The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Year in Los Angeles, 2025 | Eater LA

"During the four years Konbi was open in Echo Park, I was a devotee of its katsu sandwiches, often going out of the way to line up outside the window for crispy slabs of pork tucked between fluffy milk bread. And while there are plenty of other outstanding katsu sandwich spots (including Katsu Sando in Chinatown), I still chase the high of Konbi. On a recent trip to Cafe 2001, I felt reunited with the sandwich from my memories. Although Cafe 2001’s katsu sandwich doesn’t have slaw like Konbi’s did, the two feel like cousins to me with a balanced, savory sauce; thick-cut pork; and cloud-like bread. Sliced into thirds, the sandwich is easy to share with a group. Be sure to add in orders of sage-tinged french fries and a slice of bright lemon tart with a bruleed top. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang