The Skinny Critic

Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen

*Skinny Seal*

The vast Cheese Cake Factory empire is expanding…to Asian food! Knowing the type of financial backing that must come from the Cheese Cake Factory, my expectations for Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen were high. 

Despite being located in a mall, the décor is somewhat remnant of a temple.  Describing the restaurant as ornate is an understatement.  Huge pillars line the entrance to an outside patio where diners can sit and enjoy a drink over a fire before dinner.  The interior is even more spectacular with 30-foot ceilings and walls filled with Asian art.  Small cabanas on the left and right of the room allow for a more private dining experience.  An outdoor patio shows you the rather loud and unattractive Santa Monica Blvd, so I would opt for sitting inside. 

The menu has changed more than once since the restaurant has opened but it feels as though they’ve finally got their groove.  The cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India are definitely tweaked slightly to meet the demanding needs of the American consumer, but without losing all authenticity. 

Crispy chicken samosas are a great way to start the meal and come with a cilantro dipping sauce.  I don’t particularly care for cilantro but I still loved these and the sauce.    An interesting sesame cracker with a sweet, spicy dipping sauce is brought to the table in lieu of bread and are hard not to finish.

 

The Nyonnoya Seafood Laksa is the first laksa I ever tasted so although I may not be an expert on the dish, I really loved it.  I reminded me of a curry but with thick noodles. 

The ginger soy black god was the perfect mild, flaky fish. 

Topped with mushrooms, bok choy and tofu, it was different from the typical Miso Cod that seems to be on every other restaurants menu.

Noodle dishes are always a plus with me, especially when they are served with fresh shrimp and calamari.  These were special. 

This is a fun place to go and try different types of cuisine.  The menu is so large that it would take weeks to try everything, and most things are really great. 

 Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen 10250 Santa Monica Blvd (310) 552-9988

Take a Bao!

*Skinny Seal*

This food court eatery is a cut above. Located in the Century City mall, Take A Bao serves steamed buns with your choice of protein and a side napa salad. Do not be fooled as these are not your typical Bao, but rather a bao sandwich of sorts.  The Bao are always fresh and come in whole wheat or white.  Some of my favorite proteins have been the thai peanut chicken with peanut sauce, cucumbers, carrots, scallions, cilantro and crushed peanuts as well as the BBQ pork with ginger, hoisin, red onions and cucumbers. For those watching carbs they can even stick your protein in lettuce, but then you are foregoing the best part!  I also tried the "take a noodle" and sampled the coconut curry veggie noodles.  These were filled with veggies: mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, carrots and bean sprouts and had tons of flavor. Another favorite was the 8 veggie salad.  All the ingredients were fresh and they boast about using locally grown ingredients when possible.  The line tells you how popular this place has become...so don't be shy and take a bao. 

Take a Bao 10250 santa monica blvd (310)551-1100

Clementine

This is my favorite kind of find: a cute little place where the food comes with heart and soul behind it.  A coworker recommended we stop in for lunch and after battling for parking we finally made our way in side. The line moves quickly and thus leaves barley enough time to admire all the goods in the glass cases. Clementine could be a stand alone bakery but lucky for me they have amazing savory dishes as well.  

   I went way out of my element and ordered the Neiman Ranch Pastrami Reuben - pastrami with Gruyere, braised sauerkraut and 10,000 lakes dressing on seeded rye bread.  This may have been the best sandwich I have ever eaten...ever!! They offer sloppy joe's (that I hear are devine), a variety of turkey, tuna and chicken sandwiches and a variety of salads. Everything is served with a small side of bread and butter pickles.  Their soups and sides change daily and range from beets, to brussel sprouts to lentils etc.  They all look pretty damn good.  

   They have a variety of entrees for dinner that you pick up and stick in the oven-braised pork, meatloaf, beef brisket, mushroom penne, macaroni and cheese all things are innately bad for you but taste delicious. 

   All their pastries are baked fresh daily and unfortunately they forgot to put my banana cake in my to-go bag so I cannot rave about them, but ill tell you which ones looked good.  Banana cake with cream cheese frosting, six varities of homemade cookies, brownies and pastries. I will just have to make my way back to try them.  

Clementine 1751 Ensley Ave. (310) 552-1080

Craft

*Skinny Seal*

Unfortunately for Chef Tom Colicchio, people rarely think of Century City of a dinner destination.  Fortunately for us, that means reservations at this excellent restaurant of New York City caliber are easier to come by.  We made reservations around 5pm on Saturday for dinner that same night at 7pm.  We arrived to an empty bar but a bustling restaurant.  

   The servers here pretend to try too hard but in my opinion don't try enough for the price tag of the meal.  Our server said multiple times after coming back from neglecting our table, "Thank you SOO much for your patience."  My glare wasn't very subtle and I know he sensed my frustration. 

    However despite the spotty service, dinner at Craft is quite fabulous with so many wonderful sounding dishes on the menu that it becomes hard for one to choose.  I choose the cabernet by the glass as it was a cold, rainy day and white seemed to cool.  The waiter poured a taste first, which was nice and it was a good full bodied cab.  

   Deciding on dinner was not as easy...The pasta's all sounded amazing: Housemade Ricotta Gnudi & Stridoli, Chestnut Agnolotti, Verjus & Prosciutto, and Sweet Potato Mezzaluna Pecan & Sage.  I wanted to try them all but settled on the sweet potato mezzaluna.  I must say I feel this pasta dish rivaled and even surpassed the pasta at Mozza.  It came with slices of canadian bacon and candied pecans, all in brown butter-delish! We also started with the sweet onion tart with local goat cheese.  This too was excellent; when are caramelized onions not good?? 

   For main courses we had the diver sea scallops with brown butter and the rack of Berkshire pork and shoulder.  The scallops were excellent: slight browned on both sides and accompanied by nuts and grapefruit.  The pork was the only dish of the night I could have done without.  It was good but had bitter vegetables on top and was rather chewy.  We ordered the pure of Blue Hubbard squash on the side which I think I would eat every day if I could.  So many of the other sides sounded good: mushrooms, bacon, egg and cabbage risotto, but my stomach is only so big...unfortunately.  

   Dessert was an experience in itself...as dessert should be!  Pastry chef Catherine Schimenti started us with pana cotta and red-wine ice and then we ordered the Peanut butter Cup with peanut brittle and a sampling of gelato's.  You can see how absurd the table looked in the picture below. The gelato's paried with the Peanut butter cup were any sugar lover's fantasy...We had basil, cinnamon, olive oil, banana, coconut, and orange cream.  The olive oil and basil were so good and so unique.  A couple petit fours of cinnamon macaroons and passion gelee and I was full and tired, the way one should be after a good meal.  They brought us pumpkin spice muffins to take home for breakfast and bid us farewell...it has only been one day and I already want to go back!