Cassia

You're probably thinking - does she cook every day?  Well, just about.  I used to enjoy going out to bars/restaurants a lot, but since COVID-19, that's turned into eating in recently.  The small business that we decided to support this week is Cassia restaurant in Santa Monica.

We've been to this restaurant multiple times and it's always amazing.  Just because we were getting takeout didn't mean we couldn't have a deluxe dining experience, so we plated out meal like we would if we made it ourselves.  And let me tell you, we had a great experience.  Just like we have every other time in their restaurant.

Here's what we ordered from their takeout menu:

1. Vietnamese Cesar Salad - alright, I know what you're thinking.  Vietnamese Cesar Salad?  Sounds kind of weird, right?  Wrong!  This was a twist on a classic Cesar Salad with an extra tangy, acidic dressing and great herbaceous flavor.  Oh, but beware, it did come with a full anchovy on top, so if that kind of thing freaks you out, close your eyes when it comes and have someone take it off the top for you.  P.S. most Cesar salads have anchovies in the dressing, so you should probably get over your fear :)
2. Spicy Wontons (pictured below) - these guys pack a mean, spicy punch, so be prepared.  They sit in a spicy chili oil and are topped with chives and fried scallions.  We get these almost every time because they are BOMB.
   
3. Chickpea Curry with an extra side of bread - Their chickpea curry is seriously amazing.  I have trouble describing how delicious it is because it's just that good.  So here's a try.  The curry is creamy and rich with an amazing smooth texture.  Sop it up with the fresh out of the clay oven bread and you'll understand why this is a staple on the list of dishes we order.
   
4. Laksa - this was the first time I've ever had Laksa and I enjoyed it.  I definitely think Cassia has better dishes on their menu, but Laksa is a traditional soup, so I was glad I got a chance to try it.  The soup was creamy and thick with a spicy aftertaste and slurpable noodles, topped with shrimp and 1/2 a perfectly soft egg.

If you're looking for the perfect beverage pairing to go with your meal, Cassia offers a large selection of wines and a few cocktails for to go/delivery as well.  Every time I go to their restaurant, I order their Thai Basil Margarita because it's the perfect cocktail to pair with all their dishes.  This time, we opted for a white wine, but I'm kind of missing the herby, sweetness of the basil marg.

Cassia also has a top notch seafood selection on the menu that is not available for delivery.  Once things settle down a little and you're able to go out to eat, your first stop should be to get a seafood tower from Cassia.  The seafood tower offer you a great selection of their seafood dishes which are all delicious.  Their offerings?  

• Vietnamese "Sunbathing" Prawns - Caution, these are spicy, but delicious.  You get a few whole prawns in this seafood tower, so you can fight over who gets them.
• Raw Spicy Scallops - These scallops are chopped up and in a spicy broth that's unbeatable
• Salted Egg Yolk & Crab Dip - This comes with a charred, crusty bread that will make you want to sop up every last bit of this dip.  It's creamy, salty goodness is perfectly paired with the texture and flavor of the bread.
• Raw Oysters - do I need to say anything about raw oysters?  They're great, just eat them.

So if your mouth isn't watering and you're not online looking at Cassia's menu already, then you need to re-evaluate your life a little bit.

Oh, and you can also give the restaurant workers a tip directly by giving them a "wave" ($5), "thumbs up" ($10), or a "6 ft away high five" ($15).  So support your local businesses and eat some delicious food (that you didn't have to cook)!

If you're interested in supporting Cassia and eating some delicious food, check them out here.

By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post.  I just love food and they do a pretty darn good job of making it.