South Pasadena gynecologist Jonathan Tam can now add restaurateur to his resume.
A resident of the city for 23 years, Tam partnered with San Gabriel Valley doctor Grace Fung to open Farm Cusine, an eatery Tam says offers health conscious choices with reduced sodium amounts. The Monterey Park restaurant uses grass-fed beef and Jidori chicken, as part of a menu it touts for fresh ingredients.
“Our main goal is to keep the food pure so it can express its own fresh flavor, without being loaded down with heavy sauces and spices,” Tam said in a prepared statement. "We also minimize the use of salt while cooking – not only for health reasons, but also because our food can stand on its own. When someone does need to add a bit of salt, we suggest using our Himalayan crystal salt, which has its own health benefits.”
Though the prices for Farm Cuisine might be higher than surrounding restaurants which may offer more inexpensive fried dumplings, for example, Tam believes health-conscious diners will appreciate eating organic, delicious food in a clean environment and won’t mind paying slightly more for higher-quality ingredients.
“I think people are looking for a healthful alternative at a great price,” he said. “One customer told me that the food tasted like something from the Westside, but with San Gabriel Valley prices. I thought that was great. I smiled and thanked him for the compliment. I am confident people will love their first visit and will keep coming back for the food.”
Features of the menu include new twists on many traditional favorites such as the lunchtime signature Messy Sandwich and pork loin bun. Grilled lemongrass pork loin, stir fried black peppercorn grass-fed filet mignon, and grilled lemongrass Jidori chicken breast are also popular items, as well as romaine lettuce tacos stuffed with shredded chicken & jellyfish. Many vegan and gluten-free choices are also available.
The two doctors collaborated with Bella Lau, a chef who trained at Susan Feniger's famed STREET restaurant in Los Angeles, to develop the menu. Lau is also a nutritionist who loves to share her unique take on Asian-American cuisine with a distinctive California flavor.
“Our dishes definitely reflect a California influence because we get our ingredients locally, by shopping at area farmers markets, and finding the freshest, most interesting seasonal items possible,” Tam said. “We truly work on a ‘farmers market to table’ philosophy.”
The restaurant also features patio dining, a rarity in this stretch of town, and the inside is thoughtfully designed with an open-view kitchen and inviting, farm-style eating spaces. The El Guapo Group design firm is responsible for creating the inviting indoor/outdoor dining spaces. Seal Beach-based architect Andrew Chiu of the El Guapo Group met the two doctors soon after they took over the restaurant.
“When they told me about their farm fresh food concept I was really intrigued because the San Gabriel Valley is really overabundant with cheap Chinese food places,” Chiu stated in a press release. “So immediately our suggestion was to create a dining environment unlike anything there and decided to focus on the European countryside.
“The covered patio was empty but we felt it had the potential to be an awesome dining space. So we gave the concrete floor a distressed treatment, introduced gravel, trees and antique furnishings. The interior design was intended to express a similar vibe but more like a country kitchen. I think the environment matches the style of the food served – farm fresh sexy.”
Patch Asks: Would you check out Farm Cuisine to support a local resident?
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