Max Jacobson’s Picks
Rubin’s Red Hots
Forget Pink’s; forget the overly sentimentalized Dodger Dog. Rubin’s Red Hots, built around a 17-foot span of authentic Chicago El track, does the city’s best hot dog. Chicago native Norm Rubin buys his plump, juicy dogs from a Chicago meatpacker, Best’s Kosher Meats, and steams them to perfection. I like to sit outside at a fire-engine-red patio table and chow down on a Big Red, a large, meaty frank stuffed into a poppy-seed-and-onion bun, along with a dill pickle, red onions, relish, mustard and a chile pepper. The exemplary French fries are made from hand-cut potatoes, fried in pure peanut oil.
15322 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 905-6515; The Big Red, $2.95, fries, $1.35.
Nopgow
Up in the high desert, there’s a mom-and-pop Thai restaurant, Nopgow (the name means “jewel”), that makes beef cosmic. I’d drive all the way up there just for the “heaven beef.” This is five long strips of stewed beef, crunchy on the outside from having been briefly fried in super-hot oil; inside, they’re tender and grainy, like good brisket. Other dishes not to miss are the fried beef with pepper and garlic--fried shreds of meat piled up with mashed garlic--and yum neua , a spicy beef salad with the kick of a Thai boxer.
2551 East Avenue S, Unit K, Palmdale, (805) 538-0590; entrees, $3.95 to $6.95.
Dos Arbolitos
Whenever I’m in the neighborhood, I have to stop by Dos Arbolitos, a glorified Mexican food stand with complex, appealing cooking. Chef Yayo’s tiny kitchen is jammed with giant stewpots, deep-dish metal pans and vats of colorful sauces made from tomatillo , bitter chocolate and chipotle. Try the terrific fried pork skins called chicharrones , the hearty hominy soup known as posole and the $3 tortas , bargain sandwich extravaganzas of meat, cheese and ripe avocado. The costillitas (baby pork riblets in a piquant red sauce) are incredible.
16208 Parthenia St., North Hills, (818) 891-6661; entrees, $3 to $6.
Osaka Kappo
Going to Osaka Kappo for sushi would be like heading down to the beach for steak. You can get it, but master chef Itsuki-san’s specialty is cooked dishes, a mind-boggling variety of Japanese pub food items intended to stimulate a proper thirst. I always look forward to tara (broiled butterfish) sitting in a limpid pool of yuzu sauce made from the spicy Japanese citrus. Lightly grilled saltwater eel is sprinkled with the orange-and-pepper-spice mixture shichimi . Finish with chawan mushi , an ethereal Japanese custard in a covered porcelain cup lined with exotic ginkgo nuts, sweet shrimp, chicken and sliced mushroom.
Tustin Plaza, 13681 Newport Ave., Tustin, (714) 730-7051; kappo dishes, $3.95 to $8.95.
Haute Cakes
When I’m in the mood for a luxurious breakfast, I head for the ornate Newport Beach cafe Haute Cakes. The old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes are outrageously good when combined with real maple syrup and fresh fruits and berries. Haute scramble is a colorful plate of soft scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and basil. Have the extra-chewy poppy-seed-onion-garlic bagels with red onions, tomatoes and cream cheese--a refreshing alternative to the more standard smoked salmon. Wash everything down with a foamy cappuccino or a glass of unfiltered, hand-pressed apple juice.
1807 Westcliff Dr., Newport Beach, (714) 642-4114. Breakfast, $3 to $7.25.
Soft Tofu Restaurant
This modestly appointed roadhouse with a menu written almost entirely in the Korean alphabet specializes in soft tofu, an elegant, mousse-like curd made by screening soybean milk through real silk. The tofu is presented in a special iron crock called a duk bekki , which stays hot throughout your meal while the delicate tofu slow-simmers inside it. This astonishing dish is best in one of three styles: with fresh oysters, sliced beef or, my choice, a combination of the two. More than a dozen side dishes, including steamed rice, house soup, vegetables, various kinds of kimchi and sweet rice tea, accompany this feast.
9542 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove, (714) 539-4511; entrees, $5.99.