Best Contemporary Asian Restaurants in Santa Monica

Great brunch. Get the Japanese pancake as a dessert for the table.

Had the most incredible experience at Sushi Polish in West Hollywood, especially sitting at the chef’s table. From the moment I walked in, everything felt special—the vibe, the energy, and of course, the food. The matcha and bao buns were such a cool surprise—so fluffy and perfectly balanced. The salmon was absolute perfection, like melt-in-your-mouth amazing. And the sushi? Honestly, some of the best I’ve ever had. Every piece was so fresh and beautifully put together, it felt like a little work of art. What made it even better was sitting right at the chef’s table and getting to watch all the care and skill that goes into each dish. You can tell they truly love what they do, and it makes the whole experience feel super personal. If you’re into sushi and looking for something next-level, you’ve got to try this place. It’s not just a meal—it’s the kind of night you’ll be talking about long after it’s over.

I haven’t been in Koi for many years the place looks different, but the food and the service are great The fish was very fresh presentation was beautiful

Great atmosphere and good food. The staff was extremely attentive and friendly. Will go back

This is an surprising and amazing outpost of excellent Chinese cuisine in a large region of LA that specializes in mediocre Chinese fare. We started with Peking Duck Quoe Tehr and Sesame Tofu Cubes. Sesame Tofu cubes were very good (A-), while the Quoe Tehr had a truly unexpected and wonderful flavor balance of rich Peking Duck, sauce and covering (A). For our main course, we had Hometown Braised Tofu and Snowbass on Black Sauce. Although I have had many Chinese meals in large cities in China, I have never had a meal in a smaller town there. The Hometown Braised Tofu tasted so wonderfully "country" that I could almost feel myself eating it in a small village. Tofu perfectly braised with a mixture of mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bok choy (A). The Snowbass was both an artistic and taste "piece de resistance". Perfectly cooked very white fish, on a bed of perfectly balanced complex black sauce. (A+). The best dish I have had anywhere in a restaurant in a long time! Service was prompt and attentive. Prices were very reasonable for the quality. Inexplicably, the small restaurant was empty except for us on a week night. If you like sophisticated delicious Chinese food at a very reasonable price, you should put this on your list.