Fur Flies, Leaving Cafe in Its Wake

In the building that was once Flier Furs is Cafe Gale, a new Beverly Hills restaurant devoted to Japanese-inspired California cooking and . . . toy trucks. We’re not just talking a few Tonkas, but a whole collection of antique pickups and big rigs displayed in brightly lit glass cases, much the same way the fur store must have showed off its smart chinchilla stoles.

So what do you eat in a toy truck showroom? There’s “jus jus” chicken, an apparent specialty--the meat is cooked in a soy-based sauce and comes on a sizzling platter. And there’s a lot of grilling done here--prawns, chicken, salmon, striped bass, rack of lamb.

But the best things might be the salads, which are big, fresh and delicious. Chef Shegi Usuki was sous-chef at Torrance’s Symphonie, and the clean Asian flavors of his cooking work especially well when he dresses a plate of greens with good-tasting things such asgrilled scallops or Peking duck.

Cafe Gale, 8400 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (213) 655-2494. Entrees, $7-$19.