Mesa Brazilian Eatery serves traditional food in Westwood

Two green table umbrellas stand tall over their respective yellow tables, greeting customers with the national colors of Brazil.

Mesa Brazilian Eatery, located on Lindbrook Drive, opened in the Village three weeks ago, where Nature’s Way Cafe used to be.

Tiago Kim, the manager, said the menu offerings represent what a typical Brazilian eats every day. Picanha, frango grelhado and veggie chick’n breast are some of the items they serve.

He runs the restaurant with his Korean family. They connected with Brazilian culture during the Korean War, when Kim’s parents fled Korea for Brazil.

His mother and father absorbed the culture by learning to speak Portuguese and Spanish and to cook authentic Brazilian cuisine. Kim was born soon after his parents immigrated, and the entire Kim family moved to the United States in 1991.

Kim said the family likes the location of their restaurant because it is situated in the middle of Westwood, with other businesses south of it and UCLA north of it.

He added that he hopes the large Brazilian population in Los Angeles will bring a sizable customer base for his business. The wide range of national origins at UCLA and Los Angeles will help the restaurant succeed, he said.

“People are coming from everywhere, not only in L.A., but in the world,” Kim said.

John Ko, a fifth-year history student who has been to Mesa a few times, said he returns for the picanha, or cut of beef, and pao de queijo, Brazilian cheese bread.

Ko added that he appreciated Mesa’s low prices. The costs of entrees at Mesa Brazilian Eatery range from $7 to $10.

Kim is unsure if the business will expand, but hopes the family’s first eatery will thrive, he said.

“If you ask me that in a year from now, maybe I’ll think about it,” Kim said. “For now, I’m focused on this restaurant and that is all that matters to me.”

Compiled by Fernando Aquino, Bruin contributor.