pair to come your way. It’s cash only and is open until 2AM. I mean, this is like the McDonald’s of Thai Town. And I don't mean McDonald’s in a bad way. I say that because they both serve consistent, hot, seasoned and affordable food any time of the day, whatever mood you’re in.
THIS, was my spiritual awakening. God, where to start. First of all, during mango season (April-October) don’t just get mango at whatever Thai restaurant you’re at. Pay your tab, walk out the door and come here. The sticky rice is made fresh twice daily, the honey mangoes are always perfectly ripe, never bruised, never mealy, never too sweet, just always perfect. That’s a good enough reason to go.
BUT, my revelation happened during the winter when I really wanted their mango, until I realized it was out of season. They suggested other options – endless packages of spicy squid crackers, Pocky and coconut ice cream – but I wanted something warm, so I got this thing that I had no idea existed. It’s sticky rice stuffed with a lightly sweetened taro purée, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. I bought one for two dollars and walked out. I was not even 50 feet away before I finished the whole thing, realized I had never tasted anything so good in my whole life, turned around, bought two more and ate them both before I made it home (one block away). I ran into the house and screamed at my boyfriend that he needed to taste something crazy. I went back a third time and had some more.
This is my favorite supermarket in Los Feliz. It’s not the kind of place I would recommend you buy all your groceries, but it is incredible for many, many reasons. They have a great selection of prepared foods where you can find amazing kimchi, sour melon soup, sticky rice and many Thai curries. This is the kind of supermarket where I buy chilies – one pound of chile de arbol costs five dollars, half a pound of coriander seeds costs five dollars, miso paste, fermented bean paste, fish sauce etc.
If I ever have one of those days where I want to learn how to make mapo tofu, green curry, pho or korean fried rice, trust me, they will have all the supplies you will need. (It does specialize in Thai ingredients but the selection is much wider than just that.) I would not recommend going to Silom for produce, except they do package fresh Thai basil every day. And lemongrass and galangal, the kind of supply that moves quickly around Thai Town, is always fresh.
THAI TOWN NOODLE
5136 Hollywood Blvd
LOS ANGELES
$
Okay, so this is the kind of place that you cannot find on Yelp or Google. It’s quintessential LA (in a strip mall) with a sign that basically doesn't say anything in English. It’s a Vietnamese restaurant owned by Thai people and they serve the best pho in the area – loaded with tripe, meatballs, tendons and flavorful broth. All for six dollars – a price you cannot find anywhere anymore. If you are nearby, go in – don’t get it to-go. Sit at the counter, talk to the owner, thank them and tip them. That’s how we make sure these kinds of places stay open forever.
This is one of the first places I discovered in the neighborhood when I moved to Los Feliz. First of all, it’s cute as hell. I mean the decor, the patio, the bar – it’s all original, super old and takes you straight to the 7th in Paris. I usually go on Mondays – happy hour is from 4:00 - 10:30PM. That includes four dollar mini-martinis and seven dollar escargots. I once ventured out of the classics and tried the other food on the menu and it really wasn’t great. I would recommend only going for filthy gin martinis, some escargot and the people watching. It seems everyone on the patio is French, including the wait staff. It just takes me home. I never feel this relaxed in LA. (Well, the gin helps!)
Wings, wings, wings! This one is the kind of place I go only for one thing: chicken wings. Order them extra crispy, extra hot and with extra sides of blue cheese sauce. This is the kind of place you need to hit once a month – it’s another smaller, independent business that definitely deserves high tips and for you to sit at the bar and chat with the bartender. The chicken quality is… maybe a bit worrisome, but when you crave chicken wings, Ye Rustic Inn is the place you wanna be.
To finish on a strong note, I go to this place probably four days a week. Not only is it the best coffee in the area (medium roast, roasted downtown, owned by lovely people) but the service is so goddamn good. Every single day the service is impeccable. You know when you finally find that one place that always reminds you to not take yourself too seriously and to just smile at the beauty of simple things? Often (always) I find myself being simply honest and positive when I get through the line to the barista. The staff doesn't have much turnover and everyone seems so happy to be helping you get a perfectly balanced, frothy and delicious coffee. Staff is always genuine and IMPRESSIVELY good at reading your mood – which is a skill you want your favorite coffee place’s barista to have, as you will often visit the establishment when you are the least presentable, least awake and certainly the most grumpy version of yourself, as you may not have had your first coffee yet. At the end of the day, this place makes me feel special and well taken care of, which we need in LA.
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