A Farm-to-table Eatery in Hermosa Beach Serves Up Savory Cuisine and a Health-minded Attitude
Locals are flocking to Hermosa Beach‘s healthy new eatery Rabano, where on any given day hungry patrons line up for a variety of delightful, farm-to-table fare made with ingredients based on a healthy lifestyle, mindset of gratitude and bringing a fresh approach to nutritious dining.
Owner Fernando Chong comes from a family of restaurateurs who brought to the South Bay the well-known W Bistro in Redondo Beach and former China Grill of Manhattan Beach—as well as both restaurant and life experience that inspired him to dig deep into healthy foods for healing purposes.
“After the loss of a family member, my siblings and I started looking at a more holistic approach to medicine, eating and healthy living,” explains Fernando Chong. “We learned that good health begins with eating well and having a better attitude and more positive outlook on life, coupled with how focusing on others instead of ourselves can bring healing power.”
The journey inspired the Chong family to create a restaurant where a healthy approach to food would inspire people to live healthier. This meant Fernando Chong would source the highest quality ingredients, including organic greens, grass-fed meats, fresh sustainable fish and local farm-to-table vegetables and grains for both purity and superior flavor.
Rabano’s vast menu includes a great mix of soups, salads, appetizers, bowls, and sandwiches. A few of the many crowd-pleasers include the beloved Vegetarian Edamame Wontons, bountiful Meiling’s Chicken Salad made with free-range chicken, or, for fish lovers, sushi-grade Sustainable Salmon.
Following the great success of newly added hamburgers, Fernando Chong‘s vegan burger, made with chickpeas, roasted vegetables, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes and beets has been a huge success. For the foodie crowd are favorites like the Pork Belly prepared Korean style, yet with gluten-free hoisin sauce, or the El Koreano, a certified Angus steak with kimchi and bok choy.
Of course, the establishment proudly serves its scrumptious dishes with only fresh ingredients: most items can be prepared gluten-free, nut-free, vegan or vegetarian.
Rabano is also well-known for its beverages like high-quality organic iced teas in a variety of flavors from Earl Grey to the Garden of Eden. Refreshing handcrafted sodas (Bohemian Raspberry is Fernando Chong’s favorite) or delicious, health-infused smoothies such as the 100-Year-Old Remedy made with power-packed pomegranate, beets, honey, ginger, and lemon also are served, whatever one’s delight.
“We were striving to create an inclusive menu so that there was something for everyone to enjoy here at Rabano,” explains Fernando Chong.
Fernando Chong has even simplified the process of ordering, offering multiple kiosks for guests looking to avoid lines on snappy lunch breaks. One can simply grab and go or relax in the lively atmosphere amid a modern industrial environment before noshing on handcrafted goodness served by friendly staff.
The fresh approach doesn’t stop with hearty menu items; it is infused into the message woven into the heart of the Rabano concept—live healthy, be kind and eat well.
Rabano
2516 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
310.318.1998 | rabano.co
Photography Courtesy of Rabano