I EAT NOISE: food from the summer

ANTIQUERIA DE OAXACA
5200 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles

One of my favorite places to eat this summer, conveniently located right by my work. I wish I had more of an excuse to eat there, but no one would ever drive into the city so I'd always end up just grabbing something for myself on the way home. Below is the appetizer plate #2(for two, although it's easily enough for four), and has everything that you would ever want. Memelitas, deliciously fat and grilled corn cakes, served with tsajo (grilled beef), the best quesadilla i think i've ever had, a chile relleno, fried pork skin, all served with this amazing stringy oaxacan cheese, a black bean sauce, and a guacamole that they do not skimp out on (even with everything they give you to put it on, I've never actually ran out of it).

I'm not sure if it's "proper" to combine it all, but it doesn't really matter, because together it makes the best sopes i've had since I was a kid. Okay well, it's probably the only sopes I've had since I was a kid and we tragically moved away from our neighbors/landlords, this Mexican couple who used to cook the most delicious food. Why are sopes so delicious, yet so hard to find? Together it all just makes a super delicious corn-cake cocktail of meat, cheese, and nostalgia, and I can't wait to go back more when I return for the winter. Also worthy of being mentioned, they have one of the best horchatas i've ever had, served with bits of melon and almonds inside, if I'm remembering correctly, something excitingly new and tasty to me. I also owe a big thanks to Allyn, who enlightened me to look into los angeles oaxacan restaurants. Long story short, friends of the valley, it is well worth the 20-minute drive to melrose to eat this, so get on it.

sooo goood i missss you

FISHLIPS SUSHI TRUCK
somewhere around

I know the idea of sushi from a truck is something really unappealing, but the Fishlips sushi truck has some pretty good sushi, considering its coming out a truck. Just look at how cute their little temari sushi balls are! Everything I tasted from there was fresh and delicious, and I have no complaints about it. What really caught my eye on the menu was the tropical salmon roll (avocado, cucumber, asparagus, kaiware, yama-gobo, bell pepper, salmon, lemon, mango, ponzu sauce), but they were all out of it when we got there (the downside of serving out of a truck), so I settled for the shrimp caterpillar roll instead. Guy and Jake got these little sets that were a really good value (temari sushi + california/spicy/or crunchy roll for $6-8). When we went they were parked right outside of CSUN, making it a convenient, quick, tasty and fairly cheap sushi expedition, so go find out where they are and get some sushi.