Plugs — Balo Orozco
L.A. food and drink recs from the chef behind Sunset Cultures
Plugs* is The Angel’s recs column. Every Saturday, you’ll get six picks — a restaurant, a bar, a shop, an ingredient, a person, and a treat — from someone in Los Angeles who knows what they’re talking about.
#5 is Balo Orozco, the chef and fermentation whiz behind Sunset Cultures. I met Balo before I moved to L.A., when I was spending time here toying with the idea, and ordering his delicious kombucha in flavors like strawberry-fennel flower and passionfruit-lemongrass over Instagram. I was obsessed with them from the get-go, and since then, Balo has become one of my favorite food friends. Nowadays, he’s creating much more than kombucha with the produce, often excess or misshapen, that he gets from his farmer friends, including vinegars and shrubs. Also, he’s making what in my opinion is his best kombucha flavor yet, easily the best kombucha I’ve ever had: cherry-fig leaf. You can find Sunset Cultures at various shops around town and at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Sundays (or have it delivered!). Here are Balo’s L.A. plugs.
Restaurant — Ruen Pair
When I want somewhere comfortable, where I can just go and eat something delicious, I’ll go to Ruen Pair. If I go with one other person, I like to get the fried egg salad. It’s underrated. (Editor’s note: he is correct.) Duck with rice, pork jerky, and maybe a soup or something.
Bar — Ototo
I like to go to a bar where you can have a little bit of snack, and I think Ototo is great for that. They always have a crudo and the Caesar is always the thing. I go a lot of places by myself so I like to go to Ototo and get that salad, something raw, and one more thing. Everything is kind of small, and it’s nice to sit at the bar and drink some sake.
Shop — Rick’s Produce Market
Usually in the morning when I’m doing errands I go to Rick’s Produce Market and get a date shake and hang out with Rick a little bit. They opened a patio in the back and they also have coffee now. The coffee is really, really good. He partnered with [Cafe Juayua] and they grow their own coffee in El Salvador and they ship it here and roast it here. The whole family is working there — the dad, the mom.
Ingredient — Dates
I love dates right now. Now I want to work on a kombucha with dates. I’m trying to do quince with dates and cascara, the shell of the coffee cherries. It’s kind of like tea, there’s a little bit of a caffeine, but I feel like it’s nice for fall. I get dates from Bautista who is also at the Hollywood farmers’ market on Sunday.
Person — Catalina Flores
I really like what Cat [Flores] has been doing lately, both with events and cakes. She’s been open to doing things she’s not comfortable with and it’s inspiring. She’s been creating these tablescape installations. And her cakes are so, so good.
Treat — Sasha Piligian’s sweet brioche buns
I recently tasted one of Sasha [Piligian]’s brioche buns with berries and coconut streusel that she was bringing to Canyon Coffee. Hopefully it’s still available.
*Eventually, Plugs will be paywalled. But for now, The Angel is entirely free. :)