It’s soup season in LA. Here's a guide to our warm, comforting favorites

[Editor's note: this story first published on Nov 29 2024]

It’s chilly right now (aka it's below 65 degrees), so it’s the perfect time to turn to the satisfying coziness of soups.

We aren’t simply talking about your mom’s chicken noodle soup. This is Los Angeles, after all, and there’s a whole slew of delicious broths out there.

As LAist's food editor, I enlisted the help of LAist host Brian De Los Santos to take you on a culinary world tour of our most beloved bowls. We slurped our way through neighborhoods and cultures — and savored every last drop.

Mohinga at Jasmine Market

The Monhinga fish-soup, the national dish of Myanmar (formally Burma) at Jasmine Market in Culver City

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Brian Feinzimer

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Gab: Jasmine Market is a small grocery store that doubles as a cafe, specializing in halal cuisine from Myanmar (formerly Burma). When you first enter, the sweet smell of spices wafts through the air, with brightly colored snacks and candies lined up along the walls.

A house specialty is Mohinga ($12.50), a fish soup, created from stock made from whole fish stewed down to its essence with lemongrass, chili and garlic. It also contains an irresistible combination of whole cooked shallots, a banana stem (said to be good for digestion) and a hard-boiled egg, all garnished with a yellow lentil cracker for an added crunch factor.

Take your first sip and you’ll be greeted with rich flavors and a texture-filled bite, sending your neurotransmitters a-flutter.

Pok Tak at Ocha Classic

Pok Tak seafood soup with a side of steamed white rice and red chili paste at Ocha Thai in Koreatown.

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Gab Chabrán

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Brian: If there’s an O.G. Thai restaurant in L.A., this has to be a contender. Ocha Classic has been serving K-Town for decades, blending Thai and Chinese flavors. Most of its clientele are Mexicans and Central Americans, drawn by its wallet-friendly, fast and reliable menu — and their Pok Tak seafood soup ($13.95).

Many Latinos order it as the siete mares — seven seafood soup — because it reminds them of their home country’s soup. (I still ask for it like this because my parents ordered it that way for years.)

Ocha’s version of Pok Tak is basically a lemongrass base with chili and all sorts of seafood, including fish, shrimp, and mussels, served in a flaming heated serving pot. It tastes a bit sour and salty, but fresh and warm, and we added steamed rice in our soup bowl. Order the chili on the side if you’re not trying to get spicy.

It’s a perfect light appetizer to start your feast at the restaurant. Don’t forget to order the fried wontons.

Pozole at Gloria’s Cocina Mexicana

A bowl of pozole from Gloria's

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Courtesy of Gloria's Cocina Mexicana

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Gab: There's a variety of different types of pozole in Mexican cuisine: verde, blanco, and rojo. Gloria’s specializes in rojo, most commonly found in Mexico City, which uses dried or smoked red chiles.

It’s a bold, deeply viscous broth which reaches a velvety texture from a combination of cooked hominy and fatty chunks of bone-in pork. Those hunks of pork were almost too big to fit onto a spoon, forcing me to grab them out of the bowl with my hands. It resulted in some seriously sticky fingers — but a very happy heart.

Hot Pot (Army Style) at Yuk Dae Jang

Korean Army Stew, or budae jjigae, originated after the Korean War in the 1950s as a survival dish.

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Gab Chabrán

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Gab: Korean Army Stew, also known as budae jjigae ( translation: Army base stew), originated after the Korean War in the 1950s, which left South Korea poverty-stricken. The dish was assembled with whatever ingredients were on hand, many leftover from American wartime rations, like Spam, hot dogs, instant ramen noodles, sliced rice cakes, and, in some cases, American cheese. All went into a seasoned soup containing gochujang (Korean red pepper) and other flavors.

The Army Stew ($52) served at Yuk Dae Jang in Koreatown, is meant to serve 2-3 people, but in reality, it could serve 4-5 people, depending on how hungry everyone is. It’s served hot pot style, with a massive soup pot filled to the brim sitting on top of a portable gas burner. The warm, thick broth is filled with hearty, comforting spice and chewy bits of meat, vegetables and noodles, making for plenty of pleasurable slurps.

Brian: This spot is probably the perfect restaurant to hit up after a few brews at happy hour to get back to life. The budae jigae is a sampling of some of my favorite stuff (rice cakes, spam, ramen noodles) and I’m sure it’ll become one of your favorite dishes. If you’re here early, check out the coffee shop next door, Yeems Coffee, for a java boost.

Wonton Noodle Soup at Delicious Food Corner

Wonton noodle soup from Delicious Food Corner in San Gabriel

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Gab Chabrán

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Gab: Hong Kong cafe-style cuisine is known for its “greasy spoon” vibes, similar to American-style diners, and Delicious Food Corner is a great place to sample it.

I suggest the steaming bowls of noodle soup, with plump wonton dumplings floating in a nest of thin egg noodles and a couple of stalks of leafy Chinese broccoli (aka gai lan) for $11.95.

The last time I was there, I decided to try my luck with a steamy wonton without giving it an appropriate amount of time to cool off, and it instantly burned my mouth. So, don't be me. But I just couldn't wait to take a bite of the fatty goodness of that shrimp and pork combination.

Chowder Burger at The Chowder Barge

The Double Chowder Burger is a double cheeseburger swimming in a bowl of clam chowder

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Gab Chabrán

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Gab: If you ever find yourself in Wilmington, do yourself a favor and head to the floating Chowder Barge to order the Chowder Burger ($15.50).

No, it's not a soup as such, but it is a 5-oz cheeseburger — bun included — that's covered with piping hot white clam chowder, dotting it with tiny bits of potato and clams. For a couple of bucks more, they can add a handful of fried clam strips, which is totally worth it.

The sopping mess of a meal may not be gourmet by most standards, but that’s not the point. It’s a dish that can only be enjoyed in a floating restaurant filled with retro nautical decor, thus putting it in a class all its own.

Brian: This is a great spot to let traffic whiz by while enjoying the clam chowder special with a beverage and a view of the marina. Bring your sweater and sit outside to watch the wildlife that hangs out at the harbor or catch the sunset.

Oxtail and beef shank pho at PhoHolic

Oxtail and beef shank from Phoholic in Westminster

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Gab Chabrán

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Gab: PhoHolic can draw significant crowds, but don’t be dissuaded; the service is efficient yet friendly. The menu is divided into sections: The Beginners, then dishes for the more adventurous, and finally, a section for the pro pho “Holic,” all offering various cuts of beef.

I dove into the Holic section and went for the oxtail with thin shavings of beef shank and small chewy noodles ($15.50). The steaming bowl appeared shortly after ordering, with sides of fresh basil, thinly sliced raw white onions, and jalapeños, all of which I liberally applied .

The succulent cuts of beef came in a light, semi-sweet tasting broth with notes of ginger and star anise. Alternating between slurps of the soup and bites of two juicy oxtail felt almost restorative. Am I a pho-Holic? Guilty as charged.