Rasarumah

It’s impossible to deny the culinary creativity at Historic Filipinotown’s Rasarumah. The newest project by Johnny Lee, the Hainan chicken savant behind now-closed Pearl River Deli, this upscale, beautifully designed restaurant serves an ambitious, slightly uneven interpretation of Malaysian street food. Though I found the beef rendang and all three of the noodle dishes largely forgettable, any of the cold starters and “snacky things” make for marvelous drinking fare. Since January, Lee has wisely started preaching to the choir. Recently, he brought back his cult-favorite Hainan chicken as a “poached chicken” Monday night special and swapped out Rasarumah’s sambal-inflected black cod (previously the only standout main) for more Chinese-leaning dishes like mushroom claypot rice and a sweet-and-sour whole fried snapper. The San Gabriel Valley is still home to cheaper, ultimately better Southeast Asian cuisine, but if you care to keep up with the Joneses of the L.A. food world, the latest trendy dining and drinking destination from Last Word Hospitality (Found Oyster, Barra Santos) is probably worth paying a visit.