Sawtelle
Boulevard may be
5,000 miles away
from Japan, but
it feels
otherwise; this
three-block
stretch is an
oasis of noodle
and boba tea
houses, Tokyo
street-wear
shops, sushi
joints and
karaoke bars
that stay packed
into the wee
hours of the
morning. The new
kid on the block
is the foodie
favorite
gr/eats.
Among the
storefronts that
scream
everything Asian
is the presence
of the Giant
Robot Empire.
Launched in 2001
by the comic
book collecting
Eric Nakamura,
Giant Robot is
an art gallery
and retail store
selling artist
goods, designer
vinyl dolls,
mini figurines,
plush dolls, and
other creative
trinkets.
Venturing out
into the
culinary world,
Giant Robot’s –
GR for short -
newest
installation is
their tiny, chic
café
appropriately
named gr/eats.
Furnished with
Eames shell
chairs and long
plain tables,
this
cafeteria-style
eatery provides
a pop culture
ambience.
Serving up
tasty,
inexpensive
dishes, the menu
is a hodgepodge
of various
ethnic cuisines,
with a great
take on veggie
dishes. Really,
it is all over
the place, in a
good way, from
fish taco’s to
curry shrimp, to
okra and enoki
mushroom rolls.
You can order
pasta and beef
meatballs, or
have tofu
meatballs
instead,
Salvadorian
seafood paella,
traditional Udon
bowls or Salmon
teriyaki - this
place will
simply please
anyone’s palate.
Call it
re-contextualized
Asian-American
cooking; you
could call it
fusion, but it
is not so much
meshing cuisines
as much as it
just has lots of
different types,
all in one small
tiny spot.
Whatever they
serve, and
whatever you all
it, it is all
delicious and
crazy
inexpensive.
Their mission is
supplying
sustenance for
friends, fans,
showcasing
artists or
anyone else that
happens to
stumble upon the
quirkiness of
Giant Robot and
the little café
next door. One
visit and you
will agree -
mission
accomplished.
