Eat Around in the World in Los Angeles

Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley is home to some of the best Chinese restaurants outside of China. When Din Tai Fung opened its first U.S. location in Arcadia, just outside of downtown Los Angeles, diners would often wait for hours to enjoy the xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Today, the restaurant has four Los Angeles County locations.

Experience Japanese cuisine with a sashimi lunch special at Sushi Gen or a comforting bowl of ramen at Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle. Visit Koreatown for authentic Korean barbecue at Park’s BBQ. Craving pad thai? Head to six-block Thai Town for the iconic dish, as well as boat noodles, spicy Southern Thai fare and fusion dishes. Sample Vietnamese pho at Pho Filet, specializing in a Northern Vietnamese version of the noodle soup.

West Hollywood’s L’Assiette has perfected the classic French dish, steak-frites, with sous-vide sirloin and frites cooked in rich beef tallow. Enjoy German street food at Berlin Currywurst – locals love the pork sausage with curry ketchup and crispy German farmer’s bread, but save room for a side of German-style, hand-cut fries. If it’s authentic Neapolitan-style pizza you’re after, visit DeSano Pizza Bakery, with four 4,500-kilogram ovens named for Italian saints. Or, linger over a bowl of deceptively simple spaghetti with meatballs at Dan Tana's. In the mood for Spanish food? Don’t miss La Paella, featuring traditional dishes such as tapas, paella and grilled seafood, chicken and meat.

Mexican food has a delicious stronghold in Los Angeles. Don’t miss the Mariscos Jalisco taco truck, the stuffed chile relleno burrito from La Azteca Tortilleria or the Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetza, named one of America’s Classics by the James Beard Foundation. For an essential L.A. late-night experience, go for $1 al pastor tacos at Tacos Leo.

Sample Ethiopian doro wot, a traditional chicken stew, in Little Ethiopia at Meals by Genet. Indulge in poutine, French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy, at P’tit Soleil. Travel to Iran by way of L.A.’s Persian Square to feast on kebabs at Shaherzad. Or savor the delicate flavors of authentic Peruvian ceviche – citrus-marinated raw fish – at Los Balcones.