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December 31, 2025 · 10:43 am

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2025

Caring is sharing so it’s time again to share my annual year-end list. With the new year about to begin, I wish you all a year of good health, personal and professional fulfillment and, of course, next-level eats. So without further ado, here is my list of the top ten things I consumed and wrote about this past year.

10. Squid Ink Xiao Long Bao from Little Fatty. If you’re not eating at this super cool Culver City eatery with amazing craft cocktails and awesome Taiwanese soul food, you’re doing it wrong. I love everything I’ve had there, especially this version of soup dumplings.

Basterma Brisket Sandwich with hand-carved Basterma Brisket, Pickled Persian Cucumber, Chaman Spread and Swiss Cheese on freshly baked Pita Bread.

9. Basterma Brisket Sandwich from Iii Mas Bakery and Deli. Until they open their planned brick and mortar space serving their insanely good Armenian brisket sandwiches, you can only order to go, drive to a parking lot in Glendale and wait at a bright red door until someone emerges from their ghost kitchen to bring you your sandwich prize. But definitely worth it.

Uncle Tetsu Original Japanese Cheesecake

8. Original Japanese Cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu’s. Japanese cheesecakes are way different from their American cousins. They’re much lighter, fluffier and delicate. I’m obsessed with the ones from Uncle’s Tetsu.

7. Pork Spareribs from The Mulberry. With its hip and cozy vibe, cool cocktails and elevated Korean dishes, The Mulberry on Sawtelle is my favorite new restaurant in LA. When you go, make sure to order these perfectly grilled and mouthwateringly delicious pork spareribs.

Scallop Crudo with Hokkaido Scallops, Cilantro Vinaigrette and Persimmon

6. Scallop Crudo from Budoknoki. This modern and intimate Japanese Izakaya does everything right and has incredible food. My favorite dish is their perfect scallop “snack.” It’s one of the best crudos I’ve ever consumed.

Mama Chang’s Marinated Bone-in Ribeye SteakC

5. Mama Chang’s Marinated Bone-in Ribeye from Super Peach. David Chang (of Momofuku fame) is my favorite chef in the world and has recently opened Super Peach, his second LA restaurant after Majordomo, in Century City Mall of all places. This phenomenal juicy ribeye steak is my favorite thing on the menu.

4. Shawarma Rubbed Oyster Mushrooms from Mazal. With a good friend who is vegan, I’ve had to up my game on finding vegan fare for the past couple years and have made many awesome food discoveries. The Israeli vegetarian cuisine at Mazal is across-the-board excellent, but the best of all is their phenomenal air-fried Shawarma Rubbed Oyster Mushrooms.

“The Prent” Sandwich with Pastrami, Swiss Cheese, Cabbage Salad and House Dressing on a Roasted Jalapeño Bagel

3. “The Prent” Pastrami Sandwich on a Roasted Jalapeño Bagel from Uncle Stevey’s Bagels. There are many impressive bagel joints right now in LA, but none are on the level of Uncle Stevey’s. Their thoughtfulness and attention to detail is staggering. The Prent, which is only served on weekends and only from 10:30am until they close at 1:30pm and is made on your choice of bagel (I highly recommend the Roasted Jalapeño), is unbelievably delish.

Mala Lamb Sausage Pizza with Lamb Sausage, Kendall Farms Creme Fraiche, Red Bell Pepper, Smoked Provola, Cilantro Flowers, Shaved Shallot, Tomato Pulp, Pecorino Romano, Black Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon and XXHEAT Mala Spiced Chili

2. Mala Lamb Sausage Pizza from Pizzeria Sei. This is a pizzeria for foodies and my current favorite in the city. They serve individual-sized Neopolitan-style pizzas on some the best chewy crust I’ve ever tasted. The spicy Mala Lamb Sausage Pizza is especially extraordinary and a must-have if it’s on the menu when you go.

Meat Jun Plate Lunch (Egg-Battered Ribeye Beef Slices with Meat Jun Sauce) served with Purple Rice and Potato-Mac Salad

1. Meat Jun Plate Lunch from Broken Mouth. Three things to know: 1. This Korean-Hawaiian homestyle food counter is in a low-rent food court downtown; 2. Ordering should ideally be done online in advance to avoid a long wait; and 3. The Meat Jun is transcendent and will change your life. It’s the best thing I consumed in 2025.

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10 Best Sub Sandwich Shops in LA

Subs, Grinders, Hoagies, Po-Boys, Heroes, Submarines. Whatever you call them, they’re a central part of the national diet, especially for lunch. A long roll filled with deli meats and/or cheese along with toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes or peppers, and condiments such as mustard and olive oil sounds like a simple thing to make, but discerning eaters know that not all deli sandwiches are created equal.

When I started this blog, I declared the Godmother at Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery the best sandwich in LA. While I still believe this is true today, for other varieties such as a Caprese or Pastrami sub, I prefer All About the Bread on Melrose Ave., which was clearly inspired by Bay Cities but has shorter lines. Both places have unbelievably amazing, crispy and chewy artisan bread which is baked fresh every 20 or 30 minutes, use Boar’s Head meats and fashion extraordinary combos of bread, meat and cheese using the freshest and tastiest ingredients. While these two places are my clear favorites, there are several others in this city worth visiting. After an extensive amount of carb-loading research, here are my top ten favorite sub sandwich joints in LA:

All About the Bread

#1 (tie) All About the Bread (7111 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles near West Hollywood) The name pretty much says it all. I’ve loved every sandwich I’ve had here, but my favorite is the Buratta with Sundried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Homemade Pesto, Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers. It’s one of the best things ever.

The Godmother from Bay Cities

#1 (tie). Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery (1517 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica) The insanely good bread is the secret to their huge success. My favorite sub is The Godmother (Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Capicolla, Ham, Prosciutto and Provolone) with "The Works." I challenge you to find a better sandwich.

Dan’s Super Subs

#3 Dan’s Super Subs (22446 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills) It’s one of the only restaurants that I love in the West Valley. Their delicious bread has sesame seeds and is steamed for each order. Subs are completed with Dan’s signature chopped tomatoes and pickle spears. Not open on Sundays.

The Jose Andres aka “The Spanish Godfather” at Ink Sack

#4 Ink Sack (8360 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles in West Hollywood) Celebrity Chef Michael Voltaggio’s sandwich shop serves creative versions of classic subs. My favorite is The Jose Andres aka “The Spanish Godfather,” which is named after Voltaggio’s mentor and former boss at The Bazaar. It’s made with Serrano Ham, Chorizo and Manchego Cheese.

Storefront

#5 Storefront (4624 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles in Los Feliz) This Eastside hipster sandwich shop is the new kid on the block and was opened only a few weeks ago by the chefs of Salt’s Cure. I am already impressed with “The Mousa” (pictured above), their Italian deli meat sub which includes picked cayenne peppers.

The No. 3 from Larchmont Village Wine Spirits & Cheese

#6 Larchmont Village Wine Spirits & Cheese (223 N Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles in Mid-City) This gourmet wine and cheese shop has some of the city’s best Italian sandwiches, which are served on either a crusty baguette or soft ciabatta. They all come with a nice little side of olives and cornichons.

Mike’s Deli

#7 Mike’s Deli 4859 W Slauson Ave, Los Angeles in South LA) There are very few tables and it’s generic and fast food-esque in appearance, but this simple deli makes simply great subs with top-notch ingredients including Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. A second location opened recently in Little Tokyo.

The Spicy Italian Sub from Mario’s

#8 Mario’s Italian Deli & Market (740 E Broadway in Glendale) A Glendale institution, Mario’s is an old-school Italian market with all sorts of imported goodies and a very popular deli. They cut their sub rolls in thirds lengthwise, so that there is a “mezzanine” layer of bread in your sandwich between two layers of filling.

Busy Bee Market

#9 Busy Bee Market (2413 S Walker Ave, San Pedro) If you’re in the South Bay, it’s the place to go. This unassuming deli counter in a small and rundown-looking neighborhood market turns out excellent subs on super-soft bread. But be warned: it’s cash only, take-out only, and they’re closed on Sundays.

“The Sandwich” from Roma Italian Deli & Grocery

#10 Roma Italian Deli & Grocery (918 N. Lake Ave, Pasadena) Enter this little Italian market, go to the counter on your right and ask diminutive elderly Rosario to make you “The Sandwich.” Watch as he prepares it with fresh meats and cheese and no toppings or condiments other than olive oil. Consume and enjoy.

UPDATE: I’m sad to report that Storefront has closed. If you enjoy Consuming LA, subscribe for free at the top right of this page and you’ll get an email once a week when I post. And please forward this to your friends, repost on facebook and retweet!