A Week of Serious Eating in Los Angeles 🍚🔥

1. Delicious Chengdu Saw a photo of their mao duck ( online and couldn’t stop thinking about it—finally tried it and it was so good! Highly recommend. Also ordered: smoked pork with cauliflower, husband and wife lung slices, clay pot tofu. Four girls cleared every plate—proof it was delicious 😂 (helped by hours of walking at Huntington too haha).😘👍 Even my Sichuan-born friend approved! The owner was super welcoming. Will definitely return. 2. Dongting Noodle I like the Dongting Chun in Seattle, so wanted to try the LA version. Close to UCLA. Shrimp & cucumber shumai: rarely see such translucent dumplings elsewhere—worth a try. Popcorn chicken: generous portion. The rice noodles were thick and round—flavor was decent.😂🙌 3. Jin Hai Restaurant Went on Christmas Day around 9:30 PM, waited at least 30 minutes but it was worth it! Their fresh handmade baozi were incredibly fragrant—I was in heaven! Only downside: 8 buns per order, hard to finish if you’re dining solo 😭 (though they reheat well). Also tried the jianbing—simple, traditional, with options for crispy wonton skin or youtiao. Only miss: the soy milk tasted a bit like… pot wash water to me. 4. 949 Grill Lounge Irvine – Chicken, Frog & Drinks 📍 6000 Scholarship, Irvine Note: Searching “Chicken & Frog” might lead you to the wrong plaza—better use this address!😊😘 The skewers here are delicious—almost no disappointments. My favorites: corn kernels and pork intestine. The tabletop mini grill keeps everything warm and even adds a nice char by the end. The pork rib & corn soup (under $10) was surprisingly large—enough for 4 people to share. Also enjoyed the wood ear salad and Sichuan pepper chicken. 5. Jinsol Guk Bap Recommended by a friend who’s lived in LA for 5 years as a “mind-blowing” spot. Tried the Jinsol Gukbap 3rd location. Arrived just after opening and several tables were already full—that popular! They do pork really well—pork soup, chive pancake, soup over rice… all super fragrant and satisfying. 6. Jook Hyang Focuses on healthy, comforting soups and porridges. Red bean porridge: very smooth, mostly beans, not much rice.😍👍 Samgyetang: extremely mild and clean-tasting. 7. Pixiu Mala Hongtang A malatang (spicy hot pot) spot.💕😊 I chose medium spice and wow—it was seriously spicy! The broth is noticeably different from typical Chinese malatang. #LAEats #LosAngelesFood #ChineseFoodLA #WeekOfFeasting #FoodDiary #HiddenGems