Restaurant Roll Call for August 2011

At a tiny sushi counter in this boundless capital's southwest suburbs, nine of us sat silent and alert waiting for Koji Kimura to finish readying his lunchtime service. We whispered our drink orders to the restaurant’s lone server while listening...

L.A. is a fickle town, especially when it comes to food. Some of the most lauded chefs in the world have attempted to open locations of beloved restaurants in Los Angeles. Lines form. The hype machine whirls into motion. Reservations seem...

The deep red of ground sumac brings to mind the ripest strawberry, though the spice’s flavor veers lemony and tart — like a floral vinegar distilled into powder. Its brightness defines sumaqqiyeh, a Palestinian stew with origins in Gaza City,...

If you have been to Reem’s in San Francisco’s Mission District, a restaurant modeled on the traditions of Arab corner bakeries, you likely know the crackle and tang of the flatbreads, and how springtime strawberries find their way among the...

At House of Mandi in Anaheim, a young server requires both hands to hoist a platter full of gold. The menu labels it “No. 7,” a hulking tray of rice, chicken and lamb stained in sunset shades of turmeric and saffron. So many meaty, half-buried...