Plugs — Jean Trinh

L.A. food, drink, and leisure recs from a food and culture journalist + LINKS

Plugs is The Angel’s recs column. Every week, 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, plus a selection of Angel-curated links. (Plugs are for paid subscribers of The Angel only. However, if you’re in the restaurant industry and want a free subscription, hit me up. :))

#44 is Jean Trinh, a reporter and food writer whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Eater, Bon Appétit, and Resy. She’s written about when kids open restaurants for their parents, the godfather of LA dim sum, and how Chinese crullers helped save her refugee family, the latter of which was nominated for a James Beard Award. Before going freelance, Jean was a deputy editor at LAist, writing and editing thousands of articles on local and national news, food, and entertainment. Not only is Jean my peer, but, fun fact, she’s also my neighbor. :) Here are her L.A. Plugs!

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Restaurant — Lee-Ga

All I can think about this summer is getting the mul naengmyeon at Lee-Ga in Koreatown. Their cold buckwheat noodle soup is one of the best I’ve ever had. The broth is a subtle and perfect balance of sweet, salty, and acidic, and the noodles (which are made fresh in-house!) have a nice chewy bite to them. I was surprised that even the leftovers the next day were still delicious. If you go, make sure to bring a dining partner or a group so that you can try some of the other dishes. The meal isn’t complete without seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and kimchi dumplings, which are also some of the best in town.