SUNNY-SIDE-UP is the way to go for the eggs on La Mañanera, an ideal choice for late breakfast or early lunch when Stephanie Figueroa and Juan Saravia’s Pico-Union restaurant opens mid-morning. The runny yolks will merge with the salsa ranchera spooned over the top and flow like an estuary through a layer of curtido before reaching the cheese-filled pupusa underneath. Swipe every other forkful through crema for extra richness; there is a small cup of casamiento, a pilaf-like merger of rice and beans, on the side for grounding goodness. Figueroa and Saravia take fundamentals of Salvadoran cooking and rework them affectionately, smothering pupusas with their versions of al pastor and guacamole or transforming chorizo into a smashburger. It’s their contribution to the L.A. culinary conversation, and their charm speaks volumes. At the heart of the menu are excellent pupusas, balanced in density and crackle-gush ratios, filled with traditional blends of cheese and refried beans or outside-the-box additions like pepperoni.

• 1051 W. Washington Blvd., #G, Los Angeles, (213) 749-4573, lapupusaurbana.com