Uncle John’s Cafe, DTLA
I was browsing around different sites and I found one that talked about how Uncle John’s is one of the best breakfast finds in Los Angeles. Since I’m a big fan of breakfast and joints in Downtown LA, I thought I’d try it.
Owned by a Chinese American couple, who have owned it for over 11 years, they run Uncle John’s like the neighborhood breakfast bar as it is. This little dirty hole in the wall looks like it has been here way before recent Downtown influx of new tenants.
Once I saw the menu, with Spicy Pork Chop with the Fried Rice, I knew I had to order it. You rarely see any breakfast meat with Pork Chops on any menu. This is similar to a Cantonese style breakfast in Hong Kong. This particular pork chop was also spicy with the spicy peppers with seeds. It was way too spicy for my tongue, but I motored through. I admit, I did brush away most of the peppers toward the end. Also, this dish also has the option of potatoes or fried rice with eggs. In the spirit of this place and this pseudo Chinese breakfast – I asked for fried rice this time. Unfortunately, the fried rice wasn’t that good. It was a bit dry and too salty.
With all the faults this place has, with a pork chop that is too spicy, a fried rice that is too salty, and a place that leaves your clothes and skin oily from the open range grill, I would still come back to this. I enjoy the nostalgic feel of this old fashioned diner experience. Even though it is only open for lunch and breakfast, I’d still try to make my way to this place, again.