Santa Monica Place

Last week was the (long awaited) grand opening of the newly rebuilt mall at the end of the 3rd street promenade…only it’s no longer just a “mall.”

The new Santa Monica Place is pretty much the happening spot…but in addition to the high end shopping (finally a Bloomingdale’s on the west side!), there’s an entire dining deck.

Source

Trust me, this rooftop setting isn’t your average mall food court.  Far from it.

Ocean views.  Award winning chefs.  Like I said, it’s the happening spot.  Even after a week of being open, getting reservations was nearly impossible.

Luckily, we were able to reserve a table for four at Zengo this past weekend.  Chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval is known for his Latin-Asian cuisine, having two other Zengo locations (DC and NYC) in addition to the recent Santa Monica location.

Upon entering, I immediately noticed how open and spacious the place was.  The front of the restaurant had ceilings that were sky high, while the rest of the seating was outside on the dining deck.  Complete with a full bar and large rock fireplace, it had the vibe of a lounge without the pretention of a nightclub.

Gourmet dining under the stars with the Pacific Ocean just blocks away…life’s not too shabby.

Our waiter was friendly and attentive, explaining the concept of the menu to us and highlighting his own personal favorites.  Apparently Zengo is Japanese for “give and take” so it’s fitting that the menu is built around small plates meant to be shared by the entire table.  I love this kind of dining because you get to order and taste several dishes without getting too full.

We started with drinks…I went with a Pinot Noir, Rachel ordered the Mojito Cuzco, while the boys stuck with brews.

Our first round of eats included the THAI SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAP (chorizo / peanut / cilantro / spicy tamarind chutney).

The shrimp looked delectable, as did the chutney, but I have zero interest in chorizo.  Oddly, the plate only came with two lettuce wraps (and there were four people in our party).  At least the waiter was kind enough to bring additional ones for us once we asked.

There was also the SALTED EDAMAME.

This dish is also available “XO style” which means it is marinated and sautéed in oyster sauce, garlic, and shrimp.  We opted to keep it vegetarian, so I could partake in the feasting, but the other option did sound appetizing.

And then there were the CHARRED TUNA WONTON TACOS (sushi rice / mango salsa / guacamole).

I had to try one of these because the avocado just looked so good.  The guacamole was hidden beneath each taco shell, but we made sure to scrape it on top before eating.  The tortillas were so light and crunched like they were paper thin.  I thought the sushi rice was going to be weird in the taco, but with the sweet mango and spicy tuna, it actually worked!

The next round of eats started with the WAKAME~HIJIKI SEAWEED SALAD (cucumber / carrot / daikon / apple / ginger vinaigrette).

This was my favorite dish of the evening.  I’ve never seen such a variety of ingredients in a seaweed salad.  Not only were the various kinds of seaweed foreign to me (which I quite enjoyed), but the notes of apple and ginger were pleasant surprises for my taste buds, too.  All in all, it was a really successful salad.  I was lucky enough to get (almost) the entire dish to myself.

Meanwhile, the rest of the table sampled the GRILLED SKIRT STEAK (tempura potato / huitlacoche~shiitake / dragon sauce).

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I’ve never seen onion rings looks so glamorous!

Our last round of dishes included the THAI CHICKEN EMPANADAS (Chile poblano / oaxaca cheese / mango~curry salsa).

And last, but not least, the CHIPOTLE~MISO GLAZED BLACK COD (chipotle-miso glaze / asparagus / braised daikon / lemon-togarashi aioli).

Although I didn’t taste either of these, they were ooohed and aahhed over plenty for me to know they were good.

To finish the meal, we ordered a MEXICAN CHOCOLATE TARTE (cocoa nibs / cinnamon whip / chili ancho anglaise).

This is the kind of dessert that requires you to pronounce chocolate like a french pastry chef…chocolat.  Ok not really, but that’s what I was doing.

We all very much enjoyed Zengo’s food and are eager to try out the rest of the restaurants at Santa Monica Place.

After dinner, we found ourselves across the street at Copa D’Oro.  I can say with 100% certainty, this is my new favorite bar in Santa Monica.

The cocktail menu is SO FUN!  The drinks are creative, unique and delicious.  So much so that you may end up on the floor and wonder how such a tasty drink led to such slurred speech.  Not that I’m speaking from experience…

The best part is that their drinks feature fresh squeezed fruits and vegetables.  They offer the following:

Herbs: Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Sage

Fruit: Apple, Blackberry, Cranberry, Grape, Grapefruit, Orange, Blood Orange, Tangerine, Strawberry, Raspberry

Organic Juice & Nectar Apple, Lychee, Pear, Pineapple, Pomegranate

Vegetable Celery, Cucumber, Ginger, Jalapeño, Red Bell Pepper

So cool, right?

Santa Monica Gimlet – Tanqueray Gin, Celery, Cucumber, Fresh Lime Juice

Moscow Mule – Vodka, Fresh Lime Juice, Ginger Beer

DELISH!!!  I had three of these…so you do the math.

As for my man…well, he went a more fruity route.

The Countryhouse – Ketel One Citroen, Honey, Sage, Fresh Raspberries, Fresh Lemon Juice, Peach Bitters

What a night!  I came home with new favorites all around…bars, booze, etc.

What’s your favorite cocktail?