Previously on Adam Riff™:

• Eater's Digest: Los Angeles 5

December 2018 / January 2019
guerrilla tacos / bavel / ms. chi café / majordōmo / slab / fiona / diddy riese / sichuan impression

Eater named (Bavel) its 2018 Los Angeles restaurant of the year. It is worthy of that title.

Duck 'Nduja Hummus (Bavel)
creamy garbanzo beans, jerusalem mix spice, herbs, pita

^ At (Bavel), no accompanying bread is the same. Catch 'em all.

Scallop Crudo (Bavel)
pomegranate molasses, citrus, serrano chile oil, charred cucumber, mint, black sesame

^ Delayed heat.

Roasted Cauliflower (Bavel)
hawaij chile sauce, lime leaf, crème fraiche serrano dip, pistachios, dried flowers

Malawach (Bavel)
ancient grain crispy layered bread, grated tomato, dill crème fraiche, aged egg, strawberry zhoug

^ Reminded me of Chinese flatbread that my mother fries up at home.

Slow-Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma (Bavel)
tahini, amba, pickled vegetables, laffa

^ Served bone-in.

Eater named (Majordōmo) its 2018 Los Angeles sensation of the year. It is the best David Chang restaurant that I have dined at by far.

$190 Whole Plate Short Rib (Majordōmo)
smoked bone-in adam perry lang-style ribs, served with beef rice, shiso, rice paper, ssämjang, and condiments

^ Sliced tableside. The scraps are then used to make an unusual fried rice featuring shaved horseradish and lemon juice/zest.

Fried Oxtail (Majordōmo)
salsa seca, chili, peanuts

^ Smothered in a delectable dry salsa. The oxtail evoked teriyaki.

Spicy Lamb Bing (Majordōmo)
smoked labneh with sichuan oil, pickled chilis and herbs

^ A play on Sichuan toothpick lamb.

Ms. Chi Scallion Pancake Sandwich (Ms. Chi Café)
chinese-spiced pastrami, hazelnut pesto, beijing mustard vinaigrette, served with salt and pepper tater tots

^ The scallion pancake didn't add anything, but you can't go wrong with pastrami and tots.

Hedgehog Bao (Ms. Chi Café)
molten dark chocolate, steamed milk bread

^ Chocolate-filled mantou.

Hawaiian Blue Prawn Taco (Guerilla Tacos)
three head-on hawaiian blue prawns, panchetta, mojo negro, flour tortilla, cabbage, avocado sauce, cilantro

^ More like an open-face burrito.

The Trudy Special (Slab)

^ A Brie cheese and barbecued brisket sandwich that's impossible to eat as a sandwich.

Frito Pie (Slab)
—Why aren't Frito pies more popular in California?

Chocolate Chip Cookie (Fiona)

Boiled Fish with Rattan Pepper (Sichuan Impression)
fresh boneless fish fillets, rattan peppers, fresh bell peppers, sprouts, black fungus