FRANK'S FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
IN WEST L.A.
The following restaurants are ones I can
highly recommend, and all are in West L.A., or a short (less than 20
min.) drive away.
All are excellent--or, if not totally excellent,
at least very interesting. I give the basic data for all of them, but
for some I have written a LONG REVIEW, marked with a
.
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WHAT PLACES ARE OPEN LATE?
Furaibo,
Cafe 50's.
LIST OF RESTAURANTS:
CHANDNI, INDIAN VEGETARIAN, IN SANTA MONICA, CHEAP
(lunch buffet: $5.50/person; dinner: $10/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- mattar paneer: peas & yogurt-cheese cubes in
tomato-flavored curry
- bharta: eggplant vegetable
- delicious naan bread
- aalu gobhi: cauliflower/potato vegetable
- raita: yogurt with cucumber
- For dessert: kheer: rice pudding
AMBIENCE: nicely decorated restaurant that serves
cheap all-you-can-eat lunch buffet; dinner is more expensive.
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THAI HOUSE, THAI, IN WESTWOOD, CHEAP
(lunch, $6/person; dinner, $8/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- beef panang (beef in coconut milk curry)
- gourmet spicy shrimp: shrimp w/ lettuce & vegetables in very spicy sauce
- mushrooms & tender greens
- satay (marinated pork, chicken or beef, served on bamboo stick with
peanut sauce)
AMBIENCE: pleasant storefront restaurant
with great food for a decent price; almost anything you order will be
good; best cheap restaurant (in fact, only good
inexpensive restaurant) in Westwood Village.
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FURAIBO, JAPANESE, IN WEST L.A., CHEAP
(dinner, $8/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- yakitori grilled chicken on skewers
- teba chita marinated chicken wings, leg & thigh
- edamame boiled green beans (to munch on)
- pork katsu: deep-fried juicy pork cutlet w/curry rice
AMBIENCE: Japanese decor; the kind of place that
Japanese salarymen go to when they want to unwind after work,
without spending a lot of money.
OPEN LATE: Last order 11:45pm.
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CAFE BRASIL, BRAZILIAN, IN PALMS, MODERATE
(dinner, $9-12/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- churrasco marinated beef steak
- feijoada: pork stew (Sat. & Sun. only)
- Havana sandwich (sirloin)
- lamb chops
- fried plantains are above average
- mango juice
- guarana soda, just for the heck of it
AMBIENCE: sit on the outside terrace and watch the
traffic go by on Venice Blvd. as you eat marinated beef, pork
and lamb.
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YABU, JAPANESE NOODLE, IN WEST L.A., MODERATE
($7-12/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- zaru soba:cold buckwheat nooldes w/ dried seaweed
- tanuki soba:noodles w/ tempura batter flakes
- tenzaru soba:noodles w/ side of shrimp & veggie tempura
- assorted tempura
- nikujaga:beef stew w/ onions & potatoes in this broth
- hot udon noodles w/ side of meat on bed of rice &
special sauce
AMBIENCE: Stylish, funky Japanese place w/ authentic
soba noodles.
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EMERALD, THAI, IN CULVER CITY, CHEAP
(dinner, $7-9/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- Tom-Kar-Kai: soup of chicken, lemon grass, and roasted
chili in delicious, spicy broth of lime juice and coconut milk.
- Hot Mint: choice of pork, beef, chicken, shrimp or seafood, sauteed
in a spicy-hot sauce with chili pepper and mint flavor.
- Green curry (w/ your choice of pork, beef, chicken, shrimp,
or seafood) in creamy, flavorful sauce of curry & coconut milk.
- Pad Thai: pan fried noodles w/ shrimp, chicken, egg,
bean sprouts & crushed peanuts.
AMBIENCE: None; generic decor, posters of Thailand on
walls; crowded and popular for its' cheap, very tasty food
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CAFE 50'S, AMERICAN DINER, IN WEST L.A., CHEAP
(dinner: $7/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- Frisco club sandwich
- beef pot roast
- open face turkey sandwich w/gravy
- burgers
- fries w/gravy
- truly delicious thick milk shakes
- brownie a la mode dessert
AMBIENCE: diner outrageously decorated with 1950's
memorabilia; hearty American food; friendly staff;
later you should run a marathon to work off the calories.
OPEN LATE: Open till midnight weekdays,
Fri. & Sat. till 1a.m.
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MAGIC CARPET, YEMENITE (MID-EASTERN), IN WEST L.A., MODERATE
(main course $6.50-$16/person)
NOTE: Kosher
WHAT TO GET:
- combo appetizer plate (stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, falafel balls, and
deep-fried Moroccan "cigars"-- like taquitos stuffed with chopped meat)
- salad w/ hummus, tahina, spiced cold cooked veggies & and
eggplant dish
- rib steak, lamb chops, kebabs, shishlik, baked lamb shank
- grilled & baked chicken dishes
- melawach: chewy fried pancake w/ sweet & savory toppings
- full-meal soups
- baklava
AMBIENCE: clean, pleasant storefront, authentically
ethnic environment, with Middle Eastern/ North African cuisine
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J. R. SEAFOOD, CHINESE, IN SANTA MONICA, CHEAP (lunch)
(lunch: $6/person, dinner $10-14/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- fish filet in black bean sauce
- spicy Szechwan shrimp
- ginger/onion crabs
- octopus
- sizzling beef
- Hunan bean curd
- deep-fried crispy chicken, whole or half
AMBIENCE: titanic Monterey Park-style
restaurant with wide variety of seafood; insanely popular; one of the
very few authentic Chinese restaurants on the Westside.
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CAFE VERSAILLES, CUBAN, IN PALMS, CHEAP
(dinner, $6-$8/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- BBQ pork dinner
- garlic chicken
- BBQ chicken
- Cuban soft drinks
AMBIENCE: None; generic decor, maps of Cuba on wall;
part of restaurant chain; big, crowded and popular because the food is
really cheap and flavorful.
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BOMBAY CAFE, INDIAN, IN SANTA MONICA, MODERATE
(dinner, $9-16/person)
WHAT TO GET:
- chutney sampler: several spicy chutney sauces w/ naan bread
- samosas: turnovers
- sindhi chicken: browned and dusted with spices
- bhel puri: puffed rice w/ potatoes, noodles & chutney
- Frankies: Indian burritos w/ spicy lamb filling
FOR DESSERT:: kheer (rice pudding w/ cardamom),
kulfi (ice cream on a stick)
AMBIENCE: restaurant filled with yuppies, air filled with
spices. Everything here is intensely spiced and
consistently great, although entrees are costly and small.
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