The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 28 | Eater LA

"There is something about hot days that makes me crave spicy food, specifically Sichuan spice. On a recent afternoon when the late-afternoon sun beat down on the city, I found myself in Highland Park looking for some heat. I tucked into jewel-boxed-sized Mala Class, a neighborhood Sichuan restaurant that punches well above its weight, and price point. The tight menu features mapo tofu, dumplings in chile oil, dan dan noodles, and a handful of other dishes. My favorite from the lineup was the dry pepper fried tofu: crispy pieces of tofu dotted in numbing Sichuan peppers. The spice mix was flavorful and still packed a punch; the tofu cubes fried until crispy on the outside with a still-soft interior. Each bite just made me want another, chased by bits of rice and dumplings every so often." - Eater Staff