My Fave Bites: Starry Kitchen - Where Rice Balls Rival Meatballs

Japanese Meatball Curry Banh Mi Sandwich

Starry Kitchen, the downtown LA brainchild of husband and wife team Nguyen and Thi Tran, didn't take the ordinary path to becoming a restaurant. It began as an underground eatery run out of their apartment in North Hollywood, proving once and for all that good things can indeed come from the Valley. Uh, like, whatever!

I first heard about their down-low shop through The A-Girl, my frequent dining companion and a friend of the couple. She raved about their food. At the end of their underground run, Nguyen and his "Kitchen Ninja" spouse were serving 50 to 60 people a night before the health inspectors shut them down (ah, government regulations). You can read all about it in this great LA Weekly article.

But don't fear--this story has a happy ending.