Mama’s International Tamales

In addition to making some very good tamales, Mama’s Tamales serves our favorite vegan pupusas in the city. This restaurant right across the street from MacArthur Park has the usual vegetable filling options like nutty loroco and spicy jalapeno. But the real star, and the one you should order no matter what, is a fluffy corn cake full of jackfruit revuelta. Every bite blends sweetness from the yellow fruit (which is shredded like pulled pork and marinated in salsa verde) and tang from crunchy curtido. We also love how the melted vegan mozzarella holds everything together with a mild taste and gooey texture that’s still in the ballpark of the stuff we get from cows.