The Spice Table

this review is 10 months late, i know (totally forgot!), but i enjoyed my experience at the spice table so much that i just had to leave a review and let Bryant and Kim (owners) know how much i enjoyed their food. im so glad that they will be opening up a restaurant in santa monica. cant wait to go back and try their food again.
so, spice table was always bookmarked for me, but i never really had the urge to go and eat there. maybe because it was only open for dinner? im not really sure why i overlooked it, but im so mad at myself for that. one night, my friend told me that the spice table was closing due to the metro issue. right when i found out, i HAD to go. i called to make a reservation, but of course, by then the news spread, and it was BOOKED. thankfully, i was able to squeeze in a night and enjoy their food!
it has a very romantic feel because it is pretty dark inside with flickering fire and bird cages. it was very cute. our server was very friendly as well. my service overall was excellent.
FOOD:
fried cauliflower — of course, started the dinner with this. their most famous dish. i was eating one every 5 seconds. so addicting. and the dipping sauce that comes with this is bomb. paired up very well.
sambal fried potatoes — spicy kick in every bite. this was really really good. i was amazed at how much flavor this dish had.
kaya toast — it was so good. comes with two slices of toast. i was THISSSSS close to order one more order of it, but wanted to savor the taste so i didnt. the egg yolk/​sauce that comes with it is so good. i was literally licking it off.
laksa — one of their most popular dish. the noodles are thicker than normal so it was interesting, but the broth was to die for. it is thick, but not oily. hard to explain. after i was done with the noodles, i ordered a bowl of rice so i could mix the broth. so good.
bryant&kim, if youre reading this, you have to bring back above mentioned dishes. these were amazing and i do want to try it again and more of your dishes!

SO SAD this place had to close BUT very happy I had a chance to come in before they closed and I didn’t even know it was happening!
So Wyatt and I did an overnight in DTLA. I love dining in Downtown more than ever now! So of course I go to my bookmarks and this place stood out for me. Made rsvps and came in around 8ish or 9. This place was a tight fit! If they decide to move to another space I sure hope its in a bigger spot because we sat next to this table celebrating a x-​mas business party and the gringa was the loudest old trying to sound young dumb smart bitch I’ve ever overheard in my dining experience! Anywho the service was great. They were beer and wine only. I don’t mind as long as I have some drank, im good to go: p What we ordered…
Black pepper crab toast: Damn good dish and one I don’t want to share again LOL. I could order that one for myself. Plenty of crab and the sauce was unique but not overwhelming. I can’t describe the sauce honestly but it was good. This came with your average wonderbread piece of toast lol.
Raw hamachi: Another winner that I could order two servings! Hamachi sashimi, topped with sesame, chilies, fried ginger and fried shallots. What a dish. So fresh, melt in your mouth and the multiple flavors topping the fish!
Creamed kale with pork belly: This place states these are share plates but they make the shit so good I don’t want to share any of it LOL. I could order a big bowl of this! I never had creamed kale before and im a fan! It was cooked down very well. Well seasoned and the paneer mixed in OMG. Paneer almost has a taste like goat cheese. Please please keep this dish if you move into another space! I want three orders LOL.
Lamb bell skewers: Wasn’t my choice since im not a lamb person unless its lamb chops. The other parts always seemed to gamey for me but this dish sold me! It came with 5 skewers and a side of peanut dipping sauce. Meat was cooked perfectly! They made me a believer of the lamb belly: p
Crispy quail: The quail itself was amazing. The meat was moist and the fried outer was addicting. I mean I could eat that skin all day, the way they fried it! BUT the stuffing was HORRIBLE!!! WTF WTF, no lie the consistency of the stuffing which consists of rice, duck egg, redbean and mushrooms combined, made it have a carpet feel in my mouth! Don’t ask me about the feel of carpet in my mouth but thats how it felt! It was weird. So keep this dish but don’t stuff it!
Spare ribs: This was topped with fried shallots and a viet caramel sauce. They really know how to perfectly cook their meats. Not one thing was overcooked. All cooked to perfection during this meal. The sauce wasn’t overwhelming at all. What a tasty dish and a nice ending to our meal.
We were TOOOOOOOOOOO full for dessert. I truly hope they open their own spot within the area and not tag team with a place in Santa monica because thats further from me and probably wouldn’t be the same!
PLEASE COME BACK!!!

Sad to see this place close its doors. The building itself is amazing and the interior is so industrial. Love the ambiance. My friend and I ordered the Cauliflower, Kaya Toast, Crab Toast, Laksa, and Lamb Belly Skewer. All of it had great flavor minus the Cauliflower. It was ok…
The Lamb Belly Skewer and Laksa were so flavorful it is definitely something I am going to miss.
I did not give it 5 stars because I was expecting to be blown away by the Kaya Toast and the Crab Toast. Both were so-​so. I have had better Kaya Toast at Street.
If you can get to this restaurant before it shuts its door on ¹²⁄₃₁ do it!

Finally tried this place a while back after passing by it for months!
The restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. It’s pretty dim inside, with an intimate, quiet kind of feel.
My friend and I tried the kaya toast (buttered toast with coconut jam, slow cooked egg, soy sauce, white pepper), lamb belly skewers, and laksa (rice noodles, laksa leaf, spicy coconut seafood gravy).
The toast was pretty good — both sweet and salty with a pinch of pepper. The fresh cracked egg was the best part, of course.
Lamb belly skewers were quite flavorful. The meat itself tasted okay though — some fatty parts and some chewy parts. I’d probably order a different meat next time.
Laksa was good — tasted like thick coconut curry! The spiciness added a little kick, and the egg (again) added the finishing touch. I’m not as big a fan of the rice noodle, probably because of the texture, but overall it’s a tasty dish.
Overall, it was a tasty dinner with good service. If you’re interested, definitely come try The Spice Table soon because they’re shutting the doors here at the end of the year!

I hang out in Little Tokyo all the time and I can’t believe I haven’t tried this hidden gem until now! I came here one night with a group of 6. It was a fun night where we shared lots of dishes tapas-​style. Great food by Chef Bryant Ng. :)
AMBIANCE:
Very intimate. Great place for a date or an intimate dinner with a small group of friends.
DRINKS:
Beer, wine or cocktails.
SMALLER SHARE PLATES:
Fried Cauliflower (fish sauce): Fried, crispy yumminess.
Kaya Toast (coconut jam, buttered toast, slow cooked egg, soy sauce, white pepper): DELISH! You have to try this! It looks like a piece of toast that you dip/​cover with this egg-​based dip.
Lamb Belly Satay (cumin, galangal, turmeric): Tasty, and not too fatty. I was surprised that I liked it because I don’t really like lamb.
Spareribs (Vietnamese caramel sauce, fried shallots): Very tasty! I liked the flavor of the ribs.
Grilled beef ribs (pineapple-​anchovy sauce, sawtooth herb, lettuce): Yummy! A little more challenging to cut the pieces of meat, but tasted good as a lettuce wrap.
Grilled pig’s tail (lettuce, herbs, fish sauce): Yummy! It was fairly easy to cut off the fatty pieces of meat and make a mini-​lettuce wrap out of it.
LARGER SHARE PLATES:
Laksa (rice noodles, laksa leaf, spicy coconut-​seafood gravy): creamy, rich, slightly spicy, but nice flavor
Black Cod with Cumin Custard (one of the specials): very small portion, couldn’t really taste the cod, and it was very custardy
DESSERT:
Kaffir lime custard (lychee cream): light, creamy, but tart
PARKING:
Metered parking (if you’re lucky enough to find one) or you can park in one of the public lots in Little Tokyo

The manager, Leah, and our waitress, Carmelina (?), were unbelievably accommodating to our many dietary restrictions.
The Lao toast is fantastic! So are the egg noodles and the Bok choy.

What a great spot. For us, downtown is out of the bubble, but we had a party and wanted to try someplace new. I’m glad this was it.
We started with a glass of wine (shirt but passable list) and the bone marrow ap. wonderful and adventurous. Served with toast and bits of greens with onions it was silky and rich. We split all the stuff we ordered and it seemed perfect.
Then we went in to the egg with coconut toast (fab) and the eggplant (just as fab, but a bit spicy) and the finished with the Beef short ribs over rice with curry. It was my favorite dish and the dish I would come back for time and time again!!!
Service was great, patient and non rush. Cool space (I hear they have to move) and easy parking.
Just loved it!!!

This is my fav place in LA when you want to taste the goodeats from. South east Asia. With a twist. Clever twist. Lamb belly satay & tripe satay! My favorites stables. The fried cauliflower is a must try and crab toast. Bryant the chef owner will also add to the menu with amazing seasonal /​special off-​menu dishes. Tonight friends and I gotta try the pigtail and spare ribs. Each came with a plate of lettuce & basil or mint leaves, pairing sauces. OMG! The pigtail. You would fall in love with that pigtail!
Got a good selection of beer & wine. & corkage is reasonable $ 10. Great services. Great ambiance. I crave for this restaurant often.

The overall ambiance and look of spice table is very cool. It has this rustic yet industrial look that is very hip. Unfortunately, the food didn’t deliver. As a whole, it was too salty for most of our group. I shared the duck rice and laksa with a friend. The duck rice didn’t necessarily have anything wrong with it, but the flavor just became redundant after a while. The laksa had a heavy coconut flavor, which didn’t bother me too much. There was too much broth to actual food though. I feel like there should have been more noodles! It was my first time having it so I can’t compare it to anything but maybe it would be better from a more authentic Singaporean/​Malaysian restaurant! The price point here is a little high as well, but that’s what you get for dining in LA.
On the upside, the beer flight I had was very good!
Service was alright and our waitress forgot to take off one of the ordered items that we never received. We came with a large group and I’m surprised they didn’t tell us that they were closing because we definitely sat at our table until 10:30pm chatting it up so that was nice. However, I don’t think I’ll be coming back here.

Hmm everyone seems to really like Spice Table, and if I were to be completely honest… I don’t get the hype.
DINNER:
Kaya Toast– good but I do think I can make this at home
Fried cauliflower
Lanksa– I would say this is a Spice Table staple
Beef Rendang
Duck rice
Chicken Satay
Kon loh mee
The food is good (not GREAT!) but small portioned and overpriced. The service though, is pretty good and the ambiance is quite nice. I enjoyed everything I ate, however, the times I’ve eaten here I’ve left hungry.
Overall verdict: overrated.

Sorry but I think this place is totally overhyped. I came with high expectations, but left very disappointed.
Apparently the rage is fried cauliflour which was nothing special. Think tempura’ed cauliflour with fish dipping sauce. MEH.
Jellyfish salad was the worst presentation of jellyfish I’ve had in a while. It was prepared with some green veggies in a mayonaisse concoction. I’m disappointed the waitress suggested this.
Kaya bread was overpriced. All you get is 2 toasted slices of white bread that you dip in a poached egg/​soy sauce & honey mix. It’s a crime to charge for this. It should be complimentary.
Lamb Satay was decent enough, but the portion was tiny. True it’s 5 skewers, but they are the tiniest 5 skewers ever.
Koh loh mee was the best dish, but even that was just 0kay. It’s made with egg noodles, pork belly, greens, and tossed in a spicy hoisin sauce.
I was always kind of intrigued with this place so I knew I would be here at some time. We made last minute reservations and was told that they would need the table back at a certain time. I told them no problem.
As we were wrapping up our conversation, we were just about 2 minutes past that time and the hostess gave us a look up & down and screamed if there was anything else we needed… Meaning: GET OUT NOW!
We did get to see Madalene Stowe so that was the only plus. Otherwise, there’s much better places to eat in the area.

If this is what the food in Singapore is like, then I want to go there. The laksa combines two of my favorite dishes: Thai yellow seafood curry and the noodles and soft-​boiled egg of Japanese ramen. It packs in a whole lot of flavor without the heat. I would have liked more shrimp in the dish, but it’s still great!
I also got the fried cauliflower, which is delicious with the house-​made fish sauce. Kind of tempura-​y but different at the same time.
Although the food is really good, it didn’t blow my mind. It also gave me a little bit of a tummy ache. Not the healthiest meal I’ve ever had but it was fun to walk off the calories by wandering around Little Tokyo.

ATMOSPHERE:
I enjoyed the atmosphere, which was warehouse-​chic. It was casual yet upscale. I would feel comfortable going here with friends/​family or a romantic date. They also are set up to accompany large groups. I sat at a table for two, but nearby there was a large party where it looked like a family was celebrating a birthday.
FOOD:
*Fried cauliflower: This tasted amazing. The breading was delicious and the frying of the cauliflower gave it a consistency that made me forget I was eating a vegetable.
*Chinese broccoli: The broccoli was cooked well and had a flavorful sauce on it, but for $ 9 it was totally not worth it. You can go to a Chinese restaurant and get triple the portion for $ 6.
*Chicken satay: The chicken satay was good but nothing special.
*Cheeseburger: The fries that came with the burger were awesome and saved this dish. As for the burger itself, it had a slimy consistency due to the overuse of sauce. This is what my friend said after a bite: «It tasted like McDonalds.» Ouch.
SERVICE:
Our server was helpful when we asked questions, and the rest of the staff was efficient with bussing and drink refills.
OVERALL:
This restaurant provides a great experience when it comes to ambiance and service. However, the food is hit or miss.

Had high hopes for this place but in the end Spice Table was just OK.
My boyfriend and I came here for lunch on a Saturday and when we walked in I really liked how they decorated the interior. There were lots of birdcages (with no birds though lol) and it had a dark, hipster look to it. I bet it gets really dark inside for dinner service though because it was already quite dark during lunchtime! The servers were very friendly but when we started taking a look at the menu we realized this was a BRUNCH menu. I was kind of sad because I wanted to try some of the things other Unilocalers had suggested, and this wasn’t even an option for us –_​_​–
I settled on the crab wonton soup while my boyfriend opted for the beef short rib hash (both $ 11). The soup was pretty good, I liked how they gave me 5 – 6 wontons and a bunch of noodles. I would have liked more broth though, and my bf didn’t really like it as much because he said it had too much of a strong fish flavor. I’m really glad they brought a side of spicy chili oil/​sauce (looked like Japanese rayu) because that really punched up the flavor. As for the short rib hash, it was an interesting dish that had a lot of chunks of meat in it. The eggs were good and they served it with a side of these super crispy potatoes. They were a little TOO crispy and were kind of difficult to eat.
I really wanted to try their normal menu! =(

I had been meaning to go to the Spice Table ever since I met chef Bryant Ng back in June at the Vendy Awards. Chef Ng was named one of the best new chefs in 2012 by Food & Wine magazine. The food at the Spice Table is Singaporean and Vietnamese. The spices can be tasted throughout the 3 dishes we ordered. We had:
Creamed Kale with house-​made paneer and grilled pork belly $ 10: (5 stars) This dish was outstanding. I would order it again in a heartbeat. The spices are subtle but the overall dish was amazing. The tender pork belly served alongside only accentuated the flavors. Delicious.
Crispy Quail $ 17: (4 stars) The skin on the quail was indeed crispy and thin. So tasty! The quail was stuffed with rice, salted duck egg yolk, red beans, and mushrooms. My only complaint was that quails are so small and would have liked to have another.
Laksa Noodles $ 13 (3 stars): Thick rice noodles (think udon) with laksa leaf in a saucy, seafood curry gravy. This was good but since I’m not a fan of seafood broth I didn’t enjoy it as much as my cousin did. She raved about it and she loved the spiciness of the curry; she normally doesn’t like spicy food. If I return, I’d try a different noodle dish.
We also ordered the wine pairing which was $ 15 per person. You can opt for all reds, all whites or a combination of 3 3-​oz wines. They brought out some really delicious wines that paired well with our food.
My cousin and I had a wonderful dinner and I can’t believe how pronounced the spices were in the food. It was delicious. I definitely recommend the Spice Table if you’re ever in Little Tokyo.

Prepare for pork.
Third time’s a charm I guess…
I came specifically for the pork belly banh mi… NOT available today… go funk yourself I was told… in so many words.
My first visit here entailed a slightly more than ordinary cheeseburger for eight and a half bucks…
THE SPICE TABLE CHEESEBURGER
The bun was grocery store quality… same goes for the kraft american cheese… luckily the beef was a tasty ground shortrib… the shallot mayo, sambal and curry pickled cucumbers gave it a unique flavor but nothing amazing. Pretty good though.
CURRY FRIED CHICKEN WINGS
As far as chicken goes… not too shabby. Tender, well cooked chicken and relatively crispy skin with a hint of curry. I’ve had worse.
washed it all down with a…
TIGER BEER
rawr.
On my second visit i was also denied the pork belly banh mi because I am an idiot and I should have called ahead. I opted for the pork rice bowl and fried cauliflower…
PORK RICE BOWL
Very pretty but paled in comparison to Roy Choi’s pork bowl from Chego… but still pretty damn good. Ground pork, lap chong, mustard greens, fried shallots and green onions atop a bed of perfectly cooked rice… for nine bucks… pretty damn tasty though.
FRIED CAULIFLOWER
Seeing as how this is such a close relative to broccoli… I was predisposed to hate it… BUT…lo and behold… it was NOT horrible. Actually pretty damn good and possibly the best cauliflower I have ever had… its deep fried so its kinda cheating, but whatever. The dipping sauce was pretty damn amazing in its own right…
trust me. it was.
Third visit. I call ahead.
me: pork belly?
them: yes.
me: I’ll be right there.
PORK BELLY BANH MI
All I had to say was…“It’s about GAWDAMN TIME!” beautifully tender, brined pork belly with slaw and other tasty goodies. I tore this apart with reckless abandon… I made a mess of myself… well worth the wait. also got a side of…
SPICY GARLIC FRIES
Scallions, fish sauce and chiles. Um… and a shitload of garlic… I’m pretty sure the wife refused to sleep with me that night… and I don’t blame her.
Long story short?
Call ahead in preparation for pork.
Thank me later.

I got their special of the night – Cereal prawns. The 5 large prawns were dipped in a mixture of corn flakes, crushed nuts, butter, and chiles. Then the prawns were deep fried. The prawns were very tasty, just a bit on the sweet side because of the sweetness of the cereal.
For my second dish, I ordered the spicy chicken livers with toast. This was a good dish, too, and a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the prawns.
For dessert, I got the Kaffir lime custard which was very light and refreshing.
I really liked the interior of the restaurant. The brick from the building’s prior life along with the modern fixture provided a pleasant dining room!
Even though I went there right at opening time – 5:30 – service was excellent. My server, Matt, was good at answering questions about items on the menu. He was always around but he never was obtrusive. I was able to finish my meal at my pace and get to the light rail so I could get to Hollywood for a play on time.

LOVE their curry fried chicken and garlic fries!!! HATE the little fruit flies that keeps flying all over the room! Half the time I was busy fighting with the flies! Once you get rid of those annoying pests hovering around my food that I’m trying to enjoy, I’d gladly give this place 5 solid stars! I have no complaint about the food or service. Great interior concept and very tasty menu. Both the Chinese sausage rice bowl and the Curried chicken bowl were excellent. If it weren’t for the fruit flies, I’d be coming to dine here more often.
When you enter the restaurant, you order at the front and seat yourself with a number. Same as a Corner Bakery/​Urth café style. Water and napkins are self serve which they keep covered and cold on a separate table. The dining area is very simple with wooden tables and very urban feel. The SPICE they put into the food is perfectly balanced and perfectly intense that keeps you wanting to eat more and more.
If you love spice and spicy and don’t mind the taste of curry, I strongly recommend their fried curry chicken or the curry chicken bowl. Very different and unique. Near little tokyo

I can’t stop thinking about their fried cauliflowers! How do they make them so crispy, flavorful & just pure delish? I think I may have to repeatedly go back just for this dish.
Other items we’ve tried were:
Grilled bone marrow
Catfish claypot
Grilled scallops
Seafood flat noodles (on the specials menu)
Spiced cognac soft-​serve ice cream
Kaffir lime custard
They have a beautiful interior with a dramatic birdcage/​chandelier centerpiece display. Romantic enough for a date and cool enough to bring out of town friends to.
The staff is also very friendly & attentive.
I will be back again soon to try the curry fried chicken & beef rendang… and of course for some more of those addicting cauliflowers!

***The Spice Tables features filling and high quality modern Asian sandwiches at lunch; The Spice Table is another good addition to an area (Little Tokyo) that already has good reasonably priced lunch options like Spitz and Wurstkuche***
The Spice Table is a little modern Singaporean and Vietnamese restaurant in Little Tokyo. The restaurant is housed in a great old brick building with the restaurant’s name prominently displayed on the exterior. The inside is very dark (feels kind of private) and quite corridor-​ed off like a house.
The lunch menu at The Spice Table features a wide range of sandwiches from an Asian Sloppy Joe to curried eggplant. I wanted to try their pork belly sandwich, but it was not on the menu so I opted for their fried catfish sandwich instead.
The fried catfish sandwich was served on a Vietnamese banh mi-​like baguette and was dressed with lettuce, sambal, garlic mayo, pickled curried cucumbers, lime, and cilantro.
The catfish was very good. The outside batter was crunchy and crispy, but the catfish was still moist. The catfish had a breading you would often find in the South (cornmeal).
The garnishes were good. The sambal was a slightly spicy sauce (not too much heat) that had a tomato flavor. The lettuce was crisp and the cilantro was not too overpowering. I liked the pickled curried cucumbers, which had both sweet and briny notes.
The baguette was just okay. I have had banh mi sandwiches that had great squishy baguettes, which provided the sandwich distinct and contrasting textures. The bread here lacked a noticeably crispy outside as well as a squishy texture.
I also had the shrimp chips. The shrimp chips were mild in flavor and (thankfully) not salty. They were light and crispy. The flavor was not that addictive, but the chips were still good.
Service was personable and quick.
Many of the sandwiches were almost $ 10, but the portions were big and the quality of ingredients were good. For dinner, I think they offer much more ambitious entrees.
The Spice Table is a satisfying Saturday lunch spot in Little Tokyo, which has its fair share of reasonably priced but good lunch options like Spitz and Wurstkuche. While I need to try more things at The Spice Table, I would say it is noticeably better than Spitz and might be better than Wurstkuche as well.
Parking is available on the street by meter.