You might be forgiven for thinking that Star Leaf, the luxury eatery recently opened at the former Roy’s Hawaiian spot in the Playhouse District, was a traditional Thai restaurant.
You would be half right. While the cuisine is essentially centered around a “secret Thai royal-style” menu, the dishes are decidedly spicier, and somehow more exotic-seeming.
The Star Leaf brand is tremendously popular throughout Asia, from China to Laos, with just over 43 locations, owing to items like Tom Yum Soup, Royal Crown Fried Rice, and Malay Captain’s Curry Chicken.
In 2010, Chinese restaurateur Ruth Lin took a long look at the Mekong River.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Mekong River region spans six countries—China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Its 200 million acres—the combined size of Texas and Arkansas—contain some of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world.
It is, of course, known as the “rice bowl” of Asia.
Lin saw tremendous opportunity in the idea of combining the various cuisines found up and down the river and creating a menu that would appeal not only to Asians along those waters, but diners worldwide.
She created a team of executive chefs for the chain, which now serves more than 3.6 million customers every year. Each Star Leaf restaurant—of which there are now 43— is designed by their own design teams, in which Lin plays an active role, creating unique restaurants that reflect their individual locations.
The recently opened Pasadena location is its first in the Western Hemisphere.
DineLA Week, which runs through Friday, July 26, is the perfect time to visit Star Leaf for an affordable and overwhelmingly filling meal. Star Leaf is a luxury eatery after all, so take out your calendars.
Their $45 person DineLA Week special begins with a choice of two appetizers. I chose Mamaran’s Shrimp Cake Sewers, with charred pineapples, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and garlic chili dip. Those are kinda like croquettes in their look, but skewered with long green scallions. Those also arrived with a flavorful mango dip.
Next I chose the spicy Tom Yum Spicy Soup. It’s like the Tom Yum Soup you’re familiar with from your local mini-mall Thai place, with prawns, mussels, lemon grass, more chili paste and mushrooms, but definitely spicier. Be prepared somewhat.
Since there were two of us, we also chose the Saigon Summer Rice paper rolls, and the Spicy Malacca Sambal—with snake beans, dried shrimp, and dry-roasted chili shallots.
For our entree, we took two curries—the Thai Royal Curry, with a soft shell crab, which features a slow-roasted sambal rempah, which is a spicy paste, some coconut cream, duck eggplant and a baked baguette.
We added the Malay Captain’s Curry, with “ten secret spices,”coconut cream, peanut butter, and potatoes, and served with white jasmine rice. You can choose yours with either chicken or angus beef, for an additional charge. We chose the chicken.
Both curries were thick, spicy and magnificent, and maybe more than one could finish at one sitting. I know we happily took a lot home with us.
We also ordered two special drinks not on the menu, the non-alcoholic Baroness, which is passion fruit tea, Jasmine Green tea Cordial, with Rose Water; and the cleverly titled Som Hwan Special—made with Gin, House made Strawberry Puree, Campari, Lemon, and Thai Basil.
There were two additional fried rice choices for entrees—a pineapple fried rice with seafood, and a Royal Crown fried rice with wild Icelandic capelin fish roe, scallops, egg, and shrimp, served with black and white jasmine rice.
For dessert, we had both choices—the Tropical Panna Cotta Coconut Cup with coconut cream and fresh fruits, along with a slow-drip Vietnam Coffee Flan, which is served with a caramel golden cage, coconut palm sugar and condensed creamer.
Star Leaf was more than delicious food. It was smart, attentive service, and a fascinating look at what is far more than your usual Thai cuisine.
I’ll come back as a civilian, I’m sure.
Star Leaf is at 641 E Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 91101. (626) 345-5371. starleafusa.com
