AN INVITING NEW LIGHT IN MALIBU.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic I'VE ALWAYS LIKED the layout of the former Gray Whale, Monroe's and Splash building overlooking the beach in Malibu. There's the incredible ocean view during the daylight hours and memorable sunsets at dusk from the upstairs dining rooms reached by elevator. And now, the neat beach-level bar has been furnished with some of the same lay-back couches as those at its neighboring sibling restaurant, Moonshadows. But in its newest incarnation as the appropriately named The Sunset, it seems to even exceed its previous attractive characteristics. New owners Franco Simplicio and Rodolfo Costella, following up their recent Moonshadows success, appear to be able to revitalize aging surfside surf·side adj. Situated or sited at or near the seashore: surfside parties; a surfside road. flops into major culinary destinations. This time their answer again isn't merely good looks. It's the service and expertise of on-site operating partner Vito Roberto and his maitre d' Mario Mariani (transferred from Costella's Ca' del Sole in North Hollywood) along with an exciting kitchen headed by ex-Cafe Del Rey Del Rey may refer to:
His fare could be termed a sort of mix of New American comfort food with strong pan-Asian methodology. This means plenty of stir-frying and utilization of soy, curry, Asian veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. and sushi bar-familiar items. A Thai-style green curry broth, for instance, elevates a dozen chubby Santa Barbara black mussels ($9.50) to near-stardom. And the refreshing Asian salad ($8.50) of Napa cabbage, crispy flat rice noodles, thin-sliced cucumber, tiny red and orange tomatoes and other good stuff all tossed in a sesame-soy vinaigrette might be colorfully ringed with mandarin orange segments or persimmon persimmon: see ebony. persimmon Either of two trees of the genus Diospyros in the ebony family, and their globular, edible fruits. The native American persimmon (D. in season. The kitchen really shines when, for example, it braises meaty short ribs ($17) with a rich pinot noir mixture, mashes Okinawan potatoes, adds a slice or two of red beet and caramelizes baby vegetables, resulting in a heady purple-hued dish of deep flavors and soft-to-crunchy textures. But I think the best entree dish here is the least expensive. It consists of juicy, rare, lean, Kobe ground beef ($15) topped with melted blue cheese, asparagus and a portobello por·to·bel·lo or por·ta·bel·la or por·to·bel·la n. pl. por·to·bel·los or por·ta·bel·las A mature, very large cremini mushroom. [Origin unknown.] mushroom cap, all sitting on a bed of grilled onion and tomato with an organic lettuce accompaniment. It's a magnificent carbless achievement that definitely fits the tone of the times. Also impressive as a beefy beefy, beefyness 1. in dog conformation, used to describe overdevelopment of musculature in the hindquarters. 2. in cattle, used to designate the desirable physical conformation of a beef animal, but an undesirable character in dairy cattle. main course is the aged, rosemary-flavored culotte steak ($19.25) paired with Yukon Gold mashers and winter vegetables. But a nice-looking piece of pan-roasted striped bass striped bass moronesaxatilis. ($19.75) curled over an herb salad and fruit-boosted with pineapple relish, was luckily saved by its black bean black bean see castanospermum australe, erythrophleumchlorostachys. saucing one night. Without the sauce and the relish, the fish would have been much too dry for me. Meanwhile, in the starter category, the kitchen fashions a handsome Dungeness crabcake ($11.50); effectively joins a trio of endives (curly, red and Belgian) with pears, candied can·died adj. Permeated, covered, encrusted, or cooked with sugar: candied sweet potatoes. candied Adjective coated with or cooked in sugar: walnuts and a good gorgonzola dressing; and makes crunchy tempura Tempura - Language based on temporal logic. "Executing Temporal Logic Programs", B. Moszkowski, Camb U Press 1986. shrimp and rolls as an appetizer for two ($16) with crab, cucumber and avocado. Endings like mango and banana-stuffed baklava ($6.50) and a superior apple tarte tatin ($6.95) provide two more reasons to visit The Sunset, especially if you can be seated and begin sipping an aperitif aperitif (  ·perˈ· before the sun goes down. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com THE SUNSET Food: Three and one half stars - Wine: Two and one half stars - Service: Three and one half stars Where: 6800 Westward Beach Road, Malibu. Hours: Open for dinner only from 4:30 to 10 p.m. nightly except Monday. Recommended items: Dungeness crabcake, Asian salad, three-endive salad, Santa Barbara black mussels in Thai green curry broth, tempura, braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. short ribs, Kobe beef burger, aged culotte steak, tarte tatin, banana and mango-stuffed baklava. How much: Starters from $5.75 to $11.75, entrees from $15 to $28.75, desserts from $5.95 to $6.95. Full bar. Major credit cards accepted. Wine list: Starting 60-bottle global, vintage-dated list has wide range ($20 to $265) in prices, varietals and styles with offerings from an Alsatian gewurztraminer to a Spanish tempranillo. Wines by the glass number 18 and cost from $5 to $14. Malibu-area wineries (Rosenthal, Semler and Saddlerock) are represented and house-favored syrahs from Edna Valley (Passa Tempo and Di Fronzo) deserve attention. Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $12. Reservations: Suggested. Call (310) 589-1007. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) At The Sunset in Malibu, co-owner Franco Simplicio, left, and operating partner Viti Roberto enjoy the ocean view from their restaurant's upstairs dining room. Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News (2) Diners at The Sunset may partake of a tempura appetizer with shrimp, crab, cucumber and avocado. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion