The Chori-Man — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Chori-Man is a chorizo specialist tucked into a residential neighborhood in the middle of San Pedro. While a bit off the beaten path for me, I've now been twice, and if I lived in San Pedro, this take-out spot would be a problem for any aspirations of mine for a healthy lifestyle.

Chori-Man's breakfast burritos are becoming legendary because they're awesome, especially with the house's maple habanero chorizo. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon Chori-Man's tortilla-wrapped communion of spicy and sweet maple habanero sausage, sautéed crispy breakfast potatoes, and fried eggs in a rich and spicy sauce made of the mixture of runny yolk from the eggs, melted cheese, and sweet maple-infused grease from the chorizo. Calling this the best breakfast burrito I've had in Southern California does it a disservice, as it may also be the best all-around burrito I've had in L.A.

What else makes it so good? For their burritos, Chori-Man uses a steamed flour tortilla, similar to a true Mission-style burrito -- I'm not talking about the Chipotle version of "steamed tortilla," but rather properly steamed tortillas that become sticky enough that their edges seal and bind together, holding all of the ingredients in place, so that the burrito can be easily be lifted and eaten with one's hands without spilling or breaking. The steaming process in Mission-style burritos affects the flavor of the tortilla in addition to the texture, making the tortilla more a part of the burrito and harmoniously fusing it with the burrito's innards.

Let's put it this way: Chori-Man's "Maple Habanero Chorizo Breakfast Burrito" was so good that, earlier this week, I woke up on my birthday and drove 2 hours to San Pedro so I could have it again, as I could think of nothing that I more wanted for breakfast. That's right, I allowed myself an unlimited budget and drive time and, out of anything I could have eaten for breakfast anywhere in Southern California on my birthday, I chose the breakfast burrito at Chori-Man (and then drove to Rocio's Mexican Kitchen for "Chilaquiles con Mole Manchamanteles," but that's a future review).

Of course, Chori-Man also serves their chorizo in lightly-griddled corn tortillas in taco form. My experience with their tacos has been mixed, with the "Maple Habanero Chorizo Taco" being the best of the bunch, by far, for similar reasons to why the breakfast burrito made with the same sausage is excellent. I recommend punching it up with the "Habanero Salsa" available in the shop, which is more "medium" than "fire," but adds some fresher flavors to the taco.

The "Tolucan Green Chorizo Taco" is my second favorite chorizo taco here, mild, and reminding me more of a garlicky Polish sausage than Mexican chorizo. The "Argentinian Chorizo Taco" was also decent, ironically the closest to what I think of when I think of traditional Mexican chorizo -- salty and savory, but here much leaner. I recommend the house's sweet and spicy "Jalapeño Relish" on this taco. The "Zacatecano Red Chorizo Taco" is dominated by a heavy amount of clove flavor that I didn't care for, and the "Chipotle Braised Beef Taco" tasted way too musky, almost non-beef like. I don't know what happened, but I don't recommend it.

My advice? Stick with the breakfast burrito, it takes something I normally don't care much for (chorizo) and elevates it to an essential component in a well-executed edible package...

I'm new to San Pedro, down from 6 years in LA proper. The Chori-Man, nestled between a neighborhood cornershop and local bakery, Colossus, specializes in some of the best breakfast bites I've ever had in my life. Seriously. Half chorizo-sausage butcher counter, and half to-go service window, The Chori-Man sports a smartly-curated and thoughtful lineup of breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch plates to make you salivate. Vegetarians and vegans need not compromise, either: more than simply subbing in soyrizo into existing offerings, The Chori-Man designs dishes for these dietary restrictions. (And in the opinion of this particular meat-eater, they're no slouch either. Some of the best dishes offered here are vegan.) I think I've tried six or seven different options so far, from the regular menu and specials, and been happy with them all.

First off, take some chorizo home and make it yourself. No, really. Their owner, Humberto, is a fourth-generation chorizo-maker, who learned artisenal, Mexican sausage from his father and uncle in Zacatecas, Mexico. You may meet him, while at The Chori-Man; he's often popping out to the wide sidewalk outside his establishment to catch-up with locals and say "hey" to folks. And the retail chorizo, particularly the traditional Zacatecano Red, is my personal fav. I'll get it in links, and cook 'em up for sandwiches or breakfast at home. I also love the Argentinian Pork, for its garlic and fennel notes. Since San Pedro also has a strong Italian history, toss a 1lb of chorizo into your marinara recipes and make them sing! Honestly, you can't miss.

But, truly, if I'm hungry and want eat now, here's what I always come back to. Get the Sunshine Sammy. Yes, yes, I know: LA is a city of breakfast burritos; and the perfectly runny eggs and thin, crisp russet potatoes of The Chori-Man's breakfast burrito will blend smartly to your satisfaction. (I literally tried it, first time, and was blown away! With the jalapeño relish on the side, it's stunningly good...) But I'm telling you, get the Sunrise Sammy.

I thought nothing would top the burrito. I was wrong. The Sunshine Sammy--their Maple Habanero Pork Chorizo in a sizeable patty, cheese, formed-up and crispy hashbrowns, Ancho Chile mayo, topped with a runny fried egg--comes on their in-house toasted brioche buns. It is spectacular. You'll bask in a positively perfect blend of flavors and textures, with just the right amount of heat; I feel spoiled every time I eat one. And I kinda go a lot. Once per week, every week, for several months now. I'm obsessed, and happy to admit it--even if I'm a bit of a creature of habit after finding something good. The Sunshine Sammy is the thing Taurean Hedonistic dreams are made of....

This is tucked in a residential area. So parking might be a challenge. I've searched for the green chorizo for quite a while now, so when I finally discovered chori-man, I was really excited to try. Got there about 7:45am, and found parking in the front, ( which is only 15 minutes) I had the the green chorizo breakfast burrito ( I should of added beans) the potatoes, chorizo, and the eggs were all cooked separately. The egg, was a fried egg, cooked with a little yolk.. it was great. The soyrizo breakfast burrito was flavorful as well. Neither were greasy. When I've had soyrizo prior to this, it usually seemed like the flavoring was masking the soy. But the chori- soyrizo breakfast burrito had great flavor. The price was a bit high, but quality was good. The size was, I felt a little small, but I'll definitely be back when in the San Pedro area. We traveled 30/45 minutes to get there. Since it's only take out, we opted to eat with a scenic view of the harbor and ocean..great ambience ..they sell chorizo links and in bulk. I decided on getting bulk green, and maple habanero, look forward to making it for breakfast.

Update: So I made the habanero maple chorizo this morning, and it was awesome!! It had a hint of maple and then the flavor and then finally the heat. It was not over powering and was very flavorful. I finally know what real chorizo is or at least what it's supposed to be. It's definitely not that store bought chorizo that liquefies into orange grease- chori-man chorizo is some darn good chorizo, I will definitely be...