These are the five dishes in LA that I dream about, that my mouth waters when I think about, and that I’m just always craving. If you haven’t tried any of the following, I suggest you change that immediately.

Juicy Pork Dumplings at Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung opening up on the west side was probably one of the best things that happened in 2017. With a prime location at the Westfield Century City mall, the perfect xiao long bao were finally within reasonable reach. Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bao are steamed soup dumplings filled with minced pork. I’ve learned from experience that you are not to eat the dumpling whole unless you wish  to burn your mouth from the scalding hot soup. It is best to rather pick one up on your spoon, use your teeth to bite out a little hole, drink the soup from there and then proceed to eat the dumpling. You experience a complete burst of flavor and warmth from just one little broth and pork filled dumpling.

Eggs and smoked roe at Majordomo

I love eggs, I always have. Majordomo takes eggs to the next level. Chef David Chang has created a genius combination of a soft-boiled egg sitting in a rich onion soubise, nestled in a bowl with potato chips and chives. Finally, it’s topped off with a spoonful of smoked roe. Once you mix it all together, you get bites of the most heavenly combination of textures and flavors. The smoked roe pops on your tongue, the potato chips crunch, and the egg and soubise bring a warmth and complexity to the dish. But there’s more to it! This dish is served with bing bread, a soft flatbread that soaks up all the flavors magically.  

Spicy Fusilli at Jon & Vinnys

I know I’ve mentioned the spicy vodka fusilli at Jon & Vinny’s before but I can’t list my all time favorite dishes in LA without including this one. It seems like a simple fusilli with vodka sauce, basil and parmesan, but somehow it’s much more than that. The sauce is so rich and creamy, with tomato flavors bursting through, and just enough spice. Each piece of fusilli is coated to perfection, and at just the right texture and temperature. The generous amount of parmesan is always welcome, and completes the dish so nicely. 

Crispy rice salad at Night + Market

This dish at Night + Market, called nam khao tod, is a crispy rice salad (except not really a salad) with soured pork, raw ginger, onion, peanuts, cilantro, chili and lime. It’s very spicy, but you may request to have it mild should you not be feeling brave enough. This dish is very bright and herbaceous with an abundance of cilantro, no skimping here! The crispy rice itself provides an amazing tangy crunch, the peanuts add a new texture and nutty flavor, and the succulent pork brings the dish all together. Light and packed with flavor, the crispy rice salad is not to be missed at Night + Market!

Bone Marrow at Bestia 

The bone marrow at Bestia has made me want to get bone marrow at every restaurant that offers it, but it never lives up to the one at Bestia. It comes with spinach gnocchetti, breadcrumbs, and aged balsamic. The dish arrives with the roasted bone marrow sitting on top of the gnocchetti. You then take a spoon and scoop all the bone marrow onto the pasta. Once you take a bite of everything at once, you get an amazing explosion of flavors. The pasta itself is nicely chewy and al dente, and absorbs all the flavor of the marrow. This dish is rich but I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try some bone marrow.