Peek-a-Busaba
If you haven't been to Busaba yet, it's a fairly new vegetarian/vegan Thai place on Melrose, just west of La Brea. People say that the restaurant's name means "women" in Thai. But it's not like the infamous Chan Dara chain, where businessmen go for lunch because they want to be served by nubiles in tight clothes. It's more like the joint is owned an operated by three women. Last night, we had take-away from there and the only dude we saw was washing dishes.
Like a lot of veggie Thai places in L.A., you can select just about any type of fake meat to go into your noodles, fried rice, curry, or specialty dish. I think the faux ingredients are unusually good--not like the soggy, freeze-dried crap or chewy canned stuff at all. The won-ton soup is excellent, with tasty veggie shrimp and a powerful broth. There are also some dishes that you won't find anywhere else. The seaweed rolls weren't what I expected at all; they're deep-fried seaweed wrapped around tofu and vegetables. Last night we tried the veggie fish with a sweet chili and cashew sauce. Crunchy with bite. Yes, the Pad Thai is good, too.
People complain about a lack of parking in that neighborhood, but we've never had problems finding spots right around the corner. Some people want more food for their dollar, but the prices aren't outrageous--maybe $10/person--and I consider the dishes to be more than a couple steps above what we usually have delivered. I'll take quality over quantity any day, and most of you will probably go to Pinkberry for dessert afterwards anyway!
Why a place like Pinkberry (which is admittedly quite good) is packed with trendies while across the street a joint with so much soul sits practically empty is one of those mysteries of life. I can see myself adding Busaba to the list of resturants to visit regularly just because I feel personally obligated to help it stay in business. Check it out for yourself and see what Blogger is hiding from you in the messed-up pics...
Like a lot of veggie Thai places in L.A., you can select just about any type of fake meat to go into your noodles, fried rice, curry, or specialty dish. I think the faux ingredients are unusually good--not like the soggy, freeze-dried crap or chewy canned stuff at all. The won-ton soup is excellent, with tasty veggie shrimp and a powerful broth. There are also some dishes that you won't find anywhere else. The seaweed rolls weren't what I expected at all; they're deep-fried seaweed wrapped around tofu and vegetables. Last night we tried the veggie fish with a sweet chili and cashew sauce. Crunchy with bite. Yes, the Pad Thai is good, too.
People complain about a lack of parking in that neighborhood, but we've never had problems finding spots right around the corner. Some people want more food for their dollar, but the prices aren't outrageous--maybe $10/person--and I consider the dishes to be more than a couple steps above what we usually have delivered. I'll take quality over quantity any day, and most of you will probably go to Pinkberry for dessert afterwards anyway!
Why a place like Pinkberry (which is admittedly quite good) is packed with trendies while across the street a joint with so much soul sits practically empty is one of those mysteries of life. I can see myself adding Busaba to the list of resturants to visit regularly just because I feel personally obligated to help it stay in business. Check it out for yourself and see what Blogger is hiding from you in the messed-up pics...
posted by gr at
11:32 AM
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