It’s not often that I’m in the L.A. area (yes I live in L.A. but you know The Valley isn’t L.A – L.A), so when I get the opportunity to make my way over the hill I’m always keeping an eye out for interesting food spots. Well, imagine my delight to cross paths with a soul food restaurant on my way to dropping my kid off at the Stray Kids concert at SoFi Stadium. I see a crowd of people gathered outside at their pick up window. You can walk up and order outside or dine in. So, as soon as I dropped my kid off I rounded the block, found a place to park and made my way inside.
As soon as I walked in I am greeted by a patron sitting at a table facing the door. He seems to be thoroughly enjoying his meal, we exchange words and I tell him I was excited to find a soul food spot so I had to stop in. He said this was his first time too, he had just dropped off a client at a nearby hotel and stopped in before he had to head back to San Diego.
I was seated by the hostess/waitress and the gentleman from San Diego and I continued to converse from our respective tables. I ordered the dinner special – fried chicken, macaroni, candied yams and gravy smothered cornbread dressing. It came with two cornbread rolls, sweet tea, and a slice of dessert of my choice, of course I chose the chocolate cake, but peach cobbler was on the menu.
The food is served in plastic containers, it’s almost as if they know you won’t finish it all and will need to pack it up to go. Now I’m going to be honest, is this the best fried chicken you’ve ever had? No. Is this the best macaroni and candied yams you ever had? Certainly not. But will you thoroughly enjoy this meal and be transported to a time when family would gather at grandmas or great aunties house for home cooked potluck meals? Absolutely yes. You won’t even have to have been raised in a black family to get it. It’s comfort food, it’s delicious, it makes you squint when you chew it because it’s that pleasing to the palate.
I couldn’t tell where the macaroni ended and the cheese began, it was so soft and cheesy. The candied yams were sweet, but not too sweet. The cornbread, not as sweet as I like it, but good nonetheless. I throughly enjoyed this meal. I’m stuffed. I’m satiated. I’m ready for a nap.
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen has 2 locations in Los Angeles. Learn more here.
