In a West Charleston strip mall best known for housing Japanese stalwart Sushi Hiroyoshi, a surprising family-run gem has taken root. Rang’s Cocina Moderne, run by chef Rang Tan and her affable husband Benedict, sells itself as a Spanish and Italian restaurant with Asian infusions. But that is a seriously modest portrayal of a restaurant serving some of the Valley’s best Pinoy dishes.
Prior to arriving in Vegas from the Philippines during COVID and opening Rang’s, the Tans had no prior restaurant experience, remarkable considering how smoothly the restaurant is run. Welcoming and casual with a constant soundtrack of easy listening covers of alternative music, it’s a restaurant where you’ll want to linger while you explore some unfamiliar flavors.
Diverse dishes at Rang’s Cocina Moderne
Take for instance the dulong ($11), miniature silverfish with beady eyes which are a staple of Filipino food but rarely seen stateside. While they’re a bit unnerving, served atop a baguette with olive oil and garlic, they’re a rather tasty snack. Consider them the baby brethren of anchovies without the overwhelming fishiness and you’ve got the idea.
Another treat is lengua salpicao ($19), fork-tender beef tongue bathed in garlic and olive oil. You’ll want an order or two of toasted baguette ($3) to sop up the sauce on this dish. And then keep some on hand for Rang’s destination dish, aligue with garlic shrimp pasta ($27). But be forewarned, as the crab fat funkiness it’s endowed with might not be for everyone.
Conversely, the binagoongang pork belly with coconut risotto ($27) isn’t as funky as might be expected. Bagoóng, fermented shrimp paste used in the cooking process, can be robust, but Rang’s version is quite approachable. The risotto’s milkiness deftly balances both the unctuous swine and salty shellfish which could easily overpower the palate.
The non-Filipino dishes are exceedingly tasty, if you’re not looking for a challenge. Creamy truffled mushroom and asparagus pasta ($21) delivers a sufficient level of umami and earthiness. House-made mushroom soup ($9) is solid, although on the night we tried it, it could’ve been a bit chewier for my taste. And the Chilean sea bass ($42)—which Benedict proudly introduces as a local competition-winning dish that’s so good, it had to be on the menu—lives up to the billing with a lively lemon-coconut sauce complementing the fish’s buttery notes.
No matter what your tastes, you’re bound to find something you’ll like at Rang’s. As the Tans seem to be the restaurant’s only employees at the current time, it is truly a family affair. Let them welcome you into their home for a unique dining experience; you’ll be glad you did.
RANG’S COCINA MODERNE 5900 W. Charleston Blvd. #11, 725-214-1188, rangscocina.com. Tuesday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
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