I'm Sick of "Coastal California" Cuisine

+ 8 restaurants offering something bigger and better

If you’ve been following TTS since the beginning, I’ve brought up this topic a couple times - when it comes to dining out in LA, I’m not just looking to eat - I’m looking for an experience. Eating out is a source of entertainment and fun for most of us… and it’s expensive. An average dinner for two at a restaurant these days can run upwards of $100+, and that’s not including drinks or dessert (+ parking or Ubers!)

As an extension of this mindset, I’ve become very tired of “Coastal California” cuisine. The menu usually includes a simple chip & dip combo like a hummus or guacamole, a crudo or ceviche, a few salads, some type of roast chicken, a couple pastas, and sides include an assortment of grilled veggies. It’s practically a formula. This is not a new or inventive dining experience for me anymore, and it’s hard to justify the cost.

Now that I’ve spent a couple paragraphs being a brat, let’s turn this into a positive article and talk about a few restaurants that offer fresh, exciting menus in LA! Here are 8 places that light me up inside, and for lack of a better term… bring something new to the table ;)

Clockwise starting top left: Saffy's, Badmaash, Yangban Society, and Yang's Kitchen!

• Yangban Society

  • Type of Cuisine: Korean American

  • Location: Arts District

  • Must-Try Items: Yangban Wings & Chilled Acorn Noodles

• Badmaash

  • Type of Cuisine: Indian Street Food

  • Location: Fairfax & DTLA

  • Must-Try Item: Butter Chicken Samosa

• Saffy’s

  • Type of Cuisine: Middle Eastern

  • Location: East Hollywood

  • Must-Try Item: Any of the skewers, Hummus Ful

• Kuya Lord

  • Type of Cuisine: Filipino

  • Location: Melrose Hill

  • Must-Try Item: Sweet Longsilog Rice Bowl

• Pine & Crane

  • Type of Cuisine: Taiwanese

  • Location: Silver Lake & DTLA

  • Must-Try Item: Dan Dan Noodles (best to ever do it!)

• Yang’s Kitchen

  • Type of Cuisine: Chinese

  • Location: Alhambra

  • Must-Try Item: Yang’s Set Meal

• Ditroit Taqueria

  • Type of Cuisine: Mexican Taqueria

  • Location: Arts District

  • Must-Try Item: Suadero Taco

• Soulmate

  • Type of Cuisine: Spanish Mediterranean

  • Location: West Hollywood

  • Must-Try Item: Jamón Ibérico de Bellota

Ticket to Sarahdise Event Digest - Week of 4/24

Every week, I’m sharing 3 events you should be checking out in LA. Here’s this week’s download!

• Sad Girl Country Night at Lowboy - On Wednesday 4/26, Lowboy is throwing their monthly “Sad Girl Country Night”! Giddy on up and treat yourself to a mid-week cocktail served in a boot. More info can be found on their IG here.

• Loud Camp “conFUNrence” - *Shoutout to TTS TikTok follower @thehautemommie for the rec! - On Saturday 4/29, Loud Camp is hosting an all-day, women-centered event designed to inform, inspire and uplift. The “conFUNrence” will cover topics of finance, friendship and pleasure. Tickets and more info here.

• Crawfish Boil at Benny Boy Brewing - In partnership with Craw Daddy Boiler, Benny Boy is throwing a Louisiana-style crawfish boil on Sunday 4/30 at 2 PM. More info & tickets here.

You know the drill! Until next week… you can find even more LA content from me over on TikTok! Feel free to reply directly to this newsletter with any topic or event recommendations, feedback, even your hot takes. Have a lovely week, pals!