Tell us your name, hometown and tour.

I’m Lalita Singhasri from Northridge, CA and I lead the Thai Town Tours.

Which of the five tastes are you?

I am sour/spicy; Thais call it “Saap”–a mixture of lemon and dried, sauteed chilies.

What do you usually do in your spare time?

When I can, I am studying French, Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and American Sign Language. You will also find me reading social and literary theory, teaching Thai/ESL/Freshman Composition, watching Oprah, I Love Lucy, and indie and foreign films.

What meal do you eat to accompany these down time activities?

Neoguri, instant Korean noodles w/ lemon squeezed in it. I like the seaweed flavored udon-style noodles. MSG and sodium with little nutritional value never tasted so good.

If you were on Death Row, what would be your last meal?

Thai “tom yum” noodle soup, small noodles. No, it’s not Tom Yum soup, it’s Thai noodle soup with peanuts, lemon or vinegar, and chilies or chilli sauce added. Really Saap, your mouth waters as you eat it.

What’s your favorite LA restaurant?

Sanam Luang Cafe in North Hollywood. The art and wall designs are pretty cool, but the food is good, fast, and it’s open ’til 4am–Great for when you’ve just gotten back from Asia and don’t feel like ever readjusting to the time zone. I love getting the Sanamluang noodle soup or Yen Ta Fo with the crispy wonton on top. like to order extra fried wontons to dip, for that crispy/soggy goodness.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?

You mean MY weird, or YOUR weird?

Good point! Tell us OUR weird, but YOUR traditional foods.

Pork blood cubes aren’t that weird; Escargot’s not that weird; Roti with condensed milk is just AWESOME; I’d have to say Thailand’s version of an “American” sandwich (with the pork fuzz).

So what won’t you eat again?

I love raw oysters. But, I’ve learned that there are certain venues that should not be gambled with–like an OUTDOOR restaurant (even a really, really nice one), in the hot, humid tropics of Southeast Asia. Actually, I might risk it again.

What is your favorite part about being a Six Taste Tour guide?

Being able to share food I love in places I love with the uninitiated. It’s great to open new culinary and cultural horizons and to see people discovering food they may have never known about, or have only heard of. And sometimes, its nice to just see people enjoying old favorites too.

Michael Lin

Give us a brief introduction, your name, hometown and the tour you lead.

I’m Michael, and I’m a Taiwanese-American, born and raised in Los Angeles.  I’ve lived in Arcadia since I was in kindergarten, and I’m the tour guide for Taiwanese food in Arcadia.  Works out great, eh?

Of the five tastes, which one are you?

Sweet… sour… bitter… where’s spicy? I think I’d be savory or spicy.  I don’t think I ever eat ketchup without at least a few dashes of Tabasco to it.  Yeah, out of the five tastes, I’d definitely be spicy.  That’s a taste on your tongue, right?

If you were on Death Row, what would be your last meal?

What was I put on Death Row for?

Let’s say you were guilty of a mass murder?

Alright, then I gotta go for a massive last meal then.  I’m thinkin’ Vegas-style buffet here… Ya gotta start off with some shrimp cocktail and king crab legs…I can’t get enough of that stuff.  Smoked salmon, raw oysters, uni (sea urchin) sashimi… bring on the seafood! Oh, and some grilled Korean pork belly with a crispy Korean seafood pancake (haemul pajeon).  Put some kimchi to the left of that and some soju on the right.  Speaking of pork belly, I want a Taiwanese pork belly taco (gua bao) with an ice cold TAIWAN BEER.  PLEASE.  We can top this all off with an In-n-Out double-double with fries well done.  Can I get a shake with that? Oh, and bring on the King Taco al pastor please! I can die happy if I have some Mexican food.  Hopefully, by the time I’m done eating all of this, I can get Obama to pardon me.

Name your favorite LA restaurant.

A&J Restaurant.  It was my favorite place as a kid.  Their noodles are hand-pulled, and I just can’t get enough of their ground beef pancakes.  They’re ridiculous.  Just talking about it makes me want to go out and get some.  I’m hungry now!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?

I have had some pretty strange foods, but the strangest has got to be deep-fried scorpion.  Even though it was fully cooked and devoid of any venom, when I bit into the tail, it sent shivers down my spine.

It sounds tasty! Is there any food that you don’t enjoy?

Hrmmm… that’s a tough one.  Anything that’s too mushy.  I don’t like pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and regular cheesecake.  I’ve got to chew my food, strangely.

When you aren’t working as a tour guide, where can we find you?

Working off all the food I ate… the gym if I can make it there without stopping at a taco truck.  Probably in a coffee shop resting my voice and blogging about my adventures.  I write a food and travel blog called the S.O.F.A.T. Blog. (http://www.sofatblog.blogspot.com)

What do you like most about being a tour guide?

I introduce the same foods each week, but every group is different… I enjoy all the different reactions from guests… someone SQUEALED on the tour today when I mentioned the Din Tai Fung dumplings.  No joke.

Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-hour week and leading the lifestyle design movement, is a pretty awesome guy. Alex and I both love...