Rashed Z.
Yelp
| Rating: 4.1/5 |
* Parking: Limited street parking, it's Santa Monica, what do you expect. But, I think they have valet? Not fully sure. But the street parking is free, just park near by to watch for the parking police hunters.
* Restaurant: Most of my rating will go here. It is a perfect place to restaurant by the beach, you can get a view of Santa Monica pier, with the beach it's quite nice. The vibes are quite simple, friendly and warm. The customer service was great; they were actively asking if everything was okay, giving recommendations, and smiled a lot, which is appreciative. I had to take a seat outside, because I planned on having the view of the ocean, beach and sunset, it was fairly there. I'd recommend outdoor seating so you can feel the vibes of Santa Monica street life and it's unpredictability.
* Food: Quite simple, fresh and raw! One thing I'll say is, they live up to their oyster hype. We had the simple chef's choice platter, 6 oysters, two types one from the West and one from the East. And can I say, the oysters were sublime! Oddly enough it was sweet, the brine was perfect, the temperature was delightful, came with cute forks and 3 types of sauces to enjoy the oysters with. That was the star of the show! Then I ordered some tartar, which was doused in Ponzu, tangy and flavorful. The lobster roll, it was really buttery, most of its flavor was from the butter and the sweetness of the lobster, which was quite fresh, but I wish it had more flavor for it's price. I same fingers pointing at the fish and chips; it was 3 fried fishes, fried to perfection. The house tartar sauce was great, but the lack of flavor is what keeps my rating from going any higher. The fries were great! We also did some scallops, which was a shot of flavors, you can't really put a word to it, it was great experience. All in all I will say is, GET THE OYSTERS, and TRUST THE CHEF! Other items are quite "Western" per se, lack of spices, but overall good.
* Price: It's by the beach, in Santa Monica, next to BOA, so the prices will be a bit high. As someone who took my mother out for some dinner, it was money well spent since I loved the oysters, the vibe and the customer service, but overall, if the food had more flavor I would say the prices may have been justified. But they need to knock off some dollars from their regular items, like their Fish and Chips and lobster roll.