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After a week of tastings across Southern California, our editors flagged several dishes that stand out for technique, flavor and sheer promise. From a market pop-up riff on banana bread to a quietly ambitious ramen in an Irvine office park, these are the bites that lingered with us — and where to find them now.
- Banana bread cinnamon roll — Cinnies at Grand Central Market (Downtown Los Angeles): warm, frosted and studded with real banana; a rotating special made in collaboration with a local baker.
- Suadero taco — Ditroit Taqueria (Arts District): an oversized brisket taco with chicharrón crunch and fresh radish; noteworthy for its size and bold textures.
- Shredded oxtail bao — Leona’s Sushi (Studio City): a savory, slightly spicy bao that blends umami-rich oxtail with Asian aromatics.
- Shoyu ramen — Shimamoto Noodle (Irvine): a carefully layered bowl built from a cured tare and house-made noodles; a rare ramen find outside central L.A.
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Banana-bread cinnamon roll at Cinnies (Grand Central Market)
Cinnies, the cinnamon-roll pop-up by baker Kiki Meyers, has stepped into a vacancy left by a cherished market stall and made an immediate impression. The shop keeps a classic roll on steady rotation, but its rotating specials are the real draw — one recent version folds banana bread into the dough and topping in partnership with a local bakery, yielding a fruit-forward sweetness that’s substantial without tipping into cloying.
Rolls are served warm with a generous layer of frosting; eat them right away for the ideal texture, though they refrigerate and reheat tolerably. If you’re planning a market visit, pair the pastry with savory bites from neighboring stalls to make an afternoon of it. 317 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. — Rebecca Roland
Suadero taco at Ditroit Taqueria (Arts District)
At first glance the price may make you pause — a single suadero here runs noticeably higher than the neighborhood average — but the portion size and construction explain the cost. The taco arrives piled with tender brisket-like suadero, accented by shards of chicharrón that introduce a welcome crunch.
Thinly sliced purple radish cuts through the richness, and the menu pairing options elevate the meal: try a palo santo–infused yuzu lemonade with mint to refresh the palate, and close with a churro ring dunked into spiced chocolate for a textural finish. 2117 Violet St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Kat Thompson
Shredded oxtail bao at Leona’s Sushi (Studio City)
Leona’s mixes traditional sushi and robata with cross-cultural experiments, and the shredded oxtail bao is a compact example of that approach. The filling lands on the savory side — garlicky and slightly gingery, with soy-salty depth and a measured hit of heat — and the soft bao soaks up the sauce without becoming gummy.
The dining room’s high ceilings and a plant-filled lounge give the place different moods depending on whether you pop in for a quick snack or linger over cocktails. 11814 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. — Mona Holmes
Shoyu ramen at Shimamoto Noodle (Irvine)
Keizo Shimamoto, known for the Ramen Burger, has quietly returned with a compact operation tucked into an office park. Despite the unlikely setting — airplanes taxiing nearby — the shoyu ramen here feels deliberately tuned. The tare is cured over weeks, then married to a clear, chicken-based broth poured over house-made noodles that show a darker wheat character and a firm, chewy bite.
Thick slices of pork belly chashu bolster the bowl, which reads more like something from a Tokyo ramenya than a cloud kitchen. Given the distance from central L.A., this is not an everyday stop for most readers, but it’s worth the trip when you want a disciplined, richly flavored bowl. 17951 Sky Park Circle, Suite H, Irvine, CA 92614. — Matthew Kang
Why this matters: these picks reflect current trends in the Southern California food scene — pop-ups filling market gaps, inventive cross-cultural plates, and chefs adapting flagship concepts into smaller formats. For readers, they point to where innovation and careful technique are available now, often outside the usual hotspots.
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