As Lazy As An Ox, As Hungry As A Hippo

where food soulmates meet

Before having a religious experience at the Air concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall two Sundays ago, I was blessed by the patron saints of food at The Lazy Ox Canteen in the Little Tokyo district of Downtown Los Angeles.

Greeted by a cozy and urban atmosphere and illuminated by architecturally giant-size lightbulbs, The Lazy Ox is for foodies looking for something different and downright existential.

It’s hard to describe the food because it was just the most interesting and experimental combinations I’ve encountered in a really long time.  And this is coming from the guy who once ate Fried Bat in San Francisco (it really tastes like chicken!).

In order to just gauge how awesome this place is, I’m just going to tell you what I had.  There were four of us, but we ate a feast fit for eight.

Dashi Marinated Yellowtail with Avocado, Hash Browns, and Creme Fraiche:

—We started off the night with this delectable dish.  Hands down, the best yellowtail I’ve ever had (sorry, Noshi but still check out my review in the Hungry? City Guide: Los Angeles Handbook!).

Pig Ears with Pickles, Lime, and Horseradish Sauce

—I think my friend’s remark explains it all: “The pig ears were like decadent strips of bacon, I swear!”  Pickles, lime, and horseradish sauce?  How the hell do these people even think of putting these things together?!

Pig Ears with Pickles and Lime and Horseradish Sauce

Khlili (Moroccan-Style Beef Jerky) Served Over a Fried Egg on Toast, Topped with Red Pepper Sauce

—Holy $#!& this was good.  The Khlili is sprinkled on top of the fried egg, and it’ all doused in a sultry sauce.  It is true: the best breakfasts are for dinner.

Khlili over fried egg

Lengua Ravioli

—To be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of this.  The texture was weird, and I didn’t think the combination worked.  However, I still appreciated the risk of it.

Lengua Ravioli

Lamb Cheek

—Lamb anything is good.  Lamb cheek at Lazy Ox is perfection.  Soft, tender, and jam packed with flavor.

Pork Shoulder

—An excellent companion to the lamb cheek.  Who knew meat anatomy was so delectable?  It came with an insane barbeque sauce.

Pork Shoulder

Butter Biscuit with Strawberries and a Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

—I really don’t know how we managed to make room for dessert, but it was just too delicious to pass up.  The strawberries were sandwiched between two warm and insatiable butter biscuits.  After you take a bite of that, you have some vanilla ice cream, and your mouth just screams in delight.  It was a pure Ratatouille moment.  You know, in the movie when Remy The Rat pairs two foods together and sees hallucinogenic colors.  It’s exactly like that.

Strawberry & Butter Biscuit

Tapioca Brulee with Pineapple Sauce

—After all we ate, how could we only order one dessert?  A very sweet but very awesome tapioca with a sugar-crispy outer shell that felt so good to bite into, it was all a happy surprise.  Complemented with a bottomless pineapple sauce, you have to wonder why these two items have never met before on any other menu.

Tapioca Brulee

Combined with an eclectic mix of imported and domestic beers (St. Bernardus and Flying Dog “Raging Bitch” IPA are big winners here) and rich, flavorful wines, our meal reached near perfection.   The cool thing about this place is that like Downtown, the menu is constantly changing every week with innovation and casual elegance.  After our meal, ”Captain” Vincent Cummings came over to ask us how the meal was.  He then gave us a 10% discount for being downtown natives!

Love is in the air at The Lazy Ox because not only do they pair foods really well together, they find their soul mates.

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The Lazy Ox Canteen

241 S. San Pedro St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

213-626-5299

www.lazyoxcanteen.com

***all photos courtesy of fellow Yelpers (www.yelp.com)