Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

Prior to coming to Los Angeles, I had a lot of high expectations due to the glamorized version of the city represented online via my favorite influencers on various social media, including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. I spent hours scrolling through hashtags telling me of the best places to eat, drink and meet new people. With full transparency, I thought I was completely prepared coming into the City of Angels.

Being plant-based, I was most excited about all of the food recommendations I was seeing on TikTok and Instagram, as well as what I’ve heard from some of the influencers I’ve met while living here. A couple of girls from the program and I decided to take a taste tour of L.A. to find some of our new favorite spots, and the results were pretty shocking.  

For coffee, we decided to go to Frenz Coffee, which we had heard about on TikTok. While the ambiance met our expectations, and the presentation of our drink was unique (the faux honeycomb sat on top of the drink, slowly melting to create a different flavor profile every time you took a sip), the taste itself was lacking. Cute for a quick photo-op, but not necessarily something we would be dying to go back for.

For an appetizer, we decided to go to Sage Vegan Bistro, which was recommended to me by a local. We tried the three-wing platter, which featured BBQ, sweet and sour, and buffalo sauces. I’ve honestly never had more crispy and delicious cauliflower wings in my life, and I definitely was tempted to stay at the restaurant to enjoy the rest of my courses there. FYI, I’ve already made a reservation for next week if that tells you anything.

For dinner, we swung by Flower Burger, an all-vegan shop that is known for its Instagram-worthy colorful burgers. We ordered the iconic Flower Burger and were blown away with the presentation. Unfortunately, it was only that — the presentation. The taste was just … meh, and for $15 I was expecting something that would give me a “wow” factor. Needless to say, I won’t be going back.

Finally, we chose Oakobing for dessert, which is a restaurant for Korean-style shaved ice dessert. This was recommended by a local food blogger, and probably all of our favorites of the places we visited.  

Have you noticed a pattern yet? Every place that was recommended to us from a huge social media platform wasn’t anything other than a cute photo-op. My point is, when it comes to L.A., social media makes the city seem like a sort of paradise, where nothing bad happens and only good things will come your way, and that statement applies to more than just food. Don’t get me wrong, I love this city and everything it has to offer, but the way the media shapes it isn’t at all like the reality of what it is: just a city.

My advice to anyone reading this who plans to come to L.A.: Explore the city with what you want to do, not what Instagram or TikTok says you should. Go see that musician you always wanted to see at the Bowl, or take a weekend trip to the beach with friends. Try out Philz Coffee (because yes, it is worth all the hype) or In-N-Out (and wait in that ungodly line). Check out Melrose Trading Post or the farmers market and support local businesses. Most importantly, don’t let social media affect the way you discover the city, and fall in love with the city itself rather than the persona influencers portray of it on social media.