 RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen Restaurant Review: RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen, a project from The Cheesecake Factory's founder David Overton, is a chef-driven restaurant that takes diners on a culinary journey of Southeast Asia with flavors from Thailand, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Entering the oversize red doors of this massive 7,500-square-foot ornate space filled with Buddhist monk and dragon sculptures transports diners into a world seemingly far removed from the Westfield Century City mall. (Our favorite seats are next to one of the water walls that line the indoor-outdoor patio.) Chef/co-owner Mohan Ismail hails from Singapore and boasts experience in the kitchens of Spice Market, Tabla and Blue Hill in New York. His most popular appetizer, crispy chicken samosas with cilantro-yogurt sauce, is a good introduction to Indian food, complex but not overbearing or off-putting. His chicken satay are moist and delicate, the beef skewers fatty but fun. Family-style main dishes we enjoyed include butter chicken, Indonesian grilled cilantro shrimp served in a coconut milk curry sauce, and a well-textured roasted Thai Chilean sea bass complemented by smoky pea shoots. Comfort food fans will enjoy the ginger fried rice in which the waiter breaks a raw egg, and the warm desserts such as coconut donuts with passion fruit sauce and warm chocolate cake (Is that Asian? It is when topped with Vietnamese coffee ice cream!). Wash it all down with wine, Asian beer or a cocktail such as the signature RockSugar mojito muddled with lime, cilantro, shiso and mint. Leftovers are handled by the capable staff with military precision, waiting to be picked up at the host stand.
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Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area.
