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Cheap-but-good dining in Studio City/N. Hollywood?

mizducky

By mizducky
in California: Dining

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mizducky

mizducky

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I'll be driving up from San Diego to Los Angeles this coming Friday to see a show at the Baked Potato (3787 Cahuenga Blvd., right near the Ventura Blvd./Lankershim Ave. convergence), and would like to dine on something a little more inspired than the Potato's big potatoes. Alas, the gas, show cover, and drinks will already be blowing a bit of a hole in my modest budget, so dinner has to be on the relatively cheap side price-wise. Anyone got any recommendations for cheap-but-good places in that area? I know from previous trips that there are bazillions of dining places around there, but it's nice to hear first-hand experiences. My food tastes are broad and I like discovering new stuff; I have an especial fondness for any kind of Asian cuisine (Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese/Japanese/Korean/etc. etc. etc.). Thanks in advance...

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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rjwong

rjwong

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mizducky,

Just in case, Welcome to eGullet!

There's a place in NoHo I used to go to when I was working in Burbank back in the '90's.

It's called Lui's, Chinese Cantonese Restaurant, on Lankershim Blvd. (east side), about 1/2 block north of the Lankershim-Vineland-Camarillo intersection, across from Blockbuster's (street parking only).

It's been years since I've gone. They do have a menu (Americanized), but I ordered from the blackboard where they listed their specials. The food was very good. Even though I go to LA Chinatown for Chinese now, I just might go back to Lui's for old time's sake ... :wub:

Lui's; 4840 Lankershim Blvd.; N. Hollywood, CA 91601; (818) 985-0967

BTW, what time are you planning to enter the SoCal rush hour traffic on Friday? :laugh:

Russell J. Wong aka "rjwong"

Food and I, we go way back ...

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mizducky

mizducky

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mizducky,

Just in case, Welcome to eGullet!

There's a place in NoHo I used to go to when I was working in Burbank back in the '90's.

It's called Lui's, Chinese Cantonese Restaurant, on Lankershim Blvd. (east side), about 1/2 block north of the Lankershim-Vineland-Camarillo intersection, across from Blockbuster's (street parking only). 

It's been years since I've gone. They do have a menu (Americanized), but I ordered from the blackboard where they listed their specials. The food was very good. Even though I go to LA Chinatown for Chinese now, I just might go back to Lui's for old time's sake ...  :wub:

Lui's; 4840 Lankershim Blvd.; N. Hollywood, CA 91601; (818) 985-0967

BTW, what time are you planning to enter the SoCal rush hour traffic on Friday?  :laugh:

Heh. As early as I can possibly manage. I hope to be on the road no later than 1pm ... which will at least let me beat the worst of the Friday afternoon exodus out of San Diego. I expect I will still run into bunches of traffic all the way up to and through LA, but at least I'll have a fighting chance of making it to Studio City in, what? five hours elapsed travel time? :biggrin: No matter how I do this, I realize I'm gonna be spending a hunk of hours either sitting in stop-and-go traffic, or wandering around killing time in LA, or most likely both. But as I'm a total freak for the group I'm driving up to hear play, I'm just gonna grin and bear it--and hopefully reward myself with some good food as well as good tunes.

Meanwhile, thanks for the restaurant recommendation!

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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andiesenji

andiesenji

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Take the 5, not the 405. The last time I was down south and got stuck on the 405 (couldn't get over to the left far enough), it took me forever to get past the airport.

When you get into range, tune to KNX 1070 as they have the most traffic reports and the most accurate.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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rjwong

rjwong

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CORRECTION UPDATE: Lui's Restaurant is no more.

Sorry about that. :sad::sad:

If you don't mind and depending on rush hour traffic, there are some places in LA Chinatown and the Hollywood area, which are on the way to the Baked Potato.

I usually go to Sam Woo on Broadway & Alpine (northwest corner). Street parking can be a problem. Famous in LA is a Middle Eastern (Armenian) place called Zankou Chicken. They have wonderful roast chicken. Ask for extra garlic sauce. I don't usually go over to Studio City or NoHo at all. I know there's the usual chains on Ventura Blvd. like Daily Grill and Louise's Trattoria. This is the best I can do.

Depending on the traffic, you might want to consider going up the 5 northbound to the 57 northbound to the 210 westbound. You should have plenty of time to get into LA, have dinner, and make the show (9:30?).

Russell J. Wong aka "rjwong"

Food and I, we go way back ...

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FoodZealot

FoodZealot

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I'm guessing you'll take I-5 to 101N, so you'd be driving just past Thai Town to get to your destination. I'd suggest getting off 2 or 3 exits early and going to Thai Town. Most places are really inexpensive and have a decent chance of being better than the Thai food that most people are used to. Depending on what dishes you're looking for, I like Jitlada, Ruen Pair, Yai and Ban Phai.

If you'd rather stay closer to the venue, there's a neighborhood place on Cahuenga West called Little China that is better than decent.

I loves the Pork

My blog, http://www.foodzealot.com/blog

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artisan02

artisan02

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I'm guessing you'll take I-5 to 101N, so you'd be driving just past Thai Town to get to your destination.  I'd suggest getting off 2 or 3 exits early and going to Thai Town.  Most places are really inexpensive and have a decent chance of being better than the Thai food that most people are used to.  Depending on what dishes you're looking for, I like Jitlada, Ruen Pair, Yai and Ban Phai.

Okay, this is a slight divergence from this topic, but as a relative newcomer to this area, which exits are you referring to, when you speak of Thai Town? I have no clue as to where it is and would appreciate specific exits to use, as I want to explore this area as well.

http://Nightstirrings.blogspot.com
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Stupid_American

Stupid_American

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I'm guessing you'll take I-5 to 101N, so you'd be driving just past Thai Town to get to your destination.  I'd suggest getting off 2 or 3 exits early and going to Thai Town.  Most places are really inexpensive and have a decent chance of being better than the Thai food that most people are used to.  Depending on what dishes you're looking for, I like Jitlada, Ruen Pair, Yai and Ban Phai.

Okay, this is a slight divergence from this topic, but as a relative newcomer to this area, which exits are you referring to, when you speak of Thai Town? I have no clue as to where it is and would appreciate specific exits to use, as I want to explore this area as well.

Hollywood Blvd, from 101 north, puts you in Thaitown.

Turn right at the signal.

Thaitown

Edited by Stupid_American (log)

For Bangkok eats, check out my Cheap Eats Bangkok

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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

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My gut reaction is that leaving at 1:00 p.m. on a Friday is not early enough, if you want enough downtime to eat. Consider coming up earlier, guarantee you will miss the traffic, and then have some serious fun time in LA beforehand. Leaving at 1:00 p.m., if there is one really bad accident, you could be pulling up to the theatre as the performance is starting. Just a thought...

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mizducky

mizducky

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My gut reaction is that leaving at 1:00 p.m. on a Friday is not early enough, if you want enough downtime to eat. Consider coming up earlier, guarantee you will miss the traffic, and then have some serious fun time in LA beforehand. Leaving at 1:00 p.m., if there is one really bad accident, you could be pulling up to the theatre as the performance is starting. Just a thought...

Well, I'll definitely try to get out of the gate earlier. But you know how it is, sometimes work-stuff grabs you around the throat and won't let you escape--especially when you work out of your home like I do. :hmmm:

So is the consensus that the I-5/101 route is better traffic-wise than the I-405? I've done this trip several times before, and while the 405 did slow way down, at least it kept moving. I'd been avoiding the I-5/101 option because of one or two EXTREME traffic nightmares I had on those, but maybe those were just worse-than-the-norm experiences? (I realize that the answer may really be "the traffic just sucks everywhere, so just roll the dice and take your chances...and at least pick a route that includes good food options!" :cool: )

Meanwhile ... thanks, all, for the various food suggestions!

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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mizducky

mizducky

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Erm ... I realize I should be avoiding wandering too far off-topic from food as such. So--I will (happily!) accept any further opinions as to LA traffic, preferred routes, etc. via PM rather than public posts to this topic. Thanks muchly, folks!

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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mizducky

mizducky

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If you'd rather stay closer to the venue, there's a neighborhood place on Cahuenga West called Little China that is better than decent.

Because the weather in LA was being so freaky with the low-visibility rain squalls, and because I have a thing against trying to find my way to new places when dogged by bad weather (simple lack of trust in my fellow drivers :smile: ), I decided to keep it simple and head right for my destination neighborhood. So I went and checked out Little China, and found it was indeed better than decent. Had a nice dish of chow fun with beef, chicken, and shrimp--love them soft-but-springy noodles, great comfort food.

Alas, while I was in the restaurant, and my car was in the little parking garage underneath the strip mall in which the restaurant resides, some noodnik came by and wrecked my driver's-side rear-view mirror. :angry: Ever try to find a replacement rear-view mirror for a seven-year-old car at 6pm on a Friday? I hit three gas stations and an auto parts store--no luck. Fortunately, my drive home was at 1am, so navigating the freeways minus one mirror was not as scary as it might have been at, say, 1pm.

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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