South of LA

Jordan's Cafe
11332 S. Wilmington Ave.; 323/566-8629
Watts soul food house with ancient hand painted menu and dreamy crisp-fried catfish with the usual delicious sides esp. mac and cheese.

Woodlands
1833 Artesia Blvd, Artesia. 562 860 6500
Here is the South Indian restaurant to eclipse all others I've tried. Gigantic dosa/pancakes with multiple variations, the deep fried bhatura puff, and a magical condiment called milakai podi. A rare find.

Johnny Reb's
16639 Bellflower Boulevard Bellflower, (562) 866-6455
Southern roadhouse theme park in Bellflower of all places. Fun atmosphere and good food - messy chicken fried steak is hard to dislike. Giant portions and peanut strewn floor.

Song Long Restaurant
9433 Bolsa Avenue, Westminster (714) 531-0792
Little Saigon beef noodle soup joint. The brown, thick long-cooked kind.

Tay Ho
9629 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA Tel: (714) 839-1389
Amazingly delicate banh cuon, rice sheets wrapped around various fillings. Banh cuon dac biet is a delicious and varied assortment where the rice sheets enclose ground pork and mushrooms. Also has very good banh xeo/Vietnamese fried crepe.

Alaska Seafood Restaurant
1112 Nagoya Way San Pedro, CA 90731 310-547-1961
Actually there are many seafood restaurants down here in Pedro, at the Ports O'Call complex. This one is particularly clean and is run by Koreans so there are non-Mexican items. Fine fine Dungeness crab and excellent camarones al mojo de ajo. Check out the norteno musicians and seaside atmosphere - Ole! for Ports O'Call!