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Food Network star and cookbook author Jet Tila comes from three generations of restaurateurs. In the 1930s, his grandparents fled China and settled in Thailand, where they ran restaurants inspired by his grandma’s Cantonese heritage. His parents later immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. In 1972, they opened one of the first Thai grocery stores in the U.S., Bangkok Market, and followed it with a Thai restaurant a few years later — a rare thing in the States at the time. As a kid, Tila could be found doing his homework at the back of the family restaurant, or stocking shelves in the market.
“I was forced to fall in love with food early on,” he remembers. “My cooking represents the neighborhoods where I grew up in LA: between Thai Town, Chinatown, Koreatown, and Little Tokyo.” His culinary journey took him to school at Le Cordon Bleu, where he learned classical French technique to match his deep knowledge of Asian cuisine. After graduation, Tila landed a job writing about food at The LA Times.
“I learned that food could travel farther than our restaurants, our grocery stores — it could impact a whole lot more people,” he says. Tila loved getting to tell the stories of the cultures and people behind his favorite foods; he wanted to go deep.
In the quarter century since, telling stories has been at the heart of how Tila sees his work. Though he’s a prolific best-selling cookbook author, Tila is best known for starring in the Food Network’s “Ready Jet Cook,” where he takes viewers through the journey of preparing Asian dishes, from shopping to prepping and cooking. He’s also the culinary brains behind Dragon Tiger Noodle Co., which shares and remixes a wide array of pan-Asian noodle traditions with locations in Nevada and Colorado. (This is all on top of the impressive lineup of restaurants he’s opened in LA and Dallas. Oh, and just for fun, he holds the Guinness World Record for the “World’s Largest Stir-Fry” at 4,010 pounds.)
This fall, Tila is hard at work on a cookbook celebrating Chinese dishes. “My family is ethnically Chinese, and I’m excited to put a lot of my grandmother’s recipes on paper,” he says. “Plus, Chinese food in America is exciting right now.”
But between all that storytelling — the writing, filming, consulting, the envisioning what’s next — you might find Tila ordering highly delicious Los Angeles eats from DoorDash. “LA is so big; we all live in our bubbles,” Tila reflects. “DoorDash gives me the opportunity to get what I don’t want to be driving an hour for. It’s a way to get to my favorite restaurants without having to wait in line or fight for reservations.”
It’s safe to say Tila knows the best spots to order from in LA, and lucky for us, he shares some of his top picks right here.
What do you order when…
…you want to get the day started right?
Yeastie Boys Bagels make a great bagel. I order The Birdman — smoked turkey, bacon, and sprouts on an everything bagel — plus a half dozen bagels to throw in the freezer for later.
…you’re craving ramen?
JINYA has hands down one of the best tonkatsu ramens in LA.
…you want to settle in and watch some Food Network shows?
We’ll order Korean fried chicken from Kyochon Chicken. They have giant baskets of wings and a ton of different flavors — perfect for game day, or binging Food Network competitions.
…you’re feeling tacos?
Guisados Tacos. Their sampler is the best because they’re smaller than street tacos — like 3-inch tortillas — so you can order every single taco. They’re all excellent, from the cochinita to the veggie to the mole.
…you want to treat yourself?
It’s kind of cool that I can order barbecue, which is perfect for when you want to throw down. We get the mixed plate with sausage, brisket, and ribs from Holy Cow BBQ. They have some of the better tri tips around.
…you’re ready for some comfort food?
Being able to have DoorDash deliver matzah ball soup and a Pastrami Rueben from Canter's Deli is incredible. Definitely finish up with a black and white cookie.
…you’re too tired to drive to Thai town?
Thai Town can be hard to decipher, but some of the best Thai restaurants deliver. Ruen Pair is great and they make the best papaya salad in L.A.
…you don’t want to wait in line for dim sum?
You could wait at Din Tai Fung, which is wonderful, for an hour. So ordering in is a great hack.
…you want a sure win?
Daybird. Where else can you get a Szechuan fried chicken sandwich made by a famous chef? [from Mei Lin.]
…you’re after a sweet treat?
Beard Papa's, which is a Japanese chain. There’s something amazing about getting fresh, warm eclairs delivered.
PHOTO CREDIT: courtesy of Jet Tila
