2024 update: dined in for the first time and was underwhelmed with the food. Chickpea curry is decent, kaya toast is decent. The dan dan noodles are straight up not good! Extremely salty and fatty. Skipped dessert (unheard of for me) because the main dishes already made me feel so heavy and unhealthy.2022 takeout review: The laksa is incredible. It is easily two meals (can serve two people). I'm not a spice person and this was at the upper end of my spice tolerance but not too spicy. A side of clay oven bread is really good to dip in it. My only complaint was I ordered takeout and my order was ready 15 minutes later than the original estimate.
Riza C.
Great food! Chili crab and the duck noodles were my favorites! Friendly attentive service. It was packed Saturday evening so understandably loud with conversation. Will go again!
Jude E.
Great food and ambience. Exceptional hospitality!!! We had the Singaporean crab deep, Maryland oysters, Hainanese Chicken and Dan Dan noodles and it was all delicious!!! Paper crane Thai basil margarita drinks were probably the best mixed drinks I've had in recent memory!!!!
Saphir S.
The vibes were great and food was delicious and very flavorful! The chickpea curry and sesame noodle dish were phenomenal! As a heads up, the laksa was pretty spicy! Don't miss out on dessert!!
Charli Li (Charli)
LIMITED Gluten-free options. The patio was very cold. Reservations needed. Currently sitting in a river.Dietary restrictions: Limited gf optionsWheelchair accessibility: Not available
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Who
Always a pleasure coming. They never fail, only when they change the menu, but that also not a bad thing. Haha.
What a truly lovely experience! I was here celebrating a birthday and couldn't have had a better time. Service was nice and attentive, and they even brought over a dessert for us at the end of the meal for the birthday! The restaurant is very pretty on the inside, but can be a little bit loud -- nothing too crazy. The best part of the experience had to be the food! As an aside, we were pleasantly surprised that they offered jenever here, as I haven't been able to find any at restaurants outside of the Netherlands! Highlights of the meals were the Singapore chili crab, Duck Egg Caesar salad, and the prawn toast.
WB H.
We used to frequent Cassia often a few years ago and raved about it. Unfortunately, it's not what it used to be. The menu is a bit confused and less focused than before. The flavors are "milder" and less opinionated. Service was nice but definitely rushed. Didn't feel very genuine like it used to/ what I'd come to expect from this restaurant group. Ambiance is still beautiful inside the restaurant, but now over 50% of seating is outside in a heated tent. I now prefer little sisters over Cassia. Still a great restaurant, but my nostalgia for the good ol days did leave me a bit disappointed.
Paul E Ramseyer
Great Valentin dinner. No increase is cost of meal due to evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lizz L.
Ate here the other month with our two kids (2 under 3 years old) on a Sunday evening. If you are bringing kids, this is the first reason why I do not recommend this spot. Arrived right when the restaurant opened, so we may have caught the servers off guard, but timing was very late for ordering as well as receiving our meal (waited 20 minutes for the kids meal to arrive). Second reason: the food. I lived in Singapore for over 5 years so I went into Cassia with high expectations. Those were instantly dashed when my son received his "chicken" rice - ie, pre-cut Costco chicken strips without flavor over a bowl of undercooked rice. To add, the Laksa tasted like the seafood was old and the broth was watery. Ambiance is fine, though not something to write home about.
The food at Cassia is terrible! The flavors the spices, they assault you. I have traveled around the world and had these dishes abroad and Cassias version of these dishes are terrible. The chicken satay was ground chicken. It was dry and just so bad. The yams were covered in a sauce that was soooo heavy in cumin I could not eat it. Then the Laksa was so bad I had to send it back. That was NOT like Laksa I have had in Singapore. It was inedible. The green beans were so heavy in the salty teriyaki like sauce one bean was enough. Ended up getting a steak and that thank god was decent. The French fry's that came with the steak were delicious. I will never go back to Cassia again. The ambiance is beautiful the waitstaff are lovely but the food is terrible.
Krys N.
This is a unique, local gem in Santa Monica! A lot of places in the area have generic food that you can find anywhere, but this is one of those you-have-to-try-this-place restaurants. Singaporean, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese-influenced bites? Yes, please! It's family-style but at the same time, the portions are fine enough to make your dish your own serving. Those that like spicy foods will love this place like the Spicy Minced Duck Dan Dan Noodles. If it's notated as spicy and you can only do mild or non-spicy, be warned and go another way! Though they have vegetarian options, this may not be the place for too many options - they can make meat dishes vegetarian, but that means they'll take the meat/sauce/broth out and won't add in additional vegetables which happened with my friend's Kon Loh Mee. The Fried Califlower with fish sauce was a delicious choice and the winner of the night was the chickpea curry with coconut milk, Thai basil, and cilantro on flatbread-mmm! They have great options for indoor booths, high top tables by the bar, or the always decorated outdoor patio. Make sure to get a reservation on weekends. For a great date night, get dinner at Cassia and then pop over next door to Esther's to enjoy a glass of wine - you don't even have to leave the building!
Uyen T.
We went to Cassia to celebrate my birthday and my husband's birthday. My brother mentioned to the waiter that we were celebrating two birthdays. By the way, other tables got a birthday candle, but we didn't., which was fine. The ambience of the restuaruant was upscale and beautiful. The food was tasty. What leads to the 2 star deduction is the false advertising and misrepresetation of the chef's menu for $75 per person. We had a party of 5 people and some of us ordered drinks. We had the Kaya Toast, papaya salad, chickpeas with nann, another crab dish with additonal naan. Everything was going well until the entrees arrived. Two entrees for 5 people: the sea bass and hainan chicken. We asked about the chef's menu and the waiter says "don't worry, we basically double the portions" and "[you] eat family style" for 5 people. There were 2 pieces of chicken to divide among 5 people and 1 teeny tiny sea bass for 5 people. I am irritated because the chef's menu only works to the diner's economic advantage if you have 2 -3 people. If you have more people ie 5 people like us, then they give you the same amount of food for 3. people paying for the chef's menu! That means you get the same amount of food if you pay $225 (3 people) or $425 (5 people) when you do the chef's menu! That is absurd! My 2nd grader can do this simple math and realize it is a lousy deal! To make it even more infuriating, they provided 5 teaspoons for ONE vietnamese coffee pudding to share. Uh hello, we are in a post-covid world first of all and 5 spoons for 1 dessert is stupid considering you paid $75 pp times 5! If you had 2 people purchasing the chef's menu, you would have 1 vietnamese coffee dessert with 2 spoons. It isn't rocket science...we called the waiter over and asked him how the math makes any sense? He allegedly "comped" us a 2nd dessert for 5 people. The point of this review is to prevent other people from being scammed by the chef's menu when you have more than 3 people participating. If we had individually ordered every appetizer, salad, 2 entrees, and finally 2 desserts that came out, it would have been less expensive! Thumbs up for ambiance, thunbs up for some of the tasty food, but a big 2 thumbs down for the sneaky misleading chef's menu and misleading statement from our waiter! It is nonsense...there is no doubling of portions. He should have stated what we were actually paying for. It felt comparable to going to a used car dealership and buying a lemon from the upsale from the waiter. Everyone in our party was in disbelief when 2 entrees arrived for 5 people and it was even more unbelievable when 5 spoons arrived with a tiny cappucino size cup of pudding!
Helen K.
This place was recommended to me by a friend and although I had an enjoyable dining experience, don't know if I would go again. Good fusion but not the elevated precision culinary experience with Asian ingredients that I heard from the recommendation. Oysters were good, great supplier from Washington. Really enjoyed the Vietnamese Ceasar salad (great use of mission figs and anchovies, which was not too salty and over powering). The wonton was good but any Sichuan chinese restaurant quality, not anything different and special (and not on the menu anymore). Fried cauliflower was a bit of a disappointment in the fact that the batter was too hard. Think they were trying to go for tempura method but the batter was a bit rock hard and thick. Spicy minced duck Dan Dan Mien was very mediocre and ruined by the how the pickled mustard green was too chunky and took away from the overall flavor and texture of the egg noodle. Also the minced duck was not great quality and felt like eating ground turkey prepare by a cafeteria and not a chef. The Whole Grilled Sea Bass was just alright. It's topped with cilantro, mint, dill and lime to give a twist but nothing special about the flavor. If you had various Southeast Asian way of grilled fish before, you would be underwhelmed. The service was spectacular. Friendly and attentive and also the manager who curated the wine list did an excellent job. Sadly, the culinary experience was unfortunately underwhelming.
Daisy Kelly
Gives you a dish that requires bread to enjoy. Not nearly enough bread comes with it. Waitress asks if you need more bread. Charges you $9 for a side of bread without telling you. Jesus.Mediocre food and drinks. Michelin prices.Would not recommend.
2024 update: dined in for the first time and was underwhelmed with the food. Chickpea curry is decent, kaya toast is decent. The dan dan noodles are straight up not good! Extremely salty and fatty. Skipped dessert (unheard of for me) because the main dishes already made me feel so heavy and unhealthy.2022 takeout review: The laksa is incredible. It is easily two meals (can serve two people). I'm not a spice person and this was at the upper end of my spice tolerance but not too spicy. A side of clay oven bread is really good to dip in it. My only complaint was I ordered takeout and my order was ready 15 minutes later than the original estimate.
Great food! Chili crab and the duck noodles were my favorites! Friendly attentive service. It was packed Saturday evening so understandably loud with conversation. Will go again!
Great food and ambience. Exceptional hospitality!!! We had the Singaporean crab deep, Maryland oysters, Hainanese Chicken and Dan Dan noodles and it was all delicious!!! Paper crane Thai basil margarita drinks were probably the best mixed drinks I've had in recent memory!!!!
The vibes were great and food was delicious and very flavorful! The chickpea curry and sesame noodle dish were phenomenal! As a heads up, the laksa was pretty spicy! Don't miss out on dessert!!
LIMITED Gluten-free options. The patio was very cold. Reservations needed. Currently sitting in a river.Dietary restrictions: Limited gf optionsWheelchair accessibility: Not available
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Always a pleasure coming. They never fail, only when they change the menu, but that also not a bad thing. Haha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Rendang, Cold Sesame Noodles
What a truly lovely experience! I was here celebrating a birthday and couldn't have had a better time. Service was nice and attentive, and they even brought over a dessert for us at the end of the meal for the birthday! The restaurant is very pretty on the inside, but can be a little bit loud -- nothing too crazy. The best part of the experience had to be the food! As an aside, we were pleasantly surprised that they offered jenever here, as I haven't been able to find any at restaurants outside of the Netherlands! Highlights of the meals were the Singapore chili crab, Duck Egg Caesar salad, and the prawn toast.
We used to frequent Cassia often a few years ago and raved about it. Unfortunately, it's not what it used to be. The menu is a bit confused and less focused than before. The flavors are "milder" and less opinionated. Service was nice but definitely rushed. Didn't feel very genuine like it used to/ what I'd come to expect from this restaurant group. Ambiance is still beautiful inside the restaurant, but now over 50% of seating is outside in a heated tent. I now prefer little sisters over Cassia. Still a great restaurant, but my nostalgia for the good ol days did leave me a bit disappointed.
Great Valentin dinner. No increase is cost of meal due to evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ate here the other month with our two kids (2 under 3 years old) on a Sunday evening. If you are bringing kids, this is the first reason why I do not recommend this spot. Arrived right when the restaurant opened, so we may have caught the servers off guard, but timing was very late for ordering as well as receiving our meal (waited 20 minutes for the kids meal to arrive). Second reason: the food. I lived in Singapore for over 5 years so I went into Cassia with high expectations. Those were instantly dashed when my son received his "chicken" rice - ie, pre-cut Costco chicken strips without flavor over a bowl of undercooked rice. To add, the Laksa tasted like the seafood was old and the broth was watery. Ambiance is fine, though not something to write home about.
Restaurantji Recommends
The food at Cassia is terrible! The flavors the spices, they assault you. I have traveled around the world and had these dishes abroad and Cassias version of these dishes are terrible. The chicken satay was ground chicken. It was dry and just so bad. The yams were covered in a sauce that was soooo heavy in cumin I could not eat it. Then the Laksa was so bad I had to send it back. That was NOT like Laksa I have had in Singapore. It was inedible. The green beans were so heavy in the salty teriyaki like sauce one bean was enough. Ended up getting a steak and that thank god was decent. The French fry's that came with the steak were delicious. I will never go back to Cassia again. The ambiance is beautiful the waitstaff are lovely but the food is terrible.
This is a unique, local gem in Santa Monica! A lot of places in the area have generic food that you can find anywhere, but this is one of those you-have-to-try-this-place restaurants. Singaporean, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese-influenced bites? Yes, please! It's family-style but at the same time, the portions are fine enough to make your dish your own serving. Those that like spicy foods will love this place like the Spicy Minced Duck Dan Dan Noodles. If it's notated as spicy and you can only do mild or non-spicy, be warned and go another way! Though they have vegetarian options, this may not be the place for too many options - they can make meat dishes vegetarian, but that means they'll take the meat/sauce/broth out and won't add in additional vegetables which happened with my friend's Kon Loh Mee. The Fried Califlower with fish sauce was a delicious choice and the winner of the night was the chickpea curry with coconut milk, Thai basil, and cilantro on flatbread-mmm! They have great options for indoor booths, high top tables by the bar, or the always decorated outdoor patio. Make sure to get a reservation on weekends. For a great date night, get dinner at Cassia and then pop over next door to Esther's to enjoy a glass of wine - you don't even have to leave the building!
We went to Cassia to celebrate my birthday and my husband's birthday. My brother mentioned to the waiter that we were celebrating two birthdays. By the way, other tables got a birthday candle, but we didn't., which was fine. The ambience of the restuaruant was upscale and beautiful. The food was tasty. What leads to the 2 star deduction is the false advertising and misrepresetation of the chef's menu for $75 per person. We had a party of 5 people and some of us ordered drinks. We had the Kaya Toast, papaya salad, chickpeas with nann, another crab dish with additonal naan. Everything was going well until the entrees arrived. Two entrees for 5 people: the sea bass and hainan chicken. We asked about the chef's menu and the waiter says "don't worry, we basically double the portions" and "[you] eat family style" for 5 people. There were 2 pieces of chicken to divide among 5 people and 1 teeny tiny sea bass for 5 people. I am irritated because the chef's menu only works to the diner's economic advantage if you have 2 -3 people. If you have more people ie 5 people like us, then they give you the same amount of food for 3. people paying for the chef's menu! That means you get the same amount of food if you pay $225 (3 people) or $425 (5 people) when you do the chef's menu! That is absurd! My 2nd grader can do this simple math and realize it is a lousy deal! To make it even more infuriating, they provided 5 teaspoons for ONE vietnamese coffee pudding to share. Uh hello, we are in a post-covid world first of all and 5 spoons for 1 dessert is stupid considering you paid $75 pp times 5! If you had 2 people purchasing the chef's menu, you would have 1 vietnamese coffee dessert with 2 spoons. It isn't rocket science...we called the waiter over and asked him how the math makes any sense? He allegedly "comped" us a 2nd dessert for 5 people. The point of this review is to prevent other people from being scammed by the chef's menu when you have more than 3 people participating. If we had individually ordered every appetizer, salad, 2 entrees, and finally 2 desserts that came out, it would have been less expensive! Thumbs up for ambiance, thunbs up for some of the tasty food, but a big 2 thumbs down for the sneaky misleading chef's menu and misleading statement from our waiter! It is nonsense...there is no doubling of portions. He should have stated what we were actually paying for. It felt comparable to going to a used car dealership and buying a lemon from the upsale from the waiter. Everyone in our party was in disbelief when 2 entrees arrived for 5 people and it was even more unbelievable when 5 spoons arrived with a tiny cappucino size cup of pudding!
This place was recommended to me by a friend and although I had an enjoyable dining experience, don't know if I would go again. Good fusion but not the elevated precision culinary experience with Asian ingredients that I heard from the recommendation. Oysters were good, great supplier from Washington. Really enjoyed the Vietnamese Ceasar salad (great use of mission figs and anchovies, which was not too salty and over powering). The wonton was good but any Sichuan chinese restaurant quality, not anything different and special (and not on the menu anymore). Fried cauliflower was a bit of a disappointment in the fact that the batter was too hard. Think they were trying to go for tempura method but the batter was a bit rock hard and thick. Spicy minced duck Dan Dan Mien was very mediocre and ruined by the how the pickled mustard green was too chunky and took away from the overall flavor and texture of the egg noodle. Also the minced duck was not great quality and felt like eating ground turkey prepare by a cafeteria and not a chef. The Whole Grilled Sea Bass was just alright. It's topped with cilantro, mint, dill and lime to give a twist but nothing special about the flavor. If you had various Southeast Asian way of grilled fish before, you would be underwhelmed. The service was spectacular. Friendly and attentive and also the manager who curated the wine list did an excellent job. Sadly, the culinary experience was unfortunately underwhelming.
Gives you a dish that requires bread to enjoy. Not nearly enough bread comes with it. Waitress asks if you need more bread. Charges you $9 for a side of bread without telling you. Jesus.Mediocre food and drinks. Michelin prices.Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Clay Oven Bread