Artwallah is not your Mama-ji’s typical Indian party…if it had been, the food would have been a lot better, the music louder, and the place more packed with old people who are somehow related, talking about other people’s marriages, gold jewlery and pickle recipes.

A celebration of art and culture, Artwallah, curiously at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, skews towards the youthful, underground side of South Asian life in the U.S.– the indie Indians if you will. Thus present were a smattering of groovy Gujaratis, new-wave New Delhians, punk Punjabis, rockin’ Rajasthanis, hoo-ridin’ Haryanayans, tuned-in Tamils and utterly-progressive Uttar Pradeshinans, along with their neighbors in the subcontinent, such as bangin’ Bangladeshis and savvy Sri Lankans (yes, we really could do this all day).

What Artwallah lacked in attendance (and great food), it certainly made up for in the spirit of both those attending in support of the community and the sheer camaraderie of celebrating South Asian heritage together…(CONTINUED BELOW)

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North Figueroa St. ~ Highland Park

Western Ave. & 2nd St. ~ Koreatown

Tiki Ti ~ 4427 W Sunset Blvd ~ Los Angeles, CA 90027 (Taco Map)

Bold statements on websites are inevitably debunked by commenters, but I’ll put in my two cents and say the Tiki Ti is Los Angeles’ best after-work bar. Yes, a drink will set you back $10 or so, but two large sips from the straw will result in all of the day’s problems melting away. A $10 drink at the Tiki Ti is worth 3 $5 drinks anywhere else, so you actually come out ahead even after tipping your owner/operator bartender. As you puff on your (legal here) cigarette, you can ponder the futility and inferiority of drinking anywhere other then this family-owned living legend on Sunset.

Ohio Ave. & Kelton Ave. ~ Westwood (Since removed…)

Melrose Ave. & Fuller Ave. ~ West Hollywood

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Barry Ave. below Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles (Eastside of Vons)

El Paladar Oaxaqueno has a neighborhood following you don’t always see with taco trucks/trailers on the westside of Western, which often have a random, drifting clientele coming and going serendipitously from the bars or are mobile units dispatched to construction sites on call or by routine.

This great white beauty is perpetually perched on the eastern corner of Vons on Barry Ave., right below Santa Monica Blvd., slinging small tacos; dry, folded, pizza-like clayudas; plus hearty tortas and big-azz burritos. From lunchtime to the wee hours of the night, westside families, couples on dates, weary workers, and neighborhood ballers n’ shotcallers get thier sustenance aqui, in the heart of a bastion of Oaxacan residences and apartment complexes. Although we’ve had one or two lackluster experiences here and prefer the truck boasting the name of the fantastic, nearby restaurant Juquila, everything Paladar Oax. touches is typically quite excellent.

Those familiar with Middle Eastern shwarma will surely respond to the rotating spit of pastor spinning on the mobile kitchen’s left flank. I’m typically more a fan of pastor than stewed carnitas or asada steak; its complex balance of squish and crunch, and mild flavor-saturation difficult to pull off with precision. It can be too oily or too dry, sometimes without the pork-rind texture we crave. Paladar Oax’s pastor does not acheive said balance, despite holding a nicely spiced curry within its medium-sized chunks of pork, it was a little too charred at our arrival, resulting in a hard pastor that, despite great taste, was too chewy.

The asada, on the other hand, does not disappoint. Over 70 small bites of peppery, juicy steak covered our tiny corn tortillas with a small smattering of oinions and a hearty spread of cilantro. Savory, not oily, it is just resistant enough to be chewy while still giving that melt-in-the-mouth feeling we love in steak. El Paladar Oaxaqueno is not always perfect but pretty damn close, plus its tiny tacos (at $1.25) are more expensive than tacos typically come. But just like a best friend or a handle of tequila, it is always there when you need it.

For years, you’ve seen this guitar god all over the state, from Dead shows up north to Jane’s Addiction concerts in the Valley. But local legend and Kama Kosmic Krusader Harry Perry is most typically associated with the Venice Boardwalk, where he most often posts up, transmitting space signals with a fuzzy guitar and small amp in a turban, kingly white frock and rollerblades. Rumors abound that Harry inspired David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and is going for a star on Hollywood Blvd. Whether this su-su is true, we got five on it!