Jitlada, a tiny Southern Thai restaurant tucked into a Hollywood plaza, has earned national acclaim thanks to chef Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee’s menu that runs over 300 dishes deep. However, Jitlada wouldn’t be what it is without Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong, Tui’s sister and the restaurant’s front of house dynamo. When time allows, Jazz has been known to jump into the kitchen to prepare off-menu dishes like the Jazz Burger ($17.95). Order ahead, and if Jazz is there, she’ll mold and marinate fresh ground tri-tip. She grills and serves the thick patty on a bed of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and basil. The other accouterments are always a bit different, depending what’s in stock, but during my visit, I encountered shaved red onion, spicy green Thai chiles and light yellow secret sauce.

This Middle Eastern restaurant from the Ghadanian family resides in a Van Nuys strip mall. Halebi traditionally refers to the people of Aleppo, which is where the family’s from, and certain dishes have unique Syrian twists, including Ras Nana ($13). The Ghadanians flame broiled a 10-inch patty crafted from ground beef and lamb until it sports a winning sear, then submerge the results in a tangy pool of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and dried mint.

Chef Jenee Kim’s latest venture, located inside the ever-expanding Figat7th food court, features an LED screens that do a good job of helping to guide people on how to order. The packaging, with protein stacked separately on top of rice or noodles, is also thoughtful. Mix and match your choice of protein with base and sauce. My favorite combination is Dduck Gal Bi ($8), hamburger steak flecked with leeks and onions, slathered with savory gravy and served with pan-fried noodles and Oleego hot sauce. The customizable bowl is available with a base of white rice, brown rice, egg fried rice, kimchi fried rice, or mixed greens; Oleego soy sauce, spicy soy sauce, or bean paste sauce. Basically, it’s choose your own Korean adventure. Just make sure that culinary voyage involves Dduck Gal Bi.