CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Restaurants Native Foods, Don
Antonio and Noodle Planet are Westwood sites for quick and tasty
cuisine.
Native Foods It really does taste like chicken.
However, meat will never be found near the vegan restaurant Native
Foods. Three of the restaurant’s main ingredients ““
tempeh, seitan and soy protein ““ are incorporated into
entrees to simulate and substitute meat. Diners can choose from a
variety of earth bowls, burgers, pizzas, and snacks, which have
their own Native twist, free of meat and dairy products. The Native
Seasoned Fries contain a blend of Native spices, and the Chili
Fries are covered with Native cheese, consisting of a mixture
including cashew nuts and sunflower seeds to substitute any dairy
products. Vegetarians and health fanatics will thoroughly enjoy
what this restaurant offers, with all ingredients being fresh and
low in fat. Flavors such as the balsamic vinaigrette, ginger
Moroccan marinade, and banana salsa are sure to entice even meat
lovers. The Poltz Burrito is plentifully portioned and flavorful
with its banana salsa. The Chinese Soy-Chicken Salad earth
bowl’s soy really does taste like chicken, and is close
enough to satisfy any meat-eater. What is not recommended, however,
is the Texas Hound, a veggie hot dog. The weenie looks like a hot
dog, but does not taste like one. Some of Native Foods’
substitute meat needs getting accustomed to, but it is a worthy
competitor to the real thing. With its exotic, inventive flavors,
the restaurant offers delightfully healthy alternatives that are
definitely more replenishing and nourishing than what most
neighboring restaurants have to offer.
Sophia Whang
Noodle Planet From udon, ramen and pad thai to
spaghetti, this restaurant has almost every type of noodle on the
planet. Noodle Planet serves its entrees in traditional Asian
sauces and styles. A recommended dish is the udon bowl, which
arrives full of steaming udon noodles in a soup base with seaweed
and Japanese fish cake. The pad thai has a filling combination of
ingredients and the flavor of the noodles is not too sweet, but the
dish overall is a bit heavy for the stomach. The Seafood Chili
Sauce, a spicy seafood dish over steamed rice, comes with a variety
of seafood that is well complemented by the sauce, and the rice is
steamed just right. The quality of the ingredients is not the best,
with the seafood not being fresh and many dishes containing MSG.
But the prices are generally inexpensive, the service quick, and
the atmosphere cool and friendly. Meals are served hot, full of
flavor, and in huge portions, making this restaurant popular for
outings with groups of friends.
Sophia Whang
Don Antonio’s Don Antonio’s offers
inexpensive Italian cuisine, and, best of all, it delivers.
Featuring pizzas, pastas, hot and cold sandwiches, appetizers and
desserts, the menu is more extensive than would be expected at such
a small establishment. In fact, if customers choose to eat in, they
will find that the restaurant has done fairly well in making its
narrow storefront into a dining room. There is some outdoor
seating, although it consists of only a few tables and isn’t
particularly charming. The food is of varying quality. While the
pizza is good, other entrees are hit and miss. The hot subs are
better than the the baked ziti. For an appetizer, the bruschetta
checca is delicious, but when ordering dessert, stay away from the
tiramisu, which is a bit soggy. Overall, this is the kind of place
from where students might order food while studying, not where they
go for a nice night out. The wide range of pizzas are Don
Antonio’s specialty; to order anything else would be
risky.
Mary Williams