"Do you ever say “cow” when you pass your first cow on a road trip? After one visit to Bhan Kanom Thai, you’ll probably say “Bhan Kanom” every time you pass the East Hollywood strip mall that houses this Thai bakery and mini-mart. At Banh Kanom, delight is at full throttle. For starters, they make the best mango sticky rice in the city (temperature and texture are always spot on). But they also have fresh coconut pancakes, jellies, puddings, cakes, and dumplings. Get some grilled sticky rice with banana or taro, and the gooey, bite-sized taro cakes studded with corn kernels." - nikko duren, sylvio martins