The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we’re always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here’s the very best of everything the team has eaten this week.

Isaan sausage at Mae Malai in Thai Town

Matthew Kang

The story of Malai Data’s stand-turned-permanent restaurant serves as a true American success story. Mae Malai went from serving noodles to opening at a nearby retail development surrounded by Jamba Juice, a bank, Daiso, and a Ralphs grocery store. The wide storefront belies the dining room’s relatively small size, leading to some waits for a table. Your patience is rewarded by a flavor-packed bowl of the city’s best new boat noodles, jammed with liver, tender pork, and rice noodles with an umami-riddled broth. The size reflects a typical one in Thailand, so order at least one per person, and maybe another if you’re still in need of boat noodles. (I would likely need three for a complete meal.) However, my experience was overshadowed by the house-made and fermented Isaan sausage, grilled to a near-jerky level and sliced into bite-sized pieces. Isaan sausage will always be one of my favorite Thai dishes of all time, informed by my street food experiences in Chiang Mai. Mae Malai’s version captures the chewy but fermented essence of the dish, sided with crunchy cabbage, cucumber, raw ginger, and chiles. My only regret was not having a bottle of cold beer on the side. 5445 Hollywood Boulevard, Unit A, Los Angeles, CA 90027. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Little goat crepe at Cafe Crepe in Big Bear Lake

Rebecca Roland

With the slew of storms that have blown across California in the last few weeks, a trip to the mountains for a weekend of snowboarding was a non-negotiable. When in a ski town, there are just certain cravings that hit a little differently. Among those are crepes. Now, I can’t tell you the last time I had a crepe here in LA but as soon as I saw the roadside cabin in Big Bear doling out crepes, I knew I would be there at some point over the weekend. Cafe Crepe offers both sweet and savory varieties, but I went for something in between — the Little Goat with added prosciutto. The crepe comes out thin, gently blistered, and hot. Inside, goat cheese folds around strands of prosciutto before being topped with roasted almonds and honey. 41003 Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315. — Rebecca Roland

Lechon kawali at Kuya Lord in Melrose Hill

Dining at Kuya Lord during peak hours can test one’s patience with its tight quarters, winding lines, and DIY service. But for those who persevere or visit during off-hours, the reward is wonderfully prepared Filipino fare that’s fresh and filling. Long waits tend to cause me to order more dishes than originally intended (as I have time to hem and haw over the menu), so in addition to the fish collar that came with the Kuya Tray, I added a link of sweet tocino sausage and a side of lechon kawali for good measure. While all the proteins on the table were truly fantastic — the seasoning on the collar boasted a faint hint of curry, while the sausage was taut and juicy — the pork belly with its crispy skin and tender, fat-streaked meat had me swooning. The housemade vinegar was just the thing to mellow the pork’s richness. 5003 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor

Vegetarian breakfast burrito at Wake & Late in Pasadena

Wake & Late

Breakfast burritos can provide caloric fuel for an entire day, but one must choose wisely. Don’t get me wrong, grubbing on a massive breakfast burrito can be useful but it can also put one down for an early nap, plus some specimens lack balance and textural contrast. I prefer the vegetarian burrito at Wake & Late. At both the Pasadena and Downtown locations, Wake & Late’s breakfast burritos are a third smaller than average and built with pasture-raised eggs, avocado, cheddar, and pickled jalapenos, all inside a flour tortilla. What elevates this burrito to top-tier status are tater tots; those babies add crunch to contrast softer ingredients. Douse with the chipotle aioli and savor anytime from 7 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. 525 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91101. — Mona Holmes, reporter

CFO burrito at Bites and Bashes Cafe in Lomita

Matthew Kang

Lomita’s Bites and Bashes Cafe from Julie Coser and former Eater staffer Crystal Coser’s catering company of the same name recently realized that the area needed a boost in breakfast burrito creativity. In the past few weeks, they’ve expanded their breakfast burrito menu from a classic sausage/bacon number to one incorporating Cajun, Korean, and Mexican flavors. The CFO burrito — studded with tender pork chile verde and filled with black beans, rice, scallions, and cilantro — was my favorite of the bunch. The comforting stewed pork had a gently sweet undercurrent to balance the other ingredients, with the cheesy eggs providing a pillowy cushion underneath the flour tortilla. The others were terrific too, like the Korean pork-filled Taco Truck. In the past, South Bay denizens had to trek to Wilmington’s Isaac’s Cafe, Redondo Beach’s Phanny’s, or Hermosa Beach’s Baran’s 2239 for great breakfast burritos but there’s a new destination in town. 25600 Narbonne Avenue, Lomita, CA 90717. — Matthew Kang, lead editor