Komal - Los Angeles - Taco Tour #15

They came from Holbox so I know they can cook. They've been making Michelin-star tortillas down to the masa so I know the food is good. 

What I didn't know is that the people are the best thing about Komal. I walk up to the counter, and I get the most joyful, lights-up-her-whole-face smile from Fatima herself. It's almost as sunny as the sweet-tart notes of their Strawberry Hibiscus agua del dia, which is  best when mixed with the very chill cactus and cucumber over ice.

I ask for recommendations, she gives them warmly. The Tlacoyos are an excellent starter, with those beautiful tortillas that are so many things; earthy, nutty, smooth, fragrant. The beans in the middle add a different texture and depth, and the toppings of cool cactus and queso fresco add airy, acidic notes. 

The Molotes de Platano are quite heavy, and I think they might make a better dessert. The plantains sweeten the deep chocolate notes in the mole. It's beautifully dense, but on the other hand, it's heavy and will fill you up fast. 

The Flor de Calabaza Quesadilla explodes like a sunflower, its paper-thin squash blossoms floating from a black tortilla. The flowers are a breezy squash-y silk, balanced by a sunny, sweet-corn sofrito and a milky cheese that stretches every bite into bright white strands.

Don't forget to fully appreciate their show-stealing salsas. The rojo is fiery but sweet and brings the heat to highlight the quesadilla. 

The tomatillo salsa is gallantly green. Impossibly fresh, it imparts a brightness that elevates this Taco de Costilla to another level. The thinly-sliced short rib is impossibly tender and full of flavor. It's covered with an entire order of fries to add a contrasting crunch.

The Taco Sonia seems like a lot, but the many flavors merge into something deceptively straightforward. It's the best bite I've had this year, with an impeccable balance and surprising sophistication. Bits of beef rib and hits of longaniza smooth over creamy scoops of mashed potato, strips of sour cactus, and a stripe of spicy salsa.

If you prefer to stick to something simple, Tacos de Suadero are a sensible choice. The brisket is shreddy and fatty, finished simply with onion, cilantro, and a side of salsa. 

I eat what I can and ask for boxes to go. Fatima's husband Conrado is behind the counter, and he sends someone to look at my table just to help me figure out what boxes I need. He even doubles back to ask if I want utensils too. He says thank you so sincerely, holding eye contact for a moment so I know he is really means it. Food stalls are not known for service, but at Komal I've never felt more seen.

People want you to believe you can taste the love in your food, but I'm not sure I could believe it until I came to Komal. I tried so much of the menu and found that the dishes are so different but also the same. They're hard-hitting with no hard notes, impactful and memorable, incredibly deep and flavorful, so many notes and all are uplifting. The warm things are warm, but even the cold things will warm your soul. It's the stuff you serve someone you love. Komal, I love you too. 

Little Dynamite - Los Angeles

TIL: Detroit-style pizza comes in squares. The dough is deep, but not so deep to be a bowl, just deep enough that it's more like bread and holds its shape, unlike its floppy, foldable antithesis from New York. The bottom is crispy, the edges as well. The dough is just perfectly bready and fluffy without being too yeasty or sour, and it's the perfect conduit for the sweet acidity of the tomato sauce, which is spread in an even layer. It's surprisingly easy to eat despite being very filling, and new-to-me style of pizza has me shook.

Combinations like the Death Breath are perfectly balanced, with pepperoni that makes me forget I don't like pepperoni, a sprinkling of sausage with a little sass, and just enough cheese to assert itself but not enough to blanket the other toppings. Add that with the roast garlic that's gone soft and gooey, and you'll be breathing alone (happily) for quite a long time.

Similar is the Cowabunga; pepperoni and cheese but there's ribbons of pistachio pesto and sweet pineapple wedgelets to keep it light. 

Lighter still is the Bad Gurl, with just garlic and some pesto.

Mom said eat your vegetables, and here she piles them on.

The Good Green is the only one with no tomato, just pesto and all the cheese - four to be exact. 

Mar-Ghoul-Rita is a Halloween gimmick, and I love the taste but hate the shtick. The tomato sauce is beautifully sweet and tangy, but I don't know why anyone would want to eat something that dyes their mouth black. Those ghost-shaped bits of cheese are cute, but I want more than a couple dots of mozzarella.

My favorite toppings are on the Hot Jimmy, and it seems they excel in all shapes are this traditional round pizza has a beautiful, chewy, not-too-thin crust to hold a whole lot of cheese with sausage and garlic. It's the drizzle of hot honey that does it for me. 

I think I got to experience Little Dynamite in the best way possible; fantastic pizzas without the nightmare parking that is the streets of Venice. The new-to-me style of Detroit is surprisingly scrumptious, and I will always be up for having it again...and again.

Au Lac - Fountain Valley

A fancy-feeling meat-free menu, Fountain Valley's Au Lac leaves your heart full and your belly never empty. 

Plants aplenty; in fact that's all there is. But while veganism often leaves you wanting, the BBQ Pork Rolls will fool even the most consummate carnivore. Soy pork looks like spam, and the supple texture and finishing savor mimics meat spectacularly.

Entrees like the Grilled Seafood Noodles are enriched with vegan shrimp that approximate the flavor and appearance down to the succulence and stripes. Beancurd has a crunch, and meaty mushrooms add umami. The side sauce adds salinity and makes it pop. 

The Royal Noodle Soup is the only one that misses the mark. It's supposed to simulate a bun bo hue, but this one lacks intensity and depth. It's not a bad bowl of noodle soup, but there is just no way a few slices of soy protein can conjure the sassy, spicy, sweet-and-sour, unapologetically pig-centered soup.

The Grilled Fish Rice Paper Wraps are their most impressive dish. Served on a silver tray, the soy fish is covered in a sheet of nori that looks just like skin and adds sea-savor to a flaky-textured meat that has both the flavor and texture of a dry filet. Throw a little bit of everything into a chewy wrapper, dunk in sweet sauce, and I swear it's the best thing I've eaten all day. 

They're well known for their desserts, but the drinks deserve a moment as well. The Chocoholic is a subtly sweet and foamy sip that highlights the dark notes of raw cacao and earthy hemp seeds.

For a non-liquid dessert, try a slice of Scotch on the Rocks, a cheesecake-like pie with grainy, mac-nut notes.

I've gained a new appreciation for cacao as of late, and I love the Choconut Xtasy, which is cacao-forward without so much sugar.

Like most obstinate omnivores, I'm quick to dismiss vegan restaurants as missing the meat. To be fair, tofu, seeds, and weeds just don't cut it when you don't know how to use them. Au Lac, on the other hand, highlights and celebrates them in a way that tastes delicious and feels complete. Au Lac's food isn't about the absence of meat, it's about how good the plants can be. 

TacoNazo - Bellflower - Taco Tour #14

When you have the nerve to name your taco "World Famous", it better be making waves. 

Well, the fish taco does swimmingly, and I'll admit, I am impressed. The fish comes as a sizable chunk, battered and fried fluffy and crisp over firm and flaky bites beneath. Top with all the fixins and the addictive white sauce for an incredible balance. 

Fish or shrimp? FISH or SHRIMP? The vote is split. The shrimp is sweeter but some prefer the fishier flavor. There's more fish and a better ratio to batter, but the shrimp is lacking either. I couldn't decide so I ate equal amounts of both. 

The Potato Taco Dorado is the vegetarian equivalent, a mass of well-seasoned mashed potato inside a tortilla that's perfectly crunchy and fried. It's nothing like the others but also just as good.

I would not drive out to Bellflower for a taco, but one of our vendors did. It's hardly a short swim from the beach cities, but now that I've had it, I think it's worth the drive. I ate five tacos in a single sitting after all, and I can't imagine I wouldn't want to do that again.