LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Cassia
Included In
When Cassia opened in 2015, it was a game-changer for Santa Monica. Before then, it seemed like the only reason to eat so close to Third Street Promenade was if your Macbook appointment ran long or a visiting cousin tricked you into BBQ chicken pizza at CPK. This upscale Southeast Asian spot from the same group behind Rustic Canyon and Milo + Olive offered something different for the west of the 405 set: bold, jump-off-the-plate dishes like tender beef rendang, coconut-rich laksa, and peel-and-eat prawns doused in garlic-chili sauce, all served in an industrial-chic space that, in the mid-aughts, was reserved exclusively for an up-and-coming neighborhood east of Downtown called the Arts District.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Fast forward to now and Cassia is every bit as exciting as it was then. Sure, the concrete flooring and Edison bulbs hit differently than they did in the 2010s, but Cassia remains among the buzziest dining rooms in the neighborhood. The place swells nightly with sharply dressed dinner dates, friend catch-ups at the bar, and splurgy family meals in the circular booths. People trickle back and forth from Esters, the attached wine bar. It’s packed—for the same reason it’s been packed since the Obama administration: the food is great and still unlike anything you’ll find in downtown Santa Monica.
Cassia’s menu has grown over the years. Along with the original slate of Southeast Asian dishes that pull influence from Malaysia and Vietnam, you’ll also find a newer handful of fusion-y items that lean Cantonese. Our advice: pick one or two things from each section (appetizers, spreads, noodles, and mains) and plan for leftovers. Cassia is not cheap—even most appetizers are over $20—but portions are large and dishes are designed to be passed around the table, like wok-fried lobster with rice noodles or grilled lamb steak with a big pile of Sichuan-spiced fries. So don’t be bashful. Fill up every inch of your table with food, order some obscure German riesling, and bask in one of the Westside’s most dependably great restaurants.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Crawfish Toast
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Mushroom Satay
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Beef Rendang
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Singaporean Chili Crab
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hainanese Chicken Confit
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
House Special Lobster