Ah, the Food Court. The bastion of American commercialism and convenience that’s been a mainstay of most shopping malls around the country has changed greatly over the years. While you still see the typical versions at malls, it feels like the past few years have really seen an evolution to the concept, with elevated Food Courts now being marketed as “Public Markets” or “Food Halls.”
When Rodeo 39 Public Market was first announced, it sounded like just another typical Food Hall. But when we found out Steel Pan Pizza (one of the best Detroit-style Pizza specialists in So Cal) was moving there, we had to pay a visit. 
Walking into Rodeo 39 Public Market, you can’t help but appreciate the open-air design, beautiful simplicity, but also a certain modern sleekness as well. It is an inviting space, with lots of open entrances and places for light to flow in.
There are a few retail / gift shops, a flower shop and the now-requisite Asian-style Bakery.
Nandomo, a new Japanese Ramen specialist sounded great until we noticed it was basically a new branch of HiroNori Craft Ramen (a mini-chain which produces average Ramen).
Steel Pan Pizza
But we were here to try out Steel Pan Pizza at their new location. A Detroit-Style Pizza specialist, Steel Pan was a huge surprise for us when we tried them last year at their original location. We were hoping their relocation wouldn’t affect their Pizzas.
Cuppy 'Roni (Pepperoni Pizza with Crispy Cupped Pepperoni):
Every order is cooked to order (there are no reheated slices), which adds to the pleasure of eating a Steel Pan Pizza. Taking a bite:
Piping hot, a perfect balance of melted, luscious Cheese and crunchy edges and bottom. The Pepperoni wasn’t overly salty, perfect little crisped cups of porky goodness! 
Burrata Margherita (Red Pie Drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Topped with Creamy Burrata and Fresh Basil):
A new addition to their menu, this was classic Margherita Pizza flavors on a Detroit-Style Pizza. And it worked beautifully: Their Housemade Red Sauce isn’t overly acidic, balanced, and the Fresh Burrata Cheese was light and creamy, accented by the very fresh Basil, all on top of their fantastic crunchy, crispy crust!
The Vegan Pizza (Topped with Housemade Cashew Cheese, Mushrooms, Grilled Broccolini, Bell Peppers & Onions):
Similar to our previous visits at their old location, the Vegan is a fantastic Pizza even for meat lovers. Their Housemade Cashew Cheese isn’t really like a regular dairy Cheese - this is more creamy and saucy - but it adds that layer of lusciousness and works well with the Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions and Grilled Broccolini and their crunchy crust.
2nd Visit:
Our 2nd visit to Steel Pan at their new location (4th visit overall) was even better.
The Veggie Pizza (Mozzarella Cheese, Mushrooms, Grilled Broccolini, Bell Peppers, Onions):
This was essentially their Vegan Pizza, but with real Mozzarella Cheese instead. The result was even tastier. Mushrooms, Onions, Bell Peppers, Grilled Broccolini atop wonderfully melted Cheese and crisp crunchy Detroit-Style Pizza crust. Wonderful!
Cuppy 'Roni (Pepperoni Pizza with Crispy Cupped Pepperoni):
By the 2nd visit Steel Pan Pizza seemed to be settled into their new kitchen. Their Pepperoni Pizza was flawless! Gorgeous, crisped Pepperoni “grease chalices”, not overly salty, balanced, delicious melted Mozzarella and the crunchy-crisp edges and crust!
This is so much better than over-hyped places like Apollonia’s, and probably one of the best Detroit-Style Pizzas in So Cal! 
(@gr8pimpin @ipsedixit @attran99 and others.)
Fries:
Surprisingly, Steel Pan’s Fries are pretty darn good! 
Fried to a beautiful golden brown, they are crispy, lightly crunchy and soft on the inside. Like their Pizzas, made-to-order, so they were piping hot as well.
Steel Pan Pizza
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Looking next door, imagine our surprise in seeing…
Banh Xeo Boys
This is a Banh Xeo (or Vietnamese Crepe) specialist that seemed to be focused on introducing and popularizing this Vietnamese dish to Western audiences. Their menu is accessible, with more hip / fun names like “Saigon Hangover” “Chicken Gone Fishin’” and more.
Pandan Horchata:
Refreshing, lightly floral, this was a fun, interesting twist on the classic Mexican Horchata Rice drink, but infused with Pandan Leaf, making this a Vietnamese-Mexican hybrid.
The Banh Xeo Boys cashier recommended we try:
Swimming Pig Banh Xeo (Pork Belly & Shrimp Vietnamese Crepe):
One of the first things that struck me was how pristine the Greens were! Just look at how fresh and vibrant the Greens / Herbs were. At many Vietnamese restaurants locally, you might find some Herbs or Lettuces slightly browning / wilting. But the Greens served with our order were flawless. It really added to the taste and appeal.
Beyond that, the Banh Xeo (made from Rice Flour, Turmeric) was super crispy, hot, and stuffed with Pork Belly and Shrimp. Adding a bit of that on the pristine Romaine Lettuce, fresh Cilantro, Mint, their Housemade Pickled Veggies, and dipping it in their Nuoc Cham (Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce) and this was absolutely delicious!
2nd Visit:
For the 2nd Visit, we chose their…
Lonely Fisherman Banh Xeo (Shrimp Vietnamese Crepe):
As with the first visit, their Banh Xeo was served with flawless, perfectly fresh Romaine Lettuce and Herbs. And it was just as wonderfully crispy as the before. The pure Shrimp version was quite tasty, but I think we liked the mix of Pork Belly & Shrimp in the Swimming Pig.
Either way, Banh Xeo Boys turned out to be Rodeo 39’s 2nd pillar, really solidifying the dining options for this new Food Hall.
Banh Xeo Boys
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Shootz
Based on quality and taste alone, you would think Steel Pan and Banh Xeo Boys would have the longest lines (and they did have a steady stream of customers), but the most popular stand at Rodeo 39 by far was Shootz, a Hawaiian Fusion fast-casual eatery, with a line (on multiple visits) of over 20+ people each time.
Seeing the popularity, we had to give it a try to see what the excitement was about.
Spam Brulee Musubi:
This seemed like a rather brilliant idea: Brulee / torch the top of a classic Hawaiian Spam Musubi Roll to add texture and flavor.
Unfortunately, it was just OK. The Spam Musubi Brulee slightly added to the taste (not really crusty or texturally contrasting to the soft Rice and Spam). Otherwise, it tasted like a standard Spam Musubi (not bad).
Spam Fried Rice:
Seeing their website video, it looked like they had some serious Wok frying skills making Fried Rice, but our version tasted overly greasy, soft and damp. There wasn’t anything that really stood out in this Fried Rice.
Kimchi Butter Katsu Chicken Plate:
Their most popular dish was the Kimchi Butter Katsu Chicken. Being a huge Tonkatsu (Fried Cutlet) fan, I’m always appreciative of a new Katsu specialist. Sadly, Shootz’ much hyped dish turned out to be mediocre at best:
We picked up our food right after they texted us, and opened it within a minute at the most (at an outside table). The Chicken Katsu Cutlet was soggy, steamed batter on the outside (although with moist Chicken within). 
The Butter was excessive and unnecessary. There was no taste of Kimchi at all.
Their Mac Salad tasted like a pretty straightforward version of a Macaroni Salad on a Hawaiian plate. It was fine.
Perhaps we went on an off day, but Shootz was the biggest disappointment at Rodeo 39 Public Market, even though it had the longest lines.
Shootz
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
https://www.instagram.com/shootz.official/
Bearded Tang Brewery
At the center of Rodeo 39 stood Bearded Tang Brewery, a local Micro-Brewery making a large variety of Ales and Lagers on tap (and in growlers to go). This was a nice touch and made Rodeo 39 feel more like a place to enjoy a meal and grab a local Brew on draft in the process.
Bro Pils (Bohemian-Style Pilsner) + Lucky Fin (Japanese Rice Lager):
Both their Bro Pils and Lucky Fin turned out to be light, refreshing and a nice pairing with the various dishes we tried.
Bearded Tang Brewery
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Next to Bearded Tang Brewery was Oi Asian Fusion, which turned out to be a local Filipino Fusion mini-chain. The menu looked OK, with items like Chicken Adobo, and Desserts like Manila Mango, Ube Upside Down Pie, but we were too stuffed on our visits to try them. Perhaps next time.
Primal Cuts
Adding to the eclectic nature of Rodeo 39 was Primal Cuts, an artisan Butcher Shop, where you could choose whatever cut of Steak from the case and they’ll grill it up for you to eat at the Food Hall(!). I can’t imagine how enjoyable that would be using a plastic fork & knife to cut up a steak (or perhaps they cut it up for you), but they also were serving a Grass-Fed Beef Burger which looked tasty.
Butcher’s Burger with Fries (Aged Angus Beef, Swiss, Garlic Aioli, Arugula, Caramelized Onion, Sun-Dried Tomato, White Bun):
Their Butcher’s Burger was cooked to a near perfect medium-rare (nice). The first bite yielded the unmistakable beefy funk of Aged Angus Beef. The rest of the Burger was trying hard to mimic the more popular Gourmet Burger flavor profiles around town in some ways, the Arugula, Caramelized Onions, Garlic Aioli. The downside to the Burger was their White Bun: It tasted like a mass-produced, dry, crumbly, soft, typical Burger Bun.
Looking past that, the rest of the Burger was a respectable, tasty Gourmet Burger. Not something worth going out of your way for, but if you’re at Rodeo 39 and craving a quality Burger, Primal Cuts version will suffice.
Fries:
Their Fries arrived freshly fried and piping hot. Slightly crisped. They were a nice accompaniment, but won’t dethrone the best Fries around town.
Primal Cuts
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Kra-Z-Kai's Laotian BBQ
Walking to the other side of Rodeo 39, I was shocked to see the glowing neon sign for Kra-Z-Kai’s Laotian BBQ! I had read about this Laos BBQ specialist in an LA Times article a few years ago. But their original location was too far to visit at the time. It turns out they expanded and have decided to open up here at Rodeo 39 Public Market as well.
Lao BBQ Mix (Lao Chicken Thigh, Lao Pork Rib, Lao Sausage & Lao Beef Short Rib):
Lao Beef Short Rib:
The only disappointing bite in the Lao BBQ Mix Plate, the Lao Beef Short Rib tasted rather straightforward, overcooked to a well-done, it was tough, chewy and forgettable.
Lao Chicken:
The Lao Grilled Chicken Thigh turned out much better, moist, juicy Grilled Chicken Thigh marinated with their Lao BBQ Sauce. It had a sweet-savory profile, nice grilling flavor coming through and pretty tasty overall.
Lao Pork Rib:
Kra-Z-Kai’s Lao Pork Rib was even better: Juicy, wonderful porcine flavors coming through each bite, and a greater depth of flavor with their marinade.
Lao Sausage:
But the best item we tried was their Lao Sausage, a Housemade Pork Sausage infused with Lemongrass, Onions and Scallions and other spices. It was fantastic! Fragrant, bursting with flavor, this was so much better than the usual BBQ Sausage offerings.
2nd Visit:
The 2nd visit was just as good as before, but this time, we discovered that you’re able to substitute the White Rice for a Lao Papaya Salad(!) (you definitely want to try this).
The Lao Papaya Salad had similarities to the more commonly found Thai Green Papaya Salad, but it still stood on its own, and served as a great foil for the Grilled BBQ meats.
Kra-Z-Kai’s Laotian BBQ
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Fika Fika Creamery
We wrapped up the Rodeo 39 visit with a stop by Fika Fika Creamery, a new Ice Cream specialist with some rather unique flavors such as Lychee, Osmanthus Oolong, Strawberry Pocky and more.
Vegan Cookies & Cream:
I like a good Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, but the only version they served at Fika Fika was a Vegan version. Still, our order taker said it was one of their best sellers, so I gave it a try.
The Vegan Cookies & Cream was quite good. It had an enjoyable creaminess and the sweet “Ice Cream”-like mouthfeel, but it was 100% Vegan. We wouldn’t mind having this again on our next visit, but I want to try more of their elaborate flavors as well.
Fika Fika Creamery
(inside Rodeo 39 Public Market)
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
Rodeo 39 Public Market turned out to be a welcome new Food Hall despite the growing trend of finding them appear all over Southern California. From enjoying some excellent Laotian BBQ at Kra-Z-Kai’s (don’t miss out on their Laos BBQ Sausage with Lao Papaya Salad), some refreshing local Beers on tap from Bearded Tang Brewery, to the fantastic crispy Vietnamese Crepes at Banh Xeo Boys, and one of the best Detroit-Style Pizzas (and Pepperoni Pizzas period) at Steel Pan Pizza, Rodeo 39 Public Market is worth a visit.
Rodeo 39 Public Market
12885 Beach Boulevard
Stanton, CA 90680
