Week in Reviews: One Star for Luau, More Elsewhere!!

Today, Miss Irene finally has her say on Beverly Hills' Luau, the contemporary ode to the classic tiki cuisine eatery. She's amused by some of what she finds, but overall, the experience is something of a letdown:

Though Luau is not your mother's tiki lounge (or your grandparents', for that matter), its attempts to update and upgrade sometimes please but sometimes disappoint. After all, a nouvelle pupu platter is still a pupu platter, even though it may not be as much fun as the one we remember as kids.

To be sure, the decor is fine ("nothing is gaudy or over the top"), but the wine list is a shitshow ("prices are high, and who wants to drink Cabernet Sauvignon with salmon steamed in a banana leaf, or lamb with Thai peanut sauce?") and service is all over the place. All this adds up to a Polynesian-themed onespot. [LAT]

ELSEWHERE: Eating L.A. checks in at Twohey's Diner in Alhambra; Franklin Avenue compares and contrasts BonChon and Kyochon in Koreatown; The Rundown at Downtown's new Drago Centro; and The Find finds deliciousness at Simon's Cafe in Sherman Oaks.