Best Dishes of 2019

The best things I ate this year

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• Omakase
  • Where I Ate It: Kabuto
  • How Much It Cost: $120 (we also did the $52 sake pairing and added one course of sashimi and one extra sake)
  • Why It’s So Freakin’ Delicious: Fish has never tasted so good. I tried varieties I never knew existed (hi, monkfish liver) and varieties I knew tasted like never before (I’m lookin at you, sweet shrimp and uni). Every piece was thoughtful and delicate.

• Ham & Fried Egg Tartine
  • Where I Ate It: Tatte
  • How Much It Cost: $10
  • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: This extremely hearty toast has a great combination of textures. It’s also got a perfectly fried egg and a pow of saltiness comin atcha from 4 different angles.

• Whole Roasted Cauliflower & Run Over Potato
  • Where I Ate It: Miznon
  • How Much It Cost: $9.50 (Cauliflower) & $7.50 (Potato)
  • Why It’s So Freakin’ Delicious: These dishes involve very few ingredients but are cooked to the brink. Once minute more and things would go south, but as is they have so much flavor.

• Prosciutto Pesto & Burrata Sandwich and The Godmother
  • Where I Ate It: Bay Cities Deli
  • How Much It Cost: Under $10
  • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: The bread has some bite to it, the ingredients are high quality Italian, and it’s a beast of a sandwich for the price. When you think of a deli sandwich, you don’t realize they can be this good.

• Vinyl Jukebox
  • Where I Ate It: Tokyo Record Bar
  • How Much It Cost: $50 (extra $42 for sake pairing)
  • Why It’s So Freakin’ Delicious: The whole experience was FUN and the food did not disappoint. Unique flavors (loved the snacks that were on the table when we arrived) and can not be beat for the price.

• Farmer’s Cheese, Babaganoush, Fried Pita (and everything else)
  • Where I Ate It: Bavel
  • How Much It Cost: $12 – $21
  • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: This meal really lived up to the hype as one of the best meals I’ve had in LA

• Egg on Ramen
  • Where I Ate It: Mr. Taka
  • How Much It Cost: $2 (on top of the $15 ramen)
  • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: I always – always – suggest adding an egg to your ramen, but this one was cooked better than any I’ve had before. While it wasn’t my favorite ramen of all time, it was certainly my favorite egg-for-ramen. Jammy doesn’t even begin to describe it.