As you know I am a mass-customization enthusiast (see ParagonLake.com). But when it comes to food, I usually can’t stand it. However, RockSugar, Cheesecake Factory’s new Pan Asian Restaurant took me by surprise. I have high hopes for it—at least for now. The ambiance was relaxing; for a second when I walked in I was at Tao Beach in Vegas, not in a stress-filled Cheesecake Factory that populates our malls.
RockSugar’s first location is in the Westfield Mall in Century City. Asian cuisine intrinsically works in the mass-customization world. The dishes have the same basic ingredients and with just a twist in the sauce they become a brand new meal—add some peanuts and you have a Thai flavor, add some curry and you give it an Indian flavor. The result is delicious, and combined with RockSugar’s excellent service, makes for an enjoyable dining experience.
We ordered from their Pre-Fixe menu: Appetizer- Coconut Chicken Soup, Meat- Claypot Beef and Starch- Thai Noodles. I suggest you visit the restaurant while it is in its early stages of growth, because I believe it will lose its quality as it grows to bring profit to the Cheesecake Factory shareholders.
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Hi Jason,
It was nice meeting and talking with you and Danny at the gym the ohter night. I admire Danny’s cheerful and enthusiastic passion for cooking. I’ll bet he makes delicious unique dishes because they come from his dedication and love for cooking.
I also admire your passion for statistics and your drive to market and sell the value of analytics for all businesses! I especially admire your ambitious nature and drive with a bit of a genunine desire to help people.
In any case, I am writing this comment in your Rocksugar blog because I was curious what your thoughts are on Katsuya food and service. Since you enjoy cooking, dining at restaurants and reading business books, have you read “Setting the Table” by Danny Meyers? Although I am not a restauranteur, he explained in great detail about building excellent client service/hospitality and other business concepts. I enjoyed it.