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. The standout dish of the night, however, was the banana leaf steamed black cod, amply seasoned with housemade sambal and grilled lime. Ultimately, the San Gabriel Valley might be home to cheaper, better and more straightforward Southeast Asian cuisine, but the latest trendy dining and drinking destination from Last Word Hospitality (Found Oyster, Barra Santos) is still worth paying a visit.