LA’s Lugya’h added
L.A.’s Lugya’h — serving Indigenous Zapotec dishes from Oaxaca cooked over live fire with generational recipes — was recently added to Michelin’s guide radar and is getting buzz for its authenticity. (x.com)
Alfonso “Poncho” Martínez is the chef and co‑founder of Lugya’h and was named a 2024 James Beard Awards semifinalist in the Best Chef: California category. (jamesbeard.org) Lugya’h operates as a counter inside Maydan Market at 4301 W Jefferson Blvd in West Adams, where patrons order at the stall and dine in the food‑hall seating. (maydanmarket.com) The concept evolved from Poncho’s Tlayudas, and Martinez has said the large, thin tlayuda tortillas used at Lugya’h are sourced through his sister‑in‑law from a single family in Oaxaca. (la.eater.com) Reviewers single out the tlayuda paired with proteins such as moronga (blood sausage) as a signature, and one tlayuda plus a grilled meat has been noted to cost about $25. (theinfatuation.com) The Lugya’h menu on its ordering page lists dishes including Mole de Pavo and a black‑bean Tamal wrapped in banana and avocado leaves, with rotating, seasonal preparations described in the listings. (order.toasttab.com) Co‑founder Odilia Romero — executive director of the Indigenous nonprofit CIELO — co‑hosted Lugya’h’s first communal, family‑style Zapotec dinner on March 4, 2026 at Maydan Market. (laist.com) Romero was recognized as Council District 9’s “Woman of Impact” on March 14, 2025 for her Indigenous community advocacy, tying the restaurant project to ongoing local organizing work. (cd9.lacity.gov)
