RESTAURANT REVIEW: Chomp Eatery & Juice Station

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Contributing Writer

It’s a simple concept that might sound as if it shouldn’t work…but it totally does. Opened in April 2014, Chomp offers a varied menu of seemingly non-mutual carb-loaded comfort foods and health-conscious juices, smoothies and shakes.

Picture a Palisades Garden Café combined with a full-swing Jamba Juice and you’re on the right track. The atmosphere at Chomp, as casual and unpretentious as the eatery’s name, is cozy and humble, located within the same strip mall as DK’s Donuts & Bakery.

In fact, there’s a good reason why Chomp is located right next door to the popular gourmet donut heaven and, in a non-competition clause, doesn’t offer much dessert: Chomp is co-owned by DK’s co-owner Sean Tao and his girlfriend, Rolan Pongpuntara.

The gracious and personable Pongpuntara, all of 27 and an erstwhile employee of Pharmaca in the Village, never dreamt that she would one day open her own restaurant.

However, her parents, of Chinese and Thai descent, ran a Thai restaurant when she was very young. She also grew up learning to wheel and deal at the swap meets where her father used to set up along Ventura, Oxnard and other parts.

Combine her own experience with wellness and holistic products with Tao’s business acumen and voila Chomp! You’re welcome, Westside!

So let’s start with breakfast. Brunch and “brinner” are served all day here. The options are hearty, from Organic Peanut Butter Toast ($4.50) to The Elvis ($10), a spin on the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s penchant for a hunka-hunka peanut butter and banana sandwich that includes organic peanut butter and Applewood bacon on 21-grain toast.

The bestseller here though, according to Pongpuntara, is Breakfast Steak Burrito ($10), a tasty wrap bulk-loaded with scrambled eggs, marinated hanger steak, tater tots, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, Chomp salsa and American cheese. When it arrives on your plate sliced open, it greets you with a big smile worthy of the restaurant’s upbeat co-owner herself.

Possibly even more scrumptious from the “Gourmet Wraps” section: Grilled Steak Wrap ($13), a generous portion of marinated hanger steak on a bed of arugula, tomatoes, red onions and homemade cilantro, all rolled within white tortilla, may actually be the lightest, most savory item in the house.

Other wraps include Grilled Veggie Wrap and BLT Avocado Wrap in the $10 range and Pesto Chicken Wrap, BBQ Grilled Chicken Wrap and Chompotle Wrap for $11 each. The latter features 100 percent all-natural chicken with mixed greens and Provolone along with infused mustard and a homemade chipotle aioli.

A good gourmet hamburger is one of my epic weaknesses, so I was not going to leave Chomp without trying one of its many burgers (most of them priced at $10). I loved The Famous Burger: Angus beef with Applewood bacon, caramelized onions, various veggies, infused mustard and homemade mayo on a toasted brioche.

Chomp also offers Classic Chomp Burger ($7.50), Grass-Fed Burger (with Applewood bacon, spinach, tomatoes and pine nuts), Paleo Burger (like the Grass-Fed, sans bun) and the new Earth Burger, a veggie patty spin on a Chomp burger with the additional grilled jalapeno.

For non-carnivores, Vegan Portobello Burger comes filled with homemade pesto and mushrooms, served on a gluten-free bun with a side of salad. Otherwise, all burgers have brioche buns; the baked goods are supplied by Röckenwagner’s bakery.

From the “Handcrafted Sandwiches” category, prices range from $8 (Chomp BLT) to $13 (Grilled Steak Sandwich, Chipotle Chicken Avocado and a Bahn-Mi Sandwich featuring pork belly, pickled daikon and carrots, jalapenos, cilantro, homemade spicy mayo and a fried egg on a ciabatta bun for some Vietnamese flair).

The adventurous may want to tackle the Jalapeno Melt ($11), which includes Tillamook Cheddar, pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, pepper and jalapeno—all tethered to 100-percent all-natural chicken on sourdough slathered with homemade cilantro aioli.

Pesto Chicken Sandwich ($11) delivers said chicken on a ciabatta with fresh mozzarella and veggies in homemade pesto.

What would burgers and sandwiches be without sides? At Chomp, the side orders are particularly inventive.

Chomp Fries ($3) is a generous plate of French fries tossed up with shaved Manchego and Parmesan with garlic, and it’s as finger-licking decadent as it sounds. There are also Waffle Fries and Onion Rings ($4 each). I recommend the Cheesy Bacon Tater Tots ($6), a fiesta of the traditional morsels mixed up with bacon bits under a blanket of gooey melted American cheese that’s worth the slightly extra splurge.

Speaking of splurging, you probably don’t want to leave without ordering at least one of Chomp’s vast Juice Station offerings.

Here, every beverage appears house-crafted with care—from the watermelon, carrot and coconut juices sold in mason jars ($4 to $7) to several stripes of Organic Agave Lemonade ($3.50 to $6).

Enter the Smoothies arena ($5 to $8) and you’ll find another playground to placate your palate. Tropical Sunset ($6.50)—with its crossfire of orange juice, organic agave, strawberry, papaya, mango and pineapple flavors—is as satisfying as it sounds.

Chomp also offers Protein Shakes ($7) catering to your chocolate, peanut butter and cookie moods.

Other options at Chomp include Wellness Bowls ($6) that feature fruit, granola and Greek yogurt; and Fresh Salads, ranging from a basic Chomp Salad ($8) to the festive Steak Salad ($13).

Reasonably priced and served in great portions, this casual Santa Monica spot lets you dig in to flavorful fare with a big CHOMP!