Cassia

Once known for Spice Table in the early 2010s, chefs Bryant and Kim Ng have firmly established themselves in the upper echelons of Santa Monica dining with their upscale Southeast Asian restaurant, Cassia. Drawing inspiration from across the region, the husband-and-wife duo has managed to keep its dinner menu weekend destination-worthy. Take, for example, Cassia’s kaya toast, one of the only renditions across all of L.A. Served with a soft egg, it’s a sweet beginning to a dinner that might include Indonesian beef rendang bathed in creamy coconut curry, served with a side of clay oven bread, or a charcuterie fried rice combining Louisiana tasso and Chinese sausage. Note: Their Vietnamese coffee pudding topped with whipped cream is worth saving the extra room for dessert.