From my seat at the new restaurant Ubon in the Beverly Center, I can't help watching as weary shoppers and curious passersby wander in to be greeted, sushi bar style, with shouts of welcome from the entire staff.
Some people flinch at the unexpected attention.
Others try to look nonchalant, squinting under the bright lights and jazzy colors of this sleek postmodernist noodle house. But no one is ever left in the lurch at the doorway. The hostess, a ditsy young Gracie Allen type in pink twin set and toreador pants, warmly and promptly offers a table-or a menu and the promise of one. Smart-looking contemporary noodle house with postmodern decor and eclectic menu. From the open kitchen at the back of the small room comes the hiss of steam, the clink of flashing knives.