The eagerly anticipated Asia Live, a food palace from the noted Bay Area culinary team of George Chen and Cindy Wong-Chen, has opened its doors at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, about a year and a half after this ambitious project was announced.
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And what better place than Silicon Valley, where so many Asian cultures converge?
In 15,000 square feet over two stories — with a third level, a rooftop terrace, still to come — the emporium introduces diners to culinary highlights from the 20-plus countries and territories of Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Joining classic recipes on the menu are contemporary cross-over creations: The dish nicknamed “Pad Banh,” for example, heaps Pad Thai onto an egg crepe, then encases that in a banana leaf. India’s Tandoori Butter Chicken is presented as nuggets on a skewer. Char Siu BBQ Pork Buns are baked Dutch Crunch style. The Crab & Shrimp Spring Handrolls are served with house sambal and lemon aioli. And the Matcha Lava Cake is topped with lemongrass whipped cream.
Intrigued? Here’s a guide to navigating this destination:
THE LOCATION
Asia Live, the long-awaited food emporium, opened at Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara on June 23. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Asia Live is well-positioned at the entrance to Valley Fair’s restaurant row. If you are coming in from the Stevens Creek Boulevard parking lots, the main ground-floor doors are located outdoors, just beyond the Cheesecake Factory and across from Mastro’s. If you are already inside the mall, the second-floor entrance is situated around the corner from the Eataly elevator.
THE LOOK
Vintage posters from Shanghai in the 1930s are hung on the walls in Asia Live. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
It’s a chic, contemporary space with clean lines and smart decor touches. Take time to appreciate the collection of vintage posters that date to 1930s Shanghai. That display is located on two walls between the Main Dining Hall and BarLucy. And you can’t miss the fabulous blue-and-white tile work that Chen dreamt up and designed to honor local landmarks. You’ll recognize the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, One Apple Park in Cupertino and Stanford’s Hoover Tower, of course. Techies who have worked around the valley will spot the Googleplex among the other building depictions.
LEVEL ONE
Opening in the coming days will be the Pergola Bar & Cafe, with shaded seating for 50 diners outside. Inside is the Sushi & Yakiniku bar, with space for a dozen sushi lovers. With advance notice, an omakase experience with chef Tomo Ngai is an option. These venues will be open daily at 11 a.m.
LEVEL TWO
The Main Dining Hall at Asia Live at Valley Fair has seating for 220 customers. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Main Dining Hall
This is the domain of chef Daniel Sudar, who oversees both the Asia Live and China Live kitchens, though naturally diners will see owner-chef Chen himself making the rounds.
Sudar, a native of Indonesia who started cooking at a young age, graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and has been working closely with Chen for 25 years — since he was Chen’s chef de cuisine at Betelnut. “We bounce ideas off each other,” Sudar said. “It’s a really cool process to create a dish.”
Chef Daniel Sudar prepares a sea bass in the kitchen at Asia Live, a new restaurant in the Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
This massive room seats 220. Diners can watch through large observation windows as the chefs put on a culinary show at three kitchens divided into Woks & Grills; Noodle Making & Dumplings; and Charcuterie, Barbecue & Tandoori.
We bought a number of dishes to try, basing the choices on both chefs’ recommendations. We also highlight other dishes that we’re eager to come back to order.
The pan-fried, pork-filled Sheng Jian Bao are Chef George Chen’s bestseller. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The bestseller: Chef Chen is famous for his Sheng Jian Bao (SJB), juicy pork dumplings with a crispy, pan-fried bottom (five for $20). We discovered that the restaurant group’s signature Ginger-Infused Vinegar (you’ll find it on your table) makes an excellent, not-too-gingery dipping sauce for these. If you decide you need that vinegar at home, you can purchase it in the marketplace ($11.95).
Another must-order: There’s no scrambling for strips of crispy duck skin with Asia Live’s version of Peking Duck with Kumquat Glaze (five for $30). The kitchen does the assembling for you, ensuring that every sesame pocket is packed with roasted meat and topped with that irresistible lacquered skin. Julienned cucumbers add crunch. Those little flatbreads are texturally interesting too.
Stir-frying over an open flame — a process known as “wok hei” — allows the Asia Live chefs to add a desirable smoky flavor to the Kung Pao “Firecracker” Chicken.(Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The magic of fire: The Kung Pao ‘Firecracker’ Chicken ($25, or Tofu or Prawns, $22, $28) is bound to be the most unusual version of kung pao you’ve ever eaten. You expect a little spicy, a little sweet. This version is also smoky, thanks to what’s called the “wok hei” effect achieved by stir-frying at flaming temperatures. As Chen noted, “You can’t do that at home because you don’t have high enough heat.”
Mingling cultures: Pan-fried sandos cross borders when each Singapore Kaya Shrimp Toast (five for $24) comes with a hefty dollop of kaya, the coconut jam of Southeast Asia. This one’s quickly becoming a customer favorite.
One of chef Daniel Sudar’s specialties is the Braised Kashmiri Rogan Josh Lamb Shank. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The nostalgic dish: “Lamb shank is my grandmother’s recipe,” chef Sudar boasts. He tweaked it a bit to create Kashmiri Rogan Josh Lamb Shank ($42), marinated for three hours in a green curry and dotted with fried lentils. An aromatic choice, for sure.
Order one or all four?: Reserving a large table with friends sounds like a smart move when you realize this vast menu features meaty signature entrees from four countries, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. There’s a Tokyo Sweet & Sour Pork Tenderloin Tonkatsu ($38), Seoul Char-Grilled Kalbi Short Ribs ($38), Bangkok Tamarind/Basil-Glazed Baby Pork Riblets ($34) and the Saigon “Shaking Filet Mignon” ($48).
Marketplace
Jars of Old Grandpa Taiwan Spiced Peanuts are on display at the retail section inside Asia Live in Santa Clara. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The retail store, located on the mall side of this floor, stocks savory and sweet treats (see adjacent story); pantry products; cookbooks (“Let’s Make Ramen!”); and gift items ranging from vases to panda-topped chopsticks.
The Chens’ proprietary line of sauces, vinegars and oils features products used by the Asia Live and China Live chefs in the dishes they make in Santa Clara and San Francisco — so there’s an opportunity to taste before you buy. We found the soy sauce to be extremely well-balanced and the Chili Bean Sauce (warning!) as fiery as you might expect.
Asia Live On-the-Go
The takeout spot is also conveniently located near the mall entrance for orders and pickups of soups, noodle salads, dumplings, desserts and more. Look for House Banh Mi ($19-$22) to join the menu, with a rotating series of grab-and-go sandwiches including roast pork and grilled eggplant. Another hand-held option is the Thai-style, fermented Isan Spicy Sausage on a bun with Vietnamese slaw ($16).
COCKTAILS, SAKE AND TEA
The Tropical Break mocktail is made with blackberry-passionfruit shrub, elderflower, pineapple juice and basil. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Diners can order drinks from bars on both levels, and even shop around with an adult beverage in hand as long as they stay inside Asia Live.
A popular cocktail from the SF China Live menu being offered here in the South Bay is the Sometimes Old-Fashioned ($20), with Peking Duck Fat-Washed Glenmorangie X, George Dickel Rye, black pepper syrup, lemon and candy cap bitters.
If you want to wander out into the mall, you can do so with a mocktail like the Tropical Break ($18), a tart-sweet number that combines blackberry-passionfruit shrub with elderflower, pineapple juice and basil.
Besides a long menu of top sakes from Japan, the offerings include beers from China, Hong Kong and Thailand and wine by the glass or bottle from California Wine Country and Europe.
The tea list is equally impressive, with oolong, green and herbal teas. What do the Chens suggest? Her go-to is the Milk Oolong and his is the Pu’er. They both like Eight Treasures ($6 mug, $15 pot) “as it’s as much a TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) tonic as it is a tea … good for balancing Qi,” he said.
COMING NEXT YEAR
In 2027, an Asia Live expansion will add even more alfresco seating in the form of a rooftop terrace.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Asia Live maintains long daily hours, because you never know when you’re going to need a bag of Peking Duck Fat Popcorn (see related story) for a road trip at 10 in the morning or crave Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups late at night.
You can shop from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and dine from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, until 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
BarLucy serves from 5 p.m. daily until 10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
The Pergola outdoor and sushi bar areas are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m daily.
Details: 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara; asialivesv.com.
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