Philippe's The Original French Dipped Sandwiches

Los Angeles is home to 3.8 million people from over 140 different countries, speaking over 224 different identified languages. It's the entertainment capital of the world and boasts a steady climate of plentiful sunshine and cloudless skies.  LA is home to the Lakers, the Clippers, the Dodgers, and the Kings. And though the debate over the true restaurant originator is ongoing, the French-dipped sandwich can call LA its home, too.

Philippe the Original (aka, Philippe's) was established in 1903 and has maintained for over sixty years, its location just blocks from the famous Olvera Street (known to be the birthplace of Los Angeles), historic Chinatown, and Union Station (the largest passenger railroad terminal in the West).  So much history within a 1/2 mile radius!

To make your afternoon of LA history all the more richer, head over to Philippe's to try their iconic French-dip sandwich, which notwithstanding its name has little to do with France, save and except, the glorious French roll from Frisco Baking Company.

Fresh out of the oven!

Breakfast menu... and delicious ice cold drinks for less than $1.

Sandwich Menu, Open daily, and now accepts credit cards.

Gift Shop inside the restaurant.

Busy restaurant counter, so be ready for the hustle bustle, especially during peak lunch hours.

Need to make a call?

Plenty of tables on the ground floor and the 2nd floor.

Salt & pepper the meat (before).

The meat (after).

Meat removed after soaking in beef broth for about 48 hours.

The final presentation -- time to eat!

Lamb with bleu cheese on jus-soaked bread.

Delicious!

Rather than the traditional beef or pork, I opted for the lamb dip.  As you may know, lamb meat can tend to be tough, but probably due to Philippe's special broth, the lamb was surprisingly tender with just the right amount of chew.  I also topped each bite with some of the famous house hot mustard and I was happy as a clam.

House coleslaw (half portion) -- simple but refreshing.

Specialty potato salad topped with cayenne (half portion) with a beet-soaked pickled hard-boiled egg.

 

This potato salad is unique -- small chunks of potato that still retain a creamy texture.

This hard-boiled egg was soaked in beet juice and jarred. I love beets and I love this egg!

Refreshing lemonade for 75 cents.

There's nothing fancy about this place.  The food is served on recyclable paper plates and cafeteria-style trays.  There are pieces of paper (intentionally) scattered on the ground that resemble hay.  But all of that will be soon forgotten when you taste Philippe's original dip with its slow-cooked meats soaked in flavorful broth, generous slabs of cheese, and crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside French bread.  The dip can be complemented by your choice of sides (soups, salad, coleslaw, beet-pickled egg) and washed down a refreshing beverage.  And after a few bites, you'll start embracing Philippe's unique atmosphere (if you haven't already), which exemplifies homey comfort.

 And that moment, that experience, could also become a part of your own history. 

See you at Philippe's, friends!

cuisine: American
location: Los Angeles, CA
hours: Daily, 6am-10pm
websites: { Philippe's | yelp | facebook | twitter | instagram }
attire: Casual
parking: Free lot behind the restaurant and across the street; Street meters
payment: Cash and credit card

643 North

There's a new(ish) gastropub serving Italian fare in Chinatown called 643 North.  Why?  Because it's located on 643 North Spring Street. Not amused?  Well, this hidden culinary gem offers happy hour, Monday through Friday, from 4:00 - 6:43 PM.  If you don't fancy the wittiness, perhaps the tasty food and build-your-own-Manhattan or Martini will better speak to you.

Brewski Board

Happy Hour Menu.

Beef Sliders -- grass-fed beef, pickled red onions, tomato, lettuce, cheddar on mini brioche -- $7

The mini sliders taste like mini Big Macs!

Chorizo Flatbread -- chorizo, cheddar, tomato, herbs -- $9

Topped with a wealth of chorizo that taste better than simple pepperoni. 

Truffle Fries -- $7

Beer-battered Green Beans with soy sauce and sesame seeds -- $5

Flatbread Norma -- roasted eggplant, tomato, aged ricotta, herbs -- $8

Although 643 North shaves off a few bucks on food, it isn't the cheapest happy hour joint around.  Still, $3 on select 12oz draught beers and $5 on house wines, martinis, and manhattans makes it a fair player and a jolly place to end up after a workday.  Next time, I'll return for lunch or dinner and take a shot at building my own cocktail.  Join me!


Recommendations: Green beans, Chorizo flatbread, Flatbread Norma.



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cuisine: Italian American
location: Chinatown
hours: M-Th, Sun: 11am - 10pm; F: 11am - 11pm; Sat: 4pm - 11pm
websites: { 643 N | yelp | facebook | twitter | instagram }
parking: Street meters or free lot beside the restaurant.
attire: Casual
other reviews: { Eater LA | Brigham Yen | Gourmet Pigs }

Chego! (Chinatown)

Roy Choi, Roy Choi, Roy Choi. 
The media seem to love him and LA is proud to call him homegrown.  What's his deal anyway?  Chego, that's what.  (chego roughly meaning "the best" in Korean).  No, literally, Chego.

I first tried Choi's rice bowl three years ago, when Chego was only a young pup, getting cozy in West LA.  I was only mildly impressed.  In fact, I might have used the terms, "confused and disappointed."  (What can I say?  I'm a purist).  But like many things in life, people change, circumstances change, life happens.  And by my 2nd, 3rd, and definitely by my 4th visit, I was craving Chego like a crack addict in denial.  They even have something called "Pina Krackalada" on their menu (I'm just sayin').  Soon enough, bowling with rice was my thing, even though I'm not big on bowling or rice (Am I truly Asian?). 

Chego may have temporarily left the Westside, but it's still around, this time giving some love to the Eastsiders (holler) with its new location in Chinatown.  So I went, hoping the food is still addictively good...

Well friends, good news; it's still damn good.

For lunch, I went with the Ooey Gooey Fries and Chubby Pork Belly Bowl  Why?  Because you really can't go wrong with those choices.

Ooey Gooey Fries -- beer-battered fries with sour cream sambal, monterey jack, cheddar, cotija cheeses, chillies, cilantro, and pickled garlic -- $6

Beautiful.

Chubby Pork Belly -- kochujang-lacquered Kurobata rice bowl with fried egg, pickled radishes, Chinese broccoli, water spinach, cotija, and peanuts -- $9

Mix, mix, mix!

Peek-a-boo, I heart you.

Menu with Pee-wee Herman

Jarritos (Mexican soda) chillin' with Milkis and Korean peach juice = delicious fusion.

For first-time visitors, the location may be easy to miss.  Chego is located on the bottom floor of the Far East Plaza.  The parking entrance is definitely easy to miss, but note that there are entrances both on Hill and Broadway.

Lunch hustle-bustle.

Note the Disclaimer.  Keep it real.

Minor suggestions to the restaurant:
The congratulatory flowers for grand opening are great, but it may be best to have them somewhere away from the eating area so folks with allergies can eat without getting a sudden allergy attack (that's for you, CC). Also, consider adding purse hooks on the bottom of the table for the ladies (and the murse-carrying men).  That's all.

Keep doin' your thang, Chego team! Because so far as I can tell, it's working out well.  I always like seeing the friendly Asian grandpa giving us the thumbs-up sign.  And as long as you do your part, we'll do ours -- eating chego.  Roy Choi, Roy Choi, Roy Choi.

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cuisine: Korean Fusion (rice bowl)
location: Chinatown
hours: Tues-Sun, 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM (closed Mondays)
websites { C | yelp | facebook | twitter }
parking: Underground lot (free up to 30 min; get validation sticker at the restaurant)
seating: Indoor and outdoor
attire: Casual
notes: Don't want to stand in line?  Order by phone or online ahead of time! Menus are online.