Cassia

I loved this place. I don't live nearby otherwise I'd come more often but it's definitely a place I would recommend to my LA foodies!

Starting off, I made a reservation quite easily a week prior to my anticipated day of going. I planned on brining my dog but when I made the selection, there wasn't an option to indicate patio seating. I did note in in the notes though. When I got there for my reservation, they had me marked down as indoor seating but they were able to accommodate me in the patio anyway with ease!

We came on a Saturday night and it was busy!! Though for parking, we got super lucky and was able to snag a metered parking spot right in front of the restaurant. However, I would plan for parking to be a pain next time because it is definitely pretty limited to street or valet parking only,

We ordered the lava flow, Thai basil cocktail with mezcal, Kaya toast, rendang beef, and Laska. The drinks came out pretty quick and I loved the lava flow. You can't even taste the alcohol! The toast was delicious as well. It comes with a poached egg in sauce. It's quite simple yet elegant and delicious. The rendang beef came out next. I was surprised with how big of a portion it was. Definitely suitable to share for 2. It was also delicious and the beef was super tender. The Laska didn't come out for another 10 minutes which was quite annoying as it was quite a bit of time waiting for the next entree. The Laska was also a bit disappointing. It was incredibly fishy. I've had Laska before but never like this. It was still decent but I wouldn't order it again. It did come with a good amount of fish cake, clams, and shrimp though which was nice.

Overall, I'll definitely be back. There was definitely a few things I wasn't too keen on but very few compared to the things I did love. It's definitely a great spot. I would recommend making a reservation though as it does get busy!!

Came here recently for a birthday dinner and it was an overall lovely meal. We were seated right away and everyone was very friendly throughout our entire dinner. The restaurant was nicely decorated, I thought it was very modern looking, and tastefully decorated, a very cute place for a date or dinner with friends. Just a warning that the tables are all kind of squished closer to each other, and the table we were seated at was pretty small, with just enough space for each of us to have drinks and our meal. If you're not into that, perhaps this restaurant might not be the most comfortable place. I felt like I would have wanted more table space considering the amount of food we ordered. We felt a bit of pressure to eat our food a little faster, so we could make room for our next dishes...

I love trying different pina coladas at restaurants, and Cassia made a really nice one! Not too strong, very lightly sweet, and blended until smooth. I would order this pina colada again.

We also ordered from the chef's menu - which showcased all of the chef-recommended dishes. We selected the cereal calamari, Singaporean chili crab, whole grilled sea bass, and the spicy minced duck dan dan noodles. These orders came with the green papaya salad and lime leaf custard.

My favorites were the chili crab, sea bass, and custard! I wish they gave us more naan with our chili crab though. The sea bass was great!! Tender, nicely cooked, and perfectly salted. The custard was light and tart. It was the perfect dessert to finish off our meal.

The cereal calamari was good, but honestly I wish I ordered a different appetizer because I felt the calamari wasn't as stand out. The dan dan noodles didn't taste that flavorful to me... I can't put my finger on it but perhaps it was too peanut buttery/sesame buttery. It was a bit too bland and heavy for my taste. The papaya salad was decent.

I think the prices were very reasonable. Despite not loving half the dishes we tried, I felt it was worth it. Overall, I would definitely want to come back for another visit - but next time, I'll pick different dishes.

I picked this because it was in michelin star list of restaurant for Asian food in Santa Monica area. It did not dissappoint at all. Made reservation for my hubby bday celebration thru Resy, which required reservations with credit card. If you cancel, you may get charged $10/person.

Parking: street parking 3 blocks away for free for 3 hours, valet or meter street parking.

Very friendly and inviting atmosphere from the host all the way through their servers.

Their menu is pretty simple. We ordered as recommended:
*seafood platter small size $76, comes with 5pcs vietnamese sun bathing prawns, 3pc snow crab claws, small bowl of raw spicy scallops, 6ct small raw oysters, 2 thick toasts and sauces. The sauce for the craw is amazing.
*whole grilled seabass $48: so soft and moist fish, perfect lightly seasoned
*spicy minced duck dan dan noddle $29: like the noddle thick and chewy. Not a fan of the green mustard, too salty.
*hainanese chicken confit $39: chicken is very juicy, melt in the mouth. Fried rice is season very well, but too oily for us.
They surprised my husband with a coconut ice cream topped with a candle.. cute.

Overall, we will come back again. We'll done chefs and the whole team, you all deserved a michelin star.

The food here was delicious!! I went with a group of friends and the service was great. Very beautiful restaurant too. Everything we ordered was so good. My favorite was the Laska noodles, so much flavor. It's a must. The Caesar salad and papaya salad were both good. Everything is made to be shared so we ordered a lot. The calamari, lots of
Coconut flavor so it's different but good. The sea bass was good and fresh. The fried rice isnt your typical but it was so good. Lots of flavor and fresh veggies. If your foodie you'll love this place. I'll definitely be back.

My new favorite restaurant in Santa Monica. I was so impressed with all of the dishes. Service was really great despite it being busy. It gets really packed so I recommend making reservations. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and plenty of street parking nearby. My favorite dishes were the Dan Dan noodles and the Kon Loh Mee. Spice levels were fire!! Can't wait to return.

The vibes were great and food was delicious and very flavorful! The chickpea curry and sesame noodle dish were phenomenal! As a heads up, the laksa was pretty spicy!

Don't miss out on dessert!!

Came cause of the Michelin star rating and did not disappoint. All dishes had strong and distinct flavors and were cooked to perfection. Seafood platter was refreshing, fragrant, and seasoned perfectly. Duck Dan Dan noodles were chewy and they had homemade mustard greens that were on the saltier side. Served with an additional sauce that compliments the saltiness of the dish. Sea bass was tangy, crispy and light. Hainan confit was tender and served with duck fat fried rice and typical sauces on the side. Servers were attentive and friendly. Restaurant is very modern and fun!

Cassia has been on the list of 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angles for a few consecutive years now. In 2023, it ranked 47th on the list! They have a variety of Asian dishes. The ambiance is very casual and it made for a really pleasant date night with my husband. Service was great as well.

We tried the following dishes:
Vietnamese "Sunbathing" Prawns
Green Papaya Salad
Spicy Wontons
Spicy Minced Duck Dan Dan Noodles

I was a bit surprised with the Vietnamese "Sunbathing" Prawns because I was expecting it to be a hot dish, but it came out chilled! The flavor was there, but I think visually seeing it was grilled tripped me out and I couldn't get over the temperature.

My favorite dish was the Spicy Minced Duck Dan Dan Noodles. That was so good and I would come back for this dish!

Cassia is low key elegance playing with flavors from Singapore, Vietnam, and China. There are strings of light bulbs and glass in the main indoor rooms. The enclosed patio area has colorful paper lanterns and exudes warmth from the heat lamps. If you are still cold, there are blankets. Funny enough, the music is pretty chill.

Laksa: If you order this dish, remember to wear an orange shirt to hide the eventual little splatter stains. Or remember to lean in with every slurp. The orange soup is a delicious blend of crustacean broth and coconut milk. Your umami taste buds will be working overtime with every spoonful of seafood goodness. The rice noodles are giant and slippery. The bowl contains a generous amount of shrimp, mussels, and fish cake strips. The soft-boiled egg is jammy. As you devour the soup, a fair amount of heat builds up, which is a good thing.

What a delightful experience! I came here on a Saturday night to celebrate my husband's birthday, and everything was fantastic. Our server was kind and gave solid recommendations, and food + drinks were great. I loved the gin cocktail with lychee. Food was coursed out perfectly and very tasty (the confit chicken is awesome! Usually wouldn't order a chicken dish). I only wish that there were a couple more veggie/fresh/bright options on the appetizer side.