Asian

Chinese

888 Seafood
$8-15
****

One of the best dimsum places in town. Dozens of kinds of dimsum served on the weekends. If you are going for dimsum, arrive there by 10:30am. Otherwise, you will have to wait in line. Lines can be pretty long (30-40 minutes). They do not take reservations. (2001)

BBQ King
$8-12
***

Buffet style restaurant where you can barbecue and cook in a hot-pot. Only one plate of shrimp for each party. Not many selections but reasonable price. (1999)

China Islamic
$8-12
***

Quite good chinese-islamic cuisine. It's not the cheapest of the area, though. If you go, don't miss their Chinese pan fried cake, roasted duck, and lamb soup with bread. (2001)

Coriya Int'l Corp.
$9-12
**

All-you-can-eat. Barbecue and hot-pot, but hot-pot only is available for one dollar less. You have to use a lot of soy sauce, otherwise all the meat has no taste. Unlimited supply of shrimp however. (1999)

Din Tai Fung
~$10 per person
****

Can't wake up in time on the weekends for Dim Sum in Chinatown? Don't worry, you can get dumplings, sticky rice, and noodles until 9 or 10 pm at this excellent dumpling house. The staff is very friendly and will guide you through the experience since the menu is a bit confusing for newbies. While you wait for a table, you can watch the cooks in the kitchen prepare the dumplings. (2003)

Dragon Mark
$7
***

A Taiwanese-style restaurant, meaning a variety of small, tasty dishes. The "good stuff" can only be found on the all-Chinese menus. Service was very friendly. The preserved egg with tofu was a good, cold appetizer. The bean curd noodles were tough, rather than smooth and tender as they should have been. The "stinky" tofu (tofu marinated in vinegar and other spices) was deep fried to perfection and served with a spicy sauce. The main dishes with rice are much cheaper and more filling. The eggplant with pork, fried fish, and sauteed beef were all freshl prepared and quite delicious. Again, bring someone who knows how to order, or you'll end up spending too much on the side dishes, which are terrific but not filling enough. (1999) Open late.

Dumpling House Restaurant
$5-10
***

At Dumpling House they make their own hand-pulled noodles and dumpling skins. All their food is pretty good; the dumplings and noodle dishes are excellent.(1999) Closed Tues.

Empress Pavilion $10 per person, full dim sum meal *** 988 N. Hill St., Suite 201 (2nd floor in shopping mall), Los Angeles (Chinatown); map; (213) 617-9898 The best dim sum in Chinatown! This place is a zoo for dim sum on weekend mornings, but well worth dealing with the hectic scene. The food is great, the prices are excellent, and the ambiance is raucous. Get there early if you prefer not to wait. Exit Chinatown exit on the 110 south, the building is immediately on your left, but you have to go around the block to get to the parking for the mall. (2004) Open M-F 9am - 3pm for dim sum and lunch, Sa-Su 8am - 2pm for dim sum.

Fortune Chinese Cuisine
$11
***

A quiet, pleasant restaurant at the edge of Old Town Pasadena. The food and service are quite good. Some things are kind of americanized, but on the whole, Fortune offers a tastier and more authentic dining experience than many similarly-priced Chinese restaurants. The Kung Pao Chicken and Moo Shu Chicken are especially recommended, and the menu offers a good selection of low-calorie, low-fat dishes. They serve some beer and wine but no mixed drinks. (2000) 11-10, 7 days/week.

Fu-Shing
$6-15
***

One of the closest decent Chinese restaurants. Mainly Szechwan style, but they have almost all kinds of Chinese food. Very good Peking Duck, which requires 30 minutes to order. Also their "Three Flavor Sizzling Rice Soup" is delicious. The price is a little more expensive and the atmosphere is a bit more classy than other nearby Chinese restaurants. Service is fairly good and accurate. If you go there for a birthday, make sure to tell the waiter for a complimentary ice-cream and Polaroid with the Emperor's (or Emperess' hat). They have lunch special, which includes soup and egg roll or salad and one main dish, for $5.95-7.95. (2001)

Full House
$8-15
**

Good Chinese seafood, just 15 minutes away in Chinatown. Another Tech favorite. Fortunately, Bob Sagat is absent. (1998) 11:30am-2:45am

Golden Lake
$7-12
**

A small Chinese restaurant, with a smallish basic menu. Their combination dinners are fine, starting at $6.95 per person. The best Chinese food you can have delivered to campus. (1998) M-Sa 1am-9pm; Su 5pm-9pm.

Grandview Palace
$7-12
**

This is the kind of restaurant that is best enjoyed as take-out, although it's not super cheap. They serve the standard array of Americanized Mandarin and Szechuan dishes. The food was less impressive in the dine-in experience. I've heard that they have frequent problems with the Health Department. (1998)

Great Taste
$6-12
***

Really good, cheap Chinese food. Always crowded with San Gabriel locals on weekend nights. Try the shredded pork with hot sauce or the House Special Chicken, which is deep fried chicken in a sweet orange sauce. Noodles are good, too. In addition to or instead of rice, try the Thousand Layer Pancake, which is a flaky pastry that goes well with the entrées listed above. I've heard the cold jellyfish is good too, but wasn't willing to try it! (1997)

Happy Family III
$5-10
***

Chinese vegetarian that has a wide variety of dishes and "alternative meats" such as tofu and wheat gluten in different preparations. This place is fantastic. It has an all-you-can-eat menu (highly recommended) for about $12 after tax/tip. You are given a half serving, so you can really try many different dishes, but not everything on the full menu is offered. Also recommend the house `chicken' (fried button mushrooms), string beans, eggplant with basil, and mustard green with bean curd sheet, and the kung pao `shrimp'. (2001) M-F 11:30-2:45, 5:00-9:00; Sa-Su 11:30-8:45

Lu's Garden
$3-10
**

Small dishes served with Congee. These small things can add up to be a lot! (1999)

Mei Long Village
$8-15
***

The only reason you go here is for the Shanghai-style pastries that they have on the back of the menu. Reminiscent of dim-sum, they are available all the time. They're surprisingly tasty and a great way to practice chopstick control. Check out the adjoining restaurants; many are poster children for posting the health grades on the outside of the restaurants. Mei Ling, though, is not that bad. (1999) Open 7 days, 11:30 am to 9:30 pm

MPV Garden Restaurant
$6-13
***

The competition for lunchtime diners is fierce! A large number of lunch specials are offered at $4.25 (with many more offered at two other levels). The price includes soup, unlimited rice, and iced-sweet tea drink, and dessert! The roast duck plate was well-sized and not too oily. The eggplant, roast pork, and tofu dish was also plentiful, and came in a rich, dark sauce suitable for mixing with rice. The eggplant and tofu were tasty and tender, while the skin of the roast pork retained its chewiness, even though it was drenched in sauce. The sweet-tea drink is delightful, and given in place of ice water. A great place for lunch! (1999)

NBC Seafood
$8-15
***

Very good seafood restaurant. You can pick live fish from the tank and have it cooked on the spot. But since it's very popular, there are usually lines to be seated, especially on weekends. If you go for dimsum, make sure to go early enough. Either for dinner or dimsum, it's common to wait for .5-1 hours. (2001) Closes at 10 pm.

NYC Seafood Restaurant
$6-12
***

Very good seafood. Lunch special is cheap and nice. Busy all the time. (1999)

Oak Tree Inn
$13
***

Oak Tree Inn is a very good, traditional Chinese restaurant. It's not terribly authentic, but there are often many Chinese patrons eating there (a good sign) and the food is great. Be warned that there is often a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. (2001)

Ocean Coral
$5-10
***

The owner of Ocean Coral is an extraordinary chef. The seafood specialties are excellent, and a wide range of traditional favorites are also served at this Chinese restaurant. They serve early bird dinner specials from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. which are complete meals and worth trying, especially the tangerine beef. The flavors are much more intricate, the quality of ingredients much higher, and the portions much larger than most similarly priced Mandarin restaurants in the area. (2002) Su-Th 11:30am-10pm; F-Sa 11:30am-10:30pm

Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant
$5-10
***

Among all the Sam Woo BBQ chain restaurants, this one has the best price. The food is good too. That's why there is always a long line waiting to be seated. Their fried rice are all under $3, which are very good deals. If you like roasted meat, don't miss their roasted duck and pork. (1998)

Sea Star Seafood
$8-12
***

They serve dimsum on the weekends. They have the best price on dimsum as far as I know. The price for dinner entrees are comparable to other places. Decent Chinese food. (1998)

Shanghai Snack Bar
$4-10
***

They specialize in Shanghai style delicacies. Their won-ton and Cha Chiang noodles (Zha Jiang Mian) are the best. (1999)

Shanghai Yau Fat
$7-12
**

Try their buffet if you have more than three people. (1999)

Shau May
$3-7
***

A good, cheap shop for late night drinks and desserts. You line up to order, so there's virtually no table service. There are no refills on drinks, but they're large, well-priced, and tasty. They offer things like watermelon juice, Thai ice coffee, and shaved ice with condensed milk toppings (red beans, gelatin, etc.). You will not find the shaved ice dessert ($2.50) cheaper anywhere else! This restaurant specializes in small dishes... the more extravagant meals were no good, such as the fried seafood noodles ($5) which had thin noodles and broken clam shells. The Tainan Peddler ($2.50) is only soup, noodles, oil, and 1 shrimp, but is a satisfying late-night snack. (1999) Open until about 1am

Spring Garden
$5-10
**

It is actually not that bad - I'd say decent. It's close to campus; they also have a 5% Caltech discount. (1998)

Sunday Cafe
$5-8
***

Hong Kong styled restaurant, which offers a variety of "Americanized" food (ham cheese sandwiches, macaroni-noodle ham soups, etc.) in addition to Chinese food. Always has a $4.99 special... we've seen filet mignon and salmon steak so far. Many 11 pm - 4 am specials for $3.95, which are quite large and include all-you-can-drink hot milk tea (make sure you get condensed milk for it... that's the expensive stuff!). The rice porridge is somewhat thin, but their won ton noodle soup is decent. The E-fu noodles, although only noodles, sauce, and black mushrooms, is a huge dish (enough to feed two!) and quite tasty. The beef and chicken chow fun are also well-sized. (1999)

Tan Cang Seafood
$10
***

This place is great. It's got good, authentic Chinese food at very low prices (lunch will typically run you under $8). It's located in Monterey Park, the land of 1000 Chinese Restaurants, but this one stands out: it's inexpensive and high quality. The wait staff is a bit unresponsive (because most of them don't know English), but that's forgivable for the price. (2001)

Tung Lai Shun Restaurant
$5-12
***

I usually go there when the line in front of San Woo BBQ is too long. This is a very good Chinese restaurant too, although the price is a bit higher than San Woo. Try their Chinese sesame cake instead of rice- it's very good. (1998)

Victoria Seafood
$8-15
****

Excellent Chinese food- all the things I've tried are good. They always have live prawns and lobsters, which they will cook after you order. The price for live seafood is much lower than most western restaurants. If you want to go there for dinner, you should go early, because there are always lines around 7pm on weekends. (1998)

Yujean Kang's
$16-20
***

Come here to splurge on excellent Chinese food that's non-traditional, sort of artsy, almost pretentious. The Tiny Dumplings in Hot Chili Oil were fantastic, and had a very spicy dipping sauce. The Szechwan Spicy Chicken was surprisingly spicy, though a bit past my usual threshold. The other dish I tried, the Chicken with Cashew Nuts, was also quite good, with cashews roasted to perfection in a honey sauce. The food's great; perhaps the best Chinese in SoCal. Make reservations. (2001)

Vegetarian Options: Most Chinese restaurants will be happy to make your entree wither with just vegetables or with tofu. High-quality tofu dishes can be found near Caltech at Ocean Coral and Fortune Chinese Cuisine.

Late Night: Din Tai Fung, Dragon Mark and Full House.

Indian

Akbar
$8-12
**

If you are looking for authentic Indian food, then avoid Akbar, which serves Cal/North Indian food. Ideally located (in the heart of Old Town Pasadena), Akbar offers a rather limited selection (especially if you are vegetarian). The food tends to be uniformly rich, but quality varies from day to day. Pricy, and dishes don't come with rice. Try the mango cheesecake for dessert. (2004)

All India Cafe
$8-15
***

All India, located in Old Town Pasadena, fits its location well. The food is reasonably decent if not wonderfully authentic, usually not too spicy, and priced like all its neighbors. If you make a reservation, it's a decent place to bring a large group. (2000)

Chameli
$5-10
****

Chameli offers good north Indian vegetarian cuisine at very reasonable prices: the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet is a steal for only $5 (served until 2.30pm). Dinners are a la carte affairs, and offer more variety: try the "Arbi masala" (colocasia root) if you are feeling adventurous. On Friday nights, they feature musicians performing an eclectic selection of Hindustani classical and Indian film music around 7pm. (2001) Closed Tuesdays.

India Sweet & Spicy
$3-8
***

This dressed down and unfussy fast-food Indian restaurant is combination of an eatery and a grocery store. Despite the non-existent decor and music, the parathas (all kinds) and tawa roti are very good. Its collection of Indian sweetmeat and snacks are also well worth trying. (2000)

Mezbaan
$8-12
***

Really good Indian food. Tandoori specialties abound, and the vegetable dishes are well done. Ranges from mild to hot, but it all tastes great. The owners love Caltech students. . .mention your affiliation for a discount! (2004) M-F 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm; Sun brunch 10:30am-2:30pm.

New Delhi Palace
$5-10
**

Uninspired Indian food in a pleasant atmosphere. Quality and value both mediocre, but the food is still enjoyable. You're better off going to Radhika for a nearby Indian lunch buffet, though. (2002)

Nirvana
$6-12
***

Nirvana is one of the few restaurants which offers some succor and relief to the connoisseur of South Indian cuisine. The seven-dollar combo specials include dosa, idli, vada and sweets. Although, the seating is limited and the service is quite slow because of the scanty staff, the food is pretty good for the distance travelled and the money paid. The rava dosa in particular is a popular favorite. (2000)

Paru's
$8-12
***

If you get tired of North Indian food, and long for Idlis, Dosas and Vadas, this is the closest South Indian restaurant. All of the food is great, and the size of the Dosais puts them in another class altogether. As an added bonus, the owner, Kannaan is very friendly and will probably get to know you by name in no time. The restaurant is very close to the Mann Chinese theatre and the Pacific Cinerama Dome, so it is a good place to have dinner before or after watching a movie in Hollywood. (1998)

Radhika
$8-12
***

A good North-Indian restaurant two blocks from campus, Radhika offers an extensive lunch buffet for $7 during the week and $9 during the weekends. The naans (bread) tend to be a little under-cooked at times but the paneer and lamb dishes are of uniformly high quality. On weekends, the buffet includes Bhel-puri, an ever popular mouth-wateringly spicy snack. The sweet dishes are also noteworthy. This place was voted one of the best restaurants in Pasadena (general category). Popular with vegetarians. (2001)

Vegetarian Options: Virtually any Indian restaurant will serve a variety of vegetarian dishes. All of those near Caltech are vegetarian-friendly, most vegan-friendly as well.

Late Night: None.

Japanese

A Float Sushi
$1.50-2.00/piece, $7-12/ entree
**

For those who haven't been, sushi a-float places actually do have a parade of little floating boats that bring your sushi to you at the bar. It's fun. Sushi is pretty decent if you order from the chef or the restaurant is busy, but the stuff on boats isn't as fresh during non-peak hours. (1998)

Ai
$1.50-2.00/piece, $8-15/entree
***

One of the best Japanese restaurants. Ai seems to have made a reputation for itself, since there is usually a long wait to get a table (fortunately, they provide benches). They have excellent sushi, with more varieties of fish than usual, and most of the standard teriyaki, tempura, etc. Their portions are not as large, and their combinations not quite as much of a bargain as Sakura, however. (1998) T-F 11:30am-10pm; Sa-Su 5pm- 10pm; closed Mon.

Edokko
$16
**

All-you-can-eat Japanese buffet. Some dishes are Americanized, but they don't taste so bad. I think the $8.99 buffet lunch is worth going to. (1998)

Fuji
$1.75-2.50/piece, $8-15/entree
**

Fuji is a nice Japanese restaurant that also serves some Korean dishes. Their sushi chef has been described as "a master," and this makes Fuji out of the ordinary. Service can be slow. (1998) T-Su 11:30am- 10pm; closed Mon.

Kabuki
$1.00-1.50/piece
**

Kaya Japanese Seafood
$15
***

An all-you-can-eat restaurant with a lot of selections. Probably the best one around. (1999)

Koraku
$5
***

A dive in the true Japanese sense, Koraku serves a little bit of everything: ramen, donburi (rice bowl), Chinese dishes and curry rice done Japanese-style, traditional Japanese dishes, and more. This is not a typical Americanized Japanese restaurant featuring teriyaki chicken; it's a place just like where the average Joe would grab a meal in Japan. It might not be nice-looking and won't win any fine cuisine awards, but if you're looking for ordinary Japanese food the way it's served in Japan, Koraku is a great place to go. (1998) M-Sa 11am- 3am; Sun 11am- 12am

Komeyoshi
$5
**

Komeyoshi, at the corner of Marengo and Glenarm, was turned over to a Korean owner about a year ago, but a couple members of the old staff are still working there. I happened to show up on their first chaotic day, but after a year or so, things still aren't looking good. The decor now is quite off-putting and even basic dishes are weird. (For example, the curry's made with frozen mixed veggies instead of, say, hearty chunks of potato and carrot.) My wife tried the bulgogi bowl, one of the Korean-named dishes that now appears on the menu, but reports that it, too, was rather bland. I'm giving an extra star on the off-chance that they serve adequate California-style sushi. Otherwise, it's a rather unhappy choice for lunch these days. (2005)

Masa
$7-12
***

Nice Japanese restaurant with great food that will bring you back again and again. No sushi bar, but the combination plates are more varied than usual. (1998) M, W-F 11:30am- 2:30pm, 5pm- 9pm; closed Tue.

Matsuhisa
$30-40
****

The food is really tremendously good but quite overpriced at this notorious restaurant. Matsuhisa is certainly not better than Restaurant 23, and it costs twice as much. Nevertheless, the salad that came as an appetizer was one of the best that I have ever had. Recommended to impress out-of-towners when you have, oh, 100 dollars a piece to blow. (1999)

Noda
$1.50-2.25/piece, $8-15/entree
***

Noda serves award-winning Japanese cuisine beautifully presented by Kenichi Noda, "an active member of the Emperor's Imperial Palace Staff." Excellent sushi bar. Try the Boat Dinner. (1998) 11:30am - 2pm; M-F 5pm - 9pm; Sa-Su 5pm -10pm.

Restaurant 23
$30 or $2.00-4.50/piece
****

The best sushi I have had in Los Angeles is in this incredibly hard to find location. The famous Matsuhisa had comparable food at literally twice the price. The decor is second to none, with low, warm lighting, and good service. The wasabe is the strongest stuff I have ever tasted. Highly recommended. Hint on finding it: it is off of a side ally in a part of town that does not look very, er, nice. (1999)

Sachi Sushi
$10
***

Sachi Sushi is a Tech favorite for creative sushi and sashimi. A wide variety of delicacies are available, and it's small, friendly, and reasonably priced. The fish is very fresh, and the chef is a real whiz. Good lunch is for $6. (1998) 11:30am- 2:30pm, 5:30pm- 9:30pm; closed Sun.

Sansui
$8-15
***

This sushi and tempura restaurant is well worth visiting. The atmosphere is cozy and homey, and there is a wide selection of sakes to choose from. (1999)

Shogun
$10-15
***

Chefs cook at griddles embedded in your table (huge tables- can seat eight). Beef, chicken, lobster, fish, and scallops are served at dinner, and they also have a good sushi bar. Half-price sushi at the bar is a nice lunchtime special. The crunchy roll is intriguing. (2004) Su-Th 5pm -10pm; F-Sa 5pm-10:30pm

Suehiro Cafe
(no rating)

Great spot for ramen, tempura, and teriyaki. (1998) M-Sa 11am -3am; Su 11am-1am.

Sushi of Naples
$2.00-2.50/piece, $12-18/entree
**

Naples does not refer to the city in Italy. They serve average sushi, but do not get the iced green tea or the chicken teriyaki. The lunch specials are a good deal. The chirashi (Sashimi Bowl) proves that they know how to make really good sushi rice. The boats are fun, but pricey. (2004)

Tokyo Delve's Sushi Bar
$15
**

This place is a little hole in the wall place that combines a sushi bar with a big carnival and a dance club. The food itself is ok, but it all becomes secondary to the atmosphere. All the employees are constantly moving around to the music. Every so often, they start dancing, and encourage everyone else to dance around. The also have a "Lucky Game" where someone gets their meal on the house. Plus, if you're having your birthday party there, 4-5 sushi makers drop everything and come over to your table to bring a cake and dance around. They have a big spinning wheel of goodies where you can win tickets for free stuff on your next visit (if you buy at least $40 worth of food and drink). 21 and over. (1998) 6 p.m.-midnight; closed Sun

Wok-N-Roll
$2.00-2.50/piece, $8-15/entree
**

If you're looking for deep-fried sushi specials with cream cheese and avocado, this is the place for you. The straight up sushi is mediocre, but the atmosphere is amusing. (1998)

Yamaha
$1.75-2.00/piece, $9-16/entree
**

Yamaha is a somewhat more formal version of its competitor next door, Kabuki. It features a healthy selection of sushi (and a traditional sushi bar), and can easily seat large groups for lunch (good if your department decides to have lunch together at some point). Pluses: food is fresh, service is excellent, and prices for lunch are good. Minuses: vegetarians will be restricted to fried vegetable tempura- delicious, but gets dull after a while, and the chicken is stringy and greasy. In all, an okay place but nothing special. They have a large selection of beers/wines/spirits. (1999)

Vegetarian Options: Of all the Asian cuisine most frequently represented in America, Japanese is not as vegetarian-friendly as most. Your best options will be the little ovo/lacto vegetarian sushi (most California rolls fit this description) and tempura.

Late Night: Suehiro and Tokyo Delve's.

Thai

Basil Thai Cooking
$5-10
**

I like this place. It's a funky little thai restaurant in the middle of a strip mall in Arcadia. They have a buffet lunch. (1997)

Chandra
$5-15
***

Chandra has the coolest menu of any Thai restaurant I've been to--you can get some fascinating and really tasty dishes, for amazingly low prices. They serve all the basics, plus a number of original dishes. Lots of people like the "sexy catfish", which is little frizzled bits of breaded catfish. I recommend Angel Wings, yummy. I had the Duck Curry, which was just absolutely delicious. I think it is the best Thai food in the area, but I'm not sure I'd use the word "authentic." I would use the words, delicious, delightful, casual, and value. The fact that you can get two entrees and three appetizers for barely over $20, with ample portions and excellent quality is nothing short of amazing. Skip Old Town and come here for a fun Saturday night. (2002)

Min's Kitchen
$8-12
***

Min's Kitchen is a family-run small restaurant in La Cañada. Besides having an unusually large assortment of vegetarian entrees, they also carry some traditional Thai entrees. (1998) M-Th 11am-9:30pm, F-Sa 11-10, closed Su.

Patakan
$8-12
**

They serve traditional Thai, well presented, priced to fit Old Town (that means it's not cheap, but it won't kill you). Spicing is very mild, so you'll have to ask for your food spiced hotter if you like it that way. (1998) Lunch 11am- 3pm; M-F dinner 5pm- 10pm; Sa-Su dinner 5pm- 10:30pm.

Pataya Café
$5-10
***

It's a small, casual restaurant with quick and friendly service. They serve very good food, especially for the price. Range of choices from mild to spicy. If spicy is your flavor, the chicken with cashew, onions, peppers and chili is a must. Cash only. (1997)

Phuket Island
$5-10
***

Small casual Thai restaurant with quick and friendly service. Worth trying their lunch specials for $5-$6. (1999) Lunch 11:30-3:00

Pimai Thai
$6-12
***

One of the best Tom Ka Gai's I've ever tasted. This little restaurant in a mini-mall is easy to miss. It is right near a small stand of hip shops on Franklin. (1999)

President Thai
$5-10
***

President Thai allows you to choose how hot you want your food on a scale from 1 to 10. Do not order an 8 or above; 6 is serious heat. This is one of the only places in Pasadena to satisfy your craving for truly hot food. Try the shrimp coconut soup, it's delicious. The lunch special is cheap, but not as much food as you might like. Excellent pad thai. They deliver to Caltech. (2002) 7 days, 11:30am-10:00pm.

Saladang
$7-12
**

This is the new Saladang, the more authentic Thai restaurant. Saladang Song at 383 S. Fair Oaks is the nicer ambience with a slightly less traditional menu. The food is very nice and there is a large variety of dishes. For appetizers try Tod-mon-kao-pohd: deep fried sweet corn cakes served with cucumber salad. (2004) Sun-Th 6:30am - 9:45pm; F, Sat 6:30am - 10:00pm

Sanamluang Café
$5-14
no rating

Real authentic Thai food (the barbecued pork uterus is only available in the Pomona location, but you get the idea). Lots of great noodle dishes. 10am-4am. (2004)

Suriya Thai
$7-12
***

Excellent Thai food in very elegant surroundings. A large variety of dishes (form very hot to mild) are served, including bacon-wrapped shrimp and honey duck, as well as more familiar dishes. Try their spicy wonton soup. (1998) M-Sa 11am-9:45pm, Su 4pm-9:45pm

A Taste of Bangkok
$7-15
**

Decent Thai food for a little more than some other places. The presentation is a bit lacking- the curry I ordered was served as a large lump of chicken and a whole potato on a small portion of sauce. The pad kee mow was good, however. (2000)

Thai Dishes
$6-16
**

Fairly standard Thai food. Good service and nicer ambience than some others. Lots of seafood dishes, which are more expensive, in addition to curries and rice and noodle dishes. (2000) 11am-10:30pm daily.

Tiparos
$5-10
***

Good food and good service for a low price. The soups are very good, and I love the Pad Thai here. They have lunch specials for $4.50. Their fried bananas were more like fried plaintains. (1998)

Vegetarian Options: Thai restaurants will usually allow you to substitute tofu for any meat. Do make sure that they do not use fish sauce in your dishes, as most Thai recipies call for it. Also, most soups are meat-based unless they say otherwise. The better Thai restaurants near Caltech, Chandra and President Thai, both offer very good tofu dishes.

Late Night: Thai Dishes is open until 10:30.

Asian - Other

George's Hot Grill
$3-5
**

For something different, try George's for some decent Filipino food like pancit and palabon. Most things are cheap, costing around $3 to $3.75. If it's any indication, George's biggest fans are Filipinos. (1998) M-Sa 11am- 8pm; Su 11am- 4pm

Golden Deli
$3-7
***

Tucked away in a strip mall on the corner of Mission and W. Las Tunas with several other asian restaurants, this Vietnamese kitchen has managed to thrive, exclusively through word-of-mouth advertising. Pho (vietnamese beef noodle soup) is one of the stars here, along with the heavenly cha gio (fried egg rolls). However, almost everything else on the nearly 100-dish menu is prepared expertly; it is delivered to your table with an equally deft disregard to customer service. Some, like I, may not mind this, due to the quality of the food. Have you ever had a pickle lemonade? Try one of the drinks of their extensive beverage menu for a new taste experience. Be prepared to wait during peak hours and on weekends, as the restaurant gets quite crowded. Unfortunately, VERY vegetarian unfriendly. Best to park on the sidestreets. (2005) MTTh, 9:30 am-9:00 pm; F 9:30 am-10:00 pm; Sa 9:00 am-10:00 pm; Su 9:00 am-9:30 pm; Closed W and in August.

Golden Lion Mongolian BBQ
$10
**

Choose your own ingredients, cooked in front of you on a large round grill. Highly recommended. Great food, friendly service and a superb dining experience. (1994)

Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Restaurant
$8-14
***

Noodle Planet
$3-6
***

This is Noodle World II, and is totally identical and 4 blocks from Noodle World I. Any noodle dish you can get in East and Southeast Asia easily you can get here, and better, so I've been told. The Thai crushed ice for dessert is outstanding. Also excellent Pad-Thai. (1998) 11am-11pm.

Noodle World
$3-6
***

Cheap and plentiful! Lots of cheap noodle dishes from a variety of styles (Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, etc.). The only disappointment here are the noodle soups. The Pho is a bit below average ($4), compared with other pho houses. The Thai Tom Yun (lemongrass soup noodle) ($4.25) is decent, as is the Japanese udon noodle soup (which was adequately sized, but not large). The dry noodle dishes are much larger and better prepared. Thai pan fry and Thai pad-see-ew come with a generous mix of vegetables and meat, and for $5, it's enough for a large meal and a snack! The charbroiled pork is absolutely delicious on rice vermicelli, with fish sauce and bean sprouts ($5.25). The mint chicken curry with rice has just the right blend of spices, while the "house special" rice (comes with bbq pork, fried pork, and duck) would have been perfect if it wasn't for the fried pork, which tasted like pork rinds! The duck is delicious, and is offered on another dish without the "pork rinds". The mango with sticky rice for dessert is huge (enough for 3 or 4), but pricy ($5.50). (1999) 10am-1am.

Pho 79
$4-8
***

A good bowl of Pho (traditional Vietnamese noodle meat lunch) is a very difficult thing to find outside of Vietnam. When you find a restaurant that can supply this, it takes some of the sting out of moving to LA. Add that to a huge selection of ethnic Vietnamese dishes (very few veggie options), and you've got a great place for cheap lunch or dinner. Be sure to try the ice desserts. (1998) Su-Th 9am-9pm F-Sa 9am-10pm

Soot Bull Jeep
$20
***

Tibet-Nepal House
$8-10

Tibet-Nepal House is located just north of old town and serves food from both Tibet and Nepal. The food here is simple but flavorful, the service is very friendly and the decor is colorful and eclectic. While waiting for your food, you can also pick up some picture-books of Tibet/Nepal. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially for vegetarians. (2004)

Young Dong Tofu House
$8-12 lunch

This Korean BBQ restaurant has very tasty meat dishes. Your rice comes in a hot stone pot. You don’t cook the meat yourself, they bring you a sizzling platter. Lots of side dishes, like kimchi and sprouts. BBQ beef (blugogi) is sweet and delicious, and spicy pork or chicken is very tasty if you’re looking for a spicier dish. (2004) 11am-10pm

Vegetarian Options: At Golden Lion, you can pick your own ingredients, so it's as veggie as you want. Kuala Lumpur makes good tofu dishes. Tibet-Nepal House is good for veggies.

Late Night: Noodle World is open late.