LA Returnee After 10 Years: My Trip Was Just Queuing & Eating 🍽️🚶

Disclaimer: Personal opinions only — ranked in order of preference 🥇 Temaki Society Actually our last meal — a new spot with <100 Google reviews, but it stood out among my saved list and did not disappoint! Two people spent ~$150 (slightly above average). Tiny shop, basic ambiance, but the ingredients were incredibly fresh. Top-tier hand rolls — betting this place blows up soon 🔥 🥈 Courage Bagel Had this on my list forever. Thought it was just hype for the salmon roe, but the BAGEL ITSELF stole the show — it was crispy! 🥯 Way better than Boichik Bagels in my opinion. Worth a 30-minute wait. You can eat right outside after buying. 🥉 Jincook First meal back — meant to be casual but turned out to be a solid Sun Nong Dan dupe. Beef rib hotpot under $70, flavor on point. Watching SND go from $35 to $70 per person… I’ll be back here for sure. 4️⃣ Red Rock Ignored it when it first opened in Sawtelle… now it’s unattainable 😂 Waited 1h 40min on a Saturday. Was so hungry everything tasted good. Went for the Instagram-famous beef bowl — decent, omelette rice was fine too. Only 5 tables inside — saw multiple groups finish and leave while waiting. Not worth the queue, maybe to-go. 5️⃣ Holbox Wrote a separate post — okay if you’re near USC, but wouldn’t wait in line again. ⚫ Elorea Perfume刺客 — $60 for a travel-size fragrance, luxury brand prices 💸 Coffee was mediocre, drinks named after perfumes. Feels like it won’t last long. ⚫ Great White Waited 2 hours a year and a half ago — was so hungry I ate at Egg Slut in Venice Beach first. Food was just okay (Egg Slut was better). Nice vibe, mostly white crowd — later had discrimination controversy. Never going back. ☕ Coffee stops: Stereoscope Coffee → comparable to Bay Area’s Sightglass Maru Coffee (espresso bar) → like Saint Frank Both decent, not mind-blowing — no need to queue specially. 🏚️ Old spots revisited: Melo Melo — still good — no boba 😔 Quarters BBQ — $150 for two, still left hungry 👎 won’t return — not as good as before Porto’s Bakery — as always, left with two big bags 🥖 Final take: New spots keep popping up, old ones are mostly nostalgia trips. Probably skipping old favorites next time — that’s it for now. #LAEats #LosAngeles #LAFood #LADiscovery 🍜🥯🔥