One of my favorite taquerias in LA is Guerilla Tacos in downtown LA. Chef Wes Avila established it and he used the tortilla as a canvas to produce some of LA’s most innovative tacos. In fact, the late Jonathan Gold wrote a feature article about his career. Avila left the restaurant to his chef de cuisine and recently opened Angry Egret Dinette, a restaurant in Chinatown.
Angry Egret Dinette is located in Chinatown’s Mandarin Plaza. The plaza was previously home to Pok Pok LA, a recognized Thai restaurant. My visit was previous to the lifting of COVID restrictions and the restaurant only accepted orders to go. During my visit, the dining room was closed and they had a single take-out window available to accept orders.
Mandarin Plaza is a peaceful courtyard located off of busy Broadway Ave. A few people were milling about, but the plaza was fairly quiet. After I placed my order, I noticed a few people make their way to the take-out window to place their order. I peered in the takeout window in hopes that I could watch Avila in action.
Avila enjoys using Angry Egret as a platform to see which of his creations becomes popular. He uses tortillas and various types of bread as a platform for his one-of-a-kind developments. Big Eye Tuna and Santa Barbara uni are some of the unique ingredients he features.
At one time, I was fluent in Spanish and I now have to translate word by word. I guessed that Mar y Tierra was “Surf and Turf” with a Big Eye Tuna Tostada ($22), Roasted Bone Marrow. The fava bean salsa provided a nice contrast to the bone marrow.
The ribeye on The Olympic was tender and juicy which really set the tone for this sandwich. Peppers, sliced avocado, queso fresco, horseradish cream, and serrano chile nicely complemented the flavor of this sandwich.
Avila combines the sweet and delicate Prosciutto di Parma in his Cubano ($16). He adds the roasted pork shoulder, maasdam cheese, mustard, mayo, and pickles. The use of maasdam over swiss cheese gives this sandwich a slight buttery and nutty taste.
His signature “Hey Porky’s” ($13) brings people over for breakfast. It is a huge breakfast burrito made with a generous amount of roasted pork shoulder, scrambled eggs, melted Oaxacan cheese, pinto beans, and salsa verde.
I was even impressed with the fries ($7). They appeared to be twice fried – super crispy and slightly translucent. Despite the 40 minute ride back home, the fries remained crispy.
Even if you aren’t familiar with Wes Avila, I encourage you to try his food.
Angry Egret, 970 N Broadway Ste 114 Los Angeles, CA 90012; 213.278.0987; aedinette.com