Star Leaf is a beautiful place that hits all the perfect notes of service, flavor, decor, and location to create a truly wonderful melody that not only makes me smile, but has me humming the tune until I can experience it again! They have 43 locations worldwide, but this one is the first in the US!
Walking in the entry is a harbinger of the delights to come with a tiled walkway, pond, and greenery that transports diners to a Southeast Asian "railway" with plants and stars (lights) that are as unique as the fusion of Asian cuisines on the menu.
They had only been open 4 weeks when I dined before a show at the Pasadena Playhouse, 1 block away on a Sunday evening. This location is perfect pre-show evening at the theatre, and I highly suggest allowing 2 hours before curtain to truly savor the delights of your meal with plenty of time to enjoy your drinks and coffee. Come even earlier to enjoy happy hour between 3-5pm Sunday-Thursday. There is a public lot at 44 Madison Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
I chose a nice dry Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand for $16 a glass and then ended with a Bali Mary for $17 that was ridiculously beautiful and sublimely spicy. My dinner companion drank a nice rich coffee after dinner for $6.
Trying to balance out a bit of everything, my dinner companion and I chose the vegetarian Saigon Summer Spring rolls with a mango habanero sauce that was slightly sweet and very mildly spicy. If you want a "salad" this is an option you might want to try instead, carrots, cucumbers, avocado and mango filled rice paper for $20. It was a large enough portion to share with at least 1 or 2 other people.
After hearing the description of the Thai Royal Curry, we opted for the shrimp version for $38 and the slow roasted sambal rempah coconut cream, duck eggs and mashed potatoes was a divinely flavored rendition of fusion curry that was savory and hearty without being too spicy hot for those with a low tolerance for heat (personally I would have liked heat but this was perfect for my dining companion's tolerance).
We also chose the grilled New Zealand Lamb chops with cauliflower purée with minted chimichurri and roasted cherry tomatoes for $42 grilled medium rare, which were done to our preference and the minted chimichurri was a fantastic bright addition to the rich lamb chops.
We had plenty of time for dessert, so we split the tropical panna cotta coconut bowl made with coconut cream and fresh seasonal fruits of mango and strawberries with a few chopped cashews for $15 that was easily enough to share for a table of 4!
