Struggling to find a good place to take our Japanese Distributor for a relaxing yet professional business dinner, it finally hit me like a punch from an UFC heavyweight fighter. Typhoon Restaurant at the Santa Monica Airport! The Asian infused style is the ideal place where everyone can find something they can enjoy and that is exactly what we all did!
When we arrived, a jazz band was playing downstairs so the owner provided us our own private dinner room upstairs where it was quiet and perfect for business discussions. Â We all found ourselves long jawed watching the beauty of the setting sun. The gas fireplace created a nice ambiance which complimented the orangery red pacific coast sky. Â It was an elegant backdrop as we discussed current business issues and future proposals.
Ok, now to the food, the appetizers: shrimp and Thai satay, hand rolled pork and vegetable dumplings and most importantly, orange flavored deep fried tofu were a great beginning! I forewarn everyone about the deep fried tofu; it is warm on the outside but extremely hot on the inside.
Many of us went with the Mongolian lamb and Mongolian beef dishes accompanied by sesame pita pocket bread. Â The garlic noodles we're a tasty side dish to the meals. Â They have nice selection of beer, and their vodka martinis are worthy of seconds!
Don't forget the desserts. Â The peach cobbler crumb pie topped with vanilla ice cream was the perfect ending to a great meal. Â Everyone ordered different desserts and there were no leftovers to speak of. Â Yes, it was that good!
Enjoy the atmosphere but most importantly, enjoy the food!
To your health,
Daniel SlingTrade
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Nice Pan Asian restaurant right on the runway at Santa Monica airport. We came for a birthday dinner and everything was great. Really enjoyed the food, service, and view. It was quiet that night because they did not have any jazz bands playing, and you could speak with your friends without having to shout.
Review Source:This place was ok. It's pan-asian, meaning you can have pad thai with a side of miso soup, or pho with korean bbq.
The cons: Slightly overpriced. Most of these foods, you can get at your hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant for 1/2 the price. The quality of the food is pretty comparable or even just a shade lower than your hole-in-the-wall Asian places. I think part of this is because they are serving 12 different kinds of cuisines all under one roof. Note that, even though I say this, the food is DECENT.
The pros: The ambience and interior are nice. I suppose that's what the higher prices are for. Service was decent and waiters were nice. And, perhaps the main reason I came here--you can order scorpions, crickets, silkworm larvae, or ants!
Food here seems pretty dry and typical of Thai food on the westside--uninspiring. I also had here all the bug dishes (ants, silkworm pupae, crickets, and scorpions) and I was kind of disappointed. My date and I thought it was kind of cheating that they were basically deep fried into oblivion. They all, with the exception of the ants, tasted like deep fried nothing. (We were so hardcore we ate them without any of the dressing to get the essence of bug--we were disappointed.)
The ants were pretty interesting. They were surprisingly sour with a slight bitter aftertaste (I'm guessing that's the formic acid we were tasting?).
The only pluses were probably the decor/ambiance and dish presentation. I probably won't be coming back here. I now need to find a legit insect restaurant. :)
3 1/2 stars.
Shout-out to Maurice, congrats on the engagement!
-1 star for service. As soon as the music started, only two waiters were working, the rest were just standing and watching the show. I realize it was real loud in there, but that doesn't mean you don't walk around to refill drinks or complete food orders...
-1/2 star for needing ear plugs.
Typhoon is a small place, I'd prefer it if it was just an acoustic session with it being half the volume it was pumped up at. But that's just me.
Overall the food was delicious, crickets are mighty tasty, and you can't go wrong with the dessert! Oh and I do recommend going Monday nights. :)
Location- 4
Awesome spot on the landing strip. It's pretty cool to see planes take off whole you eat.
Service- 2
We felt pretty neglected the entire time we were there. And when I flagged down our waiter he game me the one minute sign and continued to walk right past us.
Food-3
The frogs legs were moist, perfectly fried and delicious!
The whole fried catfish was amazing and HUGE, enough for 4 easy.
The Asian eggplant was also very tasted.
Drinks-2
Expensive, and not very well poured. Nothing that you can't make at home better and cheaper.
Beer selection is that of most Asian spots, all the Asian beers and a few domestic.
The live music was killing but if you are eating expect to have the cover added to your bill without warning. $20 per person plus food and drinks.
Poncho Sanches was awesome though!!! Great set from some of LA's finest musicians!
Hm...what can I say about Typhoon...except I'm just really disappointed. Food was very mediocre and my boyfriend as well as my family came just to try the insects that was offered in the menu. We definitely had certain expectations and we found that the insects we ordered: crickets and scorpions were really gimmicky. . And these dishes weren't cheap either. I'd say this place can be somewhat a tourist trap. The dishes are somewhat unique but are expensive for their quality. I wouldn't recommend coming here.
Review Source:Really just eh. Â Service was great. Â Its the only thing saving it from a 1 star review. Â The Happy Hour food is pretty repulsive. Â Its geared towards American flavors and basically sends a big F U to anyone who thought they were going for Thai. Â Or Pan Asian. Â Or Asian Fusion. Â And lets get real here, a $5 Sapporo is not any sort of good deal on any level.
It started off fairly promising. Â Chicken Bao was flavorful. Â But the portions were way off. Â $3 for only one. Â At Happy Hour? Â That's a deal???
The crickets were good even though they were messily scattered on the plate with some fried potato strings. Â They lost this one in the presentation department.
The chicken slider again was tasty but $6 for one slider. Â $6!! Â I guess they justify it because it comes with chips. Â But they didn't tell me the chips were going to be slathered in mayonnaise. Â Ugh. Â What is Asian about that?
The curried deviled eggs were just awful. Â We couldn't even finish them. Â Too rich. Â Too much mayo. Â Too much going on there. Â Again. Â Asian restaurant....wtf???
The Goi Cuon was ice cold. Â You could tell they keep them in the fridge and then just pull them out when they need to serve them. Â Which is fine when you buy them from the supermarket and don't expect much. Â But not at a restaurant.
The best of the savory menu though was the Bon bon chi. Â Good flavorful noodles with chicken. Â I was ok with this one.
The dessert was actually pretty damn good though. Â Ginger flan was fantastic. Â Very creamy. Â Great texture. Â I loved this.
What really got to me was the end of the meal when the band started playing. Â The server came and said that the manager said we would have to leave unless we paid $10 each for the band that showed up. Â I had just tipped $20 on $88 and this is what I was told. Â Yes. Â You read right. Â After I dropped over $100 on Happy Hour for 2, they couldn't at least let us hang out and watch any of the band. Â Disgusting. Â And I see why its mostly old people in there. Â No one young and hip wants to hang out at a place under those conditions.
Overall, crappy happy hour. Â Great servers. Â Poor management. Â I usually go back to a happy hour place to try actual dinner but think I will be skipping this one.
Great atmosphere and decent food. Â Front row seats to watch the planes on the runway is a huge "plus". Â
Although, being from Ohio, I'm not one for eating insects. Â Not to mention, the idea of the cooks possibly using the insect cooking utensils from dish to dish plays games with my mind.
Regardless, this place is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, etc. Â It's definitely a must-try, local attraction.
I have experience the food venders on the streets of Shanghai, consumed the food along the riverbanks of Thailand, fine dining in Macau, and nothing compares to the flavors here at Typhoon. Â As if asian cuisine was born here with the fusion of a French chef.
You can't go wrong here everything on the menu is a blessing from god himself.
I would give this place a 5 star on the michelin star rating system.
If you want a food adventure... Typhoon is the place to find it.
Although, many people fall into the gimick of the insects. They can  be fun to try and say that you ate ants, crickets, and/or scorpions. I would venture to other parts of the menu.
Consistently and I have to say, it's always been great. The food is very good. I really like the catfish (and am not a fuge fan of catfish).
Overall, it is a stop for some great food.
If you're here, you know what you need to get? The weird shit.
Ants. Scorpions. Frog legs. THAT's the good stuff and why I gave this place 2 stars.
The regular Asian grub - Kung Pao chicken + rice + assorted vegetables - can't even hold a flame to Panda Express. Lord. That's pretty sad.
But damn, the ants were good. The scorpion was good. The frog's legs tasted like lean chicken.
Get the insects. You won't be sorry and you'll have a hellva story.
Bottom Line; Few places I have been to in LA have the culinary courage to pull of what this place does (would you like bugs with your rice?) - not only that, they seem to have a firm grasp on pretty much any Asian plate. Â Oh and coooool location!!
  The only downside - $20 for a plate of Galbi beef?  Really?
Dinner Club Meeting; June
   The place we checked out has bugs on the menu.... yes bugs.  Our table ordered the Silk Worm Larva, ants and crickets.  Morbid curiosity drew my chopsticks to the bug plates and I had a go.  Very interesting.
  We sat upstairs and watched the sun set over the tarmac - what a cool spot!!!  I loved this aspect of it.
  I ordered the Galbi Beef and the wife ordered pot stickers.  The galbi was great and everyone that tried it loved it, including me.
  I also got the chance to try the Japanese curry, the green bean plate, and a few other things that have slipped my mind and there was nothing on this table that I didnt like.
  The service was impeccable - our server hustled and if he wasnt right there, there were at least one or two other gentlemen to help and with a table of 10 we always needed something.  They all hustled and it showed.  Effort shows.  This place puts forth the effort to be different and good. Â
  The only thing I didn't get a chance to try and which would cement their ability to cook anything Asian, is Pho. Â
 I'll be back.....
oh and last but not least, this place is expensive.
Over the years my family and I have come here consistently and I have to say, it's always been great. The food is very good. I would steer clear of the gimick food like insects and stuff. I've tried them all and they're actually pretty bland.
The Mongolian Beef pocket things are great. They have delicious Kimchee stuff. There are all sorts of noodles and everything is usually very hot and very fresh.
But there are other reasons to like this place. The location is really fun. It's in the center of Santa Monica Airport and it feels like you've been transported to a different place and time when you arrive. What I love about this airport is the bustling "mixed use" aspect of it. Sports fields, private jets, other restaurants, hangars that people use for art shows or film stages. It's a pleasant respite from the traffic and there's ALWAYS parking.
Parents just arrived in town? No problem. Walk in with a party of 8 and they'll probably get you a table. Have little kids with you? No problem. Walk outside and walk around the airport with your cocktail and watch Harrison Ford's or Mel Gibson's plane take off ( Friday is best for this ). They are very good to the kids there.
The drinks are also great! Very good beer list. Lakers fan? The games is always on at the bar ( I don't want to make that seem cheap. It's a big place so you won't notice at all if you're at a table.)
Too crowded? They have an overflow area upstairs in the place that used to be "The Hump" ( ask about it when you get there. Good story ).
Ok. My recommendation is officially logged. Enjoy!
Waiter, there's a bug in my salad!
This restaurant's menu contains extremely exotic dishes - they actually serve insects!
I tried the Chambai ants, Taiwanese crickets, and Singapore-style scorpion toast. Due to the way the dishes were prepared, I could barely taste the bugs. The buggy taste was covered up with added spices or overpowered by the taste of toast (or fried noodles in the case of the crickets).
I also ordered the frog legs. They were good but a little dry. The food is not amazing, and you can find better for cheaper elsewhere, but the novelty of the menu selections makes this a good place to visit. It's also pretty cool to watch airplanes take off and land as you're eating.
I also wanted to try the silk worm pupae, but they ran out. Maybe next time!
This joint reminds me of acid jazz and the 1960s, or what I've come to know of it from the pop culture tidbits I've been exposed to. Maybe it's the bar setup. Or how the entire restaurant sits high within the Santa Monica Airport, overlooking most of the west side. On a clear evening or night, it's a lovely view. And then there's the option of dining on succulent scorpion or crickets if you're feeling adventurous.
Came here on a weeknight for a jazz show. We ordered the chicken satay, pad thai and fried rice among other things. Didn't chalk up the bravery of dining on Singapore-style scorpion, maybe next time. The food was pretty good. The atmosphere and good vibes of this establishment equal an entire star, the food itself is a solid 3 stars. Nothing amazing but not terrible either. Service was good. The show was very cool and I ended up having a good time. Would come back here again for a special occasion. It's worth the experience.
Food is ok, nothing to write home about. Â I'm a airplane fanatic, so the view is most excellent!
Their insect menu, is interesting, but it's more about the novelty of eating bugs than the taste as I could barely taste them the way they were prepared. Great for a weekend lunch with some pals
The food is not very good but, I like being at the airport. Its kinda fun. Typhoon is best known for serving asian fusion cuisine featuring insects. I tried the crickets before I was vegan and they were crunchy and salty. Not anything spectacularly tasty. However, there was something exciting about eating foods that I'm not used to. Go for the experience, don't expect amazing food. Experience is fun when ordering bugs with a large group of friends.
Review Source:Some of the dishes here are right out of Bizarre Foods. Literally, they are bizarre and there was an episode recorded her, which is how I found this place.
I am in the right place with the menu has an actual section for insects! They are not hiding it or putting an slick names to hid what they are. It's straight up scorpions, crickets, and pupae. That's what I'm talking about.
The server was extremely helpful in assisting me to decide which to get and how they are presented. Ask them anything about the dishes if you are unsure which to order or what to expect. I started with the Singapore-Style Scorpions served on shrimp toast. The overall dish is very light. The real question on your mind is how were the scorpions. They are crunchy, that's about it. It is difficult to see from the picture, but they are really small. In addition, all the flavor is from the shrimp toast, not the scorpions. I recommend trying the scorpions separately to see if you can get any of their flavor and then try the toast. A bit of caution, stinger and pinchers are still there. At first I was worried with them on it, but these guys are so small, it does not matter at all. If you are curious, I asked about their origins and they are Baby Black Scorpions farm raised in AZ. An unexpected surprise was the sauce had some real heat to it. I thought it was only going to be a typical sweet plum sauce, but I was wrong. Prepare yourself, it won't burn your mouth, but be ready for the heat.
The scorpions were okay, but I was hoping for a full plate of them and the Taiwanese Crickets are getting closer to the picture in my head. These are much more plentiful on the plate, but they are hidden inside fried shoe string potatoes. They are stir-fried with raw garlic, chili pepper, and Asian sweet basil. The potatoes almost make you hunt for them, which on one hand is annoying and the other hand, its as almost they are in the environment and you have hunt for them and they wouldn't be easy to catch. Look closely and you will still see that most of them have their antennas. I, once again, recommend trying them alone because the potatoes will mask their flavor. I thought they had this nutty undertone, with a crunchy outside from sauteing with a slight soft inside, since there is not much there to begin.
I finally receive a plate of what I was hoping, Silk Worm Pupae stir-fried and served straight up, nothing masking it. It comes with assorted dipping sauces to experiment with and see which is better with these little critters. When you eat them alone without any of the "dressings", they are crunchy on the outside and soft and meaty on the inside. There is not a whole lot of flavor, but a bit of nuttiness to them. The sauces you get to play with are chocolate, chili paste, mayo chili powdered, lemon pepper, chili oil, soy garlic, siracha, mustard, and peanut. I thought the ones I ended up liking with the pupae were chili paste, chili oil and peanut. These sauces helped to either enhance or compliment the crunchiness or nuttiness. The sauces that did not bode well were the chocolate, mayo, lemon pepper, soy garlic, siracha, and spicy mustard. Not that the sauces were not good, its that they were overpowering the pupae and you really only tasted the sauce.
Since I didn't like the chocolate sauce on the pupae, I just saved it for dessert by just dip your chop sticks in it and scoop out. It was the sweetness I wanted at the end of the meal.
I was surprised how much these dishes filled me up. I did have three, but it is a lot of protein when you're not sharing these dishes. All of them are fun to try whether if you're an adventurous eater or having fun with the dishes among friends.
Came back here few times for 2 reasons, JAZZ NIGHT and LARVAE WORMS.
JAZZ NIGHT: Took my sister and JR C. out on a Monday night. It's $10/person and rsvp is recommended for a decent table. The music was loud enough to distract my two peeps while they tried their ants, crickets and scorpions (after downing beer/wine/sake). We also ordered frog legs and we asked for it at least twice and it never came, which sucked cuz I always wanted to try them. Unfortunately they were out of worms (again) so I needed to find another victim to come back with me to try this place again.
LARVAE WORMS: yesss after coming here 4 times ( I come here for entertainment, NOT because I crave for them) I finally got the worms!...that def did not sound right. One of my friend always wanted to try this place so we celebrated her bday here. She was over an hour late so I waited at the bar. I got to have a nice chat with Juan, the bartendar, while I ate some lumpias and had their mediocre cocktail. Out of all the bugs I've tried, the worms were the yuckiest (as expected). The texture and the taste were, "bleh" Â even the 9 dipping sauces it came with didn't make it better lol.
JUAN, the Bartendar: he is such a cool guy and a great server. I don't mind eating at the bar again just to have a nice chat with him about salsa dancing. He was also mindful about keeping a drunk guy away from me.
WHY I GO HERE: I am passionate about trying weird stuff and going to unique places. It is an adventure I like to experience with friends and my sibs because it's something you will remember and talk about in the future. Not many people will do it so it makes it even more special. It's also fun to see what's out there in the world and keeps me open minded about everything around me.
New Tip:
After or before dinner, go upstairs when you leave the restaurant and check out the nice view of the airport from the patio.
The bugs they serve at Typhoon. In the order of 'decent-gross' to 'omg-it's-so-gross':
1. scorpion
2. crickets or ants
3. larvae worms
I like Typhoon for many reasons.
The location is very convenient in Santa Monica, inside of the Santa Monica Airport.
It's so easy, off of Centinella, then turn down the Airport continue past the airport area do Donald Douglas, then turn RIGHT and into the spacious FREE parking lot.
I'd recommend this during a CLEAR SUNNY DAY, as you can fully enjoy the aesthetics and atmosphere during the daytime. Â
If you're an Asian food snob, maybe this is not the place for you, if you're only into the food.
If you're into a dining experience, then this offers what many places do not.
The food is good, and reasonably priced for the most part for non-Asian 'hood food, meaning not in Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Little Saigon, or Koreatown.
The portions are decent, and I'll say this...
If you are not a FUNGI, you may not like some of the dishes, since mushrooms are heavily used into most of the entrees I tried. Â So, read the menu carefully to what you like and don't like if you're "selective" (i.e. "picky").
If you are a FUN GUY, you will definitely like this this place for the view. Â It's a kick seeing small airplanes take off. Â It's mainly private jets and propeller planes for aviation hobbyists, for a really nice throwback feel from the congestion and monstrosity of an LAX.
There's a section of the menu with gourmet INSECT items, so if you're daring, brave and bold, you've got something new and novelty to try.
This is what I'd quality to guys who have a tough time figuring out a place for a 1st date, as something that's affordable and unique, so you'll score points on the thoughtful and creative selection of Typhoon. Â If on the Westside of LA, you'll also score points for reducing any level of stress, avoiding traffic and parking. Â You an even tell 'em this is where you park your G6 and really impress the ladies...
I was brought here by surprise from my boyfriend for my birthday. When we came, it was very empty (probably because it was Thanksgiving weekend). I was really surprised how little guests there were. We were seated near the window with the view of Santa Monica Airport - a great view were you can see the airplanes take off in flight while you're eating your meal.
If you like to try new things, go to this place. There are crickets, ants, scorpions for you to try. Hakuna Mutata!! We tried the Scorpion shrimp toast. It was really good! It reminded me of a fried shrimp cake I use to eat when I was a kid. You could barely taste the scorpion. However, I was a bit disappointed how small the scorpion was compared to the overall dish. But I guess any bigger would probably freak me out from eating it. We also tried the Mongolian Lamb with sesame bread. It was really fresh, tasty and the sesame bread was the best part.
Overall, the food is nothing you would rave about along with the price. You can probably get the same food at your local Chinese restaurant. The only reason I would come back here is to try more of the bug dishes.
Been here many times, always good food and service. Who doesn't like a restaurant that serves amphibians and insects? We didn't order any of that but did enjoy the pad thai, hot wings, mushu pork and a few cocktails. I wish they actually served the customary pork bun bread with the mushu pork not tortillas. It's not a deal breaker just what should be served with mushu pork.
Good food while watching private planes/jets land and take off.
DO NOT FILTER YELP!
Our guest wanted Asian-styled food and we'd been meaning to check out this restaurant, which turned out to be a good choice.
FOOD/DRINK: Â There were three of us and we ordered the lumpia, chow mein, fried rice, duck, and bbq ribs. (We also added a side of white/steamed rice.) The food was all delicious and we kind of wished there were more of us to try to order a few more choices, but we got stuffed pretty quickly and had leftovers. We didn't order off the wine menu, but stuck with Kirin and sake.
LOCATION/AMBIANCE: Â The restaurant overlooks the Santa Monica airport. Â If you've never been to this airport, it's a private airport with mini planes flying in and out. Â The airplanes taking off and landing is always fun to watch; if you go outside, you'll actually see the planes that are flying in and looking towards the ocean; its awesome. I also noticed a large group having a square table which was nice to see they could pull off, for future reference. Â There were also those in small groups (like us) and couples having what still could be romantic dinners, despite the crowds around them. Â It was not pretentious, which I appreciated even if it was in Santa Monica.
Bottom Line - I really enjoyed it and hope to return with others who love Asian food.
The Music! The Music! The Music! Â
If you love live big band or jazz music..... this is the place to go! Â We met some friends here and had an incredible time listening to some fantastic old tunes. Â The service is good, the drinks were mixed perfectly, the food unfortunately was just mediocre.... Â
The music and the view of the airstrip really is the only reason to go
Came here for dinner with a friend of mine. This place has been on my hitlist for a long time - had no idea how reasonably priced the meals were.
Well scorpions were definitely on our minds so that was the first thing we ordered. We thought the scorpions would be bigger/meatier but alas. They came on some shrimp toast which pretty much overpowered the flavor of the scorpion. Had to eat a piece of it solo so I can get an idea of the flavor (salty, crunch with a bitter aftertaste).
We tried to order the soft shell crab but they were out...bummer :/
We ordered the frog legs which seemed to be a tad over fried. There was a sauce that came with them that was spicy and sweet - really great!
The Garlic Noodles are pretty tasty. Not a strong garlic taste like I expected, but definitely had a spicy kick to it.
Ordered the crispy duck which I thought needed a sauce to accompany it. It came with some steamed buns which were very tasty - just thought it lacked some kind of sauce to bring it all together.
Lots of things on this menu I would like to try so definitely coming back again.
Let's just talk about eating bugs, shall we?
I had tried theTaiwanese crickets, and the Singapore-style scorpions (although not an insect.) Â And at the time that I had first gone to Typhoon, I had also tried the Chambai ants, but I don't know if the ants are still on the menu.
As with many things, I guess, it's mind over matter. Â I mean, it's simply protein, and if your eyes were closed you would not be able to really differentiate between the crickets and flavored french fries. Â Having your dinner partner point out that there is something in your teeth takes on a fresh, new meaning at Typhoon's. Â :P
For something different, unusual, and exotic, give Typhoon's a try.
Okay, I like listening to the music, that's a given (and the reason I'm giving 3 instead of 2 stars). Â But that said...
The hook of this place is being able to eat five feet from where your plane lands, along with the obvious kitsch of eating "bugs" for dinner. Â It comes off as a place you should try, just to say you tried it.
I tried it. Â It's okay. Â That's about it.
Aside from being at the most low key airport in Los Angeles, the food at Typhoon is an adventure in itself and everything was cooked to perfection!!
Went for happy hour and was really impressed with the depth of their happy hour menu...even had several items that are not usually on the regular dinner menu. Â
Had the lumpia to start, which are Filipino appetizers which is kind of a combination of a Spring roll and a egg roll and the owner brought us a sauce sampler tray that is generally only used for their stir fried silk worm appetizer but brought it for us to try with our food as well. Â It had everything...black bean sauce, sriracha, chili paste, spicy soy glaze, super hot mustard, sweet and sour sauce, an Asian hot sauce and hoisin sauce. Â He also was kind enough to bring us a special dish with his homemade grain mustard sauce which was the unanimous favorite sauce of all. Â
After getting to know all of the sauces which was a task in itself, next up were their Filipino pork sliders, which are not on their regular menu. Â SOOO delicious.
5 Star deviled eggs next...went perfect with my beer. Â
A dan dan mian soup which reminded me of pad thai...it is a peanut based soup with vermicelli noodles. Â Hit the spot and started mellowing my stomach.
Their Burma wings were amazing!!! I love chicken wings and these caught me off guard and were the best thing I ate from here. Â
With one last round of beers came a round of 10 oysters, prepared in different seasoning than usual but good either way. Â
Last but certainly not least...DESSERT
A simple but effective Thai inspired dessert, Mango and sticky rice. Â Good but not the greatest I have ever tasted, but definitely did the trick...and is totally worth it if you have never gotten the opportunity to try this amazing combination. Â I am just fortunate to have a very authentic version of this dessert at a Thai cafe that had absolutely NO ENGLISH in the name in Thai town. Â This is still a mighty tasty one.
Can't wait to come back for their famous CATFISH!!!
Typhoon features Asian exotic and fusion cuisine. I was surprised to see all the various items their menu offers. Â I met a group of friends here for dinner and it was a good place for family style eating. Â We shared crickets, a whole catfish carcass, pan fried pork dumplings, and very garlicky garlic fried rice. Â
The restaurant ambiance is quite welcoming and attractive in the evening with large expansive window views of the airport. Â Staff was friendly and beverages were tasty. Â I'd say the food itself was more like a 3.5. Â I tried one cricket, just to at least bite into one crispy cooked critter coated in garlic... and that was enough for me. Â The catfish presentation was quite dramatic, and tasted fresh, but not something I would choose to order again. Â The dumplings were the most normal thing next to the fried rice (which was not a generous portion for five, ordering two for a bigger group is advised). Â
The great thing about Typhoon is that there is ample parking (rare in parts of SM) and it is a great place to try if you are feeling a bit adventurous from the norm.
So this was a more chance review than anything else as a friend was celebrating her 25TH birthday here and they happen to have a lot Thai dishes. These sort of pan-asian cuisine places are all over and for the most part they're a jack of all trades king of nothing. Typically unoffensive food that caters to Asian Americans or Americans who are trying to change it up for the night. In other words, you wouldn't want to bring your friends from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong here because they wouldn't get into the food.
Typhoon Restaurant is a little bit different, a little gem in the sense that the food is bizarre and not common in the US. Â You could order grasshoppers, large ants and scorpions; alternatively, you could get satay, chicken adobo or pad thai. The latter being well within my comfort zone.
I didn't try the aforementioned insects, but those plates were semi full at the end of the night if that's an indication of anything.
However Typhoon is not a Fusion restaurant. They just select some of the most famous dishes from around SE Asia and put it up on a menu. It isn't like the place is experimenting with Italian and Chinese spices or anything.
The Pad Thai was true to its variety that are served at authentic Thai restaurants. Â I guess the Mexicans in the back may have worked at a Thai place before. The main flavor was tamarind, some brown sugar, zety limes and fresh stir fry ingredients. I prefer my Pad Thai a little big more juicy (wet style) just like the street cart vendors of Thailand. I also could of used some chili flakes, but they didn't have any. The noodles weren't too greasy and everything was fresh so that's a plus.
Pad Thai (3/5) Wallet $12.00. Overpriced yes by about 50 percent. I guess you gotta pay to visit cool hipster hangouts.
Nothing to complain about... (except the group of 4 of very loud ladies who obviously were having midlife crisis bonding time). The view of the airport was great, service was almost too good, and the food was delicious (but maybe a tad pricey).
The hot and sour soup was the best I've ever had even though I don't usually like it (and I'm Chinese!). I want to try the crickets next time!
Over the past 10+ years, I've been to Typhoon on multiple occassions for lunch, for dinner, for coffee and dessert, and for drinks at the bar. Â Every time I walk in, my eyes are drawn to the wall of windows that look out onto the Santa Monica Airport's runway. Â Every time I walk out, I've had an awesome culinary and sensory experience. Â
My birthday lunch today was exactly that vibe, and continued my flying theme of the day nicely (I had a first flight lesson at Proteus Air Services earlier in the day - woohoo!!!).
We sat next to the window, so we could see the private planes landing on this gorgeous, sunny afternoon. Â (Exactly where I had just landed, just hours before!) Â The ambience here was PERFECT for getting lost in conversation - which is a HUGE plus for me, as so many restaurants today are way too loud for audible human contact. Â In fact, we were so comfortable here that we stayed and ate and talked and ate and before we knew it, over three hours had passed! Â
During that whole time, our super gracious server Jose kept our waters refilled, our plates cleared, and all our food delivered to us fast. Â HE would win the approval of even Ciara G, the Yelper with the highest level of standards of service in a restaurant ever! Â And that says A LOT!
Anyone who knows me gets how clean I must eat my food. Â I've gotten to the point where I can't touch much sugar, salt, MSG, caffeine or alcohol. Â I know, all the fun stuff! Â Well, the meal that we had today satisfied even my pickily healthy parameters - AND was delicious to boot!
Tuna Tartare - requested without sesame seeds or oil, and soy sauce on the side. Â A lovely shaped tower of fresh and tender ahi pieces, mixed with diced red onion, cucumber and pickled daikon, on top of a bed of dark salad greens. Â Four crunchy shrimp chips were plated alongside, to scoop up the tender fish, and raw garlic cloves adorned the plate. Â This tartare was AWESOME - so fresh, so delicious, and made perfectly for my palate!
Bento Box Special - pieces of yellowtail, salmon and tuna sashimi with supple seaweed and a lemon wedge, 6 pieces of California Roll, 3 fat gyoza, big broccoli florets tempura'd, and ginger and wasabi. Â SUPER fresh fish starred in this special - and everything else was so yummy alongside!
New Zealand Pink Snapper - a giant wild-caught fish, steamed whole, and served with a ginger/soy/garlic sauce on the side. Â This snapper, like all the other seafood, was SUPER fresh and delicious! Â Cooked perfectly, with firm and moist flesh and unctuous skin - this will always be my fave way to eat pink snapper!
Steamed Broccoli - dark green, super fresh florets of broccoli - served steamed plain. Â PERFECT for me!!
At the end of the meal, I was surprised to hear singing behind me - and then see a lovely plate with a candle-adorned Chocolate Lava Cake on it! Â Happy Birthday was written on the plate in chocolate, which was such a sweet touch. Â It was warm and just barely sweet, with a soft lava center that my palate distinguished as very good chocolate. Â Usually sugar puts me out for the count, but this was so barely sugary that I ate half of it myself, and still felt good afterwards. Â SO rare for me!
In the years past, I've also had: Singapore-Style Scorpions (on shrimp toasts), Pad Thai, Mi Goreng, Coconut Curry Chicken, Thai Grilled Chicken, Minced Chicken in lettuce cups, Mongolian Beef, Kalbi, and Chap Chae and have LOVED them all! Â Every dish is flavorful and fresh, and served with delish condiments!
From the gorgeous daytime views of a sunny Santa Monica Airport runway, to the breathtakingly romantic nighttime panorama of the same runway's lights, to the gracious and on-point service, to the delicious array of food offered on their menu, this is the perfect restaurant to come to at any time of day or night, for any kind of occassion!!
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