When I have visitors in town, I always have the urge to make sure my guests leave Los Angeles with an understanding that this city can be a foodie’s paradise. Los Angeles’ culinary scene is endlessly diverse and it would be difficult to showcase everything this city has to offer in just one visit.

This got me thinking: if time and distance were no issue, what would be the perfect Los Angeles food tour that would best showcase LA as a food Mecca? I put together the following list for a culinary adventure that I would love to be able to set up some day; the ultimate Los Angeles foodie excursion, the perfect food tour.

Stop 1: Starry Kitchen - Crispy Tofu Balls

The first stop would be a bit of an amuse-bouche. We’d start with a newcomer to the LA restaurant scene, Starry Kitchen. Started by a couple who ran an underground restaurant in their apartment complex, Nguyen, and Thi (Kitchen Ninja) Tran have created a pan-Asian sensation. Their crispy tofu balls are a perfect start to the perfect foodie excursion. Take one bite into their forest green tofu balls and you’ll realize why Starry Kitchen has become one of the most talked about restaurants in Los Angeles.

Stop 2: Langer’s – Legendary No. 19

In contrast to the newcomer, our next stop would be at Langer’s Deli, where we’d sink our teeth into Langer’s Legendary No. 19. With thick-cut pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and Langer’s own homemade cole slaw, this sandwich has been touted as the best pastrami sandwich in the U.S. Last week, I was lucky enough to try this sandwich for the first time and it lived up to the hype. With 60+ years of Los Angeles history, Langer’s is a perfect demonstration of LA’s long standing foodie tradition.

Stop 3: Intelligentsia - Coffee

At this point, we’d take a short break from our food to stop at Intelligentsia at Abbot Kinney. This Venice coffee bar fuses beautiful architecture with the tastiest ‘Cup o’ Joe’ I’ve ever had. Intelligentsia has continually been awarded as one of the best coffee bars in the U.S. After entering the space, customers are directed to one of four custom-fabricated espresso machines where their drink is made by their personal barista that accompanies them from order to preparation to the hand-off. Drinking coffee here is an experience.

Stop 4: Umami Burger – Hatch Burger

Although coffee has been known to curb hunger, after seeing the next stop, I’m sure many won’t be able to resist. Our tour group would next venture over to Umami Burger’s Urban Market location in Hollywood. Umami Burger has exploded onto LA’s culinary scene as quite possibly the best burger in LA. Umami’s strengths come from their meat-to-bun ratio and the deliciousness of the patty itself. The hatch burger contains 4 types of green chilies, and is covered in a house cheese. The subtle heat juxtaposes the creaminess of the house cheese to create a delicate balance of flavors.

*Source: Serious Eats

To Be Continued….

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