The Best Takeout in Los Angeles
I’ve kind of been enjoying cooking as of late and the whole “try new recipes” thing. But I’m also going to be real and say- that shit is exhausting. You work hard, 2020 sucks, we’re quarantined. You have to TREAT YOURSELF every once in a while! :) On heavy rotation, my top 20 takeout spots in Los Angeles. SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Please comment below with any recommendations.
Go Go Gyoza (Century City)
Joy (Highland Park)
Howlin Rays (Chinatown)
Luv2Eat Thai Bistro (Hollywood)
Pizzana (Brentwood/WeHo)
Beverly Soon Tofu (Koreatown, we miss you!)
Broad Oyster Street Co. (Malibu)
Katsu Sando (Chinatown)
Salt & Straw (Larchmont/Arts District/Venice/Studio City)
Mia Jee Tandoori (Koreatown)
Hot N Juicy (WeHo)
Tatsu Ramen (Melrose/Sawtelle/Pasadena)
Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant (Baldwin Hills)
OB Bear (Koreatown)
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant (Fairfax)
Cardamom Indian Cuisine (Beverly Grove)
Pie Hole (Arts District/Glendale/Pasadena/Hollywood)
Noshi Sushi (Koreatown)
Nong La (La Brea)
Ruen Pair (Thai Town/NoHo)
1. GO GO GYOZA
Ready to make fresh in the comfort of your home, Chef Brandon Kida of Hinoki & the Bird is offering a dozen pieces of gourmet gyoza for $8.50. Your choice of chicken, pork, and/or veggie complete with sauce (chili oil and soy) and easy instructions. You can have them steamed, fried, air fried, and in soup. They’re usually sold out so make sure you get on the waitlist ASAP!
Order takeout/delivery via their website.
2. JOY
My favorite restaurant in Highland Park is back in business! Joy offers traditional/street-style, high quality Taiwanese food. To say that I am obsessed with their dan dan noodles is understatement. I also love the sesame bread sandwich with beef - Glorious sesame bread filled with beef noodle soup without the noodles or the soup. The shrimp wontons are similar to their sister restaurant’s Pine & Crane (another one of my faves). I can go on and on. Truly, I love Joy’s entire menu.
Order delivery via Caviar
3. HOWLIN' RAYS
While I do miss seeing Chef Johnny Ray Zone and the Howlin Crew, I am ecstatic about this new delivery situation. We can now get the best Nashville-style, hot chicken sando in LA… without the 2-3 hour wait!!
Order delivery via Postmates
4. LUV2EAT THAI BISTRO
The first time we dined in, our waiter highly recommended the fried chicken. We normally wouldn't order something as 'basic' as fried chicken at a Thai restaurant lol but so glad we did. Luv2Eat's chicken is so perfectly breaded, so crispy and don’t get me started on the sauce. I've had so much of the menu already including the jade noodles (almost as good as Sapp’s, hehe) papaya salad, crab curry, drunken noodles, pad thai. Seriously everything is so tasty.
5. PIZZANA
Neapolitan style pizzas with a SoCal twist. I’m OBSESSED. Their signature “slow dough” is a blend of imported Italian flours and fermented for 48 hours and makes an incredible crust. Highly recommend the DIAVOLA - because (1) it’s spicy and (2) uh huh honey. That’s my kind of pizza. They are also now offering their seasonal sandwich FULL-TIME: the Padrino. MAMA MIA.
6. BEVERLY SOON TOFU
I was SO excited to find out that my all time favorite Beverly Soon Tofu was back for takeout! Unfortunately during the pandemic, we had to say goodbye to our all time favorite, but my husband and I are hopeful they will be back and better and a new location soon! Their soondubu (or soft tofu stew) blows my mind and we used to have it at least once a month. I am having serious withdrawals. Can’t make a list of my faves without you, Beverly!! We miss you!
7. BROAD OYSTER STREET CO.
A pop-up planted its roots in the beautiful Malibu - making it the perfect takeout choice. We love a quick getaway to Malibu and Broad Oyster is our go-to right before heading to a quiet beach. They have an extensive seafood menu featuring fresh oysters (duh), caviar, sea urchin, and crab claws. The crowd fave is the “Famous Lobster Roll & Fries” - you can order it warm with butter or chilled with mayo. WARM WITH BUTTER ALL THE WAY. Feeling extra? Add uni and/or caviar on top!
Call (424) 644-0131 to place an order for pick-up, but no phone orders on weekends.
8. KATSU SANDO
Another pop-up that has planted its roots in Chinatown, LA! Growing up in Japan, my brother and I loved trips to 7-Eleven for lunch/snacks. One of our faves? The sandwiches. I know what you’re thinking- soggy bread, dry deli meat and watery mayo. Japanese sandwiches are the exact opposite! Made with delicious bread, crust pre-cut, and stuffed with quality meat like fried pork cutlets. Katsu Sando features convenience store style sandwiches on their menu as well as rice plates, salads, and fries.
Order online for pickup at 736 N. Broadway, Unit 105, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Images from Katsu Sando’s Instagram
9. SALT & STRAW
The best ice cream shop is back in business! BRB going to my couch with my pint of salted malted cookie dough.
Order via their website
10. MIA JEE TANDOORI
Amazing Pakistani and Indian restaurant specializing in tandoor (clay oven) dishes. If you’ve never had Biryani, I highly recommend trying the Special Mia Jee Tandoori Biryani from Mia Jee! It’s a curried chicken in rice flavored with saffron and cooked in aromic spices with tandoori. I also love to order the chicken tikka (boneless chicken breast marinated with spices, yogurt, and grilled in tandoor) and garlic naan.
Order for pick up via their website or delivery via UberEats, Postmates, or DoorDash.
11. HOT N JUICY
Fresh seafood boiled in garlicky/spicy sauce and served in a bag. What’s not to love??? I can’t go a month without craving Hot ‘N Juicy crawfish with extra garlic, corn, and spicy cajun fries. My husband loves their fried catfish too. They give you everything you need to enjoy at home - a plastic table cover, bibs and gloves.
Order for pick-up via their website.
12. TATSU RAMEN
I love a good bowl of hearty ramen - it’s my comfort food. Tatsu’s umami broth is made every day in-house from scratch and takes 28 hours!!! They offer several types and allow you to customize amounts of green onion, garlic, spice, and add-ons. My favorite is the BOLD - homemade tonkotsu broth. They offer chicken, vegan, and even a zero-broth ramen (the NAKED which is my second favorite).
Order via their website.
13. LITTLE KINGSTON JAMAICAN RESTAURANT
Black-Owned Business
I stayed in Brooklyn for a couple of weeks with a family friend and during my stay we frequented a Jamaican takeout restaurant. I haven’t had much Jamaican food in LA, but thankfully I found my go-to takeout spot with my first try. You can’t go wrong with jerk chicken - intense flavors of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, thyme, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg- Grilled so it gives it a subtle smokey taste. The cabbage, plantains and rice make the perfect combination. Don’t forget to order extra jerk sauce on the side for some extra tang/spice. Other crowd favorites are the chicken dumplings, and curry goat.
14. OB BEAR
OB Bear is known for their spicy chicken wings, but my fave menu item is the pan-fried octopus/squid with a side of noodles. Order via GrubHub
15. LALIBELA ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT
Black-Owned Business
I’m embarrassed to say this was my first time trying Ethiopian food. My friends tell me you either love it or hate it. Well, I LOVED IT. We ordered Doro Wot, which is a very flavorful chicken stew with boiled egg. I’m a huge fan of egg simmered in stew. The sauce is slightly thick, slightly spicy, and all the way delicious and comforting. Order a side of injera - a sourdough crepe/flatbread with a unique, spongy texture that is perfect for soaking up all that sauce! I can’t wait to try the veggie combo and the spicy cilantro sauce.
16. CARDAMOM INDIAN CUISINE
My mouth waters when I think about Indian food. I think the best combo to share is the hyderabadi murgh tikka masala and murgh biryani. The tikka masala gives you the creamy/tomato-based slightly sweet and the murgh biryani gives you the spice. We ordered a side of mango + pineapple chutney, which was delicious, not overly sweet, and balanced out some of the spice. And DUH order garlic naan- so good!
Order via their website or Postmates.
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18. NOSHI SUSHI
This is my go-to affordable yet delicious sushi joint in Koreatown. They have an extensive menu with everything from crunch rolls to sashimi platters. I always order their nigiri sets- the Light House Set is perfect for 2 people - comes with 2 nigiri combos + 2 uni, 2 salmon egg, 4 spicy tuna cut roll pieces, and seaweed wakame. Other faves are the toro cut roll and jumbo scallop sashimi with yuzu/pink salt. YUM.
19. NONG LA
Ok I know it’s hot AF outside, but turn up the AC and get your soup on. Bun Bo Hue soup from Nong La to be exact. Their pho is really good too, but if you haven’t had BBH then I highly recommend it. It’s spicy, flavorful, and the noods are thicc. Yum. I also love their pho and lemongrass steak banh mi!
Order via Postmates, Caviar, DoorDash, and GrubHub.
20. RUEN PAIR
In the heart of Thai Town, North Hollywood. Bombs and authentic. THE BEST THAI FOOD IN LA. Open late. VERY CHEAP. Noticeable quality; everything is prepared and cooked to perfection. The spice was intense, but didn't overpower the flavors of the dishes. Literally everything is delicious - but I highly recommend the raw crab papaya salad, drunken noodles, crab fried rice, tom yum soup.