Each article I’ve written for “Global Gastronomy” has been my experience with a specific restaurant. To close out the semester, I wanted to try something different and go out with a bang. 

Maydan Market, only a short drive or Metro ride from USC, is an upscale food court home to restaurants from different cuisines. The namesake of the market, Maydan, is located in the middle of the building, with five other permanent establishments inside. The market also hosts limited-time pop-ups, bringing the current total to seven vendors you can choose from at any given time.

I went to Maydan Market with three friends, and we were able to order one item from each establishment, except for Golden Mountain Fried Chicken, which unfortunately closed the moment we started ordering our food, and Maydan itself, due to its prices being outside of our budget. Appetizers at the market’s namesake start in the low teens and quickly rise into the high twenties.

Having spent so much on food, only a few of us opted to buy drinks. One of my friends, however, got the hibiscus tonic from Compass Rose. As the name implies, the drink is tonic water and hibiscus. It was good, but didn’t leave much of an impression. 

The first thing I tried was the falafel nachos from Mid East Eats. Instead of corn chips, the nachos were thick and heavily seasoned pita chips. The extensive seasoning was present throughout the dish, with the guacamole being topped by a delicious spice blend. The thickness of the chips was perfect for picking up large quantities of the nacho toppings. 

The nachos came with a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and pickles, bringing fresh, tangy flavors. The guacamole and sour cream served as great binding agents for the whole dish. The falafel came in perfect sizes to be picked up by the chips and was well seasoned. The dish’s large size and flavor make it perfect for sharing. 

Next, I tried a tlayuda from Lugya’h. Lugya’h serves Mexican food from the state of Oaxaca, and I had to try tlayudas, one of the most famous foods from the region and the restaurant’s signature dish. 

The tlayuda I ordered came with one meat option, the tasajo, a thin, chewy jerky that’s easy to eat. Its flavor was immaculate with a smoky carne asada flavor, reminiscent of family barbeques. 

Tlayudas also come with a large, thin corn tortilla with cheese, cabbage and other toppings. The one I got from Lugya’h came closed, making it feel like a deluxe quesadilla. The mix of beans, cabbage and cheese with the subtle fattiness of the pork lard created a pocket of goodness inside the tortilla. 

From Maléna, a friend ordered the quesatacos. Without having to even look at the menu, from the first bite, I instantly knew I was being greeted by barbacoa, a type of Mexican slow-cooked beef. The tortilla and cheese were both super soft, almost like pillows in my mouth. 

The green salsa that came with the quesatacos was a nice, fresh and spicy addition. However, the savory sauce was immaculate. The fattiness was almost broth-like, and the already-present, subtle onion flavor really meshed with the diced onions in the quesatacos. 

Near the end of our meal, my friends and I would dip other food items into the sauce to see what tasted the best — it was the tasajo.

One of my friends ordered the chicken shish taouk from Sook, which was unfortunately underwhelming. The dish came with zhough, a cilantro sauce originating from Yemen, which tasted a lot like chimichurri. The chicken was tender and had a nice smoky flavor. 

The dish came with a green quinoa salad that had an herby flavor to it. There was also a side pita, which served for making good bites holding a little bit of everything. While not bad in the slightest, the chicken shish taouk was drowned out in the sea of delicious food around it. 

When looking at the menu at Compass Rose, there was one thing that excited us the most: the Syrian lamb pizza. As the last one to grab a slice, I went through most of my meal hearing my friends rave about how good the pizza was. It did not disappoint. 

The dough itself was quite nice, with a yeasty, almost-sourdough flavor to it. The flavors on the pizza were all bold choices. The cheese on the pizza had a strong flavor to it, and the lamb was soft and buttery. Red onion and mint provided clashing yet complementary flavors to the pizza. Each bite of the pizza felt like a roller coaster you want to keep riding again and again. 

Maydan Market was a fantastic experience. While some of the items we ordered were a little pricey, the size and quality of the items more than justified it. Different cuisines call Maydan Market home, allowing you to sample the world in just one spot. Go alone or go with friends, you’re bound to have a delicious meal just a quick trip away from campus. 

Pablo Rodriguez is a junior writing about international cuisine in Los Angeles in his column, “Global Gastronomy,” which runs every other Wednesday.