Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.
Too many years back, I wrote a very self-indulgent listicle that was about so-called “essential” Long Beach dishes; dishes that I loved and could depend on as long as that place existed—and I wrote it because there’s something so elemental and useful about a specific great dish at a specific place. It was less about some grander proclamation than it was about, “This is just great food.”
And after a year of not doing such lists, I want to return to it: Hence Brian Addison’s Favorite Things. Not some grand list of “essential dishes”—that is too hard of a burden to put on a restaurant: You better have this and you better have it all the time. But for now, in this moment, I am happy to share some of my favorite things.
In other words: Why not just own the moment? Without further ado, and once again in the third person, Brian Addison’s favorite things he is eating across Long Beach…
Yukhoe (육회) with crispy rice from Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House
621 Atlantic Ave.

I have a deep respect for restaurants that choose to evolve while also maintaining the loyalty of their patrons—and Sura Korean BBQ and Tofu House is a prime example of that. From offering vegan menus long before they were trendy to their most recent installation of table-top grills to their patio last year, owners Claire Kim and Brandon Su highlight traditional Korean food but also aren’t afraid of Californian sensibility or, in their latest update, hire a Korean chef who isn’t afraid to push boundaries in both offerings and presentation.
Take, for example, the space’s stellar take on yukhoe, or short rib tartare: Perfectly crisped rice cakes are topped with finely chopped Angus short rib that oozes with layers of sesame, soy, lemon, and a creaminess not from the drizzle but the quality of meat itself.
Oh, and there is so much more: Tteok mandu guk. Tofu beullok. Busan mackerel. Look for the full feature tomorrow, Jan. 26.
Venison carpaccio from The Attic
3441 E. Broadway

I am very much obsessed with Chef Cameron Slaugh’s entire revamp of The Attic’s menu—and it is because it represents foods that have been truly and deeply American all along but have been overshadowed by our provocation toward the basics. Beef. Chicken. Only that kind of fish. Here, we have duck pâté. Fried quails. Grilled sardines. I am shocked he didn’t include rabbit, but alas, he did include deer.
Venison is a meat long loved by hunters and Southerners—my father one of them—and approached more trepidatiously by diners inexperienced with the lean meat; seeing its gorgeously red tint lined raw is Chef Cameron directly urging us to explore more. Beautifully creamy—far more than its beef counterpart—Chef Cameron lines the circles of deer meat with dried cherries. Dots of dijon and pickled golden raisins. Little leaves of thyme. Pieces of pistachio. Ribbons of rucola. It is a wonderfully fulfilling dish.
Greek lemon chicken from Pita Pitaki
3401 Cherry Ave.

Pita Pitaki’s charming, absolutely awesome owner, Penelope Marangos, has indeed been the heart of this hidden Greek gem. As a result, it isn’t just a great Greek restaurant; it’s one of the most consistently quality, underrated Long Beach restaurants around. Casual. Unfussy. This little space—definitively the most underrated Greek restaurant in the city, if not the region—serves up delectable versions of the Greek classics you love (including, no joke, the city’s best Greek salad dressing).
Reasonably priced, substantially portioned.
And speaking of reasonably priced, their half Greek lemon chicken? It is $16. With your choice of two sides and grilled veggies.
Tacos de canasta from Ruta 15
1436 E. 7th St.

The wonderful world of tacos de canasta, or “basket tacos.” While called tacos de canasta in Mexico City, other regions refer to them as tacos sudados—an unappealing translation of “sweated tacos”—tacos al vapor, or tacos mineros, referring to the miners who often brought the food for their lunch. These soft, moist tacos come with fillings you barely have to chew—and up to this point, the always-consistent Los Reyes del Tacos Sabroso was the only place one could get them.
Now, Ruta 15—the stellar mariscos space on 7th Street next to Taqueria Brand—offers them in a personal basket and all. The innards? A birria-potato combination that creates a meat paste that is the epitome of tacos de canasta. Some pickled carrots, some cabbage, some salsita, and you’re set.
Somlor machu kreung from Crystal Thai Cambodian
1165 E. 10th St.

Those who know me know my love of Crystal Thai Cambodian on 10th Street—or what I call “Long Beach’s home Cambodian home kitchen.” When Cambodian and Cambodian-American residents don’t want to cook but want the food of their culture, this is where they go. And for good reason: the Khmer classics are consistently solid.
Somlor Machu kreung is no exception. This sour tamarind soup—usually served with beef chunks, intestine, and tripe—is a wonderful bowl of warmth. Yes, when ordering the color Machu kroeung and requesting beef (as you should), unless you speak Khmer, you are likely to be asked if you want the intestine and tripe included. I always say yes and encourage you to say yes, but no one will bat an eye if you deny the offer of offal.
Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.