Mercado La Paloma

Top choice in Los Angeles


If you're near Expo Park or USC, it's totally worth the five-minute walk under the freeway to this fabulous food hall. About a dozen restaurant stalls sell everything from Yucatan to Ethiopian cuisine, ceviche to coffee, while other stalls sell Mexican souvenirs, sports merchandise and more.

Top billing goes to Chichen Itzá, winner of numerous awards for gourmet Yucatan cooking such as achiote-marinated pork or chicken and tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Holbox does fantastic fish-of-the-day ceviches and fish and seafood tacos, while the cafe and juice bar Oaxacalifornia serves Oaxacan specialties such as cinnamon-orange flavored cafe de olla, or the chamango dessert made from mango sorbet with sliced mango, tamarind and spicy chili powder.


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