We’re getting bored of eating at the same places over and over again. What are some of your favorite restaurants in “The Valley”, preferably west of the 405? We can’t get over the hill on weeknights and weekends are dependent on babysitting, so we’re always looking for places to go to in the Valley. No cost or cuisine limitations – we’re open to anything. Sometimes it’s nice to grab a taco from a taco truck, or sushi with the kids, and sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a steak in a white napkin restaurant. 
North of the 405? Isn’t that just North Hills/Canyon Country/Mission Hills where the pic-kin’s are slim. Or do you mean 101?
I love Joe’s Falafel, Sri Siam, Tampa Garden, Las Fuentes
Sorry, I was thinking North/West valley and typed “north” instead of “west”.
North Hills, Granada Hills, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Chatsworth, etc are all fair game. I just didn’t want a bunch of recommendations for Studio City because that’s a bit of a trek for us.
Song Phat. See my post on it if you missed it.
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Got it.
Love Peru’s Taste as well.
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Went to Peru’s Taste a few weeks ago. Really enjoyed the food. The salsa rocks too. Tasty, and probably the hottest I’ve tried at Peruvian eateries. Thanks @CiaoBob!
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Aside from Streets of India, Brent’s, Pho So 1, these are all based on 1 visit (or last visit several yrs ago).
I like Streets of India in Encino. Batterfish has gotten mixed reviews (I liked it the one time I went). 818 Public School (or whatever it’s called) is totally decent. Also enjoyed Red Chilli Halal. Brent’s. Pho So 1 (east of the 405, but just barely). Mandarin Deli for hole-in-the-wall Chinese (been a few yrs since I’ve been). Is Tampa Gardens still any good? I know @westsidegal is/was fond of Vinh Loi Tofu.
Went once to Paru’s. Based on that visit, +1.
There’s also a whole strip of Korean places on Sherman Way at… White Oak? It’s where the supermarket is (I think). I went to Evergreen once there many yrs ago; I have no recollection of what it was like, though.
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Just east of the 405 is the Blue Dog Beer Tavern. They have good burgers and beer. Big plus is you can bring your dog and eat on the porch.
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Have you been to Tampa Garden recently? I haven’t been in about a year, but had a couple friends tell me it’s not as good anymore…
Isn’t Paru’s in LA/Hollywood? Do they have a branch in the SFV?
There used to be a Paru’s in Northridge, probably in the 90s. The owner of the Hollywood location told me that his mother and possibly his sister ran that one. It wasn’t open for long.
Maybe a year ago
It is not the greatest but for the area solid - or it was…
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Oy, oy, oy. Sorry, brain fart. Meant Peru’s Taste.
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I always forget about Peru’s Taste. I think a visit is in our near future. I’ve heard good things about it from so many people!
Been wanting to try 818 Public School but never seem to make it out there. We are one of the few that don’t care much for Brent’s – it’s OK, but not something we crave, KWIM?
I always forget about the Sherman Way Korean places… we like Korean food so we really need to hit some of those places up.
I liked Batterfish the one time I went, as well.
But I was even more excited about Apey Kade (Sri Lankan food) on Ventura in Tarzana. Very nice people, delicious food. The only downsides were the size of the place (although it looked like they had more tables upstairs), and the food took a long time to make. Their curries were ready to go, but other dishes they cooked from scratch, and took maybe 15-30 minutes to make. Still, tasty food from scratch…
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@hhewitt, thanks.
I heard Apey Kade’s food is generally pretty spicy. How much burn was there when you ate it? Really spicy?
It was fairly spicy. My wife (who likes very mild food) found it spicy. I like (as I put it) jalapeño or milder, and I didn’t find it too spicy. Just quite flavorful. I’ve only been once though, over a year ago… the memory grows hazy.
That’s actually on our “to try” list. I heard about it a few months ago, but we just haven’t made it over there. We’re Indian, and enjoy spicy food, so we’re actually hoping the food has good heat to it. One of my good friends in high school/college was Sri Lankan, and I still remember all the great meals I had at her house.
818 Public School is a good gastropub, but not great. You would be better off heading a little further east to the Bellwether - at least in my experience. There is also the Scratch Bar in Encino that we have yet to try. I have heard mixed reviews on it.
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