She’s wrangled horses with Viggo Mortensen in Hidalgo and called Al Pacino “dad” in The Merchant of Venice, but actress Zuleikha Robinson is not above chasing down a food truck for a burger and fries. Fans know British-born Robinson for her roles in the TV series New Amsterdam, the film adaptation of The Namesake and HBO’s Rome. Now she turns up the heat as femme fatale Ilana on Lost, which returns to ABC on Feb. 2. WHERE caught up with
Robinson in L.A. to get the dish.

So how did you score the role on Lost?
Thankfully, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had been fans of Rome on HBO and liked my work. They mentioned they had a possible role for me, but wouldn’t tell me anything about it, only that it was a really important and exciting one.

Can you offer any hints about Ilana’s story line this season?
Unfortunately, we aren’t at liberty to discuss anything. The story lines are kept under wraps, which also makes it very hard to do interviews. I know that my character brings forth a shocking revelation this upcoming season. Wait—or do I? There’s so much mystery involved with the show, even for the actors. We don’t know anything about our characters that hasn’t been handed to us in a script and I feel this adds an extra dimension.

Do you spend time with your fellow cast members off the set?
Yes, there’s three of us—Jeff Fahey, Yunjin Kim and myself—who do the occasional Pilates class, followed by lunch. It’s supposed to be biweekly, but scheduling often doesn’t allow for that sort of commitment.

When you’re not filming in Hawaii, what spots do you hit when you’re home in L.A.?
I love the Hotel Cafe. Some awesome bands come through there. It’s a lovely venue, too. As far as shopping, I enjoy picking through the sale rack when it’s on at Les Habitudes on Robertson. Madley on Abbot Kinney in Venice has some interesting vintage pieces and the owner also makes her own fabulous jewelry made from things that she finds at flea markets. I also live fairly close to LACMA, which makes it easy to pop in there depending on what the special exhibition is.

You live in West Hollywood. What neighborhood spots can you recommend?
There are always lots of fun things going on in the neighborhood. My favorite place to hang in the neighborhood is Little Next Door on 3rd Street. I also love the Green Truck. If you can find it, they have the best organic burger and fries in Los Angeles, hands down. If you are a meat eater and love shabu-shabu, Shabu Shabu Ya rocks!

When you’re playing tour guide for friends or family from out of town, where do you go?
East! L.A. is huge, but it’s sliced up into so many little pockets. Whatever you’re in the mood for, L.A. has, from Koreatown to Little Ethiopia. Then there’s some of the impressive architecture in downtown L.A., where one can easily imagine a romantic bygone era. From Echo Park and the apartment hotels that dot the area, to the Biltmore or Figueroa hotels.

Details
Figueroa Hotel 939 S. Figueroa St., downtown, 213.627.8971 / Green Truck 310.204.0477, greentruckonthego.com / Hotel Cafe 1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323.461.2040 / Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., 323.857.6000 / Les Habitudes 101 N. Robertson Blvd., L.A., 310.273.2883 / Little Next Door 8142 W. Third St., L.A., 323.951.1010 / Madley 1225 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.450.6029 / Millennium Biltmore Hotel 506 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.624.1011 / Shabu Shabu Ya 801 S. La Brea Ave., L.A., 323.933.3229