There was a line to get INTO the elevator (which appears to be the only way to access the horrid parking structure) when I went.
The didn’t have the same brand selection for black sesame rice balls as Van Nuys. OTOH, I don’t recall Van Nuys having any selection of Sanrio pillows.
My impression is that Westwood might have more product categories but a smaller selection within a category?
BTW, what does one do w/ chicken knees (my other Chinese friends didn’t know, either)?
Overall, I liked it. It’s very close to my office, so it’ll make a great rotation for my workweek lunch.
The knee is the nobbly cartilage at the end of the drumstick. They serve them deep fried at Sea Harbour’s dim sum. We love them but the super chewy texture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Yeah, are they going to keep that person full time to stop traffic from entering so cars can leave? Why would you design an underground structure that doesn’t allow cars to enter and exit at the same time?
I assume that structure was built when codes were more lenient? And cars really have gotten much bigger over the last few decades. My vague memory is that the GCM lot seemed worse… But I think that’s the only structure I can think of that is worse (in terms of flow of cars… The Century-City mall takes the cake for most maze-like design).
So glad I’m not the only one that feels this way. Holy hell, I always half expect to run into a Minotaur at the Century City parking lot or the Del Amo mall
They’re still soft open, so maybe give them a bit of time to ramp up the selection and services. Grand Opening is 11/29. The managers have been super attentive to customer feedback on what types of products/services could be improved.
Also, the smaller-than-usual square footage makes this location a 99 “Lite”, in my book. I’ve tempered my expectations as such, after 5+ visits by now. Tawa shoulda just bit the bullet and leased the (already built out) supermarket space on the corner of Palms and Sepulveda, right by the 405… #HottestSupermarketInLA
You were right when you first mentioned that and you are still correct. Can’t blame them for taking the ‘safer’ location but I think they are going to out grow that space and be pretty popular
Happy AYCE Hotpot replaces Happy Lamb Hotpot in Rosemead. Actually almost nothing has changed as Happy Lamb is a national chain (they referred to the Rosemead location as “Happy Lamb Los Angeles”), as the local store disaffiliated from the chain to become Happy AYCE, the only restaurant I know of with AYCE in the name. The only difference I spotted is the lettering on the orange bibs you get when you walk into the dining room.
Oh, I think it’s wonderful, regardless of whatever happens. I didn’t expect it to be like the one in the SGV, and that’s totally fine by me.
Absolutely. Saw 6 young adults taking the bus from the stop right outside the store that leads up to campus.
On the other side of the street, there was a Berkshire Hathaway ad on a bus bench in Chinese. So I imagine the store and now other services will be targeting the parents of these folks, too.
OT (although there is some good food at the Century City mall) but that’s the only parking garage where I’ve actually had to ask security to help me find my car. This was when there was still construction going on and it turns out I had parked in an area that was only accessible from one escalator.
I’m willing to bet that many within the UCLA Community would also be willing to travel the extra 3.1 miles south to Palms & Sepulveda, as long as there is a full service 99 Ranch Market there. There is UCLA grad student housing all along that section of the Sepulveda corridor as well. Plus, the proximity to the 405-Fwy would allow it a much larger target audience (not just UCLA, but all of the Westside). On top of all that, the built-in parking sitch would be so much better on that lot. The aisles wouldn’t have to be so narrow as well (I find the Westwood aisles to be too narrow, as many customers queuing up for the cashier inevitably congest the aisle space)…
I’m sure some UCLA students would travel to that location, but I suspect a lot more would go to the store on Westwood Blvd. Kind of like the new 99 Ranch in Torrance somewhere around 190th and Hawthorne Bl., where somebody suggested a vacant supermarket space on Western made more sense for a store serving the Palos Verdes Asian community. Except that the Asians in PV are used to the Asian commercial areas already along and near the Hawthorne Blvd. corridor.
Yes, but UCLA has no similar Asian community in close proximity, aside from Sawtelle/Little Osaka, perhaps. The Westwood 99 Ranch is actually in Tehrangeles.
I’m not sure if any of you here are familiar with how commercial real estate deals get made (I am no expert by far) but having been on the restaurant side of things I have looked at so many spaces over the years and at this point have toured over a 100 properties for restaurants that will never exist, some came close to the planning stages even. My point is that these things are planned out years in advance and often they may come with support of the city or meet the resistance of local BID (business improvement districts). As the public you guys can almost never fully know what happens behind the scenes and while there may have been a better location, that’s just a surface level observation. I’ve been privy to know restaurant or retail development projects I thought were suppose to happen that were cancelled before they even went public. Maybe the location you think was better had but maybe the owners just dont think an “Chinese” business is right for the neighborhood. Sometimes we’ll never know unless you’re in the inner circle.
I can add that parking is nowhere near a priority in these considerations, especially if it’s not multi-use or profitable as a standalone. Location is a reason why the market is where it is, and why the former Albertson’s remains an empty lot.
That would have been great. I live walking distance on (bottom) of MV Hill from the old Albertson’s and have long believed some upmarket grocery/food court concept would be great there. I would love to see an Uncle Giuseppe’s!
