Lunchtime Fusion at KAH Asian Restaurant and Lounge – Manhattan Beach

By Michael Jenkins on November 10th, 2010

Just west of Sepulveda and Manhattan Beach boulevards is a small building that’s been the home of several restaurants over the years.

The location at 1019 Manhattan Beach Blvd has seen a lot of turn over. Tapa Meze (a Mediterranean bistro that I never tried) and Chicago for Ribs (who had a wonderfully meat-focused happy hour) have called this address home during the past few years.

After seeing the “coming soon” and “now open” signs for months, I stopped in to visit with the current resident, KAH Asian Restaurant and Lounge.

It was nice to see how they have redecorated the place. The hues from the burnt orange exterior are reflected inside and complemented with wood, browns, and reds. Next to the bar and under a flat screen TV is a small lounge area.

Unfortunately, I didn’t dine in to soak up the ambiance but instead carried out to get back to the office.

A quick look at their menu backed up their mission statement: “A fusion of the best Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and other exotic Asian dishes”. Sure enough, classic dishes from the cultures mentioned were all present: pad thai, gyoza, fried rice, noodle dishes, and various curries.

I was drawn in by their lunch specials which pairs some of their house specials with salad, a wonton, and a choice of jasmine, brown, or garlic rice for around $8.

I must have been on some kind of a chicken trip because I ordered the chicken pad thai and thai bbq chicken.

I will admit that I am not a fan of pad thai. I will eat it but I won’t ask for it. Nicole, however IS a fan so I ordered some to share with her. However, Trying the noodles from KAH actually changed my opinion. I’m still not a fan but I did enjoy their addition of a spongy eggplant to the dish. It was smoky and slightly minty and added a nice flavor to the chicken and noodles.

The thai bbq chicken was good but not rave worthy. The flavor on the chicken was muted but was enough to satisfy my craving for meat barbecued Thai-style. I still put my endorsement on Culver City’s Original Thai BBQ as holding the title in that genre. I’m happy to have a local option for this dish though, since driving to Culver City for lunch is hardly ever an option.

In addition, KAH’s thai bbq chicken comes in a nice portion size. The $8.95 lunch special is plenty to provide leftovers for dinner or to share with a hungry coworker.

I can’t say enough about the wonton that was included with the lunch special. This crispy shell was dry on the outside (not greasy) and stuffed with a cream cheese and crab mixture that was right on point in flavor and texture. Sadly only one comes with the combo. I would suggest ordering more for a side dish!

Along with a calming, pleasant interior and a menu that can please almost all Asian tastes in one location, KAH has other things going for them.

For the after-work crowd, they are featuring a happy hour Sunday through Thursday from 5 – 7 PM. To keep folks coming in during the weekends and evenings, they are bringing in live entertainment and DJ’s.

They have also made steps to improve the historically sad parking situation on their lot. The parking stalls have been repainted and a sign indicates that additional parking is available just behind the restaurant at an adjacent business after 6 PM.

With a menu that has plenty to offer, a well timed happy hour, and other incentives for diners, I hope that KAH finds success as this location. I will certainly go back to try more!