Japanese area In LA

[chad]

Hey Guys,

I am trying to find out the street and the shops for a little Japanese area in LA. It isn't downtown with more mainstream places, but is between west hollywood and santa monica and is on a street with just a few japanese shops that sell everything from japanaese toys, paraphanalia, clothes, etc etc.

Could anyone help me out?

Thanks

Chad

[renski]

not to familiar with LA but going to take a stab at little tokyo?

[alleyooptroop]

Hey Guys,

I am trying to find out the street and the shops for a little Japanese area in LA. It isn't downtown with more mainstream places, but is between west hollywood and santa monica and is on a street with just a few japanese shops that sell everything from japanaese toys, paraphanalia, clothes, etc etc.

Could anyone help me out?

Thanks

Chad

there's a stretch of sawtelle blvd. between olympic and santa monica blvd. in west la that is sort of a "little tokyo". couple of import shops, giant robot and gr2 have cool books, mags, posters and stuff. and a bunch of great places to eat. my favorite is a noodle house called ramen-ya on olympic.

there's also a large japanese population in torrance so there's a lot of shops scattered around - not a bunch centralized in one location though.

[stadsvandringar]

I think you're referring to Sawtele. It's the street where the Giant Robot stores are located, amongst various japanese markets, restaurants, karaoke places, etc. It's pretty close to UCLA, which is between west hollywood and santa monica.

[hhllyk44]

yeah sawtelle. i have a friend who has a house a couple blocks from there. you can get all of these japanese video games, sweet ass shit at giant robot, not to mention probably the best boba in LA

[herpsky]

yeah sawtelle. i have a friend who has a house a couple blocks from there. you can get all of these japanese video games, sweet ass shit at giant robot, not to mention probably the best boba in LA

that ain't japanese though

[chaos1124]

that ain't japanese though

oh BOBA is universal if you know what it means, wink wink..

Alhambra's got the best Boba in LA for sure.

[herpsky]

do people on west coast refer to bubble tea as "boba"?

e.g. soda vs. pop

[alleyooptroop]

I think you're referring to Sawtele.

nope, i'm referring to SAWTELLE

http://www.sawtelleblvd.com/

[maydenchina]

i hear and say boba, bubble tea, pearl milk tea, pearl tea, blahbalbah

[chaos1124]

do people on west coast refer to bubble tea as "boba"?

e.g. soda vs. pop

Boba is actually chinese which means "big tits" or chicks with big tits, that term was used with this drink to somewhat attract customers, and it's been a huge hit in Taiwan like 16, 17 years ago..so the name stuck with the drink when it was introduced elsewhere in the world.

Boba or pearl is that tapioca thing in the drink...

sorry if nobody gives a shit about what I just said..

I just feel like explaining it since I was born and raised in Taiwan...

[ugarte1213]

La Brea has some Japanese culture to it too, no?

[azn8oi]

When I think of bubble tea, i think of Zhen Zhu Nai Cha.

And when I think of that, I think of Mainland China.

And when I think of that, I can't think of BOBA.

LA people don't call it "bubble tea" though restaurants might try to force us to use that name nowadays.

[raginberriodoom]

do people on west coast refer to bubble tea as "boba"?

e.g. soda vs. pop

Yes, on the west cost, the drink is known as "boba."

Around here, I've never heard of boba being called bubble tea or pearl milk tea.

[phen3N]

i went to sawtelle tonight for dinner. i dont remember the name of the japanese restaurant we went to, but its on the corner of the block that contains GR2. unfortunately, giant robot and giant robot 2 were closed (they close pretty early apparently). afterwards i had pinkberry for the first time, pretty good stuff

[chad]

hey thanks everyone for the replies!