Jade Rabbit
Chinese restaurant · Santa Monica ·
Affordable Chinese American fast-casual with creative dishes
Affordable Chinese American fast-casual with creative dishes
"Chef Bryant Ng put together a holiday meal for groups of family and friends at Jade Rabbit. Pre-order from his Chinese American restaurant in Santa Monica, where a four-person family meal runs from $83 up to $166 for eight. The highlights include: Kung Pao pastrami, pepper Jack chicken egg rolls, cornbread stuffing with pine nuts and sausage, and curry mashed potatoes." - Mona Holmes
"A casual Chinese American homage from Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng, this cheerful corner spot next to a large hospital loosely models itself after Panda Express with Ng’s take on orange chicken pocked with mango, plus a counter lineup of easygoing Asian diasporic dishes built to pair with rice and noodles. Step up to survey the day’s options and expect something more wholesome, flavorful, and frankly more interesting than a bigger fast-casual chain; a bowl with one entree, two bases, and two sides starts at $12.90 (at the time of publication). Of the mains, the Sichuan fried chicken is more compelling than the mango orange chicken—both are winners—but the former stands out for its crisp exterior and Chongqing-style dry chile seasoning. Skip the curry mashed potatoes and balance the fried items with the chopped kale salad; pickled Chinese cabbage is another piquant side that brightens the plate. Splurge on the melt-in-your-mouth Canto steamed salmon, bathed in a puckery soy-tinted broth, and finish with the Almond Roca-inspired chocolate chip cookie studded with melty chocolate chunks and salt flakes. The room has large windows, colorful Asian murals, a neon LED rabbit mascot, and original brick walls, and hospital and office workers fill the space right at noon. For parking, there’s a tiny but super helpful lot behind the building (arrive early for a spot); otherwise, be ready to walk a few blocks or try the metered spaces south on 23rd Street." - Matthew Kang
"The most alluring thing about this Santa Monica newcomer isn’t the neon green bunny LED that beckons from its corner perch near a bustling hospital complex; it’s that prices are genuinely affordable, with most combination plates at $12.90 and originals with more expensive proteins up to $17.90. A $12.90 combination brings a large bowl with two bases (white, brown, or fried rice; chow mein; or crunchy salad), two vegetable sides (go for the pickled Chinese cabbage and spicy broccoli medallions), and one protein—orange mango chicken is a fun riff on the classic Chinese American dish. This irreverent fast-casual restaurant from chef Bryant Ng and his wife and business partner Kim Luu-Ng hits all the notes: fast, friendly service; a sleek, light-filled interior; and smart approaches to deeply familiar, comforting Chinese American fare. Go on Fridays and Saturdays for easy family dinners or solo takeout; the restaurant closes to recharge on Sunday and Monday." - Eater Staff
"Following the February 2025 closure of Cassia, chef Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng opened a fast-casual Chinese American spot in Santa Monica that draws on Bryant’s family history and on Hong Kong-style cafes and Cantonese barbecue restaurants that opened across Southern California in the 1980s and 1990s. Meals are built as combination plates with two base items like chow mein or rice, two vegetables, and a main such as beef and broccoli or orange mango chicken." - Rebecca Roland
"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
