The January Hit List: Baroo, Gjelina, Étra and More

When chef Kwang Uh and Mina Park unveiled their third iteration of Baroo last summer, the fermentation-driven Korean restaurant looked strikingly different from its stripped-down (as in, strip mall) previous versions. The couple took their time revamping and refining. As a result, the Baroo of today is remarkably warm for a fine dining destination—in the warehouse-heavy Arts District, no less—and continues to dish out some of Los Angeles’ most innovative food. Upon arrival, each diner is presented with a beautifully engraved box bearing chopsticks, a seven-course menu of seasonally-informed dishes, and the option to add a wine, Korean sool, or alcohol-free beverage pairing. For $110 a head, it’s a steal that everyone living in (or visiting) Los Angeles should take advantage of.

Gjelina, the firstborn of the dominant Westside hospitality group that includes Gjusta, GTA, Gjusta Grocery, and the hotel Vitorrja, is now 15 years old—a bona fide elder in the restaurant world. Still, the pioneering farm-to-table institution remains steadfast in its exceptional sourcing of farmers’ market ingredients and impressive daily execution of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Much of the menu is grilled, charred, or wood-roasted. Salads and vegetables are treated with reverence. And at least one pizza to share is non-negotiable. The atmosphere is timelessly Venice, marked by worn-in brick floors, mismatched wood ceilings, and a flora-lined patio. It’s a classic for a reason.

In some ways, Anajak is a typical Thai restaurant in the Valley. It’s family-run, and features papaya salad, panang beef, and pad thai on the menu. In other ways, however, Anajak feels like it’s from a different universe, capturing the city’s zeitgeist like few others.

The à la carte menu, served on colorful, floral-printed tablecloths, features pork laab in meatball form, Southern Thai fried chicken (with an optional caviar supplement), and Dungeness crab-laced fried rice. An awe-inspiring wine collection is on display, tucked into nooks and crannies. On Thai Taco Tuesdays, Mexican-inspired snacks served in the restaurant’s side alley amend the regular menu; and on the last weekend of each month, omakase reservations are up for grabs. Since second-generation chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi took over, the Anajak success story has practically written itself.

This tiny Armenian take-out joint in Glendale, run by the Martirosyan family, specializes in revelatory kabobs, from yogurt-marinated chicken thigh shish to lule kabobs hand-shaped into tender divots. They serve their kabobs over absorbent basmati rice with a puddle of silky hummus, a tangle of white onion and parsley, and fire-roasted tomatoes and jalapeños. Better yet, husband-and-wife Ovakim, Alvard, and their son Armen treat every customer like an old friend. Do note that access to Mini Kabob requires some planning: call ahead to place your order, bring cash when you go to pick it up, then eat your food as quickly as possible while it’s still hot. (The trunk of your car is well-suited to this purpose.)

No reservations. Find more info here.

Only in Los Angeles does a cheffy Indian sports bar in a Silver Lake strip mall make sense. Namely because L.A. is home to Avish Naran, an Indian kid from Echo Park who grew up on wings, pizza, the Dodgers, and the Lakers, and who as an adult combined those passions into the whirlwind that is Pijja Palace. The chef at the helm here is Miles Shorey, an ideal match for bringing Naran’s personal history to the plate. His crispy dosa batter-fried onion rings, crushable aloo tiki sliders, and spicy Goan sausage-topped pies are unlike anything you’ve had before. Come with an appetite and revel in the game-time energy, and ask about off-menu specials while you’re there.

First came Cafe Telegrama, a sleek daytime café with Instagram-candy ricotta pancakes and an elevated take on the tuna melt. Then, at the tail end of 2023, its next-door sister restaurant arrived: a handsome Italian restaurant with an approachable menu that spans crudo and burrata, six pastas, sea bream with salmoriglio, roast chicken, and steak for two. The formula behind Étra—intimate environs, a sexy atmosphere, and a roster of crowd-pleasing dishes—adds up to exactly the kind of contemporary restaurant that Los Angeles seems to love right now. It’s unfussy, tasty, and stylish, and sure to be mobbed once words gets out. 

Simón is a newer addition to the vibrant Mexican street food scene here, but it’s already proven its worth among the top-tier taco stands and food trucks with its wildly inventive and ultra-fresh seafood offerings. Oaxacan taquero Francisco Aguilar focuses on mariscos at his truck, which parks adjacent to Silver Lake’s Sunset Triangle Plaza every Tuesday through Sunday. He does an al pastor taco with fish, the requisite slice of pineapple, and grilled and crispy onions; plus seasonal specials like fried soft shell crab with a spicy, funky chintextle aioli. And his negro aguachile—raw shrimp drenched in a marinade of smoked tomatillo, lime juice, habanero, garlic, and Worcestershire—is utterly delicious.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Lasita is the rare restaurant that feels both celebratory and casual. Its orange-tinted glow, acid-forward natural wine list, and chummy service make for a reliable date spot and an easy go-to for dinner with friends. Furthermore, even in a time when practically every menu is “designed to be shared,” there’s a uniquely communal energy to digging in to Lasita’s luscious pork belly lechon and lemongrass-scented chicken inasal, alongside sizzling mushroom sisig and craveworthy veggie pancit.

Think of it as the anchor restaurant to Chinatown’s new wave, which also includes cool-kid wine bar Cafe Triste, Asian-American superette Sesame, and bakery kiosk Laroolou, the latter of which is responsible for Lasita’s must-order calamansi cream pie.

Weather, produce, lifestyle, nature. These are some of the most common factors that drive people to Los Angeles, and All Time embodies all of them. Citrus and fig trees line the perimeter of the entirely outdoor dining room, part of which is fashioned like a greenhouse. Simple, satisfying California cooking is served all day, starting with an exemplary berry scone and an expertly crafted breakfast burrito in the morning, followed by an enormous leafy salad (appropriately dubbed the “Good Ass Salad”), burrata toast, crispy fish over rice, and lots of wine in the evening.

As a bonus, All Time is also minutes away from the entrance to Griffith Park, making it a wonderful place to unwind after a hike.

Old-school spots that ooze Hollywood glamor are crucial to the culinary makeup of Los Angeles. While there’s no shortage of contenders on that front— Dan Tana’s, Colombo’s, and The Smoke House all come to mind—the granddaddy of them all is the century-old Musso & Frank, smack-dab in the middle of Hollywood. Red tuxedo jacket-clad bartenders here dole out stiff martinis with sidecars on ice; and the food is more than passable, so long as you know what to get. (Stuffed celery, Musso-Frank special salad, rigatoni vodka, steak fries, and the 1919 sundae is the correct order, trust us.)

Call 323-467-7788 for more info.