Mako Makes a Strong Case for Venturing Northward
EXECUTIVE DINING by Fifi Chao
Occasionally, within these columns, I try to fill you in on places in Los Angeles that are topical and useful for our readers whenever business or pleasure pulls them northward. I field calls throughout the year from readers who need information on dining in L.A. Today, I want to share one that we tried last week when we took three days and stayed in the big city to dine in and around Beverly Hills and the Westwood area. This restaurant makes a powerful statement for fine food in a refined setting. Next week, I’ll share thoughts on a more casual place where a lady chef is making waves.
Mako sits smack-dab in the center of Beverly Hills. The shops of Rodeo Drive huddle nearby, ready to lighten your wallet with their classy goods. That would make you think that this restaurant would be expensive. Quite the opposite is true and we found it on par with Orange County dining for cost, but with a cosmopolitan style of food we’re still not experiencing here. I have already called several of our friends to share a table of eight on two different occasions with us, as we will be going back to this one often.
The chef and owner, Mako Tanaka, was formerly executive chef at the best of all Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants, Chinoise on Main in Santa Monica. His little jewel seats only 55, so the term cozy is apropos. There’s a small granite bar in front of the cocktail section and another matching one fronted by a half-dozen barstools of curvy blond wood and brushed stainless steel in front of the open kitchen. The rest of the seating is at white-napped tables surrounded by equally sexy blond wood chairs. Large bouquets of forced spring flowers (think cherry and citrus blossoms) stand regally here and there. Overhead is a simple but effective ceiling treatment: latticework through which wide fabric panels are draped in soft billows. On the back wall is a very large American flag joined only by a trio of large mixed-media artworks in the rest of the room. It is a place of understated drama.
Mako considers his creations clean, flavorful, contemporary Asian with a Mediterranean influence. His sauces do have a European elegance, yet they are not laden with butter, or excessively rich; the idea here is to preserve the intrinsic value of the key ingredient of each dish. The food we ate was quite fascinating. We compared notes with diners nearby.
We began with the appetizer simply called Assortment of Sashimi. It was way beyond. While the bottom of the plate held overlapping slices of seabass and tuna, the skyline of the plate held a sushi roll cut on a severe diagonal (one piece upright, one on its side) with a bit of jellyfish tucked beneath. A condiment of sliced sweet-sour cucumber and a citrus wasabi dipping sauce finished the beautiful presentation of varying textures and defined tastes. Crispy oysters may sound like fishhouse fare; they are not that at all in Mako’s mind. We segued to these shatteringly crisp pearls of the sea. Arranged just so around the plate, they were jeweled with bits of minced red tomato and black olives. A basil sauce drifted around them. The combination of briny sweetness when biting into the oysters and the olive and basil hits on the palate, not to mention the yin-yang texture of soft and crisp, made this into a whole new experience. What a pity there were only two of us, as we also coveted the sauteed foie gras with lychee fruit. Well, next time.
Since we only had one night to savor but a bit of this menu, and wanted one of everything on it, we relied for guidance on our waiter and regular patrons nearby who chatted with us. Wok-fried whole fish came highly recommended and on our night, it was snapper that was the centerpiece of this dish. With a Rhett Butler glamour, this fish had been filleted from the backbone on both sides from tail to head and when fried, the meat had curled away from the bone in a most engaging fashion statement. Served in a shallow bowl with decorative handles, there were lots of shelled rock shrimp, baby bok choy and oyster mushrooms surrounding the fish in a sauce that had me tasting it alone on several tries. I am quite familiar with Chinese black beans and I like the salty nuance they have; however, I never had them, in a sauce or otherwise, mingled with truffle essence. It was a fine marriage.
The only other entr & #233;e we managed was the Wagyu Ribeye Steak (the same as Kobe beef, but raised in the U.S.). Prepared to your preference, this steak is then deboned and fanned out in slices on a lotus leaf-shaped plate. The beef was fork tender, the sauce of soy, Port wine and Cognac that dappled it was one of those you finished off with a swipe of bread across the plate. Mako sided it with saut & #233;ed spinach and wild mushrooms. Of four side dishes (which you really don’t need since portions are generous, but they are so interesting we couldn’t pass) have the comfort level Japanese eggplant, stir-fried to an almost creamy texture, and the best rice dish we’ve ever tasted: basmati with candied pine nuts and fresh basil.
One wouldn’t pass up dessert on a trial run such as ours. We tasted a very creamy coconut rice pudding in a tuille “basket” with mango and berries and a great macadamia nut torte (served hot) a la mode with banana ice cream with tracks of chocolate running over it all.
Mako serves a whole lobster in a genteel coconut curry sauce over pasta, sizzling quail in a pineapple sauce, Thai-style duck with noodles, saut & #233;ed seabass with rapini, Colorado lamb loin in a rosemary-plum wine sauce and a full tasting menu. Lunches are very interesting as well, with everything from Bento Box tasting menu to roasted salmon with ponzu sauce, rice paper shrimp rolls to sake-marinated bass. The wine list is full of reasonably priced international wines.
If you were to do but one restaurant in the Beverly Hills area, the creativity of Mako should count for a lot in your decision; that’s why we’re going back with friends along for the adventure.
AT A GLANCE:
MAKO
Address: 225 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills
Phone: (310) 288-8338
Hours: Lunch Wednesday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m.; closed Sunday. Reservations highly recommended.
Prices: Lunch entr & #233;es $9.50 to $22.50; dinner entr & #233;es $20 to $35
