9021Pho Opened at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks on Monday, August 18th

9021Pho is opening its doors today, August 18th, at 11am. Grand opening event on August 27th.

About 9021Pho

Created by Vietnamese Master Chef Kimmy Tang, 9021Pho is a unique casual service restaurant that offers a Vietnamese-centric menu with French influences and California flair. Chef Kimmy blends a traditional Vietnamese palette of healthy, colorful vegetables, rich in antioxidants with lean proteins. With her exclusive flash cooking method, all vital nutrients are retained and minimal oil is used. Exclusive to 9021Pho, Chef Kimmy’s dishes are accented with handmade sauces made with fresh herbs, spices, and unexpected notes. Uniquely Californian, each dish is light and clean, and made with only the highest quality ingredients. Chef Kimmy was also a featured chef at the prestigious 2014 James Beard Award Gala Dinner. 9021Pho has four locations for dine-in, take out, or delivery: Beverly Hills (490 N. Beverly Drive), Glendale Galleria (1164 Glendale Galleria Way), Sherman Oaks (Fashion Square Mall, 14006 Riverside Drive), Thousand Oaks at The Lakes (2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.) and West Hollywood (7950 W. Sunset Blvd., Unit E). 9021pho.com

Update 5/14/14: 9021Pho in Westlake Village has closed, but the new location at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is anticipated to open real soon. On its Facebook page they indicate sometime in June.

Posted 2/9/14:

Yesterday, French Vietnamese restaurant 9021Phoannounced it will be opening a new location at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks by the end of March 2014. It will be located adjacent to California Pizza Kitchen in the space previously occupied by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (and more recently International Organic Treats).

9021Pho serves up traditional Pho noodle bowls, rice dishes, entrees, salads and more in a casual atmosphere. Other locations at the Glendale Galleria, Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks. Learn more at 9021pho.com.

Dunkin' Donuts Announces Ventura County in Future Development Plans in 2016

Dunkin’ Donuts recently announced it plans to open its first traditional restaurants in California, including planned locations in Downey, Long Beach, Modesto, Santa Monica and Whittier before the end of 2014.

Since opening California for franchise development in 2013, Dunkin’ Donuts has executed store development agreements for nearly 200 new restaurants total to date. The company believes it can eventually have as many as 1,000 restaurants throughout the state.

The company also announced the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with four new franchise groups to develop 54 new restaurants throughout Southern California in the coming years. Among these groups, locally here in Ventura County, The Tasty Group LLC, whose principals include local restaurateurs and developers David Ahn and BJ Kim, existing franchisee Dante Rizzo, and Frank Giardina, plan to develop two restaurants in Santa Barbara and eight restaurants throughout Ventura County over the coming years, with the first restaurant expected to open in 2016.

Dunkin' Donuts offerings include hot and iced coffee, hot and iced tea, lattes, Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup® Packs, Coolatta® frozen drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, and a DDSMART® menu featuring better-for-you menu items.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

Beach Bowl to Open at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard This Year

The Collection at RiverPark recently announced that Beach Bowl will be opening later in 2014 next to Settebello Pizzeria Napolentana. Beach Bowl currently serves up Acai bowls, smoothies and cold-pressed juice, frozen yogurt, coffee and tea at its first location in Downtown Carpinteria. Learn more at thebeachbowl.com.

UPDATE: It does not appear that Beach Bowl will be opening at The Collection anymore.

Aroha New Zealand Cuisine to Open in the Coming Months in Westlake Village

UPDATE: Aroha permanently closed its doors in November 2018 after the devastating Woolsey Fire.

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Aroha New Zealand Cuisine opened in September 2014 at 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Suite C in Westlake Village, sharing a parking lot with Lure Fish House and The Counter Burger. 

The restaurant is owned by husband/wife team, chef Gwithyen Thomas and his wife, Justine Thomas, who is blogging about restaurant updates at justinethomasmusic.blogspot.com. What a story...Gwithyen and Justine met and fell in love through his cooking while she and her family were vacationing in New Zealand.

"Aroha" (pronounced Uh-Row-Ha) means love in Maori, the native language of New Zealand. The restaurant is described as classy/casual with a menu that specializes in New Zealand cuisine and draws inspiration from French, Italian, Japanese and Singaporian cuisine. The menu will offer many gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.

To learn more, visit www.aroharestaurant.com and www.facebook.com/ArohaRestaurant.

Aroha (ˈɑːrɒhə) — love, compassion, or affectionate regard. [Māori]

Aroha is a classy casual restaurant founded by award winning chef, Gwithyen Thomas, and his wife Justine. Gwithyen and Justine met and fell in love through his cooking while she and her family were vacationing in New Zealand.

The menu specializes in New Zealand Cuisine and draws inspiration from French, Italian, Japanese, and Singaporian cuisine. The food is locally sourced and changes seasonally to provide the freshest and highest quality. The menu is allergy friendly with many gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Justine's many food allergies drives their dedication to providing a safe environment for all customers with allergy restrictions.

The opened layout restaurant is designed to provide a relaxing atmosphere for customers looking for a flavorful and beautifully presented meal without a formal setting.

Aroha will be opening in Q3 of 2014

Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery to Open at Former Mermaid Tavern Location in Thousand Oaks

It was back in May that a CVG Facebook follower tipped us off that the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery was going to be opening a location in Thousand Oaks. When we contacted Tilted Kilt, we were told that the new location would be 1345 Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

SEPTEMBER UPDATE

That was interesting, because The Mermaid Tavern is (or I should now say was) located at that address. Yet there was no mention of this on The Mermaid Tavern's Facebook page...and their website was not operational.

The Mermaid Tavern originally opened on February 4, 2012 in the spot formerly occupied by Roxy's Deli. And I learned a bit more history from Facebook followers that before Roxy's this spot was a Hodel's Country Dining.  But enough of history. Let's look to the future.

Sure enough, The Mermaid Tavern closed its doors several weeks ago and two days ago, a Tilted Kilt Thousand Oaks Facebook page appeared, indicating "Coming Soon."

Now, let's learn a bit more about the Tilted Kilt. According to its Facebook page, "A Celtic themed sports Pub featuring the world famous Tilted Kilt Girls! 'A Cold Beer Never Looked So Good'®" It is a national chain of over 80 pubs, with a casual atmosphere, plenty of flat screen TVs, pub grub and more. Tilted Kilt was named to the Inc. Magazine Top 10 franchises for 2011. Serving up sandwiches, pizza, pub grub like fish and chips and shepherd's pie, burgers, wings and more. Visit www.tiltedkilt.com for more information.

Construction in process at what used to be the Mermaid Tavern in Thousand Oaks.

Rita's Roman Recipes to Open Take-Out Kitchen and Coffee Shop in Agoura Hills on Monday, July 28th

On Monday, July 28th, Rita's Roman Recipes Take-out Kitchen and Coffee Shop wil open its doors at 28708 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills, in the Yamato/Agoura Fitness center, for breakfasts, lunches and take-out dinners.

Rita’s Gourmet Catering has been doing private catering events since 1989. In the 1990’s Rita’s Gourmet Catering began branching out into school lunch programs serving campuses all over Southern California.  Rita's Roman Recipes was the name created to expand the company's products into farmers' markets in Venice an Atwater Village. But on Monday, for the first time, Rita will open this take-out kitchen and coffee shop here in Agoura Hills.

To learn more, visit www.ritasromanrecipes.com or call 818.216.4848.

New Target Store at The Shoppes at Westlake Village Opened on July 22nd

If you drive by The Shoppes at Westlake Village you may find cars in the parking lot in front of the new Target. I suspect those may belong to employees in training for the upcoming grand opening on Sunday, July 27th (THIS CHANGED TO 4PM ON TUESDAY, JULY 22ND). The City of Westlake Village has indicated that most other tenants will open just before or after the Target grand opening, including Tilly's, Total Woman Gym and Spa, Hook Burger, In-N-Out (no word yet on specific timing at this point), Jeannine's Market, The Gallery Seafood and Chophouse, Los Agaves, Olio e Limone, Greens Up!, Endless Beauty Supply and Suite Vibes Salon.

Other tenants to include Which Wich® Superior Sandwiches, Bowl of Heaven Acai Bowls, Kirk Jewelers and others. Visit www.shoppesatwestlakevillage.com for more information.

Chocolate Savvy Opened at the Simi Valley Town Center This Past Monday

Ahhhh it's happening #ChocolateSavvy #CakeShop #SimiValley pic.twitter.com/jb4Zoj4dku

— Chocolate Savvy SV (@ChocolateSavvy) June 4, 2014

Chocolate Savvy - cakes, cupcakes and more - opened this past Monday, July 7th, at the Simi Valley Town Center, next to Wetzel's Pretzels. Looks great to me! The store can be reached at 805.582.1030.

California Kabob Kitchen Opened Last Week in Moorpark

After posting an update on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page about a couple anticipated new Mediterrean eateries in Thousand Oaks, Joey C. informed us that California Kabob Kitchen opened last week in the Starbucks shopping center at 537 New Los Angeles Avenue (at Spring Road) in Moorpark. She also indicated the kabobs are fresh, the Persian stews are amazing and they sell falafel, hummus and other great stuff. <pause> (Sorry, just had to wipe slobber from the keyboard.)

No website from what I can tell but check out their Facebook page or call 805.530.3828 for more information. So far nothing but 5 star Yelp reviews, so they must be doing something right!