Whether students are tired of on-campus dining options or simply looking to discover new restaurants, a willingness to drive about 30 minutes through the canyon gives an opportunity to come upon new favorites.
Sophomore Suzy Mirzakhanyan has eaten at many of Malibu’s local restaurants.
“A lot of Chipotle, Prince Street, sometimes Whole Foods. Taverna Tony is really nice,” Mirzakhanyan said.
But every once in a while, Mirzakhanyan, who has a car on campus, wants to leave Malibu for a meal.
“I’m hoping to branch out a little bit more,” Mirzakhanyan said. “I feel like eating here on campus isn’t enjoyable for me, so going to new places is definitely enjoyable. I know it’s expensive overall, but I would much prefer eating off campus than eating on campus.”
Mirzakhanyan said she has driven through the canyon to try places in Calabasas such as Erewhon, an upscale supermarket, and Philz Coffee.
Junior Nicole De Felice shared her love for Erewhon. She said she enjoyed picking up food from the store’s hot bar.
“I normally get the salmon, the broccoli and then rice with a little sauce on top,” De Felice said. “It’s very overpriced, but I would go there like once or twice a semester. I like to take it to the beach.”
Several students, including De Felice, also sung praises for Green Basil, a Thai restaurant in a humble Calabasas plaza. The restaurant is located between a pet groomer and a laundromat.
“I really love Green Basil Thai, it’s one of my favorite spots out there,” senior Caimin MacKay said. “Thai food is probably my favorite food, and everything they’ve got there is so good. Curry, pad Thai, drunken noodles, everything. I’ve never had a bad experience.”
MacKay noted Green Basil’s proximity to Malibu Canyon Apartments, a popular off-campus housing option where he currently resides. He said he usually orders the yellow curry with rice for take-out when he’s in the mood for the restaurant.
Meanwhile, senior Gasia Excel and her friends discovered their favorite Vietnamese spot, Pho So 1, in West Hills. It takes them between 30 to 40 minutes to drive there from campus.
“The prices are better than other pho places. Portions are really big, and I think it tastes good too,” Excel said. “I always get the combination beef pho, so it has all the tripe and the tendon and everything like that.”
Excel’s favorite menu item costs just $11.15, a far cry from the often-exorbitant dinner prices typical of Malibu restaurants — for example, the cheapest pasta item at Taverna Tony costs $22.95.
As is customary for many pho fanatics, Excel and her friends have fun going to Pho So 1 after typical dinner hours.
“I think it’s a good late night spot. I never eat there alone,” Excel said.
After their meal, the group often enjoys dessert next door at It’s Boba Time, a mainly West Coast boba chain.
“Everybody always has a second spot in their stomach for dessert, so you get boba,” Excel said. “They’re literally right next to each other.”
Despite needing to leave Malibu, Pepperdine students are able to discover some of their favorite restaurants by putting in the effort and choosing to drive the extra mile.
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Contact Henry Adams via email: henry.adams@pepperdine.edu
