🍽️ Back in LA & Eating Everything — 10+ Foodie Picks & Must-Try List!

As an LA native recently stuck in the Bay Area food desert, I made up for lost time with a weekend food marathon 😂 Here’s my fresh → old spot recap from west to east — mapped and ready! 🍣 Kappo Miyabi (Santa Monica) Rare quality coastal sushi — must-order: unagi stone pot rice, temaki set, blue crab uni box. 🍢 Torihei Yakitori (Torrance) Skin + meatball skewers were good, but for yakitori I still prefer Torimatsu (book ahead!). 🍲 Jook Hyang (Ktown) One phrase: abalone porridge — beats any other porridge spot. 🔥 Feng Mao BBQ (Ktown) Not like before — beef skewers taste like char siu. Pork chop still crispy but very tangy. 🌶️ Yi Pin Xiang (San Gabriel) Top-tier mala xiang guo! Ask for “no MSG + less salt” + pair with bitter melon juice next door. 🫔 Noodle St. (Pasadena) LA’s best beef scallion pancake wrap! Crispy, loaded with meat + sweet bean sauce. Hand-pulled noodles also elite. 🍛 Kyuramen (Arcadia) Skewers good, curry omelet rice okay — skip the dry pork cutlet. 🥩 iWagyu BBQ (Rowland Heights) Set meal is satisfying + becoming a member gets you free meat — worth it. 🌶️ Chuan Shan Jia (Rowland Heights) Maybe I ordered wrong — chicken too spicy, mapo tofu average. Heard mushroom fried rice is better? 🍰 Yu Cake (San Gabriel) Missed their pork floss cakes! Blueberry cheesecake (frozen) recommended — skip the crepe cake. 🍈 ici Tea (San Gabriel) Bitter melon pomelo tea is my new fave — with pomelo, even 0 sugar isn’t bitter. ☕️ % Arabica (The Grove) Parking validated = buying multiple cups. 🥜 About Time (Ktown) Am I the only one who finds their pistachio latte just… okay? 🦄 Unicorn Coffee (Pasadena) Cotton candy for photos — coffee’s decent but small. 🥥 LELE CHA (Rowland Heights) Coconut jelly drink — refreshing! Cake also nice, tiramisu book sells fast. 🧋 Miro.Mochi (Rowland Heights) Cute new spot, but fresh mochi milk tea was just alright. From sushi to spice, sweets to sips — LA’s flavor game stays strong 🏼✨ #LAfoodTour #EatLA #LosAngelesEats #FoodGuide #KtownEats #SanGabrielFood #PasadenaEats #RowlandHeights #MustTryLA #FoodieMap #BackInLA #BayAreaToLA #FoodMarathon #LAdining