Sultry New Southeast Asian Restaurant Star Leaf Opens in Pasadena

Star Leaf, a well-liked upscale Southeast Asian restaurant, opened April 5 in Pasadena's Playhouse District. With 43 areas unfold throughout Asia, the model is betting that its fashionable Thai, Singaporean and Vietnamese specialties, Asian-inspired cocktails and choose culinary crew will assist set up a presence in the USA.

Based in 2011 by restaurateur Ruth Lin, the brand new Star Leaf outlet in Pasadena boasts the chain's most succesful cooks for the opening. Max Wu is the previous personal chef of the prime minister of Singapore and the winner of the World Chef Championship, and Jeremy Chen is the winner of the Singapore Chef King competitors. They function co-executive cooks of Star Leaf. Lin additionally enlisted Hong Kong superstar chef Dai Lengthy, the inspiration for Stephen Chow's God of the kitchen, to supervise the undertaking. As well as, chef Ryan Liu, initially from China and beforehand at Hakkasan Dubai, has additionally joined the crew. Domestically, the crew introduced in native Angeleno chef and Filipino-American Christopher Aquino, who beforehand helped open Erewhon Markets, to infuse Filipino and different Southeast Asian flavors with a Californian twist.

The 8,000-square-foot Star Leaf location on Colorado Boulevard, which occupies a former Roy's Hawaiian restaurant, value greater than $3.8 million to construct. The inside boasts a design harking back to the Raffles Resort in Singapore or the Blue Elephant restaurant in Bangkok. Each element, from the bricks to the tiles, wooden paneling and cabinetry, was customized made and shipped from Asia. Designer Weixin Zhou, recognized for his contributions to the restoration of Beijing's Forbidden Metropolis, introduced 9 containers stuffed with ornamental supplies for the restaurant.

A blue painted interior with Asian and colonial influences in Pasadena. — Star Leaf eating room in Pasadena.

“Our affect attracts closely from Asian and European cultures, mixing parts of a colonial previous, which embody touches of Thai, Vietnamese, French, Indonesian and Dutch influences. We additionally tried to respect the present Artwork Deco ambiance of historic Pasadena” , says Lin.

The primarily Thai-inspired menu mixes in influences from Singapore, Vietnam and different Southeast Asian cuisines. The signature tom yum soup is simmered for 13 hours, boasting a vibrant orange hue from roasted prawn shells and a mixture of chiles, galangal, lemongrass, mushrooms, pork bones, hen bones, mussels and prawns. Different highlights embody the Royal Crown fried rice made with Icelandic wild capelin, fish roe, scallops, prawns and the black and white jasmine rice, which provides it a nutty and aromatic aroma.

Royal Thai curry is made with floor herbs and gradual roasted with sambal rempah, coconut cream, duck eggs and mashed potatoes. Comes with a contemporary baguette on the facet. Madame Noi's pork neck is marinated in a single day after which roasted earlier than being paired with lettuce cups and inexperienced papaya salad. Ikan Bakar, an Indonesian and Malaysian dish, options charcoal-grilled golden pomfret fish served with candy and bitter tropical slaw, mango dip, Asian inexperienced sauce and vermicelli.

“For us, the meals and the restaurant are tributes to our crew's travels and time spent dwelling in Southeast Asia. Each element, from the decor to the menu, displays our love for the area and its numerous heritage, and we need to put Southeast Asian delicacies and hospitality excessive on the map right here in LA,” says Lin.

A large table with modern designs in a Thai restaurant in Pasadena. — Superb wood desk and open kitchen at Star Leaf.

Black and white photo above the wooden banquette at Star Leaf. — A banquette with hints of colonial design at Star Leaf.

For dessert, the Mekong Rosa at Star Leaf represents the tapestry of the area. Made with coconut cream, purple dragon fruit, mango, lotus seeds, purple beans and peach gum, it incorporates the flavors alongside the Mekong River, which flows by China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. It’s served in a gold pot like a scorching pot with dry ice smoke for dramatic impact.

The restaurant seats 230 individuals and is designed for family-style eating. The bar seats 20 company and gives each day cocktail specials and bar bites throughout pleased hour from 3 pm to five pm Lin expects diners to spend about $35 per particular person for lunch or $80 per particular person for dinner. Just a few gadgets can hold diners inside attain, comparable to cocktails priced at $13, mini banh mi sandwiches, Penang hen satay and tropical mango fish – all below $10.

Star leaf is positioned at 641 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101, and is open from 11 am to 9:30 pm Sunday by Thursday and from 11 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. Pleased hour is on weekdays from 3 p.m. to five p.m