Celebrity Settings

Virbila Feels Bliss at Inn of The Seventh Ray; Ramen Ragers Give Gold Seal of Approval to Jinya

It appears S. Irene Virbila is wasting a week’s column on that good ol’ hippie haunt, Inn of the Seventh Ray. But wait, they’ve gone locavore under chef Bradley Miller, “a serious chef” with “some serious food.” She’s not a fan of sucking the plastic pipe on a molecular-style “shrimp cocktail 2010,” or the vegan duck, but roasted lamb loin, seared scallops, and a loch duarte salmon have her reflecting, “Maybe all the nights are beautiful at this magical spot.” Just then, two stars shoot across the sky. [L.A. Times]

Ramen obsessives are a unique breed, but at least they let Jonathan Gold off their typically critical hook when it comes to Studio City’s Jinya, where “The noodles are long, springy, resilient to the bite, soaking up just enough broth to become almost part of it yet retaining a sort of wheaty integrity of their own.” [L.A. Weekly]

Los Angeles magazine nails it when noting that Malibu’s Cafe Habana is lost in translation. The “plantains could have been warmer, the chips crispier, and the pulled pork a little leaner,” the mag advises. Pointing out that the “hipster waitstaff has never before strayed so far from Echo Park,” the mag just isn’t buying it. You can stuff as many busboys into Kangol hats as you want, Habana, but we’re not calling anybody “papi.” Must be a family-spot anyway, why else are the limp sandwiches being cut into fourths? [Los Angeles]

“Even the third or fourth time around” Downtown’s Fu-ga feels “like a discovery,” writes J. Gold, deeming it “a fun place to drink; a good place to fall into for a glass of La Chouffe and a plate of edamame after a Dodger game or a play at the Taper.” [L.A. Weekly]

A reader wants cold noodles, but doesn’t want to be treated like a clueless honky. Mr. Gold suggests going to JTYH for Chinese noodles or the Japanese variety at Gardena’s Sanuki No Sato. But for the second best, go Korean at KTown’s Ma Dang Gook Soo, though he’s saving his favorite recommendation for next week, that coy little minx. [L.A. Weekly]

Merrill Shindler remembers when Thai was a newcomer while entering Monterey Park’s “rather fine” Thai Paradise, where “hot chili oil, more crispiness, and a fondness for sweet main courses” are in abundance. [Pasadena Star News]

Virbila Feels Bliss at Inn of The Seventh Ray; Ramen Ragers Give Gold Seal of