The Brief

Filipino food seems to be finally having its moment, after chef Lord Maynard of restaurant Kuya Lord nabbed a Best Chef in California James Beard award in June. It's a cuisine that's somehow stayed out of the culinary spotlight, despite its bold flavors and mash-up of Indigenous, Chinese, Spanish and American colonial influences.

Since the award, Kuya Lord is now solidly in the public consciousness, and getting rave reviews. If you want to continue your Filipino food exploration, here are some more places where you can experience the heart and soul of the Philippines, right here in the heart of L.A.

Dollar Hits (Historic Filipinotown)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

Dollar Hits is a beloved barbecue spot in Historic Filipinotown, with its outdoor self-serve operation offering an authentic street food experience reminiscent of Manila.

Founded in 2013 as a food truck, it’s now grown to multiple locations, including one on West Temple Street. Here, you can find affordable and delicious meat skewers, including pork BBQ, chicken BBQ, and beef liver as well as non-meat options like kwek kwek (orange-battered quail eggs) and fish tofu. For the adventurous palate, try pork ears, beef intestines, and yes ... grilled chicken butt.

It also has a lively outdoor atmosphere and a communal dining setup, making it a great place for a late-night meal.

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

L.A. Rose Cafe (Hollywood)

Nestled in the heart of Hollywood since 1982, L.A. Rose Cafe has garnered a loyal following for its authentic Filipino dishes and kamayan feasts, where the food is presented on a banana leaf, and you use your hands to eat.

Its menu includes everything a Filipino lola (grandma) would know how to make, like the staple comfort foods of sinigang, a sour pork and vegetable soup made with a tamarind and tomato base, crispy fried milk fish, and pork or chicken adobo.

The menu also includes a variety of calamansi drinks, a citrus hybrid fruit native to the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia.

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

Point-Point Joint (East Hollywood)

For quick and reliable Filipino food service, look no further than Point-Point Joint. Established in 1988 by William and Rebecca Tan, this eatery brings the "turo-turo" (point-point) tradition to L.A., offering a wide array of home-cooked Filipino dishes with the convenience of fast food.

Its name is true to what happens. It's set up like a cafeteria, where you select the size of your plate and point to what you want. I put a classic Filipino favorite to the test — pork lechon. It hit the spot, perfectly combining fluffy, juicy pork meat with a crunch-fried skin crust. Served with a traditional sauce that mixes pork liver, vinegar, and various spices, it's a fried classic that's hard to deny.

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

Lasita (Chinatown)

A fresh and innovative take on Filipino cuisine, Lasita offers a hip dining experience with a focus on rotisserie and natural wines. Their menu features creative dishes like Chicken Inasal, (BBQ chicken flavored with vinegar, citrus juice, lemongrass and achiote) and Sizzlin’ Pork Belly Sisig, a dish served on a heated skillet with pork belly mixed in with peppers, calamansi juice, onions, garlic and a cracked egg.

There is also a vegan alternative sisig called Sizzlin' Shroom Sisig, which has the same kick as the regular sisig, minus the extra crunch and fatty bits. I recommend it as a healthy alternative option, that goes well as a side dish too. This place is pro at blending traditional flavors with a modern flair. It has a vibrant atmosphere and a commitment to quality ingredients, the perfect spot for food enthusiasts looking to explore contemporary Filipino food.

(

Brandon Killman / LAist

)

Brandon Killman / LAist

Brandon Killman / LAist

Valerio's Bakeshop (East Hollywood)

Now for dessert! Valerio's Bakeshop, a family-owned bakery since the 1950s, offers an authentic Filipino baking experience, specializing in a variety of traditional desserts, like cassava bibingka, a cake using coconut and condensed milk, and ube ensaymada, a fluffy bread topped with butter, sugar, and cheese.

You can also get suman, a traditional Filipino dessert with fragrant pandan leaves and sweet sticky rice, and turon, fresh bananas wrapped in spring roll wrappers and deep-fried. It's all crafted using original family recipes, so you can taste the Phillipines in every bite.

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

“You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

Brandon Jay.

(

Robert Garrova

/

LAist

)

Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

“All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.

(

Even Keel Imagery

)

“The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

Details

Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

Topline:

The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.

(

Destiny Torres

/

LAist

)

Why do they celebrate? 

In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.

(

Destiny Torres

/

LAist

)

Gathering in a time of turmoil 

Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

See it for yourself

The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.