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RockSugar was so good yesterday that I went back today with 3 friends and we ordered the prix fixe lunch for four of us as well as an additional appetizer, side dish, and main course (we were all very hungry since it was about 3pm and none of us had eaten lunch).
I am happy to report that the service was again very efficient and friendly, and our food pleased even a very picky eater who commented “I thought this would be weird, but it tastes really good.” Just goes to prove that everyone can appreciate good food if they are simply brave enough to try something different.
We had the lacquered ribs as our additional appetizer and although they were sweet and sticky, they were not cloyingly so, and meaty enough for the four of us to share one plate. Our prix fixe for four included 2 salads, so we chose the green salad and the jicama with ruby grapefruit and candied walnuts, which was the favorite for all four of us. For our meats we ordered the caramel chicken and the clay pot beef, which was so good we ordered another full order of the beef at the end of our meal to take home (but we ended up eating it). Our noodle dishe of Thai noodles (Pad Thai) and stir fried vegetables were both delicious, but we also wanted rice with our meal so we ordered the ginger fried rice as an additional menu item. The rice was good, but one of my friends found it too spicy (I did not) and another did not like the fried egg that topped it (so one of us ate the egg without having it mixed into the rice); it a personal taste issue, but better to know before ordering it that it can be both spicy and too eggy for some people.
We wanted cake for dessert, but since only ice creams and sorbets are offered at lunch, we passed and had some great drinks, like the Champagne and lychee which was a refreshing dessert-like drink for people who don’t like strong alcohol, and some dirty martinis for those of us who like our drinks strong (like me). Even the one who ordered a Coke loved the taste, remarking that it was a “really good Coke.”
Always good to know that a place is as wonderful the second time on the day after the first visit. The decor was even more remarkable this time because it was so empty at 3pm that we had the whole place to ourselves and we felt as if we had out own private food temple in the middle of Century City; this must be what nirvana feels like.
>RockSugar was so good yesterday that I went back today with 3 friends and we ordered the prix fixe lunch for four of us as well as an additional appetizer, side dish, and main course (we were all very hungry since it was about 3pm and none of us had eaten lunch).
I am happy to report that the service was again very efficient and friendly, and our food pleased even a very picky eater who commented “I thought this would be weird, but it tastes really good.” Just goes to prove that everyone can appreciate good food if they are simply brave enough to try something different.
We had the lacquered ribs as our additional appetizer and although they were sweet and sticky, they were not cloyingly so, and meaty enough for the four of us to share one plate. Our prix fixe for four included 2 salads, so we chose the green salad and the jicama with ruby grapefruit and candied walnuts, which was the favorite for all four of us. For our meats we ordered the caramel chicken and the clay pot beef, which was so good we ordered another full order of the beef at the end of our meal to take home (but we ended up eating it). Our noodle dishe of Thai noodles (Pad Thai) and stir fried vegetables were both delicious, but we also wanted rice with our meal so we ordered the ginger fried rice as an additional menu item. The rice was good, but one of my friends found it too spicy (I did not) and another did not like the fried egg that topped it (so one of us ate the egg without having it mixed into the rice); it a personal taste issue, but better to know before ordering it that it can be both spicy and too eggy for some people.
We wanted cake for dessert, but since only ice creams and sorbets are offered at lunch, we passed and had some great drinks, like the Champagne and lychee which was a refreshing dessert-like drink for people who don’t like strong alcohol, and some dirty martinis for those of us who like our drinks strong (like me). Even the one who ordered a Coke loved the taste, remarking that it was a “really good Coke.”
Always good to know that a place is as wonderful the second time on the day after the first visit. The decor was even more remarkable this time because it was so empty at 3pm that we had the whole place to ourselves and we felt as if we had out own private food temple in the middle of Century City; this must be what nirvana feels like.
One of my friends knew about RockSugar coming to Century City’s Westfield Mall months before the restaurant opened last year, but it wasn’t until today that I actually went to try out this spectacular restaurant.
The entrance is jaw-dropping, with a comfortable outdoor waiting area set up in a garden like atmosphere, complete with tables, comfy couches, and beautiful lanterns hung high above the open space. The entire decor was shipped in from Thailand and the interior was modeled after a temple in Thailand. The first thing you see walking inside is the giant golden Buddha above the host station flanked by huge gilt columns, mirrored with another wooden Buddha above the outside patio area.
The feel of the restaurant is serene, with dark chairs, white tablecloth covered tables, and decorative fabric lined booths built for two. The gold and colored accents are just that, accents, and not at all overbearing. I asked for a seat outdoors on the wind protected patio and I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the walls outside was a cascading waterfall, adding a nice view for those seated facing the wall of the restaurant instead of Santa Monica Blvd.
My server Richard, was pleasant, attentive, and had a great sense of humor, telling me he wanted me to drink my lunch when he inadvertently handed me the wine list instead of a menu. The menu is a medley of different Asian cuisines, ranging from Pad Thai, to Pho, raw Hamachi, and lacquered BBQ ribs. There are numerous choices for vegetarians and low carb eaters as well as an ample selection of meats and fish for all the protein lovers. No matter where in Asia or Southeast Asia your palate takes you, you will find something to feast on here. I ordered the Dungeness crab with cellophane noodles but they were sold out by the time I arrived, so I went with the short ribs with vermicelli noodles instead. It was a tasty spicy mix of thinly sliced beef, sliced carrots, red chilies, cucumber, and cold vermicelli noodles served with a cut up hot eggroll of meat and clear rice noodles. It was a nice combination of cool, spicy, and hot all in one dish. This is fusion at its best. I also tried the blood orange sangria and liked it even though sangria is usually too sweet for me, this blood orange version was tart enough to for me to drink it with a smile.
Go try them for lunch with a friend because for two or more people, they offer a special prix fixe lunch menu for only $12.95 for three dishes or $14.95 for four dishes per person. Next time I will bring more people so we can all taste the varied menu at prix fixe prices and maybe split a dessert, like their home made coconut doughnuts with passion fruit sauce!
>One of my friends knew about RockSugar coming to Century City’s Westfield Mall months before the restaurant opened last year, but it wasn’t until today that I actually went to try out this spectacular restaurant.
The entrance is jaw-dropping, with a comfortable outdoor waiting area set up in a garden like atmosphere, complete with tables, comfy couches, and beautiful lanterns hung high above the open space. The entire decor was shipped in from Thailand and the interior was modeled after a temple in Thailand. The first thing you see walking inside is the giant golden Buddha above the host station flanked by huge gilt columns, mirrored with another wooden Buddha above the outside patio area.
The feel of the restaurant is serene, with dark chairs, white tablecloth covered tables, and decorative fabric lined booths built for two. The gold and colored accents are just that, accents, and not at all overbearing. I asked for a seat outdoors on the wind protected patio and I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the walls outside was a cascading waterfall, adding a nice view for those seated facing the wall of the restaurant instead of Santa Monica Blvd.
My server Richard, was pleasant, attentive, and had a great sense of humor, telling me he wanted me to drink my lunch when he inadvertently handed me the wine list instead of a menu. The menu is a medley of different Asian cuisines, ranging from Pad Thai, to Pho, raw Hamachi, and lacquered BBQ ribs. There are numerous choices for vegetarians and low carb eaters as well as an ample selection of meats and fish for all the protein lovers. No matter where in Asia or Southeast Asia your palate takes you, you will find something to feast on here. I ordered the Dungeness crab with cellophane noodles but they were sold out by the time I arrived, so I went with the short ribs with vermicelli noodles instead. It was a tasty spicy mix of thinly sliced beef, sliced carrots, red chilies, cucumber, and cold vermicelli noodles served with a cut up hot eggroll of meat and clear rice noodles. It was a nice combination of cool, spicy, and hot all in one dish. This is fusion at its best. I also tried the blood orange sangria and liked it even though sangria is usually too sweet for me, this blood orange version was tart enough to for me to drink it with a smile.
Go try them for lunch with a friend because for two or more people, they offer a special prix fixe lunch menu for only $12.95 for three dishes or $14.95 for four dishes per person. Next time I will bring more people so we can all taste the varied menu at prix fixe prices and maybe split a dessert, like their home made coconut doughnuts with passion fruit sauce!
