The Chile tamale at the original Tommy's. It's a red Chile tamal covered in chili, with a slice of cheese, pickles and tomato. It sounds awful but it's actually kinda good.
I heard once that this is actually Tommy's serving a kind of tamale that went out of fashion decades ago. Tamales were one of the first Mexican dishes to spread all over the US and become americanized, and it was pretty common to see something resembling a Tommy's tamale at restaurants around the country. I want to say it was pre-50s but could be wrong about that.
And yeah it looks absolutely awful but tastes damn good. I guess anything with Tommy's chili on it tastes good (though I know there are some who disagree)
I have never tried the Tommy's tamale, but I imagine it might be a take on the hot tamale. Hot tamales are uncommon in SoCal.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_tamale_(food)
Yes but chili cheese is a very LA thing, I always have family from out of town visit and the first thing they want to eat is chili cheese fries. I mean, there are large burger chains like sonic that sell it but it's god awful.
The one in Boyle heights on main sells it and the one on pico sells it. Iāve had both. Iām youāre right thought there are tons of Dinoās burger/pastrami around.
No way! I gotta let my buddy know since he was totally trying to reverse engineer it lol
Does it make the chicken taste the same? Or do they sell a boo boo watered down version of it?
Itās weird. The one in Boyle Heights has juicer chicken but the one on Picoās sauce is a liiiiiiitle but tastier. Both still great. Iāve also gotten better service at Boyle Heights. Donāt get bad service at pico but the BH guys are cool, will give you extra stuff if it was made by accident, bullshit with you more. Never get that on Pico but theyāre always super cool.
The one in pico is the one I used to go to all the time after drinking - I would eat that chicken with my bare hands and regret the next two days cause my hands would stink stillā¦. Need to go back to that spot - itās been a minuteā¦
Those crack sauce soaked fries at the bottomā¦ oooofā¦ love that spotā¦ my friend asked for a cup of the sauce and they said no, they can only add it to the foodā¦ I guess they didnāt want someone to reverse engineer it and figure out their recipe.
Has anyone figured out an approximation of their spice rub? I'm leaving, and I'd love to be able to make it where I'm headed. I know they sell it sometimes, but it's been sold out for a while.
Not really, in fact food publications seem to confuse one for the other fairly often. The one on Pico looks cleaner, that's about all I can tell difference wise.
Surawon tofu. There are other soontofu restaurant but here is the only place where they make to tofu in house. Everyone else is store bought commercial tofu
[Zhengyalov Hatz](https://yelp.to/EkEL1GZ4tH) in Glendale serving zhengyalov hatz.
Probably not unique but [Papillon International Bakery](https://www.papillonbakery.com/) (multiple locations) is (I think) synonymous with ponchiks.
The restaurant next door to them also serves the same dish, FYI. I donāt know if theyāre affiliated but technically not the only place that serves it.
Papillon also sells Zhengyalov Hatz, but they call it Jingalov bread. I had it there long before Zhengyalov Hatz was around. Papillon is known for ponchiks, but they sell them all over Glendale and likely elsewhere.
Hatz is the Armenian word for bread. The spelling of Jingelov/Jingalov/Zhengelov/Zhengyalov is purely based on who is doing the transliteration, sound of the word is still the same.
I think that Le Petit Chez Mimi is the only place in LA with chĆ“meur on the menu. Itās a French Canadian dessert created during the Great Depression in Quebec. Kinda like a bread pudding
Im on a burger kick and
[Ban Ban Burger](https://m.yelp.com/biz/ban-ban-burger-los-angeles) has some unique Thai flavored burgers I havent seen anywhere else.
[Chubby Curry](https://m.yelp.com/biz/chubby-curry-beverly-hills) has a wagyu burger covered in a brown curry aoili that youd think would be more common but is damn good
Happy cake day! Wow, this reminded me that I was served these in a restaurant in New Zealand 20 years ago and they were so good. Otherwise, only seeing them in cookbooks
Jazz Burger at Jitlada. Off menu, spicy as hell, bunless bastard love child of Pad Grapow and an American hamburger. Itās one of the most unique flavors in Los Angeles. There is not another one on planet Earth, forget another one in LA.
I was obsessed with ponchiks and black coffee for a solid year. The Papillon off Victory is amazing. Have to eat them fresh though. Itās the only way.
This is generic because a lot of restaurants have good garlic bread, BUTā¦. C&Oās garlic knots are second to none and they just keep servingā¦ and servingā¦ and serving them until youāre too full to eat your actual meal :)
Zhengyalov Hatz - itās so fucking good
They have like one thing on the menu and itās just herb filled lavash, and they have a Michelin Star for it.
Maybe not the only one, but Mapo Dak Galbi is the only place in LA I've had dak galbi aka spicy chicken, which is my fave kind of KBBQ. I don't know why it's not more popular here!
Why does it have to be a hole in the wall and so what if they have other stuff? They have dakgalbi, which means Mapo isnāt the only place that serves it.
Haha I know, but I'm hesitant to try since they also have makguksu and a bunch of other stuff. I'm sure it's good, but Mapo reminds me of the places I used to go.
Do you work for them or something?? I know and I've been to ģ¶ģ², but the ė§ķ¬ place reminds me more of the places I used to go in Seoul, including the very simple menu. To each their own š
Reread the original post. Itās not about who does it better. OP asked for places with menu items unique to that restaurant. You wrote mapo and Iām saying that thereās dakgalbi elsewhere. That is all
this is a tough question because once something becomes popular, then you will see numerous versions of it pop up.
Besides what other people said, here is what I got:
Iskender Kebab at Nuka Cafe in Westwood (Turkish)
Monta Factory (Armenian ravioli-type things)
Calic Bagel
Seven Tigers Pie Club (Korean-topped pizzas)
Jerusalem Chicken
I think La Casita Mexicana is, if not the only place, then one do the few places in LA that serves Chile en Nogada year round. Others will do it around September for Mexican Independence Day, but it's La Casita always has it on the menu.
Magpie's Softserve is a small ice cream chain that I'm fairly sure is the only place that sells softserve ice cream pies and they're incredible. Perfect summer dessert.
Not the restaurant itself and only during the holidays, but Gwenās butcher shop has hare! Iāve never seen hare in a restaurant or store in the US. I have only had it in Italy and it was amazing.
Iām not sure about any item only found at one restaurant, but one thing not in LA which Iād love just one of is either Czech goulash or Svickova with Czech bread dumplings. Theyāre so good. Thereās two restaurants in NYC that serve Czech food but none here.
I would like to know what other places besides Tito's Tacos sell salsa made using a garbage disposal as a blender? Is there anything similar to their style of salsa available?
Edit: You could just answer the question instead of being elitist bitches about Tito's. That literally how they make it if anyone is wondering.
This is gonna sound basic af, but Millcross has the only ricotta toast that Iāve ever craved. They make the ricotta in house and definitely fluff up the fish with toppings (which bumps the price), but itās delicious and somewhat unique
The Chile tamale at the original Tommy's. It's a red Chile tamal covered in chili, with a slice of cheese, pickles and tomato. It sounds awful but it's actually kinda good.
My father in law, who's super Taiwanese, is obsessed with these and brings them over all the time when he visits.
I heard once that this is actually Tommy's serving a kind of tamale that went out of fashion decades ago. Tamales were one of the first Mexican dishes to spread all over the US and become americanized, and it was pretty common to see something resembling a Tommy's tamale at restaurants around the country. I want to say it was pre-50s but could be wrong about that. And yeah it looks absolutely awful but tastes damn good. I guess anything with Tommy's chili on it tastes good (though I know there are some who disagree)
I have never tried the Tommy's tamale, but I imagine it might be a take on the hot tamale. Hot tamales are uncommon in SoCal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_tamale_(food)
I believe XLNT fits the bill, available commonly at supermarkets around town. I think that's what Tommy's uses.
For years, it was officially advertised as an XLNT tamale.
Separate lineage, but basically similar
Yeah, I think that book Taco USA might have some info about it. It's been a while since I read it but definitely worth a read.
I grew up eating chili on tamales in Texas, but without all the burger toppings. Definitely a comfort food for me.
I mean, the MO of tommys is to cover everything in the same chili, cheese, pickles and tomato combo
Yes but chili cheese is a very LA thing, I always have family from out of town visit and the first thing they want to eat is chili cheese fries. I mean, there are large burger chains like sonic that sell it but it's god awful.
Yea i get it.
Dino's and their orange crack sauce.
Definitely crack š and rightfully so
Arenāt there two Dinoās. And before people start arguing. Whichever one you think is the originalā¦cool.
There are several Dinoās BUT they are the only ones who sell their crack orange colored chickenā¦.
The one in Boyle heights on main sells it and the one on pico sells it. Iāve had both. Iām youāre right thought there are tons of Dinoās burger/pastrami around.
No way! I gotta let my buddy know since he was totally trying to reverse engineer it lol Does it make the chicken taste the same? Or do they sell a boo boo watered down version of it?
Itās weird. The one in Boyle Heights has juicer chicken but the one on Picoās sauce is a liiiiiiitle but tastier. Both still great. Iāve also gotten better service at Boyle Heights. Donāt get bad service at pico but the BH guys are cool, will give you extra stuff if it was made by accident, bullshit with you more. Never get that on Pico but theyāre always super cool.
The one in pico is the one I used to go to all the time after drinking - I would eat that chicken with my bare hands and regret the next two days cause my hands would stink stillā¦. Need to go back to that spot - itās been a minuteā¦
lol thatās awesome
They're not related?! This is like another Tommy/Tomi's/etc thing??
Those crack sauce soaked fries at the bottomā¦ oooofā¦ love that spotā¦ my friend asked for a cup of the sauce and they said no, they can only add it to the foodā¦ I guess they didnāt want someone to reverse engineer it and figure out their recipe.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[https://www.yelp.com/biz/dinos-famous-chicken-los-angeles](https://www.yelp.com/biz/dinos-famous-chicken-los-angeles)
No, but Dino's Pizza (in Burbank) does have a unique dish: spaghetti pizza.
Has anyone figured out an approximation of their spice rub? I'm leaving, and I'd love to be able to make it where I'm headed. I know they sell it sometimes, but it's been sold out for a while.
which dino's? i see so many
[https://www.dinosfamouschicken.com/locations](https://www.dinosfamouschicken.com/locations)
ty
Oki-Dog is the only place in the world with an Oki-Dog. Itās probably because nobody ever eats it or enjoys it.
And yet still in business. My uncle swears by an Oki-Dog and I just cannot on principle
Wrong and wrong. I will get a stomach ache everytime and by God ill do it again!
What is it?
Two jumbo hotdogs wrapped in pastrami, bathed in chili n cheese, wrapped in like a burrito. It's glorious.
I got one because of Weetzie Bat. Dont regret it but one is enough for a lifetime
I can only handle that like once every two years
Technically not true, you can get it at both Oki-Dog on Fairfax, and at Oki's Dog on Pico. The restaurants have different ownership, so not a chain.
is one of them known to be better than the other?
Not really, in fact food publications seem to confuse one for the other fairly often. The one on Pico looks cleaner, that's about all I can tell difference wise.
Surawon tofu. There are other soontofu restaurant but here is the only place where they make to tofu in house. Everyone else is store bought commercial tofu
Not only do they make their own tofu but they used black soybeans to make it, which gives it a deeper nuttier taste. So good.
Didnāt know they made their tofu in-house! Will definitely check out now after only eating BCD for years
Oh shit is that why this is my favorite tofu spot?!?
surawon is just so amazing ugh
Itās not the only place that does this but homemade tofu is a bit of a rarity, yes. And theirs is excellent.
Really?! What other soontofu restaurants make their own tofu? Iād love to try. I know Meiji tofu makes tofu itself but not the soontofu soup
If you are ever in NYC, Cho Dang Gol makes their own and is worth a try.
WurstkĆ¼che has the only acceptable Belgian fries in LA that I know of.
and rattlesnake sausage
So damn good
Shame there's not more Belgium restaurants out there. It's like drunken French cuisine.
Plus incredible exotic meats!
[Zhengyalov Hatz](https://yelp.to/EkEL1GZ4tH) in Glendale serving zhengyalov hatz. Probably not unique but [Papillon International Bakery](https://www.papillonbakery.com/) (multiple locations) is (I think) synonymous with ponchiks.
The restaurant next door to them also serves the same dish, FYI. I donāt know if theyāre affiliated but technically not the only place that serves it.
Khinkali House across the street also serves Zhengyalov Hatz.
Papillon also sells Zhengyalov Hatz, but they call it Jingalov bread. I had it there long before Zhengyalov Hatz was around. Papillon is known for ponchiks, but they sell them all over Glendale and likely elsewhere.
Hatz is the Armenian word for bread. The spelling of Jingelov/Jingalov/Zhengelov/Zhengyalov is purely based on who is doing the transliteration, sound of the word is still the same.
Yes, I know!
I think that Le Petit Chez Mimi is the only place in LA with chĆ“meur on the menu. Itās a French Canadian dessert created during the Great Depression in Quebec. Kinda like a bread pudding
Im on a burger kick and [Ban Ban Burger](https://m.yelp.com/biz/ban-ban-burger-los-angeles) has some unique Thai flavored burgers I havent seen anywhere else. [Chubby Curry](https://m.yelp.com/biz/chubby-curry-beverly-hills) has a wagyu burger covered in a brown curry aoili that youd think would be more common but is damn good
Ban ban is frickin amazing. Championās Curry also has a wagyu hamberg steak curry dish. I wonder how it compares to Chubby
Ban Ban needs more hype. Such a fantastic bite and so unique. May go hit that this weekend after a trip to the Aero.
TY for suggesting Ban Ban Burger. Tried it because of your rec and it was good!
Zucchini shreds from EAT in NoHo. They are basically hashbrowns made with zucchini and Iāve yet to come across this anywhere else.
Happy cake day! Wow, this reminded me that I was served these in a restaurant in New Zealand 20 years ago and they were so good. Otherwise, only seeing them in cookbooks
iām from ukraine and ate those since my childhood :)
Zucchini hash browns are served at blue daisy in SM also. Pretty good
Jazz Burger at Jitlada. Off menu, spicy as hell, bunless bastard love child of Pad Grapow and an American hamburger. Itās one of the most unique flavors in Los Angeles. There is not another one on planet Earth, forget another one in LA.
Dunarea in Anaheim appears to be the only full service Romanian restaurant in Southern California.
i work right down the street from there and iāve always been so curious about it! Romanian cuisine would be awesome to try
Highly recommend the beef tripe soup (it's sour!), Eggplant Salad/Vinete, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls/Sarmale in varza.
ooo i love sour/tangy and i love tripe! and cabbage rolls! this sounds like something right up my alley. ty!
Chicken Tikka quesadilla from Indimex
Prob not the only one but papillon has incredible ponchiks (Armenian donuts)
Not the only one, but theirs are delicious!
what are armenian donuts?
Ponchiks
Described here: https://www.papillonbakery.com/menu/ponchik-1346
Looks good to me!
I was obsessed with ponchiks and black coffee for a solid year. The Papillon off Victory is amazing. Have to eat them fresh though. Itās the only way.
The Timballo aka Timpano pasta dish from Union in Pasadena.
Like in Big Night??
yes!
Like a bloomin onion?
...you mean the thing that's the same as the awesome blossom? :)
Been to a Chileās lately? ;)
This is generic because a lot of restaurants have good garlic bread, BUTā¦. C&Oās garlic knots are second to none and they just keep servingā¦ and servingā¦ and serving them until youāre too full to eat your actual meal :)
Zhengyalov Hatz - itās so fucking good They have like one thing on the menu and itās just herb filled lavash, and they have a Michelin Star for it.
Just Michelin guide, not a star. Still a worthy accomplishment though.
Curry spinach dip with homemade pita at Tin Roof. Might be my favorite appetizer of any restaurant in LA and Iāve never seen it anywhere else!
Chili & Spaghetti at Bobs Big Boy. Chili Johnās may have something similar but I donāt think so.
Chili is just spaghetti sauce but with extra steps
And they are delicious steps!!
I mean, thats why chili and spaghetti is good š«”
Chili for spaghetti usually has cinnamon in it, auto pass.
Chili John's does indeed have this, and so do a handful of other diners, House of Pies has chili spaghetti
Ohh I forgot House of Pies!
Maybe not the only one, but Mapo Dak Galbi is the only place in LA I've had dak galbi aka spicy chicken, which is my fave kind of KBBQ. I don't know why it's not more popular here!
I so wish it wasnāt a 2 order minimum. I tried to sweet talk the hostess on a slow foggy afternoon a few months ago and nope, wouldnāt budge haha
Can you just order it and take the rest home? I think it would be fine as leftovers, especially if you add rice.
Probably, just kind of hard to justify $28 leftovers haha
It is not the only one. Thereās also Chuncheon Dakgalbi on 6th
I know I've heard of that one but it looks like they have a lot of other stuff too, and it's not a hole in the wall
Why does it have to be a hole in the wall and so what if they have other stuff? They have dakgalbi, which means Mapo isnāt the only place that serves it.
Usually it's better when the place specializes in it, but that's just my experience.
Dakgalbi is literally in the name of the restaurant and Chuncheon is the city in Korea where dakgalbi originates from
Haha I know, but I'm hesitant to try since they also have makguksu and a bunch of other stuff. I'm sure it's good, but Mapo reminds me of the places I used to go.
Makguksu is a popular pairing with dakgalbi, so it makes perfect sense for them to serve it
Do you work for them or something?? I know and I've been to ģ¶ģ², but the ė§ķ¬ place reminds me more of the places I used to go in Seoul, including the very simple menu. To each their own š
Reread the original post. Itās not about who does it better. OP asked for places with menu items unique to that restaurant. You wrote mapo and Iām saying that thereās dakgalbi elsewhere. That is all
Stox - [Mexi-Skins](https://www.stoxrestaurant.com/items/mexi-skins) 
Spicy Sugar Thai in Long Beach has Pad Thai with melted cheese on it. Haven't seen that elsewhere.
La Flor de Yucatan bakery has a "fluffy" Yucatan style Colado tamale.
laylaās pre-jam bagels
2 places serve cheese toast. The smokehouse and sizzler. Smokehouse is superior though.
[Clearman's North Woods Inn ](https://clearmansrestaurants.com/north-woods-inn-san-gabriel/)does, too!!
^ My personal favorite take on cheese toast
A lot of the old school steakhouses in LA have cheese toast. Steak corral has some awesome cheese toast
Good to know!
Dal Rae has my favorite cheese toast
I absolutely LOVE this question!! I donāt really have an answer- maybe the cornbread at Dunsmoor (which I think started at Hatchet Hall)?
this is a tough question because once something becomes popular, then you will see numerous versions of it pop up. Besides what other people said, here is what I got: Iskender Kebab at Nuka Cafe in Westwood (Turkish) Monta Factory (Armenian ravioli-type things) Calic Bagel Seven Tigers Pie Club (Korean-topped pizzas) Jerusalem Chicken
I think La Casita Mexicana is, if not the only place, then one do the few places in LA that serves Chile en Nogada year round. Others will do it around September for Mexican Independence Day, but it's La Casita always has it on the menu.
Tony Khachapuri (And if Iām wrong, I still win, because then I get to try more khachapuri)
Taraās Himalayan is the only spot I know of to get yak chili, and itās so damn good
Thai Curry Pizza woop!
Magpie's Softserve is a small ice cream chain that I'm fairly sure is the only place that sells softserve ice cream pies and they're incredible. Perfect summer dessert.
Not the restaurant itself and only during the holidays, but Gwenās butcher shop has hare! Iāve never seen hare in a restaurant or store in the US. I have only had it in Italy and it was amazing.
Apple pan has only version of their classic two burgers Iāve seen. The hickory burger and steak burger are both simple but unique.
Noodle palaceās secret hot pot (off menu)
Are there any places that sell New York cart style Halal in LA other than Halal guys (chicken over rice with white or hot sauce).
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
They opened one in Pasadena as well. Excellent!
Iām not sure about any item only found at one restaurant, but one thing not in LA which Iād love just one of is either Czech goulash or Svickova with Czech bread dumplings. Theyāre so good. Thereās two restaurants in NYC that serve Czech food but none here.
I can't think of any Czech places, the Red Lion can make hungarian goulash and sauerbraten if you need something vaguely in the same universe
Are we supposed to write your LA Infatuation article for you?
Back on Broadway in Santa Monica. Fred's Salad; it's a chicken, blue cheese, and romaine salad with lemon dressing and potatoes.
Montreal style bagels at Courage Bagels!
I would like to know what other places besides Tito's Tacos sell salsa made using a garbage disposal as a blender? Is there anything similar to their style of salsa available? Edit: You could just answer the question instead of being elitist bitches about Tito's. That literally how they make it if anyone is wondering.
This is gonna sound basic af, but Millcross has the only ricotta toast that Iāve ever craved. They make the ricotta in house and definitely fluff up the fish with toppings (which bumps the price), but itās delicious and somewhat unique
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Cooking shrimp in salt? How unique š
Somali food
Giamellas in Burbank. Best pastrami sub in the world
Are they the only ones with a pastrami sub in LA?
Squash blossoms at Evan Funke's restaurants. Spago's salmon pizza.