Not everyone is aware of the phenomenal exotic restaurants and food markets in and around Los Angeles in every price range.

We all know how to obtain Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Indian and Persian food in L.A., so you don’t need a guide for that.

Yet whether you have a taste for Ethiopian, West African, Moroccan, Soul Food, Cajun/Creole, Brazilian, Cuban, or Jamaican/Trini food, I’ve got you covered with this comprehensive list!

I have eaten at many (though, not all) of these establisments — and so far, it’s been
two forks up! :-D

So if you’re ready for a satisfying change of pace from the usual sushi, salads, and pasta (and who isnt?!), then read on.

Note: The list of food markets follows the restaurant guide.

***AFRICAN RESTAURANTS (North/South/East/West Africa)

Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant www.marrakeshrestaurant.com
- 13003 Ventura Blvd., Studio City (818) 788-6354

Tagine Moroccan Restaurant - 132 N. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills
(310) 360-7535

Ngoma Restaurant (All of Africa is featured at Ngoma) www.ngomarestaurant.com - 5358 Wilshire Blvd. in Mid-Wilshire (323) 934-1595.
Ngoma serves wonderful seasoned greens, and I love their African stews! The owner is a nice lady. She puts her heart into her cooking. Homestyle African cuisine at its finest!

Awash Restaurant 5990 1/2 W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (323) 939-3233. I have nothing but praise for this place!

Fassica Ethiopian Restaurant www.fassicarestaurant.com - 10401 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 815-8463

Meals by Genet Ethiopian Restaurant www.mealsbygenet.com 1076 Fairfax Ave. (323) 938-9304

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant www.messob.com 1041 Fairfax Ave.
(323) 938-8827

Nyala Ethiopian Restaurant www.nyala-la.com - 1076 South Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90019 (323) 936-5918

Rahel Ethiopian Vegetarian Cafe www.rahelveggiecuisine.com - 1047 South Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019 (323) 937-8401

Rosalind’s Ethiopian Restaurant - 1044 S. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90019 (323) 936-2486

Lagos Cafe - 14044 Crenshaw Blvd. Gardena, CA 90249 (310) 768-3972. Lagos serves primarily Nigerian food.

Veronica’s Kitchen 528 West Manchester Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 673-4890

***JAMAICAN/CARIBBEAN RESTAURANTS***

Cha Cha Chicken www.chachachicken.com 1906 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 581-1684

Ciudad www.ciudad-la.com
445 S. Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 486-5171
Ciudad serves a wide variety of Latin food from South America, as well as the Caribbean.

Derrick’s Jamaican Restaurant www.derricksjamaican.com 6806 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (310) 641-7572

Havana on Sunset 5825 West Sunset Blvd. #105, Hollywood, CA 90028 310-566-7342. Authentic Cuban food!

Jamaican Cafe 424 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA (310) 587-2626

La Bodeguita de Pico www.labodeguitadepico.com 5047 Pico Blvd., Los Angeles 323-937-2822

Larco Mar Peruvian Rotisserie and Coppelia’s Bakery
10825 Venice Boulevard West Los Angeles, CA 90034 (310) 838-0375
~I know where Peru is on the map, but this establishment serves up great Latin chicken, rice and beans and the attached bakery sells several Caribbean cakes.
Read my review here. Yum!

Madre’s Restaurant www.madresrestaurante.com
897 Granite Drive Pasadena, CA 91101, (626) 744-0900
Yes, this is owned by JLo, Jennifer Lopez. However, as of July 15, 2008, Madre’s is closed until further notice.

“Naturali Art” Market & Jamaican Restaurant - 3426 West Washington Blvd. (323) 737-9277

Pelican Belizean - 4254 South Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA (323) 232-5487

Porto’s Bakery & Delicatessan www.portosbakery.com
In Glendale: 315 North Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91203 (818) 956-5996.
In Burbank: 3614 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505 (818) 846-9100.
~Porto’s features to-die-for desserts, and those scrumptiously authentic Cuban sandwiches. I highly recommend their guava pastries, mango mousse and Latin cakes!

Port Royal Cafe 1412 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA (310) 458-4147

Posh on Pico is located, well um, not on Pico for now, as they are moving to a new location (or so they’ve said for months now). My friend swears by their Latina Burger and the agua frescas. Posh has great side items and drinks: plantain chips, caramelized plantains, rice and beans, mango salad, and ginger lemonade.

Versailles Cuban Restaurant. www.versaillescuban.com
GET THE GARLIC CHICKEN! It’s super-tangy and garlicky, but you’ll get used to it.
But make sure you tell them to not overcook the fried plantains! Versailles has
several locations, including:

CULVER CITY
10319 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Wi Jammin’ Caribbean Restaurant - 5103 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019 (323) 965-9809

***SOUL FOOD RESTAURANTS***

Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch www.auntkizzys.com - 4325 Glencoe Ave. Marina del Rey, CA (310) 578-1005

House of Blues www.hob.com/venues/clubvenues/sunsetstrip - 8430 Sunset Blvd. (323) 848-5100. HOB’s Sunday Gospel Brunch is highly popular featuring a hearty menu.

JR’s BBQ www.jrs-bbq.com 3055 S. La Cienega Culver City, CA
(310) 837-6838. Owned and operated by mother and son Jeanie Jackson and Bobby Johnson. Friendly atmosphere! This Memphis-style BBQ establishment is a Los Angeles fixture. Everything is fresh, and so GOOD!

Les Sisters Southern Kitchen
2181 Devonshire, Chatsworth, CA (818) 998-0755

Miss Peaches - 5643 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA (818) 760-4924

Mom’s Barbecue House - 14062 Vanowen, Van Nuys, CA (818) 786-1373

Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles - SEVERAL LOCATIONS: 5006 W. Pico Blvd. (323) 934-4405 & 1514 N. Gower St. Hollywood, CA (213) 466-7453.
What A TREAT this place is every now and then. Everything is fresh! Their waffles are laced with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Their candied yams are perfectly sweet.
I have yet to have a bad experience at Roscoe’s. Not health food, but exceptionally good!

Soul Vegetarian www.soulvegetarian.com
World renowned eatery Soul Vegetarian recently opened its first west coast restaurant at 4067 W. Pico Blvd. on the corner of Pico and Norton, two blocks east of Crenshaw Blvd. Phone: 877-206-1550. Customer favorites include macaroni and cheese, their down home greens, black-eyed peas, yams….and much more!

***BRAZILIAN RESTAURANTS***

Bossa Nova 212 S. Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 550-7900.
Crowded place, but decent enough food. Go on off-peak times.

Bye Brazil Restaurant 1615 Cabrillo Ave. Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 787-7520
I was referred to this authentic churrascaria by a Brazilian man who insists this is the best Brazilian food one can find in Cali.

Fogo de Chao www.fogodechao.com 133 N. La Cienega Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA (310) 289-7755. This upscale establishment gets consistent “five star” reviews. One of the nicer Brazilian restaurants, so dress accordingly.

Pampas Grill www.pampas-grill.com - at The Farmer’s Market @ The Grove on 3rd & Fairfax. What a succulent Brazilian buffet! Great grilled meats, salad bar, black bean stew (Feijoada), rice, fried plantains, etc.

Party Brazil www.partybrazil.com (818) 468-6474 - Party Brazil caters amazing Brazilian fare.

Ummba Grill www.ummbagrill.com
Westfield Century City Mall, next to the food court upstairs
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., # 200A Century City, CA 90067
(310) 552-2014

***CAJUN & CREOLE RESTAURANTS***

La Belle Creole www.labellecreole.org (Haitian, American, Creole Food & Catering) - 1271 S. La Brea Ave. LA 90019 (323) 965-7700

Stevie’s Creole Cafe - 16911 Ventura Blvd., Encino (818) 528-3500

The Gumbo Pot www.thegumbopotla.com - at The Farmer’s Market in
The Grove at 3rd & Fairfax. I love their jalapeño corn muffins!

Uncle Darrow’s www.uncledarrows.com 2560 South Lincoln Blvd. (North/East corner of Washington & Lincoln Blvd.) Marina del Rey, CA 90292 (310) 306-4862

_______________________________________________________

FOOD MARKETS

African Produce Central Market - 4564 W. Washington Blvd. (323) 932-1722

Cost Plus World Market www.worldmarket.com - (323) 935-5530 at The Grove @ 3rd & Fairfax carries an enormous selection of imported foods and products. It’s a fusion of Pier 1 and Trader Joe’s. This was one of the only places where I could find Walkerswood Jerk Marinade.

Kitanda Brazilian Market www.kitandabrazil.com - On Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. They even carry Brazilian beauty products - yeah!

Light My Fire - (323) 930-2484 in The Farmer’s Market @ The Grove carries nothing but spices, hot sauces, and bbq sauces.

Merkato Ethiopian Market www.ethiopianmerkato.com - 1036 1/2 Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, California 90019 (323) 935-1775 or (323) 935-1796

Sinclair Trading, Inc. www.sinclairtrading.com - 864 Produce Court, Los Angeles 213-627-6063. Now this joint right here is the spot! They carry a huge selection of Caribbean spices and products.