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A Night Out at Estate Restaurant + Bar

Last Tuesday night, our team got to have a “treat yourself” moment and gathered at Estate Restaurant + Bar for specialty drinks and yummy food. Located in the bustling streets of Santa Monica, Estate is unique in that it specializes in farm-to-table Asian fusion cuisine. This globally inspired menu by Chef Hisashi Yoshiara left us drooling at the table and we ended up ordering practically every single item on the menu.

Photo courtesy of Estate Restaurant + Bar

We kicked off the meal with an array of drinks. Half the table stuck with wine while the other half dabbled in the specialty cocktails. The “eastside”, “silk flower” and “aniversario” were the table favorites. I was personally torn between “aniversario” and “estate of mind” but our server informed us that aniversario is one of the most popular on the menu. The added spice of serrano pepper adds an amazing smoky flavor and definitely swayed my decision. Tequila and spice is a power move.

Next up, we ordered some snacks from the Happy Hour menu. This menu luckily is offered 7 days a week, 5-7 PM (another power move).

Pommes Frites

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

A classic that obviously didn’t disappoint. Kid you not, the table devoured these in probably less than five minutes. Served with Ketchup and a creamy cheese sauce, this was an excellent start to the meal. They need to package that cheese sauce and sell it in grocery stores. It was seriously that good.

Tuna Crispy Wonton “Tacos”

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

One of the greatest hits on the menu. Two pieces of ahi tuna tartare with pickled cucumber and ginger guacamole. We have never had ginger guacamole until this moment and it’s safe to say that we don’t want to go back to eating normal guacamole. The ginger adds a refreshing element that is hot and zesty. You see an overwhelming amount of photos of these on social media because the hype is real. Definitely a must-order menu item.

Panko Breaded Shrimp

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

As soon as this plate was placed in front of me, I knew I would hog it from everyone else. Yes, shrimp on its own has a great taste but anything breaded with Panko bread crumbs automatically gets a flavor upgrade. Drizzled with aji amarillo aioli, the shrimp had a sunny, bright flavor with unexpected heat that amplified its breaded crunchiness.

Baby Gem Salad

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

We had to get one salad for some balance at the table. With pickled watermelon, sweet cherry tomato, tortilla strips, and smoked cheddar cilantro dressing, this is a great choice for any picky eater. The crunch level was excellent with the addition of the tortilla strips and we loved the herbal, smoky taste of the cilantro dressing.

Farmers Market Flatbread

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

Basic carbohydrates because everyone enjoys a nice warm flatbread. Mini san marzano tomatoes, jalapeño, mozzarella, yellow and red bell pepper, and pistachio pesto. The most common pesto that we’ve all had is usually made with pine nuts but the substitution of pistachio has changed the pesto game and we are here for it. They are addicting to eat on their own, so adding them to pesto adds an extra hint of sweet, rich flavor that you will not stop craving.

Estate Fried Chicken

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

As soon as this arrived at the table our mouths dropped. This fried chicken is crispy, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with a refreshing side of orange-kaffir lime sauce. Orange and lime might just become our new favorite dynamic duo as the citrus paired with the meaty chicken melts away in your mouth. Fried Chicken is hard to dish to diversify from it’s basic, delicious roots but Estate really wowed us.

After we devoured a great helping of snacks, we moved on to normal menu items. Note that there are some menu items that are also offered at Happy Hour so you won’t miss out if you just come for dinner.

Japanese Eggplant

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

Eggplant is usually hit or miss for some people as it can be a bit bland tasting but this eggplant knocked it out of the park. Topped with sesame seeds and marinated with a saikyo miso glaze, all the elements tied together so nicely. A bit milder than normal miso, the saikyo has a bit of sweetness that makes this eggplant shine. Alert, another must-order.

Brussel Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

Brussel sprouts have become one of the most loved appetizers in America in the past two years (who would’ve thought that would happen?) so we felt the need to order this for the table. Most of the time, when we go out to eat we see the typical paring of brussel sprouts with bacon and goat cheese. But at Estate, this is certainly not the case. They are uniquely created with a maple-balsamic glaze, queso fresco, shaved almonds and topped with a crispy sweet potato chip. You forget that brussel sprouts are even a vegetable while eating this because it’s just that good.

Natural Canadian Scallop

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

When you go onto Instagram or do a google search for Estate, most of the time this is the dish that pops up the most in the images. We can attest to the beauty of this dish, it is one of the most elegant we’ve seen and eaten. It almost resembles the twigs that you decorate a rustic space with, as it is wrapped in crispy spun potato. Sitting on top of an edamame spicy green curry vinaigrette adds a mild, sweeter taste to the buttery and delicate scallop that is nestled inside. This is a must-order menu item.

BBQ Pork Short Rib

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

As a table, we made the consecutive decision that we needed a true, meaty dish to add to the collection. Look no further because this dish will satisfy any comfort food craving you might be having. The rich marbling of a rib steak combined with the sweetness of the roasted fuji apple glaze is a match made in heaven. The pickled organic baby carrot on the side cut the richness of flavor with a bit of sourness making this a well-rounded, indulgent dish.

Wagyu Beef Meatballs

Photo courtesy of Chloe Makhani

Everybody loves a good meatball, especially when it’s done right. A lot of us at the table have grown up surrounded by Italian cuisine, so this was a special treat to have at this meal. We all dipped the warm, fluffy grilled pita into the roasted organic cluster tomatoes after we polished off the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs.

Pad Thai

Photo courtesy of Estate Restaurant + Bar

We all agreed that this is yet another must-order menu item. We did have two vegetarians in our group so this was a phenomenal dish for them. We chose fried tofu as the protein (which was unbelievable) with eggs, onions, red bell pepper, roasted peanut, and lime. Similar to the Fried Chicken, Pad Thai is a basic dish that we all know and love, but the magic of Estate transformed this to a different level.

At this point, you probably would think that we would be stuffed and fully in a food coma. But, you are wrong. When people say you have a normal stomach and a “dessert stomach” they weren’t lying.

Green Tea Tiramisu

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

Again, another unique take on a very well-known dish. We won’t lie to you, we were a bit hesitant on the Green Tea addition, but once we had one bite we fell in love. They took the bold flavors of cocoa and espresso with creamy mascarpone cheese then added a floral and oceanic tone with green tea. It was an absolute delight dipping the chocolate-almond cookies that were on the side into this heaven of flavors.

Warm Frangelico Flourless Chocolate Cake

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

I audibly gasped when this was placed on the table. Flourless chocolate cake has a certain dense, fudgy taste that is absolutely delectable. Drizzled in a sweet and bitter mocha sauce and topped with churros con leche ice cream, this truly is a full-flavored dish that creates a blissful ending to any meal.

Sorbet

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lamothe

For those who want a little sweetness to finish off their meal, but want something a little more light and refreshing. Topped with farmer’s market fresh fruit, this is ideal for any fruit lovers. Usually, sorbet can taste a bit icy, but both the mango and raspberry sorbet have a lovely velvety taste.

To wrap it all up, Estate Restaurant + Bar is a gem of Santa Monica. The quality, the freshness, the presentation, and the service blew us away and we will definitely be returning (if we could go every week, we would).

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