Food trucks park it, Vegas gets L.A. pub envy and Goa sends us a winner

We might be a step behind New York or L.A. when it comes to restaurant trends, but we catch up fast. Roy Choi’s Kogi—the concept that took food trucks viral—inspired a restaurant, A-Frame, which is housed in a converted IHOP A-frame in terminally hip Culver City, Calif.

Now, Dylan Taucer, the soul of our mega-successful Slidin’ Thru burger truck has launched Slidin’ Thru HQ, which he describes as a “brick and mortar” restaurant, maybe so we won’t confuse it with a motor vehicle. It’s the first Vegas food truck to make this kind of leap.

Located near McCarran International Airport, just off Paradise at 955 Grier Drive, the HQ offers the same menu as the truck but with a few additions, such as five new breakfast sliders and a secret menu available by request and online at SlidinThru.com. It is open 24/7 and has a cool mini-lounge with a built-in DJ Booth (DJ ZO is the resident DJ), sleek modern furniture and wild (street) art. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well off-Strip.

Speaking of Los Angeles, Michael Cardenas of our Boa Steakhouse and Sushi Roku, is going great guns at his Lazy Ox Canteen in L.A.’s Little Tokyo and has recently opened a Japanese aburiya, or pub, next door. It’s called Aburiya Toranoko (243 S. San Pedro St., 213-621-9500), and it has brick walls, hottie Asian servers and amazing food. If you go, try the fried chicken, snow crab salad, uni gomadofu (sesame tofu with sea urchin), and soboro gohan, a rice bowl with delicious toppings. It’s exactly the sort of place we’d be thrilled to have in Vegas. Are you listening, Michael?

Finally, those of you looking for good Indian food can be of good cheer. Namaste, next door to Lotus of Siam in the Commercial Center (953 E. Sahara Ave.), has been bought out by a charming nightclub singer from Goa, who goes by Melque, but whose full name is Melquedes Rodrigues.

She’s south Indian, but Portuguese names are the norm in Goa, once a Portuguese colony. Goa is also a region known for dishes like vindaloo and xacutte shrimp, curried shrimp in brown sauce with onion, coconut and spices—both on the menu here.

The bountiful lunch buffet, served every day, features lots of south Indian specialties as well as the more familiar ones from north India, and is only $10. If you come during the evening, Melque sings, when she isn’t too busy cooking—or even serving—her guests.

Hungry, yet?