Hell’s Kitchen chef takes on L.A.

Just when it looked as if fine dining in Los Angeles was “going the way of the dodo,” said S. Irene Virbila in the Los Angeles Times, Gordon Ramsay has arrived—“and dressing up for dinner seems fun again.” The three-star Michelin chef, whose “blustery” personality made the TV show Hell’s Kitchen a hit for Fox, recently opened a self-named restaurant at the London hotel in West Hollywood. It turns out that the chef’s histrionics may “make for riveting television, but give the wrong impression about Ramsay’s own cooking.” The cuisine served at Gordon Ramsay is worldly, contemporary, and elegant.

Two stylish dining rooms flank a central bar, and the crowd, of course, is ultra-glitzy—“4-inch stilettos and sparkly dresses are out in force.” The waiters are informal yet exceptionally well informed, and “the wine service is spot on.” Once the food begins to arrive, “you’ll discover that Ramsay is a miniaturist with an exquisite eye.” Memorable dishes have included a risotto of wild asparagus, another cooked in tomato water with green and yellow zucchini, and broiled black cod covered with crunchy minced bits of pig’s tail and raw Kumamoto oysters. “Blissfully light” desserts range from a pineapple soufflé topped with Thai curry ice cream to a chilled coconut tapioca brightened with passionfruit and candied ginger. 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., (310) 358-7788

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