When dining out in the United States, there are several things to remember: 1. American-sized portions are huge; 2. all restaurants serve ice water for free and without fuss (and they also give free coffee and iced tea refills); and 3. compared to Hong Kong prices, everything seems cheap.
In California, Mexican food is as common as won ton mein in Hong Kong. Skip the generic Mexican places and head to Olverra Street, one of the oldest sections of Los Angeles. This small colourful street has several restaurants. The best and most authentic is La Luz del Dia (107 Paseo de la Plaza, tel: 213-628-7495).
Try the carnitas tostada (US$2.85, or HK$22) - a deep-fried tortilla piled high with guacamole, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and carnitas (roast pork). The carnitas also make great soft tacos (US$1.30), and an unusual and delicious pork skin, which is first deep-fried then made into a very spicy stew. Order it with a side plate of rice or the heat can be overwhelming. Lunch for two costs about US$11.
Across town is one of LA's oldest restaurants - Musso and Frank's (6667 Hollywood Boulevard, tel: 213-467-7788). Although the area is seedy these days, in the past it was an upscale area of Hollywood.
The old-fashioned menu is heavy on the meats. We tried the bouillabaisse Marseillaise (US$26) - an overflowing bowl of seafood in a wonderful fish broth. Light eaters should order a salad or appetiser and split the bouillabaisse. The sweetbreads jardiniere (US$14.25) were tender and savoury. Dinner for three (main courses only) was US$80.
For celebrations, our favourite restaurant is Campanile, owned by the former chef and pastry chef of Wolfgang Puck's renowned restaurant, Spago's. The husband-and-wife team, Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton, also own La Brea Bakery adjacent to Campanile.