This is not a restaurant review. I suppose if it were, I'd be able to give you some cold hard facts about the place in question, but we can't be bothered with that. We just want the meat. 

The Chado Tea House in West Hollywood, CA, is such a delight, I could slap my sister for not taking me there earlier. When we finally did go, it was a fabulous girlie lunch with another pair of charming sisters, twins Kim and Tina. After that I was hooked. I couldn't design a more perfect setting in which to get together with friends and feel, dare I say it, sophisticated. 

The place isn't all fancy or anything, and that's good, because I certainly don't want to feel uptight there. They have an embarrassingly thick booklet of teas from which to choose your own personal little pot. I've tried four so far and they all rocked. And to prove this isn't a restaurant review I'll admit that all the times I've been there, I've ordered the same damn thing. It's the sandwich salad combo. Lovely mixed greens with a vinaigrette reminiscent of the orient surrounded by my favorite ol' sandwich halves. I get the Soushong Chicken

with lingonberrys (it's like an elegant day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich), and the Punjab Wheels which is egg salad and chives that tastes neither like egg salad nor chives--it's kind of smoky. 

Then we make ourselves sick on desserts of fresh strawberries, lemon cakes, scones with sweet Chado cream and jam. All served up by our favorite customer - turned - waitress, Melissa. Apparently she was spending so much time there, she upped and hired on. I can understand it. It's tempting not to leave. 

So there you have it. The Chado Tea House, a splendid little spot. I've enjoyed telling you about it so much, I think next month I'll have to turn you on to the lunch counter at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 

The Chado Tea House is located at:

8422 1/ 2 West 3rd Street 
West Hollywood, CA. 
323-655-2056.

--Joanna Rubiner