THERE IS NO other cuisine in the Los Angeles area, or arguably anywhere, like Bryant Ng’s. He culls his Chinese-Singaporean heritage, wife and business partner Kim Luu-Ng’s Vietnamese background, his Parisian culinary training and his work at places like Pizzeria Mozza. His is reclamation cooking, rich in cultural connections and potent with fresh herbs, sambal and pickled shallots. Cassia, a blockbuster when it roared into existence in 2015, now models balance. The dining room has returned to punishing decibels, though plenty of well-heated outdoor space provides a quieter option. Menu standards like handsomely charred pig’s tail splashed with fish sauce or spice-suffused beef rendang deliver as deliciously as ever, and newer dishes keep the kitchen’s energy high: Look for raw scallops with a garnish of dried shrimp, slivered ham and chile oil, suggesting a deconstructed XO sauce, and steak frites served over a reduction zapped with unusually aromatic peppercorns grown on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island.

Ace sommelier Marianna Caldwell leads her wine list with a section labeled “What I’m Drinking Now.” Let it direct you to offbeat options — like a Hungarian orange or a lemony Alpine white from Switzerland — that meet the food in all its superb complexities.

• 1314 7th St., Santa Monica, (310) 393-6699, cassiala.com