Sunday, April 24, 2011

Pan-Asian Done Right: Lukshon

The term "Pan-Asian" usually makes me cringe. It conjures thoughts of a pasty white guy putting soy sauce on stuff and proclaiming that he's created some awesome Oriental dish.

Banish those thoughts.

Sang Yoon brings us Pan-Asian like no other. Lukshon dishes out fabulous small and large plates inspired by the Southeast Asian region.

Now, before you protest, yes, I realize that Sang Yoon is Korean, so what does he know about Southeast Asia? What makes him any better than a pasty white guy?

Nothing. But trust me on this one, my dears. Lukshon is a must-visit. I love it!
lukshon 001
lukshon 009
lukshon 010
lukshon 014
I fell head over heels for this place the moment I stepped foot on the premises. Gorgeous contemporary open design. Swoon. weatherjen and I had the best time on the outdoor patio.

Fever Tree ginger ale ($2.50).
lukshon 017
I am a ginger ale and ginger beer fiend. Fever Tree did not disappoint. Great bite.

Baby Monterey squid, Chiang Mai pork sausage, candlenut, mint, rau ram ($15).
lukshon 023
Something delicious stuffed with something else delicious and topped with more deliciousness! Chewy! Savory! Crunchy! Saucy! This had it all!

Spicy chicken pops -- Shelton Farms drumettes, garlic, kecap manis, spicy Sichuan salt ($14).
lukshon 024
lukshon 029
You absolutely must get these. We polished off the whole plate, and there were only two of us! Best li'l spicy drumettes you will ever eat! Ever!

Lamb sausage roti canai, chana dal, cumin, mint, pickled cauliflower ($15).
lukshon 030
Imagine if Malaysian, Indian, and Middle Eastern friends got together and made a pizza. This would be the freakishly tasty result.

Brussels sprouts, chile garlic vinaigrette, sesame ($9).
lukshon 034
Some of the best Brussels sprouts I've ever had. Tangy with just enough kick.

Heirloom black rice, lap cheong, onion, roasted garlic, fried egg ($11).
lukshon 040
lukshon 043
Oh my God, how can egg and rice be so good? It just is. It just is.

Complimentary dessert.
lukshon 046
Can you believe this? Something free in L.A.? It was like we were dreaming.

Vietnamese iced coffee.
lukshon 049
Strong, creamy, and not for the weak. Fearful that we'd be up all night, weatherjen and I shared this. Good call.

Just 11 days later, I returned to Lukshon with Mr. Monkey and the Oros. I was thrilled.

We repeated the spicy chicken pops and Brussels sprouts (and I was more than happy to do so). Here are my point-and-shoot pics of the new dishes we tried.

(1) Duck popiah, cilantro stems, pickled jicama, house-made hoisin chile sauce ($13).
(2) Whole steamed fish, Taiwan spinach, black bean ghee, sambal ijo (market price).
(3) X.O. rice -- jasmine rice, house-made X.O. sauce, long beans, egg ($10).
(4) Sonoma lamb chops, market spices, herb butter ($36).
(5) Crispy coconut rice cakes, pandan, shallot chile jam ($7).
(6) Complimentary dessert.
005007
012014
017020
And, believe it or not, every single thing was fantastic. Not one miss. That doesn't happen often.

Get thee to Lukshon. It will change your mind about Pan-Asian cuisine. I am a convert.

14 comments:

  1. LOVE this place. Sad that I still haven't been back since my first visit, but I need to soon.

    I guess if a Korean could open one of the hottest burger joints in the city, pan-Asian was a walk in the park?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The space looks beautiful.

    I didn't think I'd see point and shoot pics from you again :P

    Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. man really? you make me want to run, not walk to lukshon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have the sabre issue with vietnamese coffee helping me up...actually turkish coffee too. Maybe I'm just not supposed to be a coffee drinker.

    ReplyDelete
  5. lol I'll go to Lukshon if you go to Red Medicine. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. ok, i might have to make an exception to my no fusion for this one. rice + egg = always good. even with the worst rice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How am I not surprised that Jabba and Mr. Jabba were able to polish off all those chicken pops? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. How did you get complimentary desserts TWICE in a row? Totally jealousE.

    ReplyDelete
  9. How lovely! And what a great meal with weatherjen. I wish I could see her sometime soon too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. you still HAVE a point-and-shoot? ;)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...