Some of LA’s best food is its most hidden

In the ethnically diverse city of Los Angeles, use your appetite to take you on delicious and educational adventures around the globally rich world that is La-La Land.

Forget Hollywood and Santa Monica Promenade. The true gems of Los Angeles are the numerous ethnic hole-in-the-wall eateries dotted all over the city, far from the elusive, camera-happy tourists and high-brow celebrities. But you’ll need to dig a bit.

Thai cuisine 

Street food in a Buddhist temple

Slip into Wat Thai Temple, a Buddhist sanctuary in North Hollywood, just a small distance away from the heavily commercial Thai Town. The enclave typically draws in the devout, but every weekend it lures in the hungry as well. That’s because the temple sells authentic Thai dishes like som tam (spicy, crunchy papaya salad), kanom krok (savory coconut rice pancakes) and kwaytiao reua (wide rice noodles in rich beef soup) for low prices. Be there early; good food runs out fast.

Mexican cuisine 

Taco stands

For those looking for a place closer to campus, hoof it up to Downtown’s Taco Mexico at the corner of Ninth Street and Broadway. It’s nothing frilly — just a simple white taco shack serving Mexican comfort food like al pastor (spit-grilled pork), lengua (beef tongue) and cabeza (roasted cow head) tacos. One tip: Don’t think about the nature of the meat. Just eat and enjoy.

Nepalese and Tibetan Cuisine

The Maikhan

Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine in Culver City is one of the few authentic places in Southern California serving typically ignored Nepalese and Tibetan dishes.

The interior is designed like the inner abode of a Maikhan (Tibetan nomadic tent) with glowing candles, lanterns and dark tapestries. Be aware, however, that this cuisine is heavy on the spices. The star dish is the yak chili, strips of dried bovine flesh — think beef jerky — sauteed with tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and liberal spices. Ask for a basket of fresh-baked, chewy naan as well to sop up the sauce or tame the heat.

Korean cuisine

Traditional tea house

At first glance, Koreatown seems to offer mostly all-you-can-eat bulgogi and galbi (Korean barbecue) houses and soju (Korean liquor) karaoke clubs, but for a more intimate exploration into Korean cuisine, wander into Hwa Sun Ji, a tranquil, petite, 18th-century style teahouse tucked under an obscure building on Wilshire Boulevard.

Refrain from ordering the usual black or green tea. The best and most authentic teas from Korea are the ones brewed from humble roots, fruits and grains. Try the yujacha, a refreshing, zingy tea made from the yuzu fruit, or yulmucha, an earthy tea made from roasted Job’s tears grains. Hwa Sun Ji also offers traditional Korean desserts, such as han-gwa, a colorful medley of cookies made from rice, flour and honey.

Mediterranean cuisine 

Chicken grill

For a hole-in-the-wall, City Best Chicken at Pico Boulevard is poorly hidden. You’ll smell the delicious char of marinated meat before you even spot its giant sign. Once you reach the entrance you can see whole chickens sitting on the outdoor grill on the way in, and by the time you enter the diner-style restaurant, you will know what the centerpiece of the menu is: chicken kabob, chicken shwarma, the half-chicken plate, you get the idea.

Something about the way the bird is cooked must seal in all the juices because the flesh is tender with pure Mediterranean marinade, served fresh off the grill. The restaurant also offers you four generous side dishes: usual sides like Greek salad, hummus, babaganoush, dolmas, basmati rice, tzatziki and fries.

Parking is limited, but if you do find a spot, you can sit and enjoy your meal at the communal picnic benches outdoors.