Sesame LA, 926 N Hill St, Los Angeles (Chinatown), CA 90012
I don’t think Chinatown had anything like Sesame before – it’s a modern Asian-American mini market/ foodie boutique that’s been mentioned in Bon Appetit, LA Times, LA Magazine, etc. It looks like a boutique and carries fresh flowers, produce, snacks, condiments, olive oil, coffee, tea, prepared foods (mostly Vietnamese), etc. I saw some Vietnamese coffee beans that I’d never seen before, some cookies that I like (got them at Cookbook Market which is similar but larger and not Asian), a brand of kombucha that I hadn’t tried, etc.
I talked to the owner who clearly has a passion for everything inside the shop. The food in the refrigerated case did not have signs or labels, so I had to ask what they had. I also noticed that a lot of things did not have any prices displayed.
Vietnamese braised and caramelized pork belly cubes & 2 hard boiled eggs with rice and pickles ($12): Homestyle and way better than the version I had at Be U. The pork belly was so tender and the fatty parts melted in my mouth. The sauce tasted like it was made with soy sauce but it wasn’t too sweet. I think I detected five spice. The rice and stew were not packaged in microwaveable containers.
Cashew sesame financier by Kala: Nothing like the usual financier, the top was chewy like a Chinese sesame candy, the middle was so moist and the cardamom was a delightful addition.
I also bought some cookies and kombucha.
The market is 250 sq feet, so it doesn’t carry enough for you to do all your grocery shopping there, but so far the food that I’ve tried has been exceptional and I love how the shop is filled with interesting items to try. Everything looks stylish too.