On the ground floor of Santa Monica's 1937 Art Deco Telephone Building, Cassia does the best presentation of French Vietnamese cuisine since the days of Le Colonial. Here, Montalba Architects pen a stylish, beach-inspired French-Vietnamese dining room of concrete floors, tall lofty ceiling and industrial-inspired décor. A long mixology bar is lined in feasting diners that couldn't quite snag a reservation in the main dining room or along the bustling outdoor terrace.
The Food
An east meets west menu mixes flavors of traditional French cooking techniques and Vietnamese ingredients for sensational grilled prawns, raw bar platters and selection of hot appetizers like Cereal Scallops with hazelnuts, Kaya Toast with slow-cooked egg and fried cauliflower. Salads like a perfectly simple green papaya and farm lettuces neutralize the palette for main courses of while grilled lobster, flattened chicken and grilled pig’s tail with sides of snap peas, soybean puree and chopped escargot.
Last Word
Stylish beach dining room revives French-Vietnamese cuisine in Los Angeles.