Today, I am taking you on a tour of some of Los Angeles coolest ethnic neighborhoods!
As many of you know, here in the United States (and in other countries too), the day after Thanksgiving is characterized by shopping frenzies, long store lines, crazy maneuvers in parking lots and, even, overnight camping to get the best deals. Yes, I am referring to the notorious Black Friday (loved by some and hated by others).
Of course, things are changing. Nowadays, it is more like an entire week or month filled with Black Friday deals. Then, you have Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday.
I have to admit I am not a fan of shopping, malls or sales. Long time ago, I made the decision to use my money in experiential, personal growth, family-oriented and charitable activities.
But, I cannot deny I kept an eye open for discounts related to things I really enjoy. That is how I ended clicking on an Expedia link that took me to a page of heavily discounted tours in many cities of the world.
And guess what? I ended up buying two tickets for a tour I was contemplating for a long time. Guess again. Can you deduct was the tour was about? If you have read this blog for some time, well, then, you know I booked a food tour.
A lot of you may be familiar with Intrepid Travel, a small group adventure travel company that offers hundreds of scheduled itineraries around the world. Turns out the company has a division called Urban Adventures which offers off-the-beaten-path, experiential day tours in more than 80 countries and 100 cities.
I joined the Los Angeles’ Ethnic Neighborhoods Food and Culture tour on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. We ended up visiting three neighborhoods in the space of four hours.
Table of Contents
Ethnic Neighborhoods: Koreatown
The tour meeting point was in front of the Gaylord Apartments in Koreatown. These apartments are famous due to many reasons: it was built in Italian Renaissance Style, it used to be the highest building in Los Angeles (13 stories), it stands directly in front of the place where Robert Kennedy was assassinated and it has served as the living quarters of many famous people (movie stars, politicians, etc.).
The HMS Bounty Pub, a famous watering hole, is located next to the apartments.
A short walk, peppered with many historical facts, took us to our first sampling stop: Ham Ji Park, a popular eatery known for Korean fare.
We were able to enjoy the BBQ pork ribs, banchan (small dishes) and corn tea (made with boiled roasted corn kernels). Is it proper to say that I licked my fingers several times? Oh, those ribs were delicious!
We continued our walk around the neighborhood by walking though the Chapman Market, one of the first markets in the Western U.S. designed for automobiles.
In a matter of minutes, we arrived at Zion Market in City Center.
In there, we were able to try the hodo gwaja walnut cakes. These small cakes (some describe it as a mix of a donut and a pancake) have a walnut shape (obtained by using a cast iron pan) and are filled with different pastes and fresh, roasted almonds. Our version was filled with red bean paste and a walnut.
I do not consider myself a fan of red bean paste but, wow, these are addictive!
In addition, we were able to take a bite of goldfish-shaped sweet buns. Again, the fish shape is obtained using a cast iron mold. The cook places a layer of batter in the mold, followed by the filling and another layer of batter. He then tosses and turns the molds to obtain an even shape. The little pieces of batter that bleed thru the molds are cut off with scissors once the final product is taken off the heat.
We were given time to wander around the store and nibble on some samples.
Ethnic Neighborhoods: Little Armenia
Well, it was time to spice things up. And, I am not using figurative language in here.
The entire group hopped in a bus and headed to Little Armenia. After our arrival to the neighborhood, we regrouped to learn more about the history of the different migration waves in the area.
We stopped at Sasoun Bakery to try the cheese borek (dough folded into triangles and stuffed with cheese and spices).
The ladies who were running the bakery were taking dozens of lahmajune out of the oven. We couldn’t resist the delicious smell and the scrumptious appearance. We ended up buying two and ate them at the moment, still warm.
After that, it was time for the best Thai soup I have had in a long time. We were served generous servings of khao soi and Thai iced tea in a small, corner establishment. The khao soi is well known for its hand cut noodles (and they are actually prepared in house here), shallots, lime, chilies, coconut milk and crispy noodles on top.
I took a menu to study at home ‘cause I am definitely going back to that place.
Ethnic Neighborhoods: Thai Town
It was time to cross into Thai Town, the only of its kind in the United States. I know this is kind of confusing but our first stop in there was an Armenian restaurant called Carousel (yes, we had Thai food in Little Armenia and Armenian food in Thai Town, after all, this is Los Angeles).
We were able to enjoy lulu kebab, hummus, mahamara (ground peppers, ground walnuts, olive oils, garlic, pomegranate and spices), pita chips and pickled turnips.
I was blown away by the flavors of the mahamara.
It was time to say goodbye to our tour mattes and lovely guide. But, before parting ways, we stopped at the Silom Market for some Thai tacos. They are made with a base of rice flour batter. Then, coconut flavor meringue and egg yolk (hardened) are added on top
Back to Koreatown
After all that glorious food, we rode back to Koreatown using the Metro. It was a fun, enriching and delicious experience. I have not been to any of the places featured in the tour. I can say I learned a lot about the different neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
This tour is highly recommended for people who want to learn about the “real” Los Angeles. I couldn’t be happier about the experience.
And, because we are so bad, we stopped by California Donuts once the tour was over. We ate the donuts the next day. I promise!
Details
- Learn more about this and other tours here.
- Clarification: As stated initially, I was not compensated in any way to participate or write about this tour.
- Another clarification: the lahmajune were not included in the tour cost. They were only one dollar per piece. The donut stop was made on our own.
What do you think about this ethnic neighborhoods tour?
Anna says
WOW! I’m from Los Angeles as well and I’ve never heard of this tour. Everything looks so good! I’ve been to Carousel before. An Armenian guy I was dating took me there, he said it’s very popular with the Armenians in LA. The red bean pancakes look like the ones you’d find in Taiwan!
Ruth says
Yes, Carousel it is very popular with Armenians. It is notorious for being a favorite of the Kardashian clan. Their dad use to take them there to celebrate hos birthday. Even though their dad passed away, they still go every year on his birthday.
Lauren Meshkin @BonVoyageLauren says
These pictures are torturous, Ruth! I am so going on this tour. I haven’t been to any of these places before. I’m always wanting to discover new parts of Los Angeles! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ruth says
Lauren, you should go! I imagine how fun it would be to go with a group of friends. The food was delicious and I have plans to return to some of the places we visited.
Cathy (MummyTravels) says
I am drooling after reading this. I had totally forgotten about Urban Adventures (although I love Intrepid Travel’s tours) and really should check them out when I travel. Food tours are my new favourite way to explore cities too: you get such a different view, and have huge amounts of lovely food too. I’ve done a food tour of Little Havana in Miami, and of Ljubljana trying some traditional Slovenian dishes, and both were fantastic. Thanks for joining up with #citytripping
Ruth says
Cathy, I read your recap about your food tour in Slovenia and it was awesome. I really want to include more food tours on my travels. I adore the wealth of knowledge you acquire.
image-in-ing: weekly photo linky says
I bet the sights, smells, and tastes are amazing!
Thanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/12/beautiful-saint-maarten.html
Marcella @ WhatAWonderfulWorld says
Ohhh yum! There really is nothing better than travelling through your taste buds, especially getting to taste so many different cuisines in one place, this looks truly amazing!! 😀
Ruth says
Marcella, agree with your comment. Living in LA affords you the opportunity to travel the world thru its many ethnic neighborhoods. The variety you find in here is impressive.
Freda says
I now feel famished and bloated all at once! 😉
Ruth says
You are so funny! We ended up stuffed (but in a good way).
gigieatscelebrities@gmail.com says
Little Ethiopia is a hidden gem 😉 But I ADORE Koreatown too!
Ruth says
Gigi, I have written about Little Ethiopia in the blog. Check this post: https://tanamatales.com/los-angeles-ethnic-neighborhoods-little-ethiopia/
Brooke says
Wow, the next time I am in the USA for the summer I am going to look into this, how much fun! My daughter and I did a cooking class in Barcelona and Budapest and had such a fun time, it really added a new dimension to our trips. Also, did a taste test walk through the Victualian Markt in Munich, Germany when we first moved there. Great way to discover EU cheeses and German delicacies. Thanks for visiting @outandabout and glad you enjoyed the photos, Plitvice is splendid!
Ruth says
You know, I have never taken a cooking class in another country. That would be a great experience too. I general, I am looking into trying to discover more about other cultures thru food. It is a fun and delicious way to do it.
Indrani says
OMG! A huge party in your post! How do I take all of them in!
I should do some food our soon!
Ruth says
Yes, you should do a food tour soon. There is usually a lot of nice people to meet during these.
Eileen says
Wow, so many food choices. The Thai tacos look interesting. And the donuts look delicious. Thanks for sharing! Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!
Ruth says
Thanks Eileen. When I went to Thailand, those same tacos were everywhere. I wasn’t inclined to try them there. So, I finally tried them during this tour and I liked them. Not sure why I didn’t indulge in Thailand.
Wander Mum says
Wow! Amazing pictures- I can only imagine how fantastic it all must have tasted. I’m very impressed you manage to sample so much, right until the end. A food tour is such a great idea to see more of a city and taste the cuisine! I’ve done cooking courses in Thailand and Italy before (which were fab) but I need to look into one of these tours! Thanks for linking up to #citytripping
Ruth says
We managed to eat until the end even though the samples were very generous. I have been to tours were you do not get as many samples (or the samples are very small). The other thing is that we had a late breakfast in order to be hungry for the tour.
Stephanie Robinson says
Wow, what a tour! I’m certain no one will go hungry after reading this post – fab 🙂 #mondayescapes
Ruth says
Thanks Stephanie! Hope most of the readers had a full stomach ;0)
Al says
Wow, this makes me hungry. I love all kinds of foods, but Thai and Indian are my favorites. I’m also very familiar with Korean foods as I’m married to one!
Ruth says
Ohhh! I bet you have tried a lot of good Korean food then. My husband is from El Salvador and I have love the food from his country.
Muza-chan says
Delicious…
Ruth says
Oh yes! Everything was delicious! Can’t wait to explore mor eof the neighborhoods.
Pinay Flying High says
This made me want to jump on a plane now headed to Los Angeles just to take this food tour! Oh yum! I am very curious about Little Armenia, I would say it’s the first time I’ve heard of such. It’s always Chinatown or Thai town but never Armenian. :p
Ruth says
In Los Angeles, we have ethnic neighborhoods that are not necessarily on other big cities. The Little Armenia we visited is one of the areas in the city were Armenians immigrated decades ago. Nowadays, most Armenians live in a city called Glendale. That is where you would find the good food.
Trekking with Becky says
What a fantastic, unique view of LA! I had no idea that there’s a Little Armenia or a Thai Town! Now, I have more things to see when I make it to LA one of these days. 😀
Ruth says
Los Angeles is full of surprises. There are so many ethnic areas to check out.
Paula McInerney says
I would love to do this, I am a fan of walking food tours because you learn so much…and eat so much
Ruth says
Paula, I agree. I want to do more food tours next year.
Ruth Daly says
Your photos and descriptions are so good that I always leave hungry when reading one of your food blogs 🙂
Ruth says
Thanks Ruth. I appreciate your comment. Food has always been one of my passions. It is good to share my food adventures thru the blog.
eileen g says
tours like this are fantastic; i should do them in NYC more. I always wondered about those walnut-shaped cakes; never dawned on me they were walnut (I’m also not keen on red bean paste). i don’ think that panda donut would have stayed in my house over night (lol).
Ruth says
Eileen, imagine how full I was after the tour that I did not eat the panda donut that night. I have to get more.
Lyndall@SeizeTheDayProject says
Another wonderful food post Ruth. This food tour looks like lots of fun, and of course, the food looks amazing too 🙂
Ruth says
Thanks Lyndall! Yes, the your was lots of fun. I hope to do something similar soon.
Melodie K says
Wow, Ruth! Wanted to linger at each stop. That khao soi in Thai Town, especially, was calling to me . . . ! 😉 Thanks for the many photos helping me to experience the tour with you. And proof that food tours not too far from our own neighborhoods can be just as fun and delicious as any offered overseas.
Ruth says
All the tour attendants were locals. This was a group of people wanting to learn more about their city.
Jessica @ Independent Travel Cats says
I think I may have been out of the US for too long as I have never heard of Giving Tuesday, haha. I love food tours, and did not know that Intrepid offered short tours like this, good to know. The L.A. food tour sounds tasty and a nice mix of foods! We’ve done several food tours now in the U.S., Italy, Morocco, etc. – they are almost always great as what is there to not love about trying new foods:)
Yasha Langford says
What a wonderful way to learn about any city, and an especially nice thing to do to find out new things about cities that you think you already know.I’m not so much into food tours, but we did take a lovely street art tour in Valparaiso, Chile. It was our 5th visit to the city and we found out so much new stuff.
Ruth says
There are street art tours in here too. I am eager to do one. There are several areas in the city full of great murals.
Anda says
We are so lucky to have such a great diversity of international cuisines in Los Angeles. Until I moved here I had no exposure to all these foods and didn’t realize how much I missed.
Ruth says
That is maybe the main reason why I love Los Angeles. It is a treasure chest where you never know what you are going to pull out. The city keep surprising me even though I have lived here a long time.
Vlad says
Sounds like a fun tour and I bet all the food was delicious! Those panda donuts look so great, I’m going to try to make them as well, haha.
Ruth says
You may be successful in recreating the donuts. I have made cupcakes in different characters and they are a hit in parties.
lacey says
Love this! My boyfriend lives in LA. I will definitely be asking him to take me to these places next time I’m in town.
Ruth says
That would be a great date idea. Walking around one of these neighborhoods and trying different things. I still do that with my husband.
Nancie says
Hi Ruth! I always love a good food tour. I’m trying to book one right now in Barcelona. The walnut cakes are my favorites (not usually a red bean paste fan, either). Any time that I travel here I buy a bag either at the train station, or at a rest stop when I take the bus. For some reason the ones at the bus rest stop are always better. The fish thingies (sorry, forget the name) are only sold here in the winter time. You’ll usually find stands from November through to the end of March. Not sure why, but not that keen on them. The khao soi looks delicious! Now I am starving, and time to find some breakfast! #TPThursday
Ruth says
Nancie, it is awesome to find out these little goodies are popular in Korea (versus being a thing of Los Angeles). That proves how much you can learn about other cultures in Los Angeles. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Shoba George says
Good to know there is such a tour around! I’d love to take a food tour in a new town 🙂
Ruth says
Thanks Shoba! I know you will enjoy a tour like this. Remember I still want to go out for dinner with your family ;0)
Michele {Malaysian Meanders} says
I think I may have had trouble moving at some point in this tour after eating all that deliciousness. It all looks seriously fantastic. I don’t have much opportunity to eat Armenian food, so that’s what would interest me the most.
Ruth says
Yes, I know what you mean. The good thing is that the tastings are spread over a period of four hours. Plus, there is walking involved and time to sit down at restaurants. It doesn’t feel rushed at all and it gives you time to digest.
Lauren Bonheim says
What a cool food tour! I feel like this type of tour is perfect for the US, since our cuisine really is influenced from such a mix of cultures! This all looks to die for … (As usual) 😀
Ruth says
That is true. Imagine having similar tours in all of the big cities in the US. That would be incredible.
XX, Will Travel says
Heading to LA in February. Can’t wait to take this tour!
Ruth says
Really! That is great! Let me know if you need any sort of help planning.
Linda Bibb says
Ohhh…I am such a foodie. Unfortunately it’s hard to find a tour that can accommodate someone with dietary limitations (darn that wheat!) so I’ve not taken any yet. I was inspired to even see a few that would agree with me. Never heard of Thai tacos before but I’m definitely trying those when I come across them in the future.
You certainly made my mouth water with all those wonderful dishes. I enjoyed just LOOKING at the food, so I don’t doubt you had an even better time sampling everything. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Ruth says
Linda, I think more and more tour companies are catering to people with dietary limitations. For example, Courtney of Adelante Blog goes on food tours all over Europe. She is able to enjoy a lot of gluten-free treats during her trips.
Ting at My Travel Monkey says
I’ve never done a food tour – but I really should. What an interesting way to taste and see in one area. I may have to look for one in London now! The hodo gwaja walnut cakes look delicious. Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes and a very happy new year.
artmusedog and carol says
Wonderful food photo tour ~ lovely shots! Thanks for coming by ~
Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^
Ruth says
Thanks! Glad to see you liked it!
Jennifer Howze says
It’s only in the past few years that I’ve gotten interested in visiting LA. I wasn’t aware of how varied the ethnic food was there. This looks amazing!
Ruth says
Los Angeles (and Orange County) is full of ethnic neighborhoods. Only few places in the world can rival us in terms of that.