MS and I love wandering into small galleries of art, chatting with local community artists, and visiting museums to feed our creative spirits. So when his sister recommended a great place to grab lunch in a uniquely eclectic space amidst works of modern art, we had to go.
We stopped in for an early lunch and were greeted with tons of eye candy - and I'm not writing about the Japanese maid costumed servers. Recognizable art pieces by Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara lined the walls and occupied the open gallery.
The small shop that greets you off of Washington housed odds and ends that mirrored the space and collection. A vaulted ceiling and white chandelier above the breakfast bar created a dramatic juxtaposition with the exposed, industrial look of the cafe. And a VIP room, walls lined with photographs depicting the animated cosplay culture in Japan, and additional sculptural pieces could be found towards the back entrance of Royal /T.
The shop's faux greenery that climbs the exterior of the building is hard to miss and an interesting sight in the middle of a busy city street.Here's a photo of the back entrance, just south of Washington.
We found non-metered street parking that was just opposite the entry way, but saw later that there was a small parking lot for customers too. Otherwise, we would have had to pay for a meter off of Washington Boulevard.
Since Royal /T is a "tea" shop, MS and I decided to order a small pot of Yuzu Sencha green tea. Each glass cup was accompanied with a small bite of chocolate that was a nice little surprise. The hot tea was light and fruity, just what I needed to soothe a sore throat.
I ordered the Flank Steak Sandwich that came on a toasted baguette with roasted tomato and a slice of melted gruyere cheese. The meat was cooked perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed this simple lunch served with a side of mixed greens.
MS, on the other hand, ordered the open-faced Spicy Tuna Tar Tar Sandwich on toasted sourdough with avocado and cucumber. The tuna didn't taste fresh, and I didn't care much for this dish. He ate the whole thing, but eagerly took a few bites of my steak sandwich. I think he didn't care much for the tuna sandwich either.
But we went to Royal /T Cafe for more than just lunch. We went for artistic inspiration. We went to try something different, and happily found a new place to add to our rotation of good eats and good things to do that are quite uniquely Los Angeles.
Royal /T Cafe
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
T 310 559 6300
hours: 10am-6pm
Closed Mondays
8 comments:
The teas were nice, but I was more impressed by the thermos-tea cups, really kept my brew hot longer than ordinary mugs! Still glad to hear about the yuzu though, was gonna try that next time I go.
And yea, I've had a few a la carte dishes to mixed results here. But can't wait to try the afternoon tea set here!
This is such a yummy site! Since you seem like a foodie, you should check out this new site called www.behindtheburner.com.
It's going to provide tips and tricks about anything and everything in the culinary world. Check it out!
I've passed by the store a few times and I've also heard there was a maid cafe in Culver City, but i never pieced the two together. Thanks for sharing! I moved to Culver City in June and am amazed by all of the gems in the area - another one to add to the list of places to try!
Aww... What's wrong with Japanese maid costumed servers? =)
i love royal t's sesame cake!!! so good.
this place looks great... will have to try it out sometime. thanks for posting about it!
cute space. the flank steak sandwich looks good!
ps.. you should try Bluebird Cafe in Culver City.. and the cupcakes!
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