Westwood Village is currently experiencing a restaurant boom,
with at least six opening (or already open). The Daily
Bruin’s Daniel Miller gives us a taste of what three of them
are like.
Skew’s (920 Broxton Avenue)
Does the world need more fusion food? Probably not. Furthermore,
does Westwood need a fusion of teriyaki and Southwestern cuisine?
Skew’s hopes you think so, as its menu is based around this
unique and disturbing combination of cultures.
Skew’s delivers its entrees on wooden sticks, and the
citrus BBQ chicken skewer isn’t bad. Neither are the sides,
which range from Caesar salad (a “Skew’s
favorite”) to cold Thai noodles. Skew’s has also
invented the Thai taco-tortillas stuffed with chicken, “Asian
slaw” and mango salsa, which undoubtedly are interesting, but
just not that good.
The restaurant’s staff is friendly and eager to please,
and if tortilla spring rolls sound good to you, Skew’s will
surely meet your cross-cultural culinary needs. I can only wonder,
“Why?”
Bombay Bite (1051 Gayley Avenue)
Bombay Bite is a tastefully decorated Indian restaurant that
serves delicious, traditional “Bombay style” fare.
(Order the lamb vindaloo, and ask for it spicy, its the only way to
go.)
The vegetable samosas ““ turnovers stuffed with potatoes
and peas ““ are cooked to crispy perfection. And speaking of
vegetables, the large menu offers several vegetarian curries if
you’re not exactly the lamb-eating sort. The chicken tikka
masala (tandoori chicken simmered in a creamy tomato sauce) is a
milder dish and is one of the menu’s highlights.
Service from the young staff is impeccable, and the restaurant
offers a comfortable dining experience. It may be a little pricey
for some students, with entrees running around $9 each, but patrons
will certainly get what they pay for.
Chili’s (1056 Westwood Blvd.)
Not rated
Even if this was already open, would there really be any reason
to rate this food? Come on, you know what this stuff tastes like.
There is a Chili’s in your hometown, and if you love it, then
any sort of critical review of its culinary offerings will do
little to deter your fondness for the restaurant chain.
If you don’t care for Chili’s, you might say that
its decor is sterile and corporate. You might also say that by
supporting a chain restaurant like Chili’s you are
contributing to the homogenization of American culture. Then again,
that awesome blossom onion thing ““ you know, that battered
onion appetizer in all of the commercials ““ looks pretty
good.