 The challenge for a chef who already has many restaurants, and has a celebrity and celebrated name like Wolfgang Puck, is to be able to create something different when he is asked to open yet another place. And here at Hotel Bel-Air, not only does he have to live up to his own reputation, but also to that of the iconic hotel. We can report that the mission has been accomplished. Puck has composed an elegant and true California-cuisine menu which means modernity and simplicity, made with fresh produce from local farmers markets, all-natural poultry and sustainable seafood. You may start with the heirloom shelling bean and porcini mushroom soup, the ultra-fresh Japanese snapper rolled over avocado, and baby fennel seasoned by a Moro blood orange sauce and accompanied by shaved myoga. In season, the French black truffle risotto is a must. Dover sole arrives at the table already prepared with two filets on top of each other in a rectangular shape and topped with caramelized cauliflower, toasted almonds, capers, and a golden raisins lemon condiment on a bed cauliflower purée. If you are in the mood for scallops, try them paired with French langoustines in a seaweed emulsion, with Tokyo turnip, daikon, baby carrot and kohlrabi-orange purée. The lamb is served in three pieces, loin, rack and belly, with yogurt labneh, smoked eggplant and sunchoke purée, and spiced with harissa. Filet mignon of venison was perfect, proving that Puck and his team master what they are executing. Venison is not an easy product to work with, and it can easily be meaty or not tender enough. The one here came with Savoy cabbage, brandied chestnuts, lingonberries and pumpkin purée. Cheese comes in a selection of six artisanal varieties, set on a marble slab with wildflower honeycomb and quince paste. Now pastry chef Sherry Yard makes her entrance with the chocolate mousse with tangerine givré and Grand Marnier crystal candy, or the delicate “Imperial chocolate,” a warm Colombian chocolate flan on top of which edible gold dances with the air, filled with spiced ice cream and surrounded by an espresso crème anglaise poured at the table. The wine list is quite impressive, and if you cannot afford some of the bottles, you can see them in the dining room showcased in glass wine cellars that separate the private room. As the weather is what it is in Los Angeles, the outdoor space has been enlarged and covered in white travertine; the private booths are still there. The ultra-luxurious Hotel Bel-Air uses different sets of Bernardaud porcelain for lunch and dinner; they are both beautiful and we are not sure the chairs on the patio do them justice.
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Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air Restaurant is one of our 2012
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View photos of the renovations at Hotel Bel-Air on GAYOT.com's blog, including 
an exclusive video interview chef Wolfgang Puck. 
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