Lasa

Former pop-up now all grown up, Lasa was once an ephemeral restaurant in Alvin Cailan’s (Eggslut) Unit 120, then became the centerpiece of Far East Plaza for lunch and dinner. The Valencia brothers run the place, Chase in the dining room and Chad in the kitchen — he used to cook at Canelé, Sqirl and Forage. His cuisine is inspired by traditional Filipino recipes with an ode to local California produce. He elevates dishes such as pacit, lumpia sariwa and arroz caldo, with homemade creations like vegan chicharron (made with rice flour instead of pork rinds), fresh XO sauce or condensed milk ice cream. Grab a bowl for lunch at Lasa’s take-out window, but it’s at night that Chad and Chase’s talents come to life. Beware, the menu is complicated to decrypt unless you are fluent in Tagalog, but the excellent service and a couple of Filipino dictionaries on the shelves can help find your way.