10 Escapist Dishes to Feel Like You’re Traveling the World (Without Leaving L.A.)

For a pitch-perfect French omelet: What is it about an omelet that so instantly evokes the café-lined streets of Paris? Maybe it’s the buttery flavor, the perfect fold of the soft eggs, or the gentle boost of soft herbs. In L.A., the best spot for a taste of this simple-yet-refined classic is Petit Trois, styled as a textbook Parisian brasserie, complete with black-and-white tiled floors and wicker chairs. The omelet here is enriched with Boursin cheese, chives, and black pepper, and it’s fortuitously available both for weekend brunch and all day during the week. C’est si bon.

For chirashi from a Tsukiji Fish Market vet: A Tokyo native, chef Hideyuki Yoshimoto learned about fresh fish straight from the source. The chef worked in and around the famous (and now-defunct) Tsukiji Fish Market and became an expert in determining the quality of raw ingredients. Today, he’s leading the way at Sushi Tama, educating his Beverly Hills diners on the finer points of kaisendon — more commonly known as donburi rice bowls. At Tama, Yoshi San uses Koshihikari rice to line the bottom of bowls, topping it with cuts of salmon, tuna, and amberjack flown in from Japan. Order the special chef’s choice chirashi for a taste of whatever is best right now.

For a taste of Oaxaca: Visitors returning from Oaxaca usually talk about two things: mole and mezcal. And if you can’t get the semi-sweet, rich, nutty mole flavor and smoky agave liquors out of your head, a visit to Madre is in order. Boasting the largest mezcal selection in the United States, Madre is a chic representation of the best that Oaxaca has to offer. The mole options include mole negra made with dried chiles and sesame seeds, nuts, and Oaxacan chocolate; mole palenquero, chicken breast dunked in mole made with chiles, nuts, seeds, fruits, and spices; and mole coloradito, pork ribs doused in a smoky, red-tinted mole loaded with ancho, pasilla, and guajillo chiles. For a salty drinking snack, order a side of fried grasshoppers.

For pasta steeped in history: Chef Evan Funke is a Roman cooking evangelist. His pasta is al dente, his supplì al telefono stretches for days, and his tonda-style pizzas tear in all the right ways, at least according to Roman tradition. There are no bad options, but for a true taste of the Ancient City, order Funke’s tonnarelli cacio e pepe. The freshly extruded tonnarelli is thick and chewy, the pecorino Romano DOP is as creamy as it gets,  and a heavy dose of fresh black pepper brings a crack of heat to every bite.

For the most fragrant beef rendang: Visitors to Southeast Asia, from Bali to Singapore, are often smitten with beef rendang, a rich, citrusy Indonesian curry redolent with galangal root that’s popular across the region. The beef is slow-cooked in coconut milk and a bevy of aromatics and spices like lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, galangal, and ginger. The word ‘rendang’ refers to the slow cooking method and the beef version, after hours of simmering, sings with a complex flavor that’s balanced between savory, sweet, and spicy. On the west side, chef Bryant Ng of Cassia serves a fiery version with spicy sambal, makrut lime, and peanuts over jasmine rice.

For paella straight from eastern Spain: Otoño might bill itself as a progressive Spanish restaurant, but if you order their mariscos paella, you’ll swear for a brief moment that you’re in Valencia, listening to Catalan and scraping the crispy socarrat off the bottom of the paellera. A classic mariscos paella typically includes shrimp, mussels, and squid, mixed with saffron, garlic, onion, and seafood stock. At Otoño, chef Teresa Montaño leans into California’s seafood bounty by using local mussels and squid, blue prawns, and fancies it up by cooking everything in a lobster fumet.

For old-fashioned fish and chips: An L.A. institution since 1982, The Cat and Fiddle is a UK lover’s dream that offers classics like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and beef Wellington. But for a true Brit fix, order the beer-battered fish and chips with mushy peas. The crispy batter is made with The Cat Cider, the restaurant’s own concoction, containing California-grown apples and Champagne yeast along with gluten free flour, coating a hefty portion of juicy haddock. The Old Speckled Hen on tap and Man U on the TV screens are simply the dog’s bollocks.

For delicious, no-frills shawarma: There is an age-old debate around who makes the best shawarma. Is it Lebanon? Is it Israel? Is it Egypt? Look, they’re all great, but if you want a similar experience in L.A., take a trip to Tel Aviv Grill. When you walk into any of their five locations, you’re immediately hit with a frenzy of activity. The long line of eager eaters stares down the beef and chicken rotating on spits, seasoned with cumin, paprika, cardamom, and other trade secrets. The giant, fluffy pitas hold their shape when (over)filled with creamy hummus, pickled cabbage, tomato, and cucumber, along with your meat of choice. Which country’s shawarma is the best? Up for debate. But is Tel Aviv Grill the best in Los Angeles? It’s pretty hard to beat.

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For real-deal Neapolitan pies: Blistered Neapolitan pizzas have been popping up all over the city in recent years, with pizziaolos trying to emulate the creators of the margherita pie. But if you’re searching for an actual Neapolitan import, look no further than L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. Here, it’s the actual pie that has been franchised from the original pizzeria in Naples itself. That means the ingredients are the same, the ovens are the same, and the slightly salty, slightly sloppy pizzas will take you back to Naples. The L.A. outlet also happens to boast the dreamiest patio in Hollywood, so if you’re looking for a vintage Italian date night, da Michele has you covered.

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For the national pastry of Portugal: Have you been to Lisbon and waited in the Disneyland-esque line at Pastéis de Belém for a taste of the namesake pastry? Otherwise known as a pastél de nata, this buttery pastry is a flaky, golden-crisp icon, filled with a creamy vanilla or cinnamon custard, and dusted with powdered sugar. Head to the Valley for a Portuguese restaurant that bakes a carbon copy of the Lisbon-based treat, with better coffee and best of all, no line.

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