Located in the trendy and upscale Westfield Century City shopping mall, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen offers a sweet spin on Asian food that will leave your taste buds fulfilled.
Opened in June 2008, the menu offers a Chef’s Tasting plate which gives a choice of three appetizers: one salad or soup, two main entrées, two sides and two desserts. The plate is $35 per person (not including tax, tip or drinks).
This may not be in everyone’s budget, but the quantity of food is enough for three, even four people, and it’s definitely worth the cost. This menu option is intended for new clientele to savor different dishes without being limited to just one or two selections, and to share with each other.
The menu is quite extensive and provides a great variety of Asian influences.
For starters, I opted for the crispy chicken samosas, potstickers and lacquered barbecue ribs. Let me say that I was won over at the first bite.
The portion size was more than the average appetizer, but it didn’t leave me full before the main course.
The crispy chicken samosas were served with a cilantro yogurt that added a zesty taste. As the name suggested, they were crispy with a soft inside. The potstickers tasted similar to the samosas, minus the zest, but with a softer texture.
The ribs were not your typical rack of ribs. They were each about an inch long and were well cooked. The meat was soft and provided just enough taste of the barbecue sauce without being overpowering. The ribs were small and soft enough to cut with my fork and knife.
The salad I ordered was a disappointment. I was looking forward to something light and fresh before the main entree, but sadly, the green mango and papaya salad didn’t live up to its name. The spices used to season the salad took away from its freshness, and instead brought a slightly burnt flavor.
Shaking beef and caramel shrimp were my selections for the main entrees. The shaking beef was served with sautéed red onions and garlic but the taste was sweet. The texture of the beef was soft, thick and succulent.
The caramel shrimp was also served with red onions, garlic, chilies and scallions. The taste was both sweet and mild. This became the favorite of the night thanks to its bittersweet flavor and perfect consistency.
Next came the Thai noodles with shrimp. The noodles were light and didn’t leave me feeling full. Crushed peanuts, egg and onion offered a variety of flavors that were well balanced. I am a fan of traditional chow mein, but this tops it.
On the other hand, the festive rice had a beautiful presentation and amazing aroma but the taste fell flat. The rice was very soft and was too sugared by the coconut and lemongrass.
All the savory entrees aside, the caramelized banana custard cake is a must! The banana cake was served with their very own chocolate ice cream which complimented it well. The chopped peanuts only enhanced this delicacy.
The warm coconut doughnuts at RockSugar are Kispy Kreme’s newest competition.
Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they had the taste of a freshly baked glazed doughnut, with the delicious and fun texture of a funnel cake.
Everything is made fresh at RockSugar including the desserts. The food was prepared close to perfection and the taste was even better.
I think I found my new favorite restaurant.
RockSugar is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11:20 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Their address is 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com (310) 552-9988
