Some say that LA is a wasteland of concrete, nothing more than an endless sea of strip malls, a growing list of plastic surgery gone wrong, gang violence and a fascination with image. Yet for those that wish to see it, there is color of life that weaves through it each day.
One of my favorite things in LA is the rich diversity of food, and my most favorite of all is the taqueria. When I was in Egypt and Malaysia real Mexican food was impossible to find. We take for granted how easy it is for us to get all the ingredients together to make it. Mexican food is really really good in LA and is perhaps one of the most under-valued cuisines. Once you go abroad and realize you can't find it anywhere, you might also respect how delicious and fresh it really is. Then there is an LA taqueria, a daily aspect of life for millions of angelenos and a requirement for those that want to truly understand the culture here.
I think the hot dog used to be the food most assumed to be the street food of Los Angeles, much like the falafel of Cairo, or the Nasi Kandar of Penang, to me it's clearly the taco, burrito or tostada.
Of all the Mexican restaurants I have been in LA, one of my favourites is El Taurino on Hoover Street. You know it's good because if you don't speak a little Spanish, there is a good chance you won't know your order is ready. It's a perfect place to eat tongue or brains for the first time. Don't know what to order? How about ordering about 6 tacos and trying one of each. Can't go wrong there. The sauce is hot as shit too, so I recommend you dumping it all over your food.
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