2 Best Restaurants in Downtown and Koreatown, Los Angeles

A classic L.A. Mexican eatery, Guelaguetza serves the complex but not overpoweringly spicy cooking of Oaxaca, one of Mexico's most renowned culinary capitals. Inside, you'll find a largely Spanish-speaking clientele bobbing their heads to nightly jazz, marimba, and rock while wolfing down the restaurant's specialty: the moles. The intense flavors come from intricate combinations of nuts, seeds, spices, chilis, and bitter chocolate. Be sure to check out the pizza-like tlayudas topped with white cheese and tasajo (dried beef) or cecina (chili-marinated pork) and chorizo.

Paying homage to the Mexican border town where owner Teo Diaz-Rodriguez Jr. grew up, Sonoratown is a Downtown L.A. joint that serves some of the best tacos in the entire city. Handmade tortillas, mesquite wood-fired carne asada, and supercheap prices have made this spot a neighborhood favorite and a must-have on any trip Downtown.