Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in west la, CA

Why Westside Pavilion is My Second Home

by Susan Choi

August 04, 2009

If I am not at home or on the road, chances are, I am at Westside Pavilion Mall. This mall has everything you could possible need and a lot of fun activities for kids. The location is ideal and it really has it all. Here are some of my favorite stores and some events you may not have known about before.

Kids Club--The first Wednesday of every month at 6 pm, Westside Pavilion hosts a free kids program called Kids Club on the third floor food court area. Every month, they invite a different entertainer such as a balloon artist or marionette puppeteer. Also, at 5:30 pm, Music, Stars, and Masters performs a pre-show for the children. Check it out tomorrow (August 5th)!

Music, Stars and Masters--As I posted before, I love them. Everyone there is so cool, and all my kids adore their classes (semi-private piano lessons, Rock Stars, and Music 'n' me). If you are considering an enrichment class for your child, call Music, Stars and Masters for a free trial class.

Three Cheeky Monkeys--Just a couple doors down from the music classes is my favorite toy store. They recently moved to this expanded space and now have twice the fun for your little one. They have toys out for your kids to play with while you check out their selection. They carry a lot of the classic redux toys, wooden toys, non-battery operated, creativity encouraged toys. Everything is reasonably priced and they gift-wrap fror free. Through the month of August, they will have free face painting available on Sunday afternoons.

School Cents--Westside Pavilion participates in a Shopping Partnership program that rewards schools monetary prizes. This year $25,500 was donated to thirty local schools through this program. Isn't it nice to support organizations with a social conscience?

With the great food court, children's play area (which I affectionately call "the fruit pit"), and many children's clothing stores, Westside Pavilion is a great resource for parents. More reasons to go out and help stimulate the economy!







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Way Beyond Chicken Fingers: Authentic Ethnic Dining Options for the Adventurous

by Susan Choi

July 13, 2009

Back in March, I shared some dining options for you that are kid-friendly. We like ethnic food and try to expose our children to it as much as possible. Not to extol the virtues of living in LA yet again, but we really are lucky. We have access to so much different types of cuisine, so many little ethnic burrows into which we can venture and try new foods. So here are some more restaurants to try out, ethnic food that is authentic as it gets. Warning! These restaurants may not be the cleanest or the most kid-friendly. But they have really good, authentic fare.

Chung Ki Wa/Black Angus--Of course I will start off with Korean BBQ because I think it is the bomb! The food is delicious, the service is friendly, the prices are a little high but the meat quality is good. You also get a lot of variety of kimchi and other side dishes (ban chan). I recommend getting the kalbi (marinated short ribs) which you can cook at your table. For your kids to try: if your kids like noodles, you can get jap chae which is vermicelli noodles stir-fried with thin strips of meat and veggies.

India Sweet House--This isn't a typical Indian restaurant. It is a hole in the wall and reminds people of their visits to India. But the food is really good! It is vegetarian but even carnivores can enjoy the delicious paratha (flat-bread sandwich), samosa (potato/veggie stuffed turnovers), naan (Indian flatbread), and a variety of curries. They also have sweet stuff (thus the name) which changes all the time. For your kids to try: Aaloo paratha (potato) and a dessert!

Versailles Restaurant--The first time I went to Versailles, I had no idea what to expect of Cuban food. But I love to try new things and we gave it a go. It was delicious! This place is great for meat lovers, especially pork lovers. The Lechon Asada is very popular. If you prefer chicken, then try the garlic chicken. The fried plantains also come with each entree and is a nice yummy treat that your kids will love too. For your kids to try: the garlic chicken is your best bet though they do have a children's menu with chicken fingers or fish sticks.

Curry House--Going to Curry House reminds me of my time in Japan. I can't place my finger on it, but there is an authenticity about the place that I love. Oh, and the food is great too. Just about everything can come smothered with Japanese yellow curry sauce. Or you can try a plate of donkatsu (breaded fried pork with a special savory sauce). You may wonder why they serve spaghetti at a curry restaurant but spaghetti is very popular in Japan and it is made for a Japanese palate. For your kids to try: Chicken katsu (breaded fried chicken) curry or spaghetti.

Any restaurants you think should be added to this list? Please share!


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Favorite Ice Cream Places to Go with (or without) Kids

by Susan Choi

June 02, 2009

I LOVE ice cream and all its reincarnations. I recently consumed two pints of Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch in four days. While this flavor is my all-time favorite, there is enough love to go around. Whenever I am in the mood for something sweet and the kids are with me, frozen yogurt is the most innocuous deviation from our normal healthy eating habits. So I have taken the kids to a lot of different ice cream/frozen yogurt eateries around town. Here are my favorites and the reasons why:

1) Twist (located on Santa Monica and Bundy)--This place is the best place to take the kids. It is inexpensive and you can control the amount of yogurt the kids get. Plus, they can choose from a large variety of toppings. I can walk out of Twist with three bowls of frozen yogurt for under $7 and four very happy campers. Favorite flavor: cake batter and waffle cone pieces toppings.

2) Whole Foods in Mar Vista (located on Barrington and National) and in Beverly Hills (located on Crescent and Wilshire)--I love the gelato here. My kids actually like the sorbets too plus you can get some shopping done. Favorite flavor: hazelnut/biscotti/coffee gelato.

3) Yoku Yoku (located on Palms and Sepulveda)--This place has both gelato and frozen yogurt and a variety of toppings. It is also open late and has a little lounge area with magazines so if you are able to come without the kids, this is a great place to come and indulge in yummy dessert and trashy magazines. Favorite flavor: cookies and cream frozen yogurt withOreo cookie toppings.

4) Didi Reese (located on Broxton and Le Conte)--This place is the go-to dessert place for UCLA students. Okay, I admit. I've never come here with the kids. My husband and I usually reserve Didi Reese for our date nights. But the prices are so cheap, and the ice cream sandwiches (two homemade cookies of your choice with one scoop of Dreyer's ice cream) are to die for. The parking is difficult and there is always a line out of the door. However, if I had to wait an hour in the freezing rain, it would still be so worth it. Favorite flavor for ice cream sandwich: cinnamon sugar cookie, candy chocolate cookie, and chocolate ice cream.

5) Rite Aid in Beverly Hills (located on Canon and Dayton)--As much as I love Ben and Jerry's ice cream, I don't like paying over so much for a little scoop. So Rite Aid is my favorite place to go for cheap ice cream. Just $1.19 for a single scoop. You can buy your ice cream and then walk over to the Montage Hotel on Wilshire and Canon. There is a beautiful outdoor public park area with little tables set up. Favorite flavor: Chocolate Malt Crunch

Invite a friend and get some ice cream together!

Beyond Chicken Fingers: Six Delicious Kid-Friendly Dining Options

by Susan Choi

March 10, 2009

We are a family of eaters. We come from a long line of good eaters, going back many generations. Thankfully our children share our passion for food which makes it easy for us to go to restaurants with them. As I snack on some creme brulee, I thought I would share some of our favorite restaurants that aren't kid-oriented (like Chuck E Cheese) but still kid-friendly on the Westside. Some of them are chains but they are easy, the kids love them, and the food is good. The others, I hope I am exposing you to a new restaurant that will become a new favorite.

Dagwood's Pizza in Santa Monica and Venice (pizza, Italian)--Great for delivery or a dine-in restaurant. It has a neighborhood pizza joint feeling and the pizza is delicious! Pasta and subs for those who are not pizza eaters.

Taiko in Brentwood (Japanese)--Located in the Brentwood Gardens structure on the 3rd floor, it is an affordable Japanese restaurant. We love to order a couple rolls and the Taiko combinations. Best of all, they have Hello Kitty melamine bowls and plates for the kids. The weekends get busy so call in advance to reserve a table.

Koreatown Plaza food court in LA (Korean)--Being Korean, we love to come here regularly. However, the great thing about eating here is that everyone can choose what they want. We normally get some noodles, Korean BBQ meat, soup, and dumplings. There are tons of high chairs, the menus are in English with pictures, and also have Vietnamese noodles, Japanese options and Boba tea.

Souplantation in Brentwood and Marina Del Rey (salad bar buffet)--this is one of the kids' favorite restaurants. To be honest, I am not sure how many vegetables they actually eat. But they certainly do eat the pasta, muffins and frozen yogurt. And I try to get a week's worth of vegetables in one sitting, to make up for my usual deficiency.

Kay n Dave's in Brentwood, Rancho Park and Pacific Palisades (Tex Mex)--this place is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve freshly made mini muffins at breakfast and delicious chips and salsa for lunch and dinner. The Rancho Park location is my favorite because it has an outdoor patio in the back.

Colony Cafe in Rancho Park (burgers and salads)--I love burgers and the burgers here hit the spot when I am craving. The fries are awesome too. My kids love the hot dogs here and the frozen yogurt is excellent.


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Looking back at 2008

by Susan Choi

December 30, 2008

What an amazing year it has been at Savvy Source West LA! The site officially launched in May with Nina Moon and she filled the treasure troves with tons of toddler-friendly times. Savvy source West LA has advice on what to do with your kiddies during sunny days , rainy days , weekend days , and special days . Interested in art ? music ? books ? No problem. We've got it covered. Want  Read more...

Children's Tea Party - Anyone for Tea Catering

by Nina Moon

October 22, 2008

There's nothing quite so dainty or delightful as a truly English tea party. Better yet, an English tea party for princesses . Anyone for Tea Catering offers catered tea service menus for children's parties starting at $25 per guest with a 15 guest minimum, delicate china included. After all, nothing but the best for your little princess, right? So invite your little girl's guests to dress up  Read more...

Flashback - 5 favorite posts from September

by Nina Moon

September 30, 2008

My husband has been working long hours all this month so I've basically been flying solo around here for a month. Needless to say, I welcome October with open, grateful arms. Still, September wasn't a total wash. In case you missed it, here are five of the best posts from September. 1. Bistro de l'Hermitage - friendly French food for four-year-olds - Because excessive alliteration aside, it  Read more...

The Getty Museum - A Preschooler's Guide Part 1

by Nina Moon

September 24, 2008

You exit the 405 at Getty Center Drive and make your way to the parking entrance where you fork over $10(!!!!) for parking. You enter the underground parking lot and pass several large school buses and your heart sinks as you anticipate large hordes of elementary school students ready to trample on your tiny preschooler. But you continue on (since you already paid the ten bucks, there's no  Read more...

Bistro de l'Hermitage - friendly French food for four-year-olds

by Nina Moon

September 22, 2008

When I went to Paris with my mother and grandmother in college (I know, some collegians go on wild adventures with their classmates. I, on the other hand, did Europe with my elders), they didn't want to eat at French food. Totally blasphemous, right? My mom and grandma are the folks who frequent the same three restaurants and order the same thing every time they go. So French food seemed a  Read more...

5 perfect preschool playdates

by Nina Moon

September 09, 2008

Preschool may make it a tad bit easier to set up playdates (no more desperately hoping that another lonely parent will send a friendly smile your way), but there always remains that question - where to go? Here are five perfect places for your kids to play and for grown-ups to bond. Play - I love that Play is set up to facilitate both playdates and one-on-one bonding between parent and child.  Read more...

The Corner Market -- Is Los Angeles a walkable city?

by Nina Moon

August 28, 2008

Click over to Walk Score , a website that rates the walkability of cities and neighborhoods in the US, and you'll find that Los Angeles is the 9th most walkable city in America. When I heard this my first reaction was probably similar to the one you're having right now. Namely, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? But yes, supposedly only 16% of Los Angeles is car-dependent. As in, the vast majority of Angelenos  Read more...

5 LA Ice Cream Parlors to Die For

by Nina Moon

July 24, 2008

My husband and I are currently in the process of potty training our son and, yes, we're not ashamed to say, we've resorted to sticker charts culminating in a trek to the ice cream parlor to nudge the process along a bit. Next thing you know we'll be shelling out twenty-dollar bills for bringing home good grades, right? (Read the sarcasm there, please.) If you're also so inclined, this list of  Read more...

Dinner Destinations -- 5 Fabulous Restaurants to Introduce Your Preschooler to Ethnic Foods

by Nina Moon

July 22, 2008

One of the things I most love about living in Los Angeles is the variety of ethnic foods available. Whether you're hankering for enchiladas, samosas or mu shu, your own threshold for adventure is really your only limitation. And although toddlers can be a particular bunch, it pays off to start introducing your children to a variety of tastes early on. It's also a great way to introduce your  Read more...

Mozart, Moby or Miles -- Pershing Square Kids

by Nina Moon

July 16, 2008

One of the best parts of writing for Being Savvy Los Angeles has been discovering the sheer multitude of things to do in this city. For instance, did you know that Los Angeles has an outdoor ice skating rink? In downtown, no less? Pershing Square, a square block of public space in the heart of downtown, transforms into an outdoor skating rink every winter. Obviously that's not the most useful  Read more...

Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

July 11, 2008

It's been a long week, hasn't it? I'm really feeling the whole TJIF sentiment today. Even better, this weekend my family will be heading down to my parents' home in the South Bay (free babysitting! Woohoo!). In that vein, we'll start the edition of Weekend Warriors in Redondo Beach, right smack in the heart of the South Bay. On Saturday, why not drive down Redondo Beach? You can spend the day  Read more...

Three Days In and Around Los Angeles - Santa Monica

by Nina Moon

July 08, 2008

Obviously we could spend several days writing about just one of the many LA neighborhoods (and we have so check the archives yo!), but not all of us are lucky enough to actually live here (insert sarcasm about smog and traffic). What if you only had three days to spend in LA? What are the must-sees? Where should you stay? And, most importantly, what should you eat ? For the next three days  Read more...

Camping at Jalama Beach

by Nina Moon

July 07, 2008

My dad is a surfer, which means that we spent much of our childhood romping along various SoCal beaches from RAT Beach (Right After Torrance) to Malibu and every decent surf spot in between. And combined with my dad's stubborn frugality, every single childhood vacation was thus spent camping at one beach or another. Perhaps as children we yearned for more normal vacations Disneyland or even a  Read more...

Toddler on a Sugar-High - Patbingsu (Korean Shaved Ice)

by Nina Moon

July 03, 2008

What could be better on a hot summer day (or night!) than a big bowl of patbingsu , the Korean version of shaved ice, but oh so much better. Ice? Check. Ice cream? Check. Cold fresh fruit? Check. Add pat (sweet red beans), dduk (rice cake), some sweet condensed milk and maybe some colorful, fruity cereal bits and you've got a perfect summer dessert. As a little girl, I used to love this dish  Read more...

Layover Lifesavers: A Preschooler's Guide to the LAX

by Nina Moon

July 02, 2008

LAX is not a place I look forward to spending any time at all. Whether you're arriving, departing, dropping someone off or picking someone up, LAX is a tangled maze of cars, people, and of course, planes. If you happen to have a longish layover in LA, don't try and wait it out at the airport, especially if you have children. Since you need to estimate being at the airport at least two hours  Read more...

5 Ways to Get to Know Los Angeles with Your Preschooler

by Nina Moon

June 24, 2008

Los Angeles, unlike most major metropolitan cities, is sprawling. Taking stock of the city as a whole can be daunting, even more so when you have a preschooler in tow. And while so many Angelenos spend most, if not all, of their lives in their respective neighborhoods, that really is a shame. So why not play tourist (albeit a far cooler, in-the-know tourist) this summer and explore the City of  Read more...

Let's Date: The Treehouse Social Club

by Nina Moon

June 23, 2008

As indoor play spaces go, The Treehouse Social Club on Robertson Boulevard has a leg up on the competition. They don't have a lot of toys per se (they do have a few, but if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere). Neither do they have piles of primary colored foam blocks or children's gym equipment. Instead, the main room is dominated by a fantastic treehouse (complete with a tree, of  Read more...

Eat N' Play at Giggles N' Hugs

by Nina Moon

June 12, 2008

The first time my moms group and I tried to have lunch together with our kids, we chose a charming and very grown-up restaurant on Montana Avenue. Not surprisingly (at least in retrospect), we spent nearly the entire time trying to feed, entertain and manage our little ones. Instead of a modified ladies-who-lunch experience, we were left feeling guilty and apologetic for the noise and mess we  Read more...

Daddy Dearest - 5 Father's Day Restaurants

by Nina Moon

June 10, 2008

Mothers are so often portrayed as the ultimate multi-taskers juggling kids, household chores, family schedules in addition to their real jobs. But in our family at least, both mom and dad are multi-tasking. I juggle caring for our two children during the day with cooking, cleaning, freelance work and soon preschool co-op responsibilities, but my husband doesn't come home from a long day at  Read more...