La Abeja Adobada

Mexican Food Los Angeles

This bee doesn’t sting. Not one bit. La Abeja, which translates from Spanish as “The Bee,” has been going strong since Rogelio Fonseca and his parents set up shop in Cypress Park in 1969. The corner restaurant features a wraparound Leo Limón mural that depicts iconic Mexican and Aztec images, including the eagle and the snake. Inside, expect worn wood booths, wood panel walls, a display case showcasing foreign currency, and a surprising appearance by The Three Stooges, who are apparently still big in Cypress Park.

Their signature dish is probably Adobada ($8 Platillo), which features sliced pork shoulder marinated for over a week in a house-made paste of ripe red California chiles and mildly spicy paprika. A cook griddles the chile-soaked meat, forming a pronounced sear. The plate comes with larded beans sprinkled with shredded Monterey jack cheese, fluffy orange-tinged rice, an enlightening mince of tomatoes, onions, and mild green chiles. To boost the flavor further, spoon on moderately spicy salsa of chile Japonais and chile de arbol. The restaurant also serves adobada in tacos, tortas, and burritos, but La Abeja’s pork buzzes loudest on a plate.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.

Address: 3700 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065
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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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