Jade Rabbit

Celebrated Chef Bryant Ng Opens Chinese American Combo Plate Restaurant Jade Rabbit in Santa Monica | Eater LA

"A fast-casual Chinese American spot from celebrated chef Bryant Ng, this cafeteria-styled Santa Monica restaurant swaps china for compostable takeout containers and builds affordable combination plates ($12–$20) from choose-your-own bases (fried rice, chow mein, cold noodles, house salad, white or brown rice), two vegetables (including a charred mushroom and broccoli combo and “smacked cucumbers” that cling to a marinade), and a protein — or more veg, including a Hong Kong–style vegan curry. The menu reimagines familiar dishes: orange chicken pays homage to Ng’s Panda Express guilty pleasure but adds mango for tartness; classic beef with broccoli borrows from Peruvian lomo saltado with tomatoes, onions, fried bits of potato, and a bird’s eye chile sauce on the side; and traditional Chinese steamed fish shows up here with salmon, rare on quick-service menus. The 3,400-square-foot room reads like a stylish cafeteria with a cartoon mural and the benevolent gaze of a very large neon rabbit; ordering happens at a long counter (no table service), there are 50 seats (40 indoors, 10 on the parkway), and takeout and delivery are a big part of the plan. Designed as a democratic, modern mom-and-pop where “everybody deserves good food” and “It’s fun, whimsical, not too serious,” it is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, for the first month, with Sunday service to follow, and even sells “Jaded” merch." - Karen Stabiner