A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to brunch by a fellow foodie! My friend Nitar works as the Community Manager for Tastemade, basically the coolest foodie app ever – think Yelp meets Youtube. I was in the mood for a sweet and savory brunch, so she suggested Jist Cafe in Little Tokyo. It’s safe to say that I am obsessed. From the outside, it looks like a little hole-in-the-wall, but the inside inside reveals a cute, light-filled room with casual tables and a register to order from. A small side door reveals a sizable dog-friendly patio, perfect for a more low-key Sunday brunch with friends. It feels like you are dining at a friend’s house, not a restaurant in the middle of Little Tokyo. Scroll and down to read more and Watch our Tastemade video!
We indulged in one of their signature dishes, the Chashu Hash Skillet. This is easily one of the best savory brunch items I’ve ever eaten. The marinated pork belly is served with perfectly crispy and diced breakfast potatoes and topped with two 6-minute eggs. The eggs. The perfectly cooked eggs – YUM! Everything is better with an egg on it, and it gave us a great ooey-gooey food shot in our video! If you need something to break up the rich flavor of the marinade, you can order a side of white rice with it.
I don’t take pancakes lightly. Every breakfast place makes them, but a lot of the time they are less than satisfying in either flavor or consistency. I was hesitant to try pancakes here for this reason, and I feel stupid for even questioning them. It was the last day they were offering their seasonal Pumpkin Spice pancakes, so obviously we had to try them before they were gone. O.M.G. If all of their seasonal pancakes taste this good, I can’t wait to come back and try them. They weren’t overly pumkpin-y or too sweet and had the perfect mix of spices to compliment the flavor.
Between Stumptown Coffee, the patio, and the delicious food, this place is my new favorite! I highly recommend planning your next Sunday brunch here!
For more information, visit http://jistcafe.com/.
To watch our Tastemade video, click here: https://www.tastemade.com/places/jist-cafe-116-judge-john-aiso-st-los-angeles-ca/1zzQ5nRDSdmSdRKd4V6fsg