"At the new Edgemar in Santa Monica, chefs Jared Dowling and Jonathan Thoma earnestly weave international flavors together in a refined, refreshing way; the hidden gem on Main Street has a handsome, dimly lit dining room tuned for grown-up Westside dinners. They bring big London energy with dishes like blistered “crying tiger” prawns, Munak Ranch tomato tonnato, and Beijing duck “tacos,” and I was particularly smitten by the rum nước chấm–laden hamachi: thick, firm slices of yellowtail worthy of a top-flight omakase accompanied by a Vietnamese-inflected slaw of cucumber, basil, mint, and onion. Given the kitchen’s six-week tenure, I imagine the flavors will coalesce further to add even more umami, spice, and acid; a server mentioned there’s a balancing act to keep things approachable for the tamer Westside crowd, but I say bring on the flavor like this stellar raw fish appetizer." - Eater Staff