Eating Los Angeles with Marcus Jernmark

I do go to Gjelina for Los Angeles cuisine… there’s nothing more Los Angeles than Gjelina. The way they work with farmers market produce, the volume… the menu is a one-sheeter, the font is like seven… there’s so many dishes… and they’re all almost the same, but with different seasoning and a different main or vegetable… and the LA diner loves that. 

I still send people to Spago on a Friday night. If you really want to see what this city is about, the level of authenticity that you see there is incredible. Four out of six nights you’ll see Wolfgang coming back, a little tipsy, a little red in the face… it’s a perfect environment to go visit… I can’t get enough of it.

I think Anajak Thai is a really interesting place… it’s a family business, 40 years in the making… they’ve made all the necessary pivots to stay relevant… the wine program is more delicious than it’s ever been. If you go to the Valley, take a stroll on Ventura, hit a couple of bars, get an early reservation at Anajak… that’s a great night.

I would definitely squeeze in a lunch at Holbox. It’s an awesome reflection of the flavor profile we’re craving in Los Angeles when it comes to seafood. It’s a different vibe… something really wholesome and delicious.

Otofuco out in Gardena… I go there at least once a month, and especially over the summer months. Chef has been there for 30 years. He’s making three styles of soba noodles every morning. In the summer, he offers it with a chilled broth with super razor blade thin slices of sudachi laced over the entire top of the bowl. You cannot eat anything more refreshing in the summer in Los Angeles than that bowl of food. And throughout the year, he does his wonderful karaage chicken. And he has the best food and beverage pairing in my book. The dessert that he does with like a custard with Okinawa sugar syrup and milk ice cream with a hot buckwheat tea on the side. It’s all simplicity and various execution. It’s always, always, always a perfect match and a great finish to that meal.