Really enjoyed your informative video, and tge variety of food. I'm an native Mexican-American Angeleno who grew up with Chinese and Japanese friends in junior and senior high school in the Boyle Heights area. This was late 70s. I know my way around a lot of Asian food, but get overwhelmed sometimes with all the variety. Just with Chinese food alone, its crazy the different types there are all around SoCal. My best friend is Philippino so I know it pretty well. Can't wait to try your recommendations. I haven't been to any of them, but I've heard of a few them before.
From the bay (San Jose) and now residing in the OC I’m going to have to give it to SoCal. Lots of competition down here and a bunch of different pockets. The hype is real when a SoCal chain (see baekjeong) comes to the Bay. Heck even yard house which originated in SoCal and is just bar food gets hyped up in Santana row.
You're not wrong about that. We even saw that with Gen a few years ago when they started expanding too. The Bay is always gonna have their great spots if you know where they are, but its def easier to find a lot more in SoCal imo since there's just so much more available
@@HiDidYouEatYet gen is a totally good example. You have to find it in the bay where as it seems in SoCal to survive your food generally has to be on point which is a function of the population it seems
Tried and loved all except delicious corner. I'm from South Bay and in ktown now, so 626 is a bit out of the way. My wife is Chinese so we still go there often. New spot for the never ending quest of conquering LAs food scene.
So much food in the 626 it’s gonna take forever to try em all, especially for me as an out of towner. Had some more great stuff just a few weekends ago too when I drove down for a weekend
Good luck waiting very little at thirsty cow. Always packed, thank god my boi works there and we never have to wait. On the weekend, easily 1-2 hr wait
Thanks for watching! I’ve done a ton of Oakland videos already, what exactly would you wanna see from the Bay? I have a ton of Bay Area videos planned coming this year though after I wrap up Collection 2
Thirsty Cow and Grams in GG has the best quality AYCE in Socal! Grams in Garden Grove is definitely quality.. the premium is pricey though, but well worth it.
I have a recommendation for a video, but maybe you've done it already. How about doing a video of great places to eat that you can easily access via LA Metro subway and light rail? As I get older, I plan to use the LA Metro more often. There is a station in Chinatown so I'll use it to go to Howlin Rays. Thanks.
Damn I'm torn on the Socal vs Bay food debate...but I can see where you are coming from leaning towards LA/Socal due to the sheer numbers. I respect that you didn't make a vague down the middle answer for the debate. I personally break it down by genre's of food eg. Korean and Japanese better in Socal, Chinese and Vietnamese better in Bay. Mexican food is tough to decide between LA and bay though I need to get down there more to get a better idea, but Mexican food styles are so diverse so that can also come down to preference but I guess what in food doesn't ( I like the street food corn tortilla tacos in the bay and mission style burritos better than the Flour tortilla tacos I have tried in SoCal but I have only tried that style down there). Anyways...good video ! I will continue to be a fan, and be sad thinking about the A's leaving looking at your hat.
Everyone has their preferences of course! Nostalgia has a big tie to people’s favorites, so it’s hard for someone from here to admit another place might have better food sometimes. I really do just mark it up to there being more options, so it’s more easy to find great stuff. But the Bay has amazing stuff too, there might just not be as much of it overall, and we have to know where to find it imo. I personally like my Oakland taco spots more than LA tacos, but it’s def way easier to find tijuana and sonoran stuff in LA then it is up here overall
I was just being general from with my fellow bay people have said but I definitely need to try Little Saigon you caught me. I’ll be more careful next time before I try it.
At the end of the day, "better" is subjective and people can be more prideful of where they're from, or places they've just had more than others. Both places have amazing Vietnamese food. I think the fact we have like probably the top 5% of the best Vietnamese food you can find outside of Vietnam in our two regions is good enough for me lol. Everyone can have their favorites, doesn't always have to be a black and white answer here
LA's food scene has overtaken SF for many years for one major reason: every restaurant in Los Angeles MUST display the letter rating giving by the health department right in front of the restaurant's front door and anything less than an " A" is guaranteed to lose business. Not so in the Bay Area where the majority of the restaurants will be dirty, have food safety violations, and people just willfully accept these circumstances by allowing county government not to do anything about enforcing laws and refusing to use the lettering system.
Feel mama Lu’s meat quality for their wonton and dumplings are not good in my opinion dragon noodle house, pppop and even dtf meat quality taste better
I gotta go try some of those next time I'm down there. I hit up DTF and Mama Lu's a lot because I'm always near them and always enjoy them, but always open to trying more in the area
It's funny that you mentioned the In-N-Out in Kettleman city. I grew up in SoCal and we would go see our grandparents and relatives in Sacramento regularly. Eventually, I went to school at UC Davis in the late nineties. Almost every time we would stop at the Kettleman City In-N-Out. Great memories.
LA's food scene has overtaken SF for many years for one major reason: every restaurant in Los Angeles MUST display the letter rating giving by the health department right at the restaurant's front door and anything less than an " A" is guaranteed to lose business. Not so in the Bay Area where the majority of the restaurants will be dirty, have food safety violations, and people just willfully accept these circumstances by allowing county government not to do anything about enforcing laws and refusing to use the lettering system.
Man ive been to most these places and 100% you are correct all of these picks are hella 🔥.
Thanks for watching!
All these places look fantastic. I'm going visit some of these on my next SoCal trip. Cheers brother.
Thanks for watching!
Great episode, LA is crazy, would love to see a Koreatown focused ep in the future
Thanks for watching! Would love to focus on that for an episode one day
Really enjoyed your informative video, and tge variety of food. I'm an native Mexican-American Angeleno who grew up with Chinese and Japanese friends in junior and senior high school in the Boyle Heights area. This was late 70s. I know my way around a lot of Asian food, but get overwhelmed sometimes with all the variety. Just with Chinese food alone, its crazy the different types there are all around SoCal. My best friend is Philippino so I know it pretty well.
Can't wait to try your recommendations. I haven't been to any of them, but I've heard of a few them before.
Thanks for watching! Appreciate that from an LA native like yourself
For The Win - they have the best smash burger.
Le Coupe - best fried chicken.
Ave 26 - tacos
Ave 26 is great. Been meaning to try For the win, haven’t made it out there yet
From the bay (San Jose) and now residing in the OC I’m going to have to give it to SoCal. Lots of competition down here and a bunch of different pockets. The hype is real when a SoCal chain (see baekjeong) comes to the Bay. Heck even yard house which originated in SoCal and is just bar food gets hyped up in Santana row.
You're not wrong about that. We even saw that with Gen a few years ago when they started expanding too. The Bay is always gonna have their great spots if you know where they are, but its def easier to find a lot more in SoCal imo since there's just so much more available
@@HiDidYouEatYet gen is a totally good example. You have to find it in the bay where as it seems in SoCal to survive your food generally has to be on point which is a function of the population it seems
626 and 714 foods are better and cheaper than SJ.
Tried and loved all except delicious corner. I'm from South Bay and in ktown now, so 626 is a bit out of the way. My wife is Chinese so we still go there often. New spot for the never ending quest of conquering LAs food scene.
So much food in the 626 it’s gonna take forever to try em all, especially for me as an out of towner. Had some more great stuff just a few weekends ago too when I drove down for a weekend
Great video, you should make one on San Jose, CA.
San Jose video is definitely coming
Next time you come down to the SGV, give 101 Noodle a try for their beef rolls. I think they’re a bit better than Mama Lu’s.
I have family that lives literally a block away from 101 noodle, need to go try it next time
Nice vlog. I gotta try some of your spots.
Appreciate it! Thanks for watching
Good luck waiting very little at thirsty cow. Always packed, thank god my boi works there and we never have to wait. On the weekend, easily 1-2 hr wait
We always try to go right when it opens but it’s tough
next time you come to 626 try Tony's Barbecue, either in West Covina or Alhambra.
Def will!
Would love to see a Bay Area version of this!
Thanks for watching! I’ve done a ton of Oakland videos already, what exactly would you wanna see from the Bay? I have a ton of Bay Area videos planned coming this year though after I wrap up Collection 2
Thirsty Cow and Grams in GG has the best quality AYCE in Socal!
Grams in Garden Grove is definitely quality.. the premium is pricey though, but well worth it.
Grams is hella good too! Been there one time, was super impressed by the meat options there
I have a recommendation for a video, but maybe you've done it already. How about doing a video of great places to eat that you can easily access via LA Metro subway and light rail? As I get older, I plan to use the LA Metro more often.
There is a station in Chinatown so I'll use it to go to Howlin Rays. Thanks.
Until they have Robocops patrolling the Metro, avoid it at all costs.
Korean foood in LA hands down beats the bay- from a korean person
This is facts at a high level but also San Ho Won is one of the best meals I had last year tho, really elite stuff in SF
Respect.
Damn I'm torn on the Socal vs Bay food debate...but I can see where you are coming from leaning towards LA/Socal due to the sheer numbers. I respect that you didn't make a vague down the middle answer for the debate. I personally break it down by genre's of food eg. Korean and Japanese better in Socal, Chinese and Vietnamese better in Bay. Mexican food is tough to decide between LA and bay though I need to get down there more to get a better idea, but Mexican food styles are so diverse so that can also come down to preference but I guess what in food doesn't ( I like the street food corn tortilla tacos in the bay and mission style burritos better than the Flour tortilla tacos I have tried in SoCal but I have only tried that style down there). Anyways...good video ! I will continue to be a fan, and be sad thinking about the A's leaving looking at your hat.
Everyone has their preferences of course! Nostalgia has a big tie to people’s favorites, so it’s hard for someone from here to admit another place might have better food sometimes. I really do just mark it up to there being more options, so it’s more easy to find great stuff. But the Bay has amazing stuff too, there might just not be as much of it overall, and we have to know where to find it imo. I personally like my Oakland taco spots more than LA tacos, but it’s def way easier to find tijuana and sonoran stuff in LA then it is up here overall
Wow so you claim Bay area has better Vietnamese food than Little Saigon..? That's a bold statement!!!
I was just being general from with my fellow bay people have said but I definitely need to try Little Saigon you caught me. I’ll be more careful next time before I try it.
At the end of the day, "better" is subjective and people can be more prideful of where they're from, or places they've just had more than others. Both places have amazing Vietnamese food. I think the fact we have like probably the top 5% of the best Vietnamese food you can find outside of Vietnam in our two regions is good enough for me lol. Everyone can have their favorites, doesn't always have to be a black and white answer here
"Hella" - Are you from Hayward?
Born and raised in Oakland and all around the East Bay my whole life
No contest bro not even close. Do you know how many miles the San Gabriel Valley is. That's the biggest Chinatown period. That's almost 30 miles .
That’s why I love the SGV, sometimes my trips down there i don’t even go into LA cuz ima just stay in the 626 the whole time
LA's food scene has overtaken SF for many years for one major reason: every restaurant in Los Angeles MUST display the letter rating giving by the health department right in front of the restaurant's front door and anything less than an " A" is guaranteed to lose business. Not so in the Bay Area where the majority of the restaurants will be dirty, have food safety violations, and people just willfully accept these circumstances by allowing county government not to do anything about enforcing laws and refusing to use the lettering system.
Tokyo fried chicken was better when it was in Monterey park imo
You 100% from the bay if you say "hella" 😆
Bay Area born and raised
Grew up in the bay and live in LA now. LA has much better asian food. Overall food is slightly better.
Definitely a lot more options and so many pockets of specific cuisines you can find
go to batchoyan next
I ain’t been out that way in a long long time, gonna save it for whenever I’m out there
Feel mama Lu’s meat quality for their wonton and dumplings are not good in my opinion dragon noodle house, pppop and even dtf meat quality taste better
I gotta go try some of those next time I'm down there. I hit up DTF and Mama Lu's a lot because I'm always near them and always enjoy them, but always open to trying more in the area
Born in bay, moved after college, greater LA is far better than greater SF. expected since greater LA population is much bigger.
It’s almost overwhelming but really cool to have that much options available
Mama Lu's is A1
Really good stuff
Love Filipino food. Will check out kuya restaurant.
Thanks for watching!
Great high quality video and reporting! Subbed! Love the diversity of food you showcase
Appreciate it, thanks for watching!
It's funny that you mentioned the In-N-Out in Kettleman city. I grew up in SoCal and we would go see our grandparents and relatives in Sacramento regularly. Eventually, I went to school at UC Davis in the late nineties. Almost every time we would stop at the Kettleman City In-N-Out. Great memories.
Always been the midway point for us on the drives. So many trips where we’ve stopped there!
Since I can't have siy sauce because of allergies I wonder if the Philippine-inspired lechon is gluten-free?
No idea, but hopefully you’re still able to try some of his dishes
first
LA's food scene has overtaken SF for many years for one major reason: every restaurant in Los Angeles MUST display the letter rating giving by the health department right at the restaurant's front door and anything less than an " A" is guaranteed to lose business. Not so in the Bay Area where the majority of the restaurants will be dirty, have food safety violations, and people just willfully accept these circumstances by allowing county government not to do anything about enforcing laws and refusing to use the lettering system.