Besha Rodell Can't Get Enough of Baroo's 'Beguiling' Menu

In a somewhat surprising move, Besha Rodell at the Weekly drops in a review today for Hollywood underdog Baroo. The fermentation-heavy restaurant in a rather unappealing strip mall off Santa Monica Boulevard was first discovered on Eater a little while back, and has since become something of a food writer favorite over the past few weeks.

Still, a full-on review is a touch unorthodox for such a young, offbeat eatery. But that’s exactly what makes it so worthwhile, says Rodell, who drops three whole stars on the place, saying:

Part of what's so irresistible and endearing about the place is the sincerity with which its owners run their business. They say the word "baroo" refers to the bowl from which monks eat — one of the only objects a monk is allowed to possess — and there is indeed something ascetic about the setup and the intentions of the two men who run the restaurant.

The critic mostly loves the presentation and layered flavors of the place, particularly in the way they work with grains and Asian ingredients. But in the end she settles on Baroo as some level of experimental dinner theater, dropping terms like ‘beguiling’, ‘weird, and ‘slightly confusing’. But in the age of gastropubs and reclaimed-wood interiors everywhere, that’s not such a bad thing after all.

The Elsewhere: LA Taco shines a light on what may be Hawaiian Gardens' best tacos, the SGV Tribune gives three stars to Misky Misky in West Covina, and OC Weekly digs into Chan Chan Food House in Irvine.