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Thursday, December 10, 1998

Toi serves as tasty escape for night owls

RESTAURANT: Bruins find appetizing alternative

at trendy Thai food joint

By Nerissa Pacio

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

It's time that the oppression known as Jerry's Famous Deli comes to an end. Granted, there aren't many choices for the starved, sleep-deprived student in desperate search for sustenance. But it's time to demand more than cold, greasy $8 french fries at the only self-service restaurant where tips are still required (You mean to say we actually had a waiter?).

This time around, when a late night craving strikes, head over to Toi on Wilshire.

Think industrial warehouse thriftstore meets Mel's diner meets Tommy Tang's (sans the Sunday night drag queen show). Self-dubbed as a "Rockin' Thai food" restaurant, Toi promises the non-traditional, from the neon light-peppered ambiance to the slightly off-beat menu.

Though more mellow and slightly smaller than its popular Sunset Boulevard counterpart, Toi on Wilshire still captures the mish mash quirkiness atypical of a place serving Asian cuisine. Beatles memorabilia, vinyl records, a bicycle and tin movie reels plaster the walls that reach up to a rafter-exposed ceiling. The glow of dim red candlelights and multicolored year-round Christmas bulbs warm the surroundings of the 15-table space.

Keeping entertained while the sparse restaurant staff drifts from table to table is an easy task. Just read the fortune cookie inscriptions or arts and entertainment magazine cut outs (and other bits of reading material gathering dust under one's bed) beneath the glass covering each table.

Celebrities, celebrity wannabes and angsty model-types frequent Toi on the trendy Sunset strip. But expect to see more students or late twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings out for a 10 p.m. dinner at Toi on Wilshire.

The best bet for night owl grub, which is surprisingly light on grease, is the pineapple curry fried rice ($7.95). Large chunks of pineapple mingle with sauteed chicken, juicy shrimp, toasted cashew nuts, onions and garlic, tossed in a light yellow curry sauce. This large platter of rice is the best value and bursts with tangy, salty and sweet flavors all at once.

For a more velvety yet hearty noodle dish, try the rad nah ($6.95). Smooth, flat rice noodles and crisp broccoli blend with a light, brown Thai gravy and your choice of meat or tofu.

While customers can request almost any dish as vegetarian, the inventive vegetarian eggplant, pumpkin and tofu dish surprises those expecting bland veggie fare ($7.95). Light soy bean and garlic sauce wraps and soaks chunks of fried tofu, fresh eggplant and sweet pumpkin squash.

Save the cravings for classic pad Thai ($6.95) or tom yum poh tack spicy, sour soup ($10.95) for more traditional Thai joints where the focus is more on, well, tradition. Light on spiciness and scanty on zest, these staple Thai dishes fall a bit flat here.

While the a la carte entrees still satisfy the taste buds, these dishes tend to be smaller in portion and are not accompanied by a much needed bowl of steamed rice, which costs an extra $1.50. The best values on a student budget are the heaping fried rice plates and noodle dishes.

Even for dorm-marooned pedestrians, Toi on Wilshire remains an option. Offering free delivery, Toi is an alternative to the confines of Westwood. And for those with cars, race on over before they close at 3 a.m.

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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]

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