Joe's Falafel and the Soft Pillowy Rounds of Laffa

basically billowy laffa bread

What: Joe's Falafel is not exactly a secret -- it consistently shows up as the top-rated restaurant on Yelp for some reason, though it was nearly empty when we arrived on a Saturday evening.
Where: 3535 Cahuenga Blvd. W., In a strip mall on the cusp of Universal City and Studio City
Why: Studio City was already blessed with another Israeli falafel spot, Amir's Falafel, even before Joe's came along, but it's worth trying both to decide which is more important -- tender yet crispy falafel balls, or big fluffy rounds of homemade laffa bread. Now that I've tried Joe's, I'm going with the laffa bread, because their falafel and salads are also good.

vegetarian combo plate

What to order: Whatever you get, make sure it's accompanied by the homemade laffa bread, which is the star attraction at Joe's. More pillowy than a pita and as chewy as Indian naan, the bread is baked on the walls of a round oven that resembles a Tandoori oven.

bread baking in the laffa oven

The basic falafel sandwich melds the falafel, tahini and laffa bread flavors in an excellent way. But the vegetarian sampler plate is fun too -- with mounds of hummus, babaghanouj, cabbage salad and grape leaves and an entire laffa bread, you'll have fun getting the proportions perfect in sandwiches you construct yourself. An eggplant salad called moussaka, though it's mostly just baked eggplant, is also terrific.

copper pans add a homey touch

Will we return? Definitely, next time we'll delve into the meatier side of the menu and try some shwarma or kebabs -- as long as they're accompanied by plenty of laffa bread, of course.

Hyperion Public: A Solid Try at Something for Everyone

Outdoor seating is available on the sidewalk and also on the tiny annex patio at left

Silver Lake is changing fast, and the latest exhibit is Hyperion Public, a new bar and restaurant replacing the Flying Leap and Other Side piano bar. 
When Hyperion Public announced its opening as a “sports bar,” some locals feared it might not fit the neighborhood’s character. Here's the Ledger review:

When Hyperion Public announced its opening using the words "sports bar," some locals were afraid it might not fit the neighborhood's character. The upstairs bar does have TVs showing sports events, but with bingo, karaoke and live music nights, the owners are working hard to make sure the bar has something for everyone in the community.
The revamped space is neither a gastropub, a sports bar or a hipster haven -- instead it's a lively and stylish restaurant/pub with solid food that pairs well with drinks.
A stylish makeover gave the downstairs restaurant of-the-moment Edison bulbs and industrial stools, and a large communal table down the middle that's perfect for large parties. Up a few stairs, the bar is more classic with a pressed tin ceiling and large booths.
The menu has been freshened up a bit since Hyperion Public opened eight months ago, and the whole operation is starting to come into focus as a lively neighborhood spot with windows open to the street and a few tables on the sidewalk.
If drinking is the main plan, there's plenty of beer-friendly items like F Yeah fries ($10) with bacon and creamy dip and half a dozen variations of chicken wings.
The menu skews towards comfort food like three kinds of mac 'n cheese and burgers and several bacon-laced items. But lighter eaters will appreciate BBQ steak lettuce cups -- basically tender steak tacos with lettuce instead of tortillas -- or champagne kale or grilled chicken salad.
Vegetarian choices include the quinoa bean burger, Silver Lake grilled cheese with stone fruit, mango and avocado salad and mushroom farro gratin, a homey, satisfying side that would work as a main course paired with a vegetable. The burger ($14) has been praised by Serious Eats' reputable A Hamburger Today blog, and although pre-boning the buttermilk fried chicken makes it verge on nugget territory, it's juicy and well-spiced with a side of bacon-inflected coleslaw ($17). Grilled salmon is a good value at $16.
The bar menu wisely concentrates on four signature cocktails: longtime Silver Lakers should try the vodka, basil and lime juice Walking Man. Both the wine and draft beer selections are fairly brief for a pub; for more variety, try a bottled amber ale from San Francisco's Speakeasy or Shipwreck double IPA from San Diego's Mission Brewing.
Among the desserts, salted caramel pie has many fans, but Key Lime pudding served in a canning jar is also light and refreshing.
Brunch is served starting at 11 on weekends, and also in the works is an adjacent bakery and coffee operation called Foreshadow. Don't miss the very well-priced Happy Hour menu from 4-7 p.m.

Three forks

Hyperion Public
2538 Hyperion Ave.
(323)761-6440

Quick Bites: Yujean Kang Re-Appears at Chi Lin Under a Flock of Butterflies

a striking red door marks the entrance

What: Chi Lin

Where: 9201 Sunset Blvd., 310-278-2068
Why: You've run out of places to take your agent or you got kicked out of Soho House for talking on your phone at dinner. 

the walls are covered in reflective glass butterfly tableaux

The goods:  Yujean Kang, whose Pasadena restaurant was one of the area's only upscale/fusion Chinese restaurants for nearly 20 years, has landed as executive chef at Chi Lin, an upscale fusion Chinese spot on the Sunset Strip. Adjacent to RivaBella, they're both owned by IDG.

shrimp toast

The look: The spiritual heir to previous celeb-infused Strip spots like Roy's, Chi Lin has a stunning design of reflective butterfly tableaux enclosed in glass walls surrounded by lots of black lacquer, with servers in long columns of gold gowns. It's a pretty glitzy scene, with a menu that hits current crazes like kale salad, old-school Chinese dishes like Hong Kong Pineapple Rice and and dishes that might be found in the SGV like minced lamb with pickled mustard greens.

Peking duck

What to order: Peking Duck is classic and crispy; shrimp toast is a fun appetizer; there's plenty of vegetable choices like wok-charred green beans, kale and mushroom salad and garlic chile Brussels sprouts.



(I attended a press preview for this restaurant.)

Pingtung Eat-in Market: Dim sum and a swell patio on Melrose

Asian snacks line the walls, but there's also a bar and plenty of tables

Decent Chinese food is tough to find west of Downtown -- maybe even west of the San Gabriel Valley -- so Pintung Eat-In Market is a very welcome addition in the heart of the Melrose shopping strip. Just a few doors down from where Tommy Tang married New Wave to Thai food, Pingtung is a new wave restaurant of this era: Fun Asian snacks and loose-leaf tea in jars line the wall (that's the "Eat-In Market" part), the back patio offers a couch for lounging, iced coffee is bottled Stumptown cold brew.

spicy shrimp dumplings aren't often seen east of Downtown

About two dozen varieties of dim sum are the star of the pan-Asian menu, which also offers ramen, rice bowls with meat and tofu toppings, sushi and "flatbread" - similar to the beef rolls seen at dumpling houses in the San Gabriel Valley. On a recent lunch visit, we tried pleasant crystal spicy shrimp dumplings, with larger pieces of shrimp than in the typical har gow, drenched in a mild chile oil.

Homestyle tofu is slicked with a mildly spicy Szechuan peppercorn sauce

A spicy bean curd homestyle rice bowl came with a nicely peppery bowl of hot and sour soup and tofu with a decorous but still lightly numbing amount of spicy peppercorns. Chicken flatbread roll slicked with hoisin was even better later that day when the flavors had melded.

hot and sour soup and chicken roll, at rear

 This was all a very promising start for an Asian restaurant in that area, and I'll return soon for some pan-fried pork buns, crispy shrimp balls and soup dumplings.
To drink, there's a large selection of tea, coffee, sake and shochu, beer and Asian sodas.
Pintung Eat-In Market
7455 Melrose Ave.
(323) 866 1866