USC’s dining halls suck, here are some better food spots
I am a chronic overthinker. I try to focus my time overthinking only when the sunk cost is big enough for me to follow through with the fallacy, but that’s not always the case. For example, I never know what I want to eat. But no, I don’t want the decision made for me; I want to scroll through Google, Yelp, and Tiktok for hours to find the perfect food spot. Additionally, I don’t love revisiting restaurants (no exciting reason, I just like feeling more adventurous than I actually am by going somewhere new), so I do this pretty often.
You probably don’t recall, but during class, you all voted for me writing about my hatred for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for my expert article. I initially wanted to talk about better places to get coffee in Los Angeles. Except, I don’t even like coffee. I’m a fraud. I exclusively order matcha lattes and anything that won’t shock me awake with its bitter taste.
However, if there’s anything I do know about, it’s restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s basically the same as “Coffee Bean sucks, here are some better coffee spots”. Let’s even consider rebranding this segment as “USC’s dining halls suck, here are some better food spots”. I’m currently sitting in New Annenberg—extremely hungry—but unable to leave because I have class soon. Wish me luck, but here are a few places I’d rather be right now!
Breakfast: Azay
Location: Little Tokyo, 11 minute drive from campus
Story Time: This is the first restaurant I (almost confidently) drove myself to after getting my car. It was extremely easy to find parking, so I have especially fond memories of Azay. Its comforting ambiance makes it my go-to place to catch up with friends. I love the different side dishes you get with every meal and the view of puffy dogs walking on the streets!
Must try: japanese breakfast or nagoya hitsumabushi. The bento box is also a great option if you don’t like fish or eel
Lunch/Dinner: Joy
Location: Highland Park, 21 minute drive from campus
Story Time: Freshman year my friends and I went to the Griffith Observatory using a ZipCar. If you’ve never heard of ZipCar, it’s a relatively cheap car membership that allows you to book a vehicle by the hour. You’re able to get into the car and start it by using an app on your phone. Unfortunately for us, the Observatory didn’t have wifi for us to even use the app. We were locked out of our car and never saw our things in it ever again. In light of the situation we went to Joy to get dinner afterwards!
Must try: dan dan noodles, thousand layer pancake, sea salt cream black tea
Dinner: Kinn
Location: K-Town, 13 minute drive from campus
Story Time: I think (?) it’s an Asian tradition to take your family members out for a meal using your first paycheck. My family’s from Texas, so I couldn’t take them out for a nice dinner. I ended up taking my boyfriend here instead and we pretended it was his birthday (he even got a nice candle on his dessert!). Kinn has an eight course tasting menu for about $100–definitely normally out of my price range—but there’s a reason it’s still on the list. The meal was extremely filling and there wasn’t a single thing on the menu that I didn’t like. It was the best restaurant I ever tried.
Must orders: Mid-writing this article I found out that Kinn actually permanently closed in November 2023. The chef / owner decided to close the restaurant for mental health reasons. I’m devastated by the news and my day is officially ruined. Sure, I’ve only been here once because of its price point, but I would’ve liked to go again in the future. The position of my new favorite restaurant is once again up for grabs.
Dessert/Drink: Yi Fang
Location: K-Town, 13 minute drive from campus
Story Time: My best friend at USC loves Yi-Fang. She is horrible to make plans with—cancels last minute, forgets she canceled, asks if we’re still going, repeat—but Yi-Fang is the one plan she will never ever cancel on. Finding street parking is relatively easy, so another plus in my books.
Must orders: any fruit tea, but the lemon aiyu in particular is my friend’s favorite
Hi Tina! It is crazy to me that I am a senior and have actually never stepped foot into one of the USC dining halls but your post makes me feel like I'm not missing out on anything. I am also a big Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf hater, I personally just dislike their coffee and don't see the hype with it. I have yet to find any great coffee spots in the area so usually when I need a coffee on the go I am stuck going to Starbucks which isn't too great either. I'm sure you have tried Dulce's matcha which is my absolute favorite matcha around but I really don't like their coffee unfortunately. I have actually never heard of any of the spots you listed but I really want to try some out!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
ReplyDeleteI tried Azay a little while ago-the food was so traditional and delicious so I have to agree with you on your take. I also love Yi-Fang! I myself am not that into fruit tea, but maybe I have to try the lemon aiyu now. Thank you for the other recommendations, I'll have to try them out soon!
Hi Tina, I really liked reading your post as someone who also loves food and trying new places! Though I haven't been to the dining hall at USC or tried the places you listed on your post, it was still enjoyable to read and I will definitely add them to my. bucket list! Great post and thanks for the recommendations!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHi Tina! I really enjoyed reading about your adventures in finding the best food spots around LA. I'm always on the lookout for new places to try, and your recommendations are definitely going on my list. I never had Yi Fang here in the states but because it is from Taiwan I had it back home before. They are known for their fruit teas so it was my go-to back then! Thanks for sharing.