In a way, the self-serve style of Pampas Grill was reminiscent of a school cafeteria line. If anything, though, the rows of sizzling meat skewers and gourmet self-serve dishes, waiting to be piled on a plate, felt more like a foodie student’s wildest dream of what cafeteria-style food can be. Although the meat spinning above the embers embodied traditional the Brazilian method, it wasn’t the daunting all-you-can-eat endeavor often associated with a churrascaria. Read more...

As a steady stream of students approached the ingredients bar at Mongols BBQ, a no-frills Mongolian barbecue establishment in Westwood, I was reminded less of a normal restaurant and more of an engineering competition. The premise is simple: You pay for a bowl, which you then fill with as much food as you can manage from the extensive ingredients bar. Read more...

It only took a moment to realize why my first experience with Korean barbecue held such an air of déjà vu. The cavernous, dimly lit room of Moodapo II – filled with pulsing dance music, videos and Friday-night revelers – felt less like an old-school restaurant and more like a Las Vegas club. I’ve been told this flashy style is far from standard in the Korean barbecue world, but the festive atmosphere of this Koreatown staple served only to enhance the indulgent nature of the feast. Read more...

On Saturday morning, the Regency Theater and Bruin Theater in Westwood closed to host the premiere of “The Lego Movie,” a film about Emmet, an average minifigure who discovers he may be the Special, destined to save the world.   Read more...