CHOCOLATE

Chocolate work is a delicate art. Temperature and humidity play a huge role on chocolates. The possibilities of chocolate design and fillings are endless. The creativity process can flow when thinking about fillings for bonbons. I use everything from lemongrass to nutella when making chocolate candies. The patterns can be purchased from Chef Rubber as well as the chocolate molds.

SAKE CHERRY "RAVIOLIS"

Sake and simple syrup make up the jarring liquid for the cherries. Once cured for six months, they are pitted and rolled in a cherry gelatin sheet.

POACHED HALIBUT, GINGER BROTH

A very light flavorful dish. The Halibut is poached in a lemongrass bouillon and served with a ginger broth and Harry's Cherry Tomatoes. These tomatoes can only be obtained from the
Santa Monica Farmers Market. They come from a small farm that only produces cherry tomatoes and strawberries. As for the "mini" carrots, the farmer cannot grow enough to supply the restaurant during busy times. They have an intense sweet carrot flavor which is great for a garnish as well.

CARAMEL FLAN, KAFFIR LIME, POPCORN

I still have not figured out if I prefer working on the savory side or sweet side of the kitchen. For me it is a place where I can experiment with fewer boundaries. The caramel flan is a dish that came easy to. Caramel flan is paired with a kaffir cream and popcorn. The popcorn was a playful touch that sparked the idea of a playful underliner that consists of oragami. A sweet custard, salty popcorn and exotic hint of kaffir lime leaf.

PICKLING

I am a huge fan of pickling and jarring. It is a great way to utilize and capture the product in peak season. We use these throughout the seasons. Ramps, one of the most prized vegetables are pickled in a spiced japanese vinegar and used throughout the year.
To pickle the ramps, we first clean them of all dirt and debris. Once clean they are dried and placed in clean sterile jars. Vinegar is brought to a simmer and infused with seasoning and spices. This is poured over the ramps and the jars are closed. These are then placed in a steamer and steamed at 85 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes.

RED MULLET, FRIED QUAIL EGG

Here is a simple approach to Red Mullet. A mediterranean fish paired with parsley sauce and garlic cream. A quail egg coated in brix dough is fried and placed on top.
The technique of using the basic breading procedure on the quail egg was introduced to me at my employment at Joel Robuchon's Restaurant. There he used it as a single course in his signature
nine course tasting menu.
For the red mullet dish, it is used to add a contrast of texture as well as enrich the parsley and garlic sauce.

SIMPLICITY

A-5 KOBE BEEF, FINES HERB, SHOJU TRUFFLE

This is a great example of perfectly cooked Kobe beef Sous-Vide method. Portioned 120 gram pieces are sous-vide cooked at 52 degrees Celcius, shocked, then seared at service time. The base for the sauce and vinaigrette are made up from preserved Summer Truffles in Shoju. Pickled chanterelles are introduced to the dish to cut through the fattiness of the beef.

TURBO, LANGOUSTINE, MINI CARROT, ONION PUREE

The thought process started with the term "If it grows together, it goes together."
European Turbo and Brittany Langoustines are paired together with onions and carrots.
The carrots are presented in a few ways: Juiced, Foamed, Gelled and in Tiny Form. The onions are roasted, pureed with gelatin, and Tiny Form as well.
Once the proteins are quickly seared, they are dusted with orange powder made from dried orange zest.