Good Room, but the Chef?
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by: Sophie Gayot
As I headed to Pasadena to check out The Royce, the new restaurant at The Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa, I had no doubt that the décor would be better than that of the space’s former inhabitant, The Dining Room, which sported probably the most boring room of the past few years of such a high level restaurant. I was worried about the chef, who had a tough act to follow in Michael Voltaggio, and previously Craig Strong. But I had nothing to fear, as chef David Féau prepared quite a spectacular dinner.
Born and trained in France, Féau moved to New York at Lutèce, opened Lutèce in Vegas, then joined the Patina Group in 2006 in Los Angeles. I have to say, he has completely integrated the two culinary cultures of classic French and the West Coast of the US to create upscale modern dishes with a sexy twist. Isn’t that we look for when we take the time for a fine dining feast?
Please read the review of The Royce in GAYOT.com’s restaurant section, as well as watch my exclusive video above with chef Féau. In another video, sommelier and general manager Eric Espuny tours us around the wine rooms.
Let us bet that if Féau and his team can deliver this quality within a month of opening, that they only continue to get better.
Keep coming back to GAYOT.com for the latest in Los Angeles restaurant news, Los Angeles Culinary Events, Los Angeles Restaurant Reviews and Los Angeles Wine Dinners.
You can click on each photo to enlarge to see dishes from The Royce restaurant menu, and the new décor. All photos by Alain & Sophie Gayot.
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- The chef’s table on the left
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- The dining room next to the window
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- Table
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- The other side of the dining room
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- The entrance
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- The lamp fixture over the main dining room
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- Quiet table
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- Red wines wine room
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- White wines wine room
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- Jerusalem artichoke soup amuse-bouche with calf liver
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- Petits fours
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- Caviar for the guinea hen
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- Chef David Féau at work
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- “Variation of chocolate textures”
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- Citrus dashi broth being poured on the cod
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- Day boat Blackburn Chatham cod with squid ink spaghetti
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- Bare guinea hen
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- Skinless roasted guinea hen with chestnut milk
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- Chef David Féau makes the breads himself
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- Humboldt cheese
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- Slow poached lobster
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- Smoked-baked Loch Duart salmon with pomme macaire
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- Salmon detail
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- Diver scallops
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- Sea urchin on apple cabbage as it comes to the table
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- Sea-urchin soup being poured at the table
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- Santa Barbara sea urchin soup with apple cabbage slaw and Meyer lemon
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- From left to right: general manager/sommelier Eric Espuny
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- Tuna belly with argan oil ravigote
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- Roasted venison loin with red cabbage ginger-lychee compote
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- Very thin slices of Vermont cheddar with mustard linzer and blackberry compote