Tiny sushi

Last weekend, my 11-year-old friend Pearl, who had driven across the country with her family from Massachusetts, found this cunning sushi set at a shop on Sawtelle Boulevard in West L.A. The tiny sushi, drinks and bowls of ramen come in grab-bag packs of about 10 or 15 items, each for $5. She bought one pack and was hooked. "I like the drinks," she says, "because the tops really come off on the bottles. And all the sushi." She went back for more. And more. She bought so many packs (there are 10 in all) that the salesman gave her the sushi bar and chef. (Normally it's available only if you buy a whole set for $50.) And does the Massachusetts girl like to eat sushi? "I love sushi," she says. Her favorite? "Probably eel."

Tokyo Japanese Outlet, 2109 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 914-5320.

-- Leslie Brenner

Photo by Leslie Brenner