Restaurant Review #92: Chabuya, Sawtelle, West LA

The Classic with chashu (barbequed pork)

On Sunday, there was nothing but brown paper and a sign in the window saying that Hanoi Cafe was moving down the street. On Tuesday, the paper was off, and serious work on a new restaurant interior was underway. On Saturday, I looked inside and saw shiny, dark wood tables and fifteen or so new staff people in crisp white uniforms having a meeting.

I was

Restaurant Review #91: Fritto Misto, Santa Monica

Sweet potato ravioli with wild mushrooms in a sage cream sauce

Hidden across the street from the Big Blue Bus barn at the busy but unnoticeable corner of 6th and Colorado lies Fritto Misto, a highly rated but somewhat unknown Italian cafe that I discovered by accident one day while looking for a parking space. It looked quiet and peaceful, popular but not overcrowded. Though I rarely go out for

Restaurant Review #90: Volcano Tea, Sawtelle, West LA

Volcano Tea can be a bit hit or miss, but it's still my second favorite boba shop, after Upper House, and in fact, sometimes I prefer it to Upper House, either because it's actually open, because it's not as sweet, or because the drinks are a normal size. Volcano tea is pretty cheap, at about $3.00-3.50 per drink, after adding boba, and offers the usual wide variety of flavors and consistencies