48276 Tue Aug 21 21:34:57 -0700 2001 4 2 Los Angeles Area 0 240580 i'm planning on trying out this place for lunch this week. i've got some business down in santa monica. what do you chowhounds think of the place? i hear that one of their chefs moved on last year. how is it now? i know it's expensive! Tue Aug 21 21:34:57 -0700 2001 0 david dixon 1 240585 check out their web site at typhoon-restaurant.com for more information. While there I recommend a Himalayan Blue Beer. Tue Aug 21 23:11:51 -0700 2001 240580 0 James O'Connor 2 240610 does it make me less of a chowhound to have filled out the Zagat questionnaire and claimed The Hump "dreamy?" ah, so be it, i was in a pithy and witty phase i suppose. but i did feel this way went i went there a year and a half ago. i haven't been recently, but I think it has been mentioned here on the board since then. Wed Aug 22 18:05:50 -0700 2001 240585 0 julia 3 240664 first of all, here's my disclosure: i'm not a sushi expert. i love the stuff, and have been to many local, fairly inexpensive places (probably 9 or 10 from thousand oaks to encino), but have not been to any of the top end sushi restaurants. my take on the hump... i loved the setting...small, elegant, but comfortable 3rd floor restaurant overlooking the runway at the santa monica airport - awesome! what i had...it was for lunch, so i tried the nigiri sushi special ($15). yes, boring, but it gave me a sample of their basic fish...salmon, tuna, yellowtail, etc. i thought the quality was good, but not exceptional. i've actually had better in thousand oaks (hiyama). however, their japanese salad was really good. nothing complex - just good greens, tomato, and a great dressing. then i moved on to their signature cut roll, appropriately named "the hump" ($12). it's got a lot of different stuff in there...avocado, salmon eggs (i think), salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc.) i loved it, but i have to say it was tough to eat since the roll is so large. 4 pieces that you can't possibly fit in your mouth. anyway, overall, i loved the place but that was largely due to the atmosphere/setting. the food was good, but not spectacular. does that help? :) Thu Aug 23 20:13:17 -0700 2001 240610 0 david dixon 1 240656 It has been mentioned secondhand on this board that the exec chef left The Hump w/in the past year or so and quality has suffered (I also loved it on a previous visit 2 years ago!). I nominate YOU to check it out for us and report back. :) Thu Aug 23 18:58:01 -0700 2001 240580 0 Lisa Bee