DeathbedFood at Cassia in Santa Monica

Tumeric Makes Sea Bass A Treat.

I knew the new Cassia Restaurant in Santa Monica would have DeathbedFood. Sure enough, it does. I knew because two culinary power couples, as the LA Weekly described, run it:

Cassia is a project put together by two couples, Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb and Bryant and Kim Ng. Nathan and Loeb have already given Santa Monica some of the Westside’s best restaurants: Rustic Canyon, Milo & Olive, Huckleberry. The Ngs were responsible for The Spice Table.

I think Southeast Asian cooking is about to have a major moment here in the U.S. Vietnamese cuisine in particular has seemed to be largely under the radar for many. But with Cassia in the neighborhood, Vietnamese food’s gonna break wide open for Angelenos.

Because I had a big food blogger schedule the day I visited, having chowed on Chomp’s Cinnamon Donut Fried Chicken Burger right before, I only sampled a few items from the menu. But do you really need to buy Tiffany’s entire selection of diamond rings to know they’d all be glorious?

Cassia’s star dish for me was the Whole Grilled Sea Bass with tumeric, dill and lime. DeathbedFood. Tumeric is a power food. It’s the quintessential spice in curry and is known to help with diseases as varied as diabetes, heart problems, cancer and more. I think it works because it makes people happier – and when they’re happier, they’re healthier. Want to join me in getting #TeamTumeric trending on Twitter?

Order the Sea Bass with the pea tendrils wok-tossed with coconut. Pea tendrils don’t get the respect they deserve. Why so few restaurants serve them? My tip: order the tendrils whenever you see them. Just don’t expect to find any better pea tendrils than those at Cassia.

Finally, when you go, sit on the patio. My doggie seemed to be happy there and he’s very picky.