lupicia tea

This shop is such a gem for tea lovers, it almost redeems the Century City mall for me. We fell in over the holidays on the hunt for gifts and ended up taking care of a good part of our list in this store alone.

They have an amazing selection of teas and an incredibly knowledgeable staff. They carry everything from a line of more than 200 loose teas - many of which are hard to find or original blends - to beautiful tea pots and accoutrement, and great gift boxes and holiday sets. The prices aren't cheap, but are reasonable for the quality. And even if you're not in the market to buy, they're very generous with the samples.

Their specialty is Japanese tea (given that they have more than 80 locations in Japan, this shouldn't come as a surprise), so if you're a fan, this place needs to go on your favorites list. The Gyukoro Green is great, as is the selection of Genmai Cha. Other favorites include the Sweet Dreams blend (cut ginger, chamomile, dried apple, fennel, bluemallow), which is a must if you find yourself sick, and one of their top-sellers, the Champagne Rose (black tea). If you like spicy, the chai selection is fantastic.

To learn more, you can check out their website which has recently been translated to Engrish.

Westfield Century City Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90067

imai sushi & kushi

I've been keeping this neighborhood joint on the dl for a long time now, but I see the word is already out.

The sushi here is reliably fresh and tasty - and the sushi chefs are even better. Add to it the wide variety of kushi (little grilled skewers of this and that they flame grill behind the sushi bar), extensive menu, pleasant service, nice atmosphere, a little bar with some interesting cocktails, (including a new Zipang sparkling sake that gets me in trouble more often than not), generally easy lot parking, reasonable prices and great specials (lunch and happy hour), and you can't go wrong.

For us, it's walking distance, which makes it even better - especially after a few sake cocktails ;)

If you're in the area, this is a relatively unknown place worth checking out.

8300 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(323) 655-2253

Photo courtesy of Robert H.

chic-a-boom

Specializing in 20's - 80's collectibles and memorabilia, if you like your pop history with a splash of kitsch, you'll love all the vintage treasures at Chic-a-Boom.

This hidden Melrose haunt, just east of La Brea and best known by the big sign shooting off the roof, carries everything from vintage postcards and posters to magazines, pins and toys. The architecturally pre-war space is like a giant grown up toy store overflowing with great finds stacked and piled in every nook and cranny.

The shop's been around nearly 30 years. The owner - who used to have a second store devoted purely to rock-n-roll goodies - is a trip, and after a few minutes of easy conversation with her, it's obvious she's passionate about everything she brings in - and equally passionate about who she allows to take home a few of the more rare finds.

Despite wanting to buy half the store - and refraining from walking out the door with a life-size David Cassidy (watch out Hoff!) - the Beer talked himself into an original, untouched, 60's NY subway Connery Bond poster that's become one of our prized possessions.

Whether you're in the market for a big vintage splurge or a few fun things to spruce up your decor, this is a fun spot everyone Angeleno should check out at least once.

6817 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

(323) 931-7441