Chichen Itza Restaurant

Finally an authentic delicious Cochinita Pilbi that even the Mayans would be proud of. This particular dish reminds me of my abulita (grandmother) uncles, and aunts because, growing up in the Yucatan they would prepare this meal every Saturday afternoon which was then marinated in a special blend of spices, citrus juices and wrapped in banana leaves (to keep it moist) and then buried in the earth in a fire pit to slow cook overnight. an on Sunday morning after church, we would dig it up and feast!
Since coming here to work as an artist for Walt Disney, I have been searching for authentic Mexican food. So, all I can say is, who knew the cuisine of the Yucatan, could be found in a strip mall in south central los Angeles. Ja!
If Guy Feridi featured this place on the cooking Chanel you know it’s good. And who needs security when this place is packed with LAPDs finest. Oh man the poe-​poe. I came here for one reason and one reason only and that was to try their claims of authentic Chichén-​Itzá Cochinita Pilbi. And I’m here to say, it’s the real deal.
My chubbiness was growling with hunger as I orderd my Pilbi. When they brought it to my table the air was filled with the mouth-​watering scent of slow-​roasted pork and the sweet scent of corn flour handmade tortillas.
They brought me (2) plates the pilbi, Spanish rice, and black beans. The Pilbi was a hearty quantity topped with vinegary-​marinated onions, habanero, an It’s base was a banana leaf. Now they got the most important component to this dish right, and that is the marinade of annatto seeds combined with other spices, including cumin and cloves, to create an orange/​red paste sauce. I put more habanero sauce an I was immediately hit by an intensely rich explosion of flavors. The sweetness to the meat, the combination of spices, citrus, and habanero gave it an earthy kick, that flipped my cap back! I love habanero I sat there chewing on them like bubble gum. Even LAPD was like damn you’re a bad ass! That’s right!
The rice was light and flakey and tasted as if it had some chicken broth in it so good. The black beans were equally delicious a great meal and by far one of the best I’ve tasted. Could I be picky and say more of course I can. I grew up watching masters prepare this dish every Sunday.
I will say that Chichén-​Itzá restaurant is the real deal. They have created their own signature Cochinita pibil and that’s awesome! For it being the most famous dish in the Yucatan it’s not a fancy dish and there’s hundreds of recipes dating back hundreds – if not thousands – of years however; when this dish is prepared correctly, its one of thee Finest meals on earth.
Do I think it’s the best. hmm I dunno however, it’s pretty damn close and it’s authentic, amazing, and the portions are really good, I’ll will be back for sure.
Maybe if someone was to give Donald Trump a plate and put a couple splashes of tequila in it, he would chill out and come to understand that, my raza are a beautiful and loving people.
Let’s stop the hate and violence please!

This place is really close to the USC area. We headed there for Lunch and it was pretty crowded, mostly staff from USC. There are other eateries as well there and they all share a common seating area, so you get the picture.
We ordered the Panuchos and the Torta De Pollo Asado. I felt the tortillas were little char burnt and the turkey was prefect.
I really liked the Chicken from the Pollo Asado, it was succulent and juicy and grilled to the right extent.
I’m going back again in sometime to try their Torta De Cochinita Pibil, my friends told me its really good as well.

Great food, excellent service. Torta de pollo was amazing and the appetizer panuchos were bomb!!!

Chichen Itza, that’s all you need to know. If and when you find yourself in the esteemed Mercado la Paloma, do yourself a favor and eat here. I promise you won’t be disappointed; I can’t describe the mouth watering, tastebud exploding, and olfactory overloading goodness that Chichen Itza has to offer. You just have to try the chochinita pibil once, twice, thrice even. Aw geez, you know what else you need to try? Everything else (I personally haven’t had a chance yet but one day).
You won’t break the bank here either, everything is under $ 10 except for the plates which are more like $ 12 or so. Order, take a number, seat yourself and prepare yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually for a meal that will take you to new dimensions. Oh, there’s also the added benefit of habanero sauce to boost the flavor. So there you have it, Chichen Itza, a legend come to life.

I can’t understand what all the fuss is about with this place. Waited in a long line and finally ordered. Waited 25 minutes for our food to arrive. Had an overly sweet horchata. The Loganiza Asada was very good. The Poc Chuc tacos had a weird gamey taste. To me it tasted like spoiled meat. Had one bite and did not finish it. Left the other on the plate. $ 5.50 down the drain. The Conchinita Pibil was just ordinary. Been there, done that. Not going back.

The tikin xic is one of the best fish dishes I’ve had in LA. I’ve never seen this dish or have had the delicious achiote sauce anywhere else. Their homemade horchata is delicious as well. It tastes nothing like the premixed horchata you find everywhere else.
I’m a regular here and will drive an hour plus to get the tikin xic.

Chichen Itza Restaurant is located inside the food court of El Mercado La Paloma a short drive away from the California Science Center. A parking lot was available with some shade, which I greatly appreciated.
Their food court is bright and cheerful. Once I placed my order at Chichen Itza, I was given a wooden order stand that they could use to ID me and to bring me my food.
The horchata $ 1.99 and the Tacos de Pescado (Fish Tacos) $ 5.99 for two breaded fish tacos with tartar sauce, lettuce, cabbage, and pico de gallo made for a satisfying lunch. Each taco was chock full of fish and veggies pleasantly overwhelming the soft taco shell.
The poster advertising their Pescado Playa Lancheros (Mesquite Grilled Whole Branzino, avocado, rice & beans, pico de gallo, corn tortillas $ 17.99 plus tax looked absolutely terrific too.

Two words describe this place– cochinita PIBIL!!! One of the most delicious meals I’ve had. I would like to take this to heaven while I chant– cochinita Pibil pibil Pibil! This meal was much better than the Pibil I had in the Mayan village while exploring yucatan Cenotes. This meal brought me back to life. I will certainly make my way back to this wonderful restaurant.

I can’t wait to return to Chichen Itza!
You walk into the building and it’s a small marketplace with different vendors and walkup restaurants. Chichen Itza features Mexican food in the style of the south east of Mexico, like where Yucatan is. It is not the average Mexican food I am used to they surprisingly use turkey in a few of their dishes.
You walk up, order, and they give you a table number. Then you seat yourself in a shared dining area for all of the restaurants. When your order is ready, staff serves it to you.
We shared an order of Panuchos which was two homemade tostadas with black beans, turkey, avocado, and red onions. They came out a bit lukewarm, but they were really good and bigger than expected. They can easily make a meal of its own.
I had the pollo asado and DH had the Cochinita Pibil. Again, the dishes were a bit on the lukewarm side. But every bite I had of the pollo asado was delicious. It had flame grilled chicken, rice, black beans, and grilled plantain. Excellent! DH really enjoyed his Cochinita Pibil.
The menu has many dishes I have never tried before, so I definitely want to go back soon to try something else. It will be a challenge to not get that pollo asado again, though.

So bomb. It’s like a little food court inside a mini strip mall with a lot of cool restaurants inside, mainly Mexican/​southeast Mexican dishes. Feels like I am in a different city. There is one Thai restaurant though. It has its own parking lot.
This restaurant is a Yucatan (South Eastern Mexico) restaurant. Me and my gf shared the most popular items on the menu Panuchos, and Cochinita Pibil. Really love the crispy tortilla split and stuffed with beans, along with avocado, shredded turkey and red onions (Panucho). Their banana habanero sauce is bomb for how spicy it was. The Cochinita dish came with rice, beans and warm tortillas. The meat was marinated to perfection. We were pretty stuffed after sharing these 2 dishes. Will def be back!

I didn’t expect to find Chichen Itza in the type of location it sits in… perhaps being in a mini mall/​plaza/​food court type of space is one of the main reasons it still flies relatively under the radar. And hopefully it stays that way!
The cochinita pibil is the star of the show here — it’s moist, rich, and as wonderful as you’ve ever had the dish before. The one can’t-pass-on item on the menu if you ask me. The panuchos are also *spectacular*!!! It was my first time having those, and certainly won’t be my last. The tacos de chicharrones were really good too, although I’m not much of a chicharron person and mainly tried them due to strong recommendations from friends, so I’m not the best person to ask when it comes that.
Overall Chichen Itza was a very unique, excellent experience. I’ll be back shortly!

つº oº つ RAISE YOUR CUTLERY つº oº つ
Quick Bite:
Really awesome food, great flavors. The fish tacos are balanced perfectly and the tamales are delicious and unique. Worth your taco dollar.
Full Course:
Being one of the best tacos vendors (actually, if I had to choose, Chichén Itzá served up the best taco of the event) I’d tried at Tacolandia 2015, I was rather surprised to find that this particular taco peddler was tucked away in the back of what can only be described as a pseudo-​shopping mall near Koreatown. I guess the parking around there is bad enough that they deem it ok to not only offer valet parking, but charge $ 7.70 for the privilege. $ 7.70. Dang dudes, it’s as if they think they got the holy grail in there or something. After audibly scoffing at the valet sign, I admittedly had a difficult time finding a street space, but I did about 3 blocks away. So there, take that valet people.
After making my way past a variety of novelty shops and uninspired-​looking eateries, I made it to Chichén Itzá and looked over their menu. This restaurant specializes in Yucatan-​style cuisine, which, if you’re unfamiliar (I can’t say I’m an expert), includes dishes that I would in my unprofessional perspective be simply described as variations on the kind of food you’d see from elsewhere in Mexico; tacos featuring egg and tomatoes or a lime-​and-​turkey tortilla soup. If my explanation seems inadequate, you’re in luck, because Chichén Itzá sells cookbooks on Yucatan cooking. Kinda cool.
Anyway, I wanted tacos, kind of the point of the whole visit, so that’s what I ordered. 2 fish tacos, a side of black beans, and a vaporcito (basically a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf). The tacos were perfectly balanced, and the black beans had seriously great flavor. I think the only thing disappointing about the vaporcito is that it disappeared so quickly, every tamale I’ve ever eaten until that one was just bigger, Chichén Itzá makes awesome tamales. The fried plantains that came with the tacos were delicious as well. Bam. Good food.
It’s totally a tiny restaurant, complete with the hustle and bustle and service staff you’d see in any other brick-​and-​mortar establishment. I hope Chichén Itzá makes it outta that weirdly tucked away slice of shopping mall someday, they’ve got some real taco game.
— The Gourmand League

Came with some sisters after Church… this was the only place with a line, which is telling. I had the Pollo Asada plate, which was pretty large but it was so good, I pretty much almost ate it all… came with chicken char grilled, rice, plantains, beans, muy dilicioso!

Located in culturally-​vibrant haven of a Mercado just a short walk under the highway from USC, Chichen Itza is an amazing Yucatan hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant that will not disappoint.
Despite the sketchy walk we had to take, I brought my friend and her family here for dinner, and we were pleasantly surprised! My friend and I ordered and shared the Torta de Poc Chuc and the Torta de Pollo Asada (both $ 7.95). Both sandwiches came with black bean, avocado, tomato, roasted onions, and either charbroiled pork or chicken. They also came with a side of tortilla chips and a spicy potato salad.
First impression: fresh, crisp bread, nicely cooked pork, but a little bland. The server was extremely nice and brought me some hot sauce and salsa to liven up the sandwich a little more.
Unfortunately, the wait for the food was definitely on the longer side ~ 10 minutes when the place wasn’t even too busy, but I was extremely full by the end of the meal, so I left very content.
Recap: great dinner spot for some authentic food, close by to campus, great service!

Awesome lunch today in LA. We wanted the flavors of Yucatan and we got the flavors of Yucatan. Papadzules, Kibis, Plantains, black beans, rice, and Cochinita tacos! Horchata was very good as also. The price was very reasonable at $ 34

Chichen Itza does not disappoint. I came here the other night for a tasting of some on menu and some off menu items. I haven’t eaten everything on this menu; I’m sure going to try.
Our evening started with a drink, and I ordered the chaya, a refreshing green drink made from leaves and blended with spinach and other ingredients. Light and palate cleansing.
We were brought out bowls of sikil-​pac, a roasted pumpkin seed coarsely blended, with tomato, chive, habanero and other spices. The discussion with my Latin dinner mates was a debate if this was closer to a hummus or a babaganoush. Delicious. I think the chef needs to pack these and sell these to stores.
Next course was a roasted corn soup. The corn was cooked on ashes, the kernels removed and then pureed into a soup. Smokey and delicious. Note this is an off menu item.
The next item was the mini tortas of poc chuc, one of their signature pork preparations. Poc chuc is the Yucatan pork loin, and goes perfectly great in a sandwich. The bread for the tortas are also made in-​house. Lovely!
The last dish of the night was fish tacos. Not just any fish. The chef brought out a 29 pound grouper caught in Mexico, marinated in citrus and seasoned with spices. Butterflied and laid on a layer of banana leaves and presented on the sheet pan. Served with house made tortillas, avocado, and two kinds of salsa. Are you kidding me? Between the cheek meat in the giant ugly fish head and charred meat on the fish body, I was in heaven how good this was. Note this is a special order item and must be ordered ahead of time.
I enjoyed this meal greatly and look forward to coming back.

How cute is Mercado la Paloma?! Hidden away close to USC and the DMV, Chichen Itza in the Mercado la Paloma was exactly what I was looking for in a quick and tasty lunch.
The menu is pretty big and interesting (and they help you out by listing all of the ingredients in the items on the menu), but my friend and I stuck to the fish tacos. They were really super yummy (especially with that hot hot hot sauce!) with a side order of black beans and rice. Trust me, if you get frijoles and/​or arroz, it is PLENTY for two people — they basically give you a whole soup bowl of it! The fish tacos themselves were good… perhaps nothing overly-​special, but definitely authentic and yummy.
You can park in the lot right next to the Mercado if you can find a spot and get your ticket validated with purchase — awesome! Now that I know how close this is to USC, I’ll be stopping by here after school more often!

Great. Quality food, creative and authentic – no wonder it has all these amazing reviews, they’re all well deserved.
The staff is also super sweet and thoughtful. Check our picture, they surprised my son with birthday flan for his first bday.
What we had:
Torta De Pollo Asado– I usually don’t love chicken unless it’s perfectly barbecued or well prepared, well I can easily say that the chicken in this torta was fresh, deliciously seasoned, and cooked to perfection — broiled with flavor and yet juicy.
Tacos De Pescado — Some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had, period. I’ve had fish tacos all over Baja, including Ensenada. I’ve had them in the well-​known fish taco spots around LA and San Diego. Whoever designed the Tacos De Pescado at Chichen Itza must have tried fish tacos from all over the place, just like I did, and then decided to create a recipe following best practices.
Ensalada De Papa — This is a little work of art. Definitely not a run-​of-​the-​mill potato salad. In addition to it’s exciting texture, there’s a seasoning that’s reminiscent of my father’s cooking (he’s quite the chef).
The food, the laid back family environment made it a very good experience.

Venimos por recomendación de Unilocal y por todos sus reviews. Valió toda la pena.
Pedimos sopa de Lima; deliciosa! Los papadzules muy buenos, sólo faltó un poco de sazón en los huevos. Y los panuchos estuvieron muy bien.
El agua de guanábana natural y fresca.

Hold the habanero! I’m not feeling that burn. I had lunch at Chicken Itza accidentally while I was hungry at the DMV just a block away. Chicken Itza has been on my radar for some time and while leaving the DMV I saw Mercado La Paloma across the street and walked in. Noticed Chicken Itza was located inside which is a restaurant I’ve bookmarked years ago.
The interior of Mercado is a small version of Grand Central Market minus the new hipster joints. The name of this restaurant appears to have lots of chicken dishes but it’s actually named after Mayan pyramid in Yucatan, Mexico which is where the flavors of this restaurant come from.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure on what to order. Wish I ordered cochinita pibil but instead ordered the bistec a la Yucateca. This dish is a skirt steak similar if not the same as a carne asada with onions that came with rice, black bean purée, and plantains. The skirt steak was tangy, marinated in lemon. Tasty but nothing I would say memorable. Good though. Some of the plantains were freshly fried but a few pieces came from the warmer. It also came with a salsa and corn tortillas. I skipped the fresh habanero but stuck with the bottle instead dashing my entrée for some added heat and flavor.
Overall, the food was good. I need to come back to try other items on the menu.

Muy bonito el restaurante, muy limpio y muy buen servicio. Yo fui a comer con mi esposa y la verdad quedamos sorprendidos no sólo por el servicio si no por los platillos. Muy deliciosos

This place is amazing! Chichen is located inside the Mercado de Paloma. on Grand Ave… most likely a place you wouldn’t drive by unless you know what you’re looking for. It’s super close to USC but it’s on the other side of the freeway. The good news is that the plaza has its own free parking lot. There are also tons of meter parking on the street if it gets really busy.
1. Cochinita pibil — slow roasted pork marinated in some heavenly sauce that other Unilocalers can describe better than I can. It comes with serve with rice, beans, and tortillas. I can barely pronounce half the words that I read on the menu but this is one succulent dish! Chochinita pibil is juicy, tender, and mouthwater and I enjoyed every bite of it. Watch out for the orange pepper on top… it is one fiery pepper!
2. Pollo Adobo is chicken done right. The tender chicken is nothing short of savory. The adobo is some sort of voodoo magic marinate that soaks through the chicken meat, leaving not a spot of dryness. It’s finger licking delicious!
The Habanero hot sauce comes with a real kick! Use with caution!
The restaurant is great for a large party since the plaza contains many tables that can be put together.
Chichen Itza is an amazing hidden gem (correction: not hidden to Unilocalers and Jonathan Gold’s top 101 list)! I know very little about the Yucatecan style cuisine but Chichen Itza represents it very well!

Nada mas acabo de comerla y me encanto! Volveria muuuchas veces mas… Felicitaciones al chef y la atención es espectacular. Todo lo que comimos lo recomendo el chico que nos tomo la orden y nos encantó… 5 estrellas muy bien merecidas!!! Vale la pena!!!

Cochinita Pibil.
Yes.