“On a hot summer day—which is now most days in LA—[there’s nothing better than] a bowl of ice cold chewy noodles. And when I say ice cold, there’s ice in there! [The naengmyeon] is so tangy and has this fermented flavor because of all the pickling. And they have a side of complimentary bone broth, extra delicious because it’s complimentary.”

“This place is really exciting because on the wall you see these blown up photos of this woman on a boat serving the same soup that you’re eating at your table. And then you see her in the flesh—she’s like a celebrity. And those tom yum noodles are insane. The Thai sausage…you eat it with raw garlic, ginger, peanut, and lettuce. It’s a very exciting little bite.”

“I have been going to this place forever. That pita bread is my favorite pita bread in the world—it’s beyond pillowy. I also never get the same thing like I do at other restaurants. I love the shakshuka and fish plate. Oh, and the pizzas? It’s such a great place.”

“This is my go-to spot for [Korean BBQ]. It’s where Steven [Yeun] and other people involved with [Beef] would have dinners togethers. Just the quality of meat—it’s so good. Plus the ambiance, the noise, the atmosphere, the smell of it. I’ve made a lot of good memories.”

“One of those places where everything is delicious and I have a tough time deciding what to get. I try to go with as many people as possible just so I can try things. They’re one of the only places that sells gingko nuts—it’s like you’re biting into a hard piece of bubblegum. And of course, I love their soba noodles.”

“The first time I went I just couldn’t believe a place like this even existed. There’s nobody doing what they do. That seafood? It looks like something you would get at a kaiseki meal. I wish I could eat there everyday.”

“The first time I had it I was on the set of Beef, we were shooting Downtown. And the director kept talking about this old tire shop that sells the most incredible quesadillas. And I thought to myself, ‘How much better can a quesadilla be than one you can make at home?’ Well, I didn’t know quesadillas could taste like that.”

“This is one of my five favorite shops in LA. I love going there because they always have fried chicken skin—and it’s phenomenal. I also always get pang chi, the purple dessert with coconut and corn. [It’s] probably one of my top favorite desserts. Oh! And these buns filled with pandan paste that are out of this world.”

“Who doesn’t know about this place? [It’s] so crowded all the time. [The shaved ice] is just a mountain of fresh, icy snow. They’re huge and so fun to share with people. If a kid has never had bingsu before, I love to take them here and blow their minds for the first time.”

“Another place I have trouble deciding [what to order]. Their rice is so tasty. Their lentil soup is really good. I love their salmon, kefta, and dark chicken. I just love everything. I had never spent a lot of time eating in West Adams, it’s really exciting there."

“This place is great. It’s a Burmese-Indian restaurant in Culver. Their catfish noodle soup is really good and their tea leaf salad is excellent. Oh my gosh, and their samosas are to die for. It’s a fun place to shop for groceries, too.”

“I love going to the Huntington Library, I have such great memories of taking my kids there. I love the combo of going there and then going to Dai Ho Noodles afterwards. And again, such a fun place to shop! They have to-go pig ears and spicy cold tendon. But it’s really all about the beef noodle soup.”

“They serve bon bo hue, a classic dish from my mom’s hometown [in Vietnam] and they do it so well. Traditionally it has beef, pig’s feet, blood squares, and this Vietnamese deli meat, but I only order it with pig’s feet. And they always do it for me. So before I became famous, they would refer to me as ‘The girl who only wants pig feet.’”