The Former Novel Cafe space located at 2507 Main Street in Santa Monica is in the process of becoming the second iteration of brothers Fernando and Roberto Chong’s Rabano Handcrafted Food & Drinks, as first reported by Toddrickallen.com. Rabano’s maiden operation hails from Hermosa Beach where the siblings stay committed to providing fresh, locally sourced grub.
As the Chong brothers come from the family of restaurateurs behind W Bistro in Redondo Beach and China Grill in Manhattan Beach, this endeavor is far from their first rodeo — but, perhaps, this concept is a little more purpose-driven.
“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 via Digs. “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.”
Subsequently, Rabano is hyper-focused on creating a seasonal and sustainable menu that plucks its ingredients from a multitude of feel-good sources, including lettuces, herbs, greens, and vegetables from Valdivia, Murray, Weiser, Mc Grath, Herr, and Tanaka Farms; GAP-2 Animal Welfare Certified chicken from Naked Truth; hormone and antibiotic-free pork from Niman Ranch; and beef that is Certified Humane, Never-Ever, Natural Angus from Aspen Ridge.
Additionally, Rabano uses olive oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower oil for all cooking, frying, and salad dressings, and abides by an “absolutely no trans fats or hydrogenated oils” rule. Proprietary blends of seasoning rubs are also prepared in-house by a master chef and Mediterranean sea salt, gluten-free soy sauce, and ancient grains are always on hand.
Some notable menu items include beef barbacoa tacos, edamame wontons, the Mucho Mojo Cuban-style pulled pork sandwich, a Peruvian saltado bowl, spicy poke ceviche, and tabouleh lettuce wraps.
