Friday, January 19, 2024

Cobi’s - Santa Monica

Just the idea of take-out from Michelin's newest Bib Gourmand makes my heart flutter, and I swear it skipped a beat when Cobi's appeared on Doordash. The food travels well despite the distance, and those soup-stews pair perfectly with pouring rain.


The first thing I notice is that they charge Santa-Monica prices for Santa-Monica portions, which means you get noticeably less than South Bay likely due to the exorbitant overhead. The Green Papaya Salad for example, is a lighter option. A sensible portion for an appetizer, the container is maybe half full. It’s a fresh salad, a balance of savory, spicy, and sweet. The papaya packs plenty of crunch, and the chili dressing is spicy but edible. 


I can appreciate smaller portions but wtf is this? 


Beef Rendang for $22 in a container barely bigger than the free side of sauce. The beef is flavorful, deep in chilis and spice, but even with all beef, minimal liquid, and zero filler, I can’t imagine anyone happily paying this much for so little.


No complaints about the Nasi Goreng. This rich fried rice with egg is as good as any. Add pork belly for extra cost and extra savor. 


Their signature Butter Chicken is by far their best. The silky tomato masala is the consistency of cream, with tender cubes of chicken that melt in your mouth. It’s the only dish that lives up to the hype. 


Drag these chewy, tortilla-thick Roti slices through all the sauces. It also comes with its own sweet and creamy curry to dip.

The portions are small but the food is rich and filling. Three people ended up satisfied with no leftovers but no hunger pangs either. I don’t know enough, (actually, I don’t know anything), about Laotian food to comment on authenticity, but if this is it, I want more. Good, it is, Bib Gourmand, I’m not so sure. Good food but definitely not good value for the price. 

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