"Scoring a meal in a convenience store really amps up the whole "convenience" thing. Sometimes, that meal might be just a sad tuna sandwich, but other times, it's special enough to overshadow everything else. Gingergrass Mini Mart in East Hollywood falls into that coveted "special enough" category, with a creative Vietnamese menu that's one of the best quick lunch options in the area. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp For context—this is the second location of the Silver Lake restaurant with the same name, but it offers a very different experience. There are three tables on the sidewalk for dine-in, but, as its name implies, this shop is a mini-mart: a small grab-and-go shop with a cold case and a handful of shelves lined with Asian drinks, condiments, and beef-flavored Cheetos. And while shopping for chili crisps and duck tongue-flavored Lays is definitely part of the fun, prioritize eating a full meal here. Gingergrass's cold case is stocked with pre-packaged salads and portable bites like ahi-tuna stuffed spring rolls with a side of basil aioli. Those are perfectly fine—especially if you're on a takeout mission—but we prefer the hot food. Don't worry too much about time, either, because the kitchen spits out orders quickly. In less than ten minutes, you're served thick, chewy dan dan noodles in a nutty, lemongrass-infused sauce with grilled minced pork that's charred around the edges. The juicy popcorn chicken comes coated in a thin but sturdy crust stained yellow from turmeric. Braised beef tacos on flaky parathas are brightened up with cilantro and pickled onion, and the sparkling umeboshi lemonade is so refreshingly tart it'll make your mouth pucker. After eating all of these intensely flavorful things within half an hour, the bar for any convenience store will be set unreasonably high. There might not be the paper towels or dish soap your apartment desperately needs, but you'll walk away from Gingergrass with something better: a unique, delicious meal served before your one-hour parking meter runs out. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp Drinks Gingergrass Mini Mart wears a few hats, one of them being a cafe with a varied drinks menu. Options range from simple (a traditional Vietnamese coffee) to very busy (a nutty ube latte made with silky homemade coconut cream). Our favorite among them is the umeboshi lemonade. This zippy, brain-tingling drink is concentrated salted plum diluted with Topo Chico, lemon, and fragrant herbs. It's extremely difficult not to chug in seconds flat. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Turmeric Popcorn Chicken These little fried chicken bites are so juicy they taste like they soaked in a broth jacuzzi before diving into the fryer. The turmeric-infused dredging is super crunchy but not too thick to feel like a bready mouthful. Instead, the spiced crust is light, crackly, and melts away with the chicken juices. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Lemongrass Dan Dan Noodles This is the best dish on Gingergrass’s menu. The noodles are thick and chewy, and the creamy sauce clings onto them like a coat of paint. At first, you taste sweet peanuts, but then the lemongrass heat and punchy garlic chili oil come through to liven things up. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Paratha Tacos These flaky, buttery parathas are very good tortilla dupes, especially when some durability is needed. Both the fried chicken taco (made with a creamy slaw and the turmeric popcorn chicken) and the egg and tater tot taco are a bit heavy, but the braised beef taco is special. Tender beef cubes are packed with the taste of star anise, while green scallion and cilantro balance out the meat's fat in what feels like a nod to Taiwanese beef rolls (which we love)." - Sylvio Martins
