Restaurant Review #138: Nook, West LA

The bar

When you're used to dining at low-end restaurants where almost all of the focus is on the food, it's a real treat to spend a few extra bucks and actually get service. Service at LA restaurants is often snooty or indifferent, but at Nook, the service is so good from the very moment you walk in that you know you're in for a great meal.

At 7:00 on a Tuesday, we had already failed to beat

Restaurant Review #130: Cafe Brasil, Culver City

Outdoor/Indoor dining area

Cafe Brasil is casual and low-key, with wooden benches and tables that remind me of a barbeque restaurant (but nicer) and do-it-yourself counter ordering and pickup. Vegans and vegetarians alike enjoy Cafe Brasil because they can eat the veggie platter; others may enjoy the many meat dishes, and everyone is sure to delight in the fried plantains and the best rice I've

Restaurant Review #129: Ramenya, Sawtelle, West LA

Pork shu mai

Everyone has their own favorite ramen shop, and judging from how often the subject comes up on sites like Chowhound LA and LA Foodblogging, it seems to be a hotly contested topic.

Back in November 2005, restaurant ramen (as opposed to grocery store ramen) was totally new to me. My visit to Ramenya marked my fourth restaurant ramen experience. I was pretty sure that nothing could

Restaurant Review #115: La Bottega, West LA

Insalata Ravella

I did takeout at La Bottega, so I didn't get the full restaurant experience. You can usually tell a decent amount about a restaurant without actually eating your meal there--after all, you can still see what the place looks like, time how fast they can put a meal together, interact with at least one staff member, get a feel for the pricing, and taste the food.

From my brief

Restaurant Review #113: Jin Jiang Seafood Restaurant, West LA (now closed)

Jin Jiang Seafood Restaurant has been around for at least 10 years, from what I could tell from the old reviews posted on the wall and the decor. It's a large restaurant on the second story of a classic west LA strip mall, and it looked to be completely empty at 8pm on a Sunday. The well-spaced, large tables are covered with pink tablecloths and sea green napkins.

I came in for takeout. The

Restaurant Review #112: Literati II, West LA

Crispbreads and tulips

First of all, check out the new site search box in the sidebar (to your left). It actually works now! (I have no idea why it wasn't before.)

Ah, Valentine's Day. That special time of year when you feel advertising agency-induced mushiness for your honey, scathing bitterness towards your ex, or feigned indifference. That special night when it takes 45 minutes to drive a

Restaurant Review #111: Le Saigon: Adventures in Westside Vietnamese Cuisine, West LA

This is a re-post of an earlier review with updates from my most recent visit.

After my first visit to Le Saigon Cafe, I said that I would not go back, because the food just wasn't that compelling. Ten months later, I did go back, because it seemed like a better place to take my visiting friend than Phoreign or Pho 99. I think I was wrong there, but more on that in a minute.

LA Weekly's

Restaurant Review #103: Hamasaku, West LA

Hamachi and uni

My friend Melanie of Daily Guilt has 101 goals, and one of them is to eat something she finds disgusting. So when she asked for ideas when we were out at Hamasaku, I suggested monkfish liver or sea urchin (uni). She chose the sea urchin, which I could blessedly bow out of trying due to my shellfish issues. Apparently, sea urchin is very runny and oozy, kind of like a fried egg.

Restaurant Review #88: Jaipur Cuisine of India, Westwood/West LA

Garlic naan, tamarind and mint chutneys, mango chutney, and began bartha

A yellow pages ad for Jaipur's delivery service came to my rescue on a Friday night when I was determined to not leave the sanctuary of my new apartment again until Monday morning. Mao's didn't deliver to my new apartment, and the yellow pages didn't have a lot to offer, but I've only had maybe one Indian dish in my life

Restaurant Review #79: India's Tandoori, West LA

Malai kofta, garlic naan, and neon chutney

Located in--you guessed it--the second story of a strip mall on Wilshire near Granville, India's Tandoori has the kind of extensive menu that makes life quite difficult for indecisive gals like me. I probably should have gone to the lunch buffet, except that I can't get to the restaurant and back and still have time to eat in the span of my hour lunch

Restaurant Review #67: Jack Sprat's Grille, Westwood/West LA

Portabella burger and air fries

At the suggestion of a friend, I decided to try Jack Sprat's Grille, a place I normally would not go to because, well, it's not Indian, Vietnamese, or sushi.

When I think of a grill, I think casual. But this is not a grill, folks--it's a grille. When you add that "e" to the end, you get tablecloths and nice utensils.

Our server was very professional--he was

Restaurant Review #45: Asakuma, West LA

At first, I thought deliverable sushi was a great idea. Then, I was skeptical of this place for being willing to deliver sushi, as non-fresh sushi makes me want to throw up. I decided to have a friend get some for take-out one night. I ordered a yellowtail scallion roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a pickle roll. I got a spicy yellowtail roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a pickle roll. They were all

Restaurant Review #43: Tia Juana's, West LA (now closed)

Salsa

And I know that maybe someday's come...

It's been a long, long time since I've had authentic Mexican food. Since whenever the last time was that I went to La Tapatia in Houston. Though I speak Spanish and have lived nearish the Mexican border most of my life, and have even spent some time in Mexico, I have never been a huge fan of Mexican food. But my mom and brother were in town, and my

Restaurant Review #38: All India Cafe, West LA

This is supposed to be one of the better Indian restaurants in the area--and this judgment refers strictly to the food, as there is no atmosphere, unless you count a stunning view of the Blockbuster Video across the street. So I faxed in my order, had my friend pick it up on the way home from work, and enjoyed my Indian feast in the atmosphere of my tiny apartment.

We ordered the Bombay chicken

Restaurant Review #26: Sushi House, West LA

Sushi House seemed like a promising-ish hole in the wall on Pico just east of the 10, next to Bombay Cafe and across from Chan Dara. On a Friday night at 8, the tiny space was almost completely full of jovial Asahi-sipping patrons. Since the joint was crowded, I kept my hopes up, but everything else pointed towards impending disappointment: excessively loud reggae music, ungodly mounds of bright

Restaurant Review #15: Cacao Coffee House, West LA

What is the difference between a coffee house and a coffee shop? Allow me to enlighten you. A coffee shop, as its name implies, is a place where you go primarily to shop for coffee, and a coffee house is a place that actually has atmosphere and encourages making yourself at home to chat, study, or use their free WiFi. Think Starbucks v. Independent.

At Cacao, I felt like the yuppie I may be

Restaurant Review #4: Tapioca Express, West LA (now closed)

Tapioca Express has an amazing array of flavors, including rose and watermelon. My rose icy was disappointing, but I think it would be great as a creamy drink, and the light plum was just what I had in mind. They also use fresh fruit in some drinks when in season, like honeydew and canteloupe in the summer. Also, their boba is notably fresh, and has the perfect amount of subtle sweetness for