| WHAT THEY’RE EATING IN Los Angeles

Fill up on meaty tacos and caviar-topped lobster rolls on the Californian coast

1 TOPPED LOBSTER ROLL

While they may be synonymous with Maine, there’s also a lobster roll revolution happening in Malibu, thanks to Broad Street Oyster Co. The modern seafood shack’s brioche buns are packed with claw and knuckle meat tossed in warm butter or seasoned mayo, with the option of caviar or Santa Barbara uni

(sea urchin) on top. It’s all served with natural wine and enjoyed right by the ocean. broadstreetoyster.com

2 FLOUR TORTILLA TACOS

In a city big on tacos, Walter Soto and Julia Silva’s informal stand in Boyle Heights rises above the rest with hyper-fresh ingredients spooned into perfectly blistered, handmade tortillas. There are corn tortillas on offer, but Julia’s signature flour version — pliant and chewy — is the perfect base for the phenomenal grilled and sauced meats, which attract queues through the car park. Fillings include steak, chicken, chorizo and more. elrusola. weebly.com

3 PIT SMOKED PASTRAMI

LA’S love for pastrami dates back decades, and brined beef can be found everywhere, from Jewish delis to burger joints. At takeout deli Ugly Drum, Erik Black has mastered the traditional pastrami making technique, and added a twist. He uses a classic brine, before pit-smoking the meat for hours to create thick, flavoursome slices. You’ll find it in sandwiches with caraway-studded slaw and spicy Russian dressing, but it’s just as enticing on its own. uglydrum.com

4 FINE DINING BENTO

For an affordable taste of Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Hayato, try chef

Brandon Go’s takeaway bento boxes. Days of preparation make for a stunning presentation; tender agedashi aubergine (fried then simmered in dashi) rests next to delicate blocks of snow crab tofu. Beautiful black cod, duck, egg and winter melon are all carefully considered and painstakingly prepared. No surprise, therefore, that the bento sells out fast at the start of each month. hayatorestaurant.com

5 HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP SANDWICH

As the name of this Chinatown sandwich shop implies, the focus is on the katsu sando — breaded-and fried protein squeezed between slabs of milk bread — but the team loves to come up with new dishes too. One of them is a riff on Chinese honey walnut shrimp; in this version, meaty prawns are held together with a light batter, fried and topped with caramelised walnuts and a corn-studded slaw. eatkatsusando.com

Pit-smoked pastrami sandwich, Ugly Drum