I don’t remember such buzz and anticipation of a restaurant opening before Sapphire Laguna took the stage two months ago.
Everybody knew that the Old Pottery Shack in Laguna Beach was going to become a restaurant with a food and cheese emporium next door. People seemed to know long before it opened that the best of the legendary building was being kept and melded with a unique take on restaurant decor that fit in with the arty, friendly Laguna lifestyle.
All the pre-opening chatter that went on for several months didn’t do justice to what emerged: a beautiful, ocean view space that is totally indoor/outdoor compatible and quite different from anything else in Orange County.
Even more anticipation built up knowing that the owner and chef, Azmin Ghahreman, was the former acclaimed executive chef of our St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach, and that Si Teller and Tom Manok of Teller-Manok Architects were handling the restructure and interior design. The latter has been involved in the dramatic design of some of the most expensive coastal homes, resort properties and big name restaurants from coast to coast.
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Sapphire Laguna: global cusine |
Intimacy, comfort, warmth and whimsy blend with custom made local art as a showcase for the & #252;ber interesting food that follows from the open kitchen. For the first time, I’ve seen what can be done with wine barrel staves besides making a vessel for wine. They are interwoven on one inside wall as the fa & #231;ade for the restaurant’s wine storage. Along this wall are alcoves backed by electric blue as access niches to the wine storage.
Across the room is a magnificent bar top made from the root of a demised redwood tree that had dated back to the 1700s. Distressed wood tables and rustic flooring keep the tone low-key. Upscale upholstery and lots of dramatic hand blown lighting in deep purple, metallic blue and sand color bring us right back to the art of the community.
All of the chandeliers,except for one,and the sconces were made by John Barber, the glass artist who shares the far side of the vast brick patio with Sapphire. Lots of the smaller globes hang from the landmark building’s original highly vaulted and beamed ceiling. In the center of the dining room is a stunning Moroccan light fixture to finish off the overhead drama.
It’s hard to put a label on Azmin’s food. He merely describes it as global cuisine. It does reflect his background working in top kitchens in several countries. But it’s not just a bunch of recipes from various cultures. In fact, the menu still says they are “previews” because Azmin has so many recipes he wants to incorporate. They often are fusion dishes.
He’s on a quest to make the dining experience at Sapphire unforgettable. As a chef, he’s one of those geniuses who sorts in his mind the textures and tastes of ingredients from all cultures and then corrals them into compatible mental folders, later strutting out various pieces and combining them in new ways.
Right now on the lunch menu is a take on Cobb salad that’s wild and nirvana at the same time. It has baby greens and miniature squash, yellow and green beans, lobster, chicken, scallops, shrimp and smoked pork with creamy tarragon dressing. Amazing stuff.
A Southern fried chicken sandwich comes with a unique roasted apple and endive slaw. Salmon glazed with a signature barbecue sauce, barramundi fish (very genteel and white-fleshed) with truffle frites, lamb and goat cheese sliders and a bento-style lunch box with five different tastes from the chef also are part of menu for the moment.
At lunch or dinner, everyone must order the homemade potato chips perfumed with fresh sage and rosemary and sprinkled with sea salt. I’d say the same for the thick, creamy and rich wild mushroom cappuccino on the dinner menu that comes in a small cup.
For additional appetizers, it’s fun to order the duck sat & #233; on its own hibachi grill, meant to be wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaves with some green mango salad. An ocean trio plate is marvelous with portions of kampachi (yellowtail) sashimi, scallop escab & #269;che (marinated seafood) and a capricious tuna lollipop.
Dinner entrees span oceans and land. I am crazy about Azmin’s black cod in a banana curry sauce with homemade stone fruit chutney. He catches us off-guard with his tenderloin ” & #341; la Diane” that’s a real rarity now.
Jumbo shrimp are saut & #233;ed with some lump crab meat and combined with English peas and linguine. Duck confit is pretty well known, but not with a helping of white polenta and a cherry-chocolate mole sauce that takes the dish to new heights.
One of the most popular dishes is the Kurobuta pork shank with kabocha squash gnocchi and Brussels sprouts. Thai style snapper, chicken pot pie with a dozen market vegetables, steak and braised short ribs are also tucked in the menu.
Azmin is ambitious, even serving a Saturday and Sunday a la carte brunch. Many of the signature dishes are on the menu, along with some breakfast choices, of course. At any meal, have the Australian passion fruit pavlova with mango coulis or Laura’s lemon pie with Devonshire cream for dessert.
Master Sommelier Peter Neptune put together the marvelous international wine list that is housed in handmade covers. With our meals, we’ve enjoyed the 2005 Henschke Louis Eden Valley Semillon (Australia), 2003 Condado de Haza Tempranillo (Spain), 2005 Gr & #252;ner Veltliner (Austria), Antinori 2005 Sangiovese (Italy) and Trimbach’s 2004 Riesling (Alsace).
You will love having a choice of dozens of wines by the glass and wine pricing that’s friendly.
Don’t miss spending a little time in Azmin’s Sapphire Pantry next to the restaurant. This gourmet shop boasts one of the best cheese rooms with more than 30 kinds of worldwide cheeses and fresh mozzarella made by a local artisanal cheese maker.
Reservations are highly recommended. Sapphire Laguna: 1200 S. Coast Highway, (949) 715-9888; pantry: (949) 715-9889.
