Little Jewel of New Orleans - Los Angeles

Little Jewel of New Orleans quickly became the crown jewel of Chinatown, and I had to go see for myself. As hyped as the hope diamond, this sandwich shop in a deli became an instant hit in the western birthplace of boho.

The Half & Half Po'boy is a diamond in the rough, responsible for the deli's meteoric rise in fame. Fat oysters leak sandy brine through their breaded armor, and smaller shrimp soak up the slaw. All rustically wrapped in a rough round of hoagie-like French loaf, so fat that taking a full bite looks impressive.

I thought the Crawfish Mac & Cheese would be a Cajun catch, but no amount of fishing could bring up the flavor of crawfish, and the grainy cheese on top was a more watery version of Velveeta. I don't think they even cooked the mac in the cheese!

The side of Fried Okra was equally disappointing. Breaded so thick it was impossible to know what was inside, and there was only a tiny flash of green underneath.

I should have skipped the Mac and gone for just the Debris Gravy Fries. They look and taste like last night's best leftovers, bottom-of-the-pot shredded beef scraped into a thick gravy stew, topped with a somewhat random scattering of scallion. I've never had poutine like this one, and a plate this big is a full meal in itself.

I love this little store of pickles and dirty rice, and the sausage counter sets me salivating, but some things need a little more shine. As a North Cakkalacky transplant, I'm forever forging, constantly on a manic mission to find bits and pieces of true southern cooking. I haven't found any grits write home about yet, but Little Jewel of New Orleans' po'boys do right by the bayou.