An American sports bar serving a sort of Italian-Indian mash up menu? Welcome to LA where creativity and freedom underpin what’s one of the world’s most exciting restaurant scenes. Leave all preconceptions at the door of Pijja Palace, a perennially packed joint in Silverlake and get ready for the dish you never new you needed in your life – the malai curry rigatoni. We have have become unofficial London ambassadors for Pijja, and this dish in particular, telling anyone that will listen to us of its genius, twisting up a classic tomato vodka sauce with malai curry spices to create one hell of a rigatoni pasta. The green chilli chutney pizza is also epic, as are the dosa onion rings. Our only regret is, owing to huge American portion sizes, we didn’t get to try more. Go with a group, or go extremely hungry, and try as much of the menu as you can – Pijja Palace is one of our all-time LA faves.