Rasarumah, the latest restaurant from Pearl River Deli chef Johnny Lee, is a modern Malaysian jewel in Historic Filipinotown. From its midcentury modern-meets-Art Deco design to a menu that bursts with punchy, sour, and peppery flavors, the restaurant delivers on all promises you might make about Los Angeles’s dining scene to out-of-towners coming in for the weekend. Make a reservation and delight in attentive service, a small but mighty wine list, and snacky starters like shrimp chips and ayam berempah (Malaysian-style fried chicken wings swathed in a sweet chile sauce).
Midcentury cool with muted colors and orb lights looming over each table; the small bar works for pairs, while larger groups should try to get the cavelike banquettes positioned to the right when you walk in. A custom backlit sign changes its message regularly, so be sure to look up, receive the mantra for the evening, and let it guide your night well after dinner.
Street parking in the area is not always easy, but after 5 p.m., the small parking lot next door is fair game.