LA Weekly Releases Its List Of 99 Essential Los Angeles Restaurants

We have not been shy about our love for the Los Angeles food scene, which we are constantly reminded is one of the most underrated in the world. We've dropped a list of the city's top pasta masters. And looked at the crazy Szechuan scene. We've even provided a guide to the emerging bakery and bread scene.

And here we are today with yet another poke-in-the-ribs notice that Los Angeles might just be the most exciting place to dine out in the country. Each year, LA Weekly dedicates an issue to listing (updating, revising, rewriting) the city's 99 Essential Restaurants. Longtime critic Jonathan Gold minded the issue for many years before switching sides to review restaurants at The Los Angeles Times. Taking his spot in 2012 was an intrepid, pull-no-punches writer named Besha Rodell, who released her annual list once again today.

You can read all about it here.

"As I review the 99 Essentials, I see a move toward the neighborhood restaurant," writes Rodell. The writer specifically calls out Koreatown, which "certainly has no lack of great restaurants" but saw two highly ambitious, modern openings this year with Saint Martha and POT. Another trend Rodell notices is "chefs who are also restaurateurs doubling down (and in some cases tripling and quadrupling down) on their own neighborhoods." That being said, she also shows some love to the places "we return to again and again." In other words, the list is a mix of old and new, traditional and contemporary.

Here is this year's full 99 Essential Restaurants list, sorted alphabetically. And be sure to take a look at LA Weekly's short video compilation of the process, embedded at the bottom.

Alimento

Alma

Angelini Osteria

Animal

A.O.C.

Asanebo

Bäco Mercat

Bar Amá

Bestia

Beverly Soon Tofu

Bludso's

Bucato

Buna Ethiopian Market

Cacao Mexicatessen

Cemitas Poblanas Elvirita

Chengdu Taste

Chichén Itzá

Coni'Seafood

Connie & Ted's

Crossroads

Dai Ho Kitchen

Din Tai Fung

El Faisan y El Venado

El Huarache Azteca

Father's Office

Flor del Rio

Gjelina

Golden Deli

Grand Central Market

Guelaguetza

Guerrilla Tacos

Guisados

Hayat's Kitchen

Hinoki and the Bird

Hot Pot Hot Pot

The Hungry Cat

ink.

Irv's Burgers

Jidaiya

Jitlada

JTYH Heavy Noodle II

Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong

Kiriko

Kogi BBQ Truck

L&E Oyster Bar

La Casita Mexicana

La Estrella Taco Truck

Langer's Deli

Little Sister

Lucques

Lukshon

Lum-Ka-Naad

Lunasia

Mariscos Jalisco

Marugame Monzo

Maude

Mélisse

Mozza Group

Musso & Frank

Myung In Dumplings

n/naka

Newport Tan Cang Seafood

Nha Trang

Night + Market

Omar's Xinjiang Halal

Pa-Ord Noodle

Pann's

Park's BBQ

Philippe the Original

Picca

Plan Check

Pollo a la Brasa

POT

Providence

Q

Ración

République

Ricky's Fish Tacos

Rocio's Mole de los Dioses

Ruen Pair

Rustic Canyon

Saint Martha

Salt's Cure

Sapp Coffee Shop

Shunji

Sotto

Spago

Spicy BBQ

Sqirl

Summer Rolls

Superba Food and Bread

Surati Farsan Mart

Sushi Gen

Szechuan Impression

Tacos Leo

Tar & Roses

The Tasting Kitchen

Trois Mec & Petit Trois

Tsujita L.A.