X'tiosu Kitchen

101 Best restaurants of Los Angeles

@latimes

"#87 Oaxacan-born brothers Felipe and Ignacio Santiago spent years working in local Lebanese kitchens, and they bring that experience to their baby-blue storefront in Boyle Heights, where they cook Oaxacan-inflected, Lebanese-inspired dishes. The menu at X’tiosu (pronounced “sh-tee-oh-sue,” it means “thank you” in Zapotec) yields various marvels: ruddy, delicately spiced house-made chorizo kebabs; black bean hummus punched up with cayenne pepper; crisp falafel that eschews chickpeas and fava beans in favor of black beans, garlic and cilantro. The high point of the mezze offerings is the herb-intensive nopales tabbouleh salad, which swaps out bulgur in favor of cactus. The dish is simple, clean, bright; you’ll wonder why you haven’t been eating it all your life. Don’t leave without a chicken shawarma taco. The spit-roasted chicken is shaved over corn tortillas and anointed with the house “arabesque salsa,” a creamy blend of tahini sauce and salsa verde. Credit cards accepted. No alcohol. Lot parking. Outdoor seating only."

Sean Glass

@sdotglass