At the Shop House

Have you been to Shop House yet? Have you even heard of it? Well, if you’re a fan of Chipotle (i.e. all of the human race), then you’re going to pee. The founder(s) of our favorite environmentally conscious burrito chain have taken their world-dominating dining formula to Southeast Asia. That’s right, Shop House is Chipotle gone stir fry. And when I say Southeast Asia, I mean these people WENT to Southeast Asia, lived there, studied the cuisine, and brought it back to make this restaurant. It totally shows. Stand in the all-too-familiar assembly line and choose every layer of your bowl, from the variety of rice or noodles, to the selection of locally produced meat, to the expertly cooked veggies, to the one of two delicious curry sauces. There are endless combinations, but I usually stick to the salad bowl (made with shredded cabbage) with tofu, broccoli, green beans, green curry, papaya slaw, cilantro, peanuts, and garlic. I’m not gonna lie, it’s kind of the best thing ever. If you’re not a vegetarian you should definitely try the pork and lamb meatballs – phenomenal. And what makes it five stars for me is that it’s more than starving artist friendly. If I get my tofu bowl with just one veggie and bring my own water bottle, I get a hot, spicy, satisfying meal for less than $8. For that price I could do it three times a week and keep it way healthy (aside from the tremendously high salt content).

I frequent the Sunset/Vine location, which is generally pretty quiet, so it’s nice for a date or to treat yourself out to a good meal and some reading/blogging/crying time. I’m also fairly certain this location is a cruising spot since the percentage of clientele that are alarmingly gorgeous lingering gay men seems exceptionally high… but that’s probably not a bad thing… The staff and service are beyond friendly, like, “omg we’re a new restaurant and we REALLY want you to LOVE us so we all snorted uppers” kind of friendly. It’s only mildly unsettling and let’s be honest, I love people who will entertain my banter (see photo above).

In short, Shop House has definitely become my new addiction and with friendly staff, low prices, and seriously good food, I have no doubt it will soon be yours. Next time you think Chipotle, make it Shop House – you won’t be sorry.

Shop House – Southeast Asian Kitchen
6333 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.shophousekitchen.com

Click HERE to read my review on YELP.