Little Bangladesh is one of L.A.'s smallest neighborhoods, tucked away just north of Koreatown. Its few, unassuming blocks provide an apt metaphor for the abundant land of Bangladesh itself; a tiny country sitting in the shadow of one of the most prominent in the world.
It’s been 13 years since Little Bangladesh was recognized by the City of Los Angeles as an official neighborhood. I recently took a walk through its streets to get a feel for the neighborhood and its food.
If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t have immediately perceived that I was in a dedicated Bengali neighborhood. Unlike, say, Koreatown or Little Ethiopia, where your surroundings make such things obvious, primarily due to the abundance of restaurants specializing in the recipes of the countries they represent.
Bengali restaurants aren’t as dominant as one may imagine here. I saw nearly as many Chinese, Mexican, and Thai restaurants on its blocks. Even within Little Bangladesh, Bengali representation felt relatively lacking.
That feeling changed once I stepped inside some of these restaurants.