LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Gingergrass Mini Mart
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Scoring a meal in a convenience store really amps up the whole "convenience" thing. Sometimes, that meal might be just a sad tuna sandwich, but other times, it's special enough to overshadow everything else. Gingergrass Mini Mart in East Hollywood falls into that coveted "special enough" category, with a creative Vietnamese menu that's one of the best quick lunch options in the area.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
For context—this is the second location of the Silver Lake restaurant with the same name, but it offers a very different experience. There are three tables on the sidewalk for dine-in, but, as its name implies, this shop is a mini-mart: a small grab-and-go shop with a cold case and a handful of shelves lined with Asian drinks, condiments, and beef-flavored Cheetos. And while shopping for chili crisps and duck tongue-flavored Lays is definitely part of the fun, prioritize eating a full meal here.
Gingergrass's cold case is stocked with pre-packaged salads and portable bites like ahi-tuna stuffed spring rolls with a side of basil aioli. Those are perfectly fine—especially if you're on a takeout mission—but we prefer the hot food. Don't worry too much about time, either, because the kitchen spits out orders quickly.
In less than ten minutes, you're served thick, chewy dan dan noodles in a nutty, lemongrass-infused sauce with grilled minced pork that's charred around the edges. The juicy popcorn chicken comes coated in a thin but sturdy crust stained yellow from turmeric. Braised beef tacos on flaky parathas are brightened up with cilantro and pickled onion, and the sparkling umeboshi lemonade is so refreshingly tart it'll make your mouth pucker.
After eating all of these intensely flavorful things within half an hour, the bar for any convenience store will be set unreasonably high. There might not be the paper towels or dish soap your apartment desperately needs, but you'll walk away from Gingergrass with something better: a unique, delicious meal served before your one-hour parking meter runs out.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Drinks
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Turmeric Popcorn Chicken
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Lemongrass Dan Dan Noodles
photo credit: Jessie Clapp