LA Culinary Gems: Picala, Hong Kong Cafe & Casa Vega Reviews

Explore LA's latest dining scene with reviews of Picala's tapas, Hong Kong Cafe's cha chaan teng, and Casa Vega's fusion dishes. Plus, revisit the Huntington's Rose Garden Tea Room.

Picala: A New Spanish Flair in West Adams

The brand-new SimCity-esque advancement at the edge of La Cienega and Jefferson Boulevards in West Adams, with its shiny Whole Foods market and costly houses, opened its initial full-service dining establishment in Picala. Hailing from Santa Barbara’s well-regarded Acme Hospitality, whose Spanish place Loquita remains one of the coastal city’s ideal restaurants, Picala, helmed by cook Luis Sierra, arrived to high expectations. What Picala lacks in Loquita’s appeal it can make up for with sleek tapas and paellas; the wine-friendly meals will certainly be reputable if expensive (a cozy, practically dripping tortilla Española is a highlight).

Hong Kong Cafe: Comforting Cha Chaan Teng Delights

I find cha chaan teng restaurants so reassuring because there’s something for every person in them. Want breakfast? Have pineapple bun sandwiches. Food craving something more American? Here’s a baked Bolognese smothered with broiled cheese. My preferred dish on a current visit to Hong Kong Cafe in Walnut, The golden state, was a panko-crusted fatty pork cutlet evocative Japanese katsu served together with a warming curry sauce. I often discover curry recipes at cha chaan tengs to taste a little bit watery and rarely purchase them, but that was not the instance here; the curry dip had a kick and was thick enough to cut each bite of pork I soaked right into it. I completed the dish with a cold Hong Kong milk tea, a required order for all brows through to cha chaan tengs. Hong Kong Cafe also has outposts in Monterey Park and Rowland Levels. 20747 Amar Road, Walnut, CA 91789.– Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

There exist several factors to visit Casa Vega on a weekend. The Sherman Oaks dining establishment and James Beard Structure Classics winner has a brand-new outdoor patio; this previous weekend owner Christy Vega invited her relative, Javier Plascencia, who happens to be a super star cook of numerous restaurants in Baja The golden state, to prepare a multi-course meal there. The space hummed, margaritas flowed, and recipes got delivered in waves. Though there were several standouts from the partnership, I really felt most taken by Plascencia’s hybrid tacostada: a small shrimp and potato taquito with avocado, miso, and salmon connected to a yellowtail tostada wing. One really hopes Casa Vegas might duplicate this global family members reunion so extra Angelenos can experience it. 13301 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423.– Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

Casa Vega’s Fusion Fiesta with Javier Plascencia

The editors at Eater Los Angeles dine out several times a week, otherwise per day, which means we’re constantly coming across standout meals that are entitled to time in the limelight. Right here’s the greatest of whatever the team has consumed today.

Huntington’s Rose Garden Tea Room Reimagined

After a multi-year closure and restoration, the Huntington’s famous Rose Yard Tea Area resumed in 2023 with a substantial renovation and updated tea service. By the time the Tea Space shut in 2020, it had actually currently long transitioned away from the al fresco buffet arrangement it once used in favor of a more formal tea solution served on a tiered silver plate. In the post-renovation iteration, the dining establishment leans additionally into a much more formal however no much less enchanting tea solution.

I finished the meal with a cold Hong Kong milk tea, an obligatory order for all brows through to cha chaan tengs. After a multi-year closure and restoration, the Huntington’s famous Rose Garden Tea Area reopened in 2023 with a considerable facelift and upgraded tea solution. By the time the Tea Area shut in 2020, it had actually already long transitioned away from the al fresco buffet configuration it when provided in support of an extra formal tea solution served on a tiered silver platter. In the post-renovation model, the dining establishment leans additionally right into an extra official yet no much less charming tea solution. With the $65 tea service, finger sandwiches filled with tarragon poultry salad and a summertime special BLT get gently stacked on the silver trays, matched with slivers of tart lemon tarts and salty cheddar-bacon scones.