So I went to Los Angeles, California last month, and my main agenda was to eat. Hey, I wasn’t there to see the Hollywood sign; that’s for sure. Here is part 2 of my favorites list:

Park’s Finest

Did you ever wonder how American barbecue would taste like if a Filipino touch is added? The folks at Park’s Finest did and it’s amazing! Make sure to try the Ribs and Riblets, which were nicely smoked and douse it in their house BBQ sauce, which contains pineapple and maybe even coconut milk. Trust me, the sauce is the bomb. The Bibingka Corn Bread? Genius. They have specials too, so try them if you have the stomach space. You might get to try their versions of tocino and longganisa as well.

Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles

It’s so classic, you can’t avoid it if you’re in L.A. and you shouldn’t. I recommend the Chicken and Waffles of course, and what you get is exactly that. Chicken (you can choose white or dark meat!) that’s fried really well, and waffles. Honestly, there is nothing culinarily cutting edge about this, but the moment some of the syrup touches the waffles and the crispy chicken skin, you won’t care about cutting edge. You’ll just want to eat. And eat. And eat.

Pine and Crane

I love eating in the USA, but to be perfectly candid, not a lot of Chinese places are worth going to. Pine and Crane is. This isn’t greasy Chinese food with fruity glazes; they serve Taiwanese food as good as Taiwan or Manila. Make sure to try their Fried Pork Buns (like seared mini siopao), Spicy Shrimp Wontons and their Mapo Tofu, which you can turn to vegetarian (they replace the pork with mushrooms). They also have an array of pickled vegetables and vegetables of the day for the really light eaters.

Ink

I don’t like playing favorites, but I will here. Ink was my favorite food stop in L.A. Top chef winner Michael Voltaggio showed a lot of creativity on the show, but now, with time and a team in his hands, his food is truly another level. Make sure to try his “Gnocchi” (which are actually pure eggs!) and be amazed at how there is runny egg yolk inside of each gnocchi. Their Beef Tartare is also amazing as the horseradish powder complements the beef very well. Like in Trois Mec, try to get a seat at the counter so you can see the chefs in action. Sometimes, you can talk with them. Service is top notch as well. Each member of the staff (waitstaff and chefs) are all informed about each dish if you have any questions and they have ready opinions too on what to order if you are unsure.

Guerilla Tacos

These guys move around (they are a food truck after all) so make sure to check their twitter account, @guerillatacos to make finding them much easier. They aren’t you grandma’s tacos so expect some different flavors which they change up from time to time. I had the Crab Tacos which had some beautiful fresh crab meat and potatoes and the Ahi Poke Tostada with a wonderfully powerful Chili D’Arbol sauce. Their house made Agua Fresca (I had pineapple) was a great counter balance to the strong flavors too.