 Catherine An takes the lead at this market café from the House of An restaurant group, creators of Crustacean in Beverly Hills and AnQi Gourmet Bistro in Costa Mesa. Located in the MTV/Lions Gate building in Santa Monica, the large space is constructed from reclaimed wood, raw concrete and eco-friendly materials, giving it a Zen style. It opens onto a great outdoor patio, where fresh herbs and produce like chili peppers, Meyer lemons and kaffir lime are grown and used by chef Helene An. The restaurant’s namesake comes from Catherine’s love of the Vietnamese herb tiato (also known as shiso), which she has asked her mother Helene to incorporate into as many dishes as she can. On the breakfast menu, you will find it in vegan scrambled eggs along with tofu, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and carrots. There is also french toast bananas Foster with real Chantilly cream, and very good house-smoked salmon. Eclectic lunch items include tasty tiato eggplant tofu, a tiato seasoned burger, curry chicken salad sandwich, soups and a salad bar. Also in high demand is the “Villager’s Favorite,” composed of pork tenderloin mixed with brown or white rice and other Asian ingredients. Since healthy cuisine is the focus here, you will find an array of gluten-free goods served, such as pastas, bread and waffles. In the sweets department, tiato flavors home-made macarons and sorbet. Don’t miss the hazelnut chocolate twist with hazelnut brittle and vanilla crème anglaise. The café offers draft and bottled beers, organic and biodynamic wines, and a sake bar. The "Tiato An the Go" service offers favorites like the House of An's famous garlic noodles for takeout and local delivery (order online or by phone).
|
Send to Phone 
Go behind the scenes of Tiato restaurant! Watch our exclusive interview with the An family on GAYOT.com’s blog.
Hungry for a hamburger? From simple patties with a pickle to gourmet takes by top toques, we've compiled lists of the Top 10 Burgers in cities across the USA, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
