TRYST SERVES FRENCH WITH A NEW TWIST.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic There have been several restaurants named Tryst in and around Los Angeles over the years. And now there's one in Newbury Park. This new Tryst has replaced the old-fashioned French Le Rendezvous restaurant. In fact, it still retains that name in its full title, calling itself Tryst at Le Rendezvous. One can understand the reluctance of the new ownership to give up the Le Rendezvous name entirely. A whole generation has grown up in the Newbury Park area with this restaurant, so it makes sense to want to hold on to its regulars. And though the new chef here, Gabriele Dunn, has introduced a modernized menu incorporating numerous Asian culinary accents and other international leanings, she has kept some of the previous restaurant's most popular items for that longtime clientele. Such classic French dishes as frog legs Provencal ($26), duck a l'orange ($28), tournedos of beef bearnaise ($32), escargots ($14) and onion soup au gratin ($7) can still be found here. But today, Tryst diners have the opportunity to enjoy such creations as caramelized black cod (aka misoyaki butterfish butterfish: see harvest fish. , $26), a superb entree version of the popular sushi bar item, this one paired with udon u·don n. A thick Japanese noodle made with wheat flour, usually served in soup or broth. [Japanese, wheat noodle.] noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. and shiitake mushrooms; and a "seared sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. sashimi" plate of ahi tuna and salmon ($28) with basmati rice bas·ma·ti rice n. An aromatic long-grain rice from India. [Hindi b  smat and bok choy. Chef Dunn obviously emphasizes oceanfare in her repertoire. She crusts moist, white halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. ($28) with a macadamia macadamia (măk'ədā`mēə), name for the nut of the Macadamia ternifolia, an evergreen tree native to Australia, but cultivated in Hawaii. The nuts, also called Queensland nuts, are eaten roasted or raw. nut coating, perches it in a mango-lime butter sauce and plates it with vanilla-flavored basmati rice and 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. . Her coulibiac of blue nose sea bass ($32) may not be the finest coulibiac I've ever experienced, but it may well be the best coulibiac ever presented in Newbury Park. Coulibiac, often done with salmon, is a Wellington-like dish of Russian origin that eventually became a French cuisine staple, often constructed with its dough covering shaped like a whole fish. Here, the Dunn rendition has the tasty bass along with spinach and mushrooms arriving enveloped en·vel·op tr.v. en·vel·oped, en·vel·op·ing, en·vel·ops 1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering: "Accompanying the darkness, a stillness envelops the city" in a boxlike puff pastry wrapping. It's definitely not an easy dish to do well night after night, and the Tryst kitchen deserves applause for even attempting it. For tableside ta·ble·side n. The area beside or around a table, especially in a restaurant. adv. & adj. Made or prepared alongside a table: lamb that was carved tableside; a tableside recitation of the menu. drama here, five large, firm white shrimp ($32) flare brightly in a tequila-flamed orange sauce, then join a crispy empanada em·pa·na·da n. A Spanish or Latin-American turnover with a flaky crust and a spicy or sweet filling. [Spanish, from past participle of empanar, to coat with breadcrumbs : en-, stuffed with caramelized onions and cumin-flavored goat cheese after being ladled carefully onto a sweet pepper and corn relish. As if that's not enough, the large entree plate also sports a small mound of beet salad. Incidentally, all main courses here include a choice of the daily soup (one night recently it was a hearty potato leek leek: see onion. leek Hardy, vigorous, biennial plant (Allium porrum) of the lily family, native to the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. It has a mild, sweet, onionlike flavour. recipe) or a respectable house salad. So there's no doubt about any possibility of leaving here hungry. It just won't happen. But if there's an iota of room for dessert, Tryst provides plenty of options, even such traditional favorites (for two, $22) as cherries jubilee, crepes Suzette and bananas Foster. Which in any one of the comfortable dining rooms here, especially on a night (Wednesday through Sunday) when live jazz permeates the facility, makes this dining spot perfect for a romantic rendezvous ... even a tryst. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com TRYST at LE RENDEZVOUS Food: Three and one half stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: Three and one half stars Where: 1282 Newbury Road, Newbury Park. Phone: (805) 498-1019. Meals/hours: Open for dinner only from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Food type: French with Asian accents. Cost: Starters from $6 to $18, entrees from $24 to $32, desserts from $8 to $22 (for two). Credit cards: All major. (3 percent discount for cash). Patio dining: No. Parking/valet: Plenty of free parking in front and rear lots. Full bar: Yes. Wine/corkage: Conscientious selection of interesting wines includes six different flights of five 2-ounce pours ($15 to $23 per flight) and a three-sake flight ($14 to $22). Some 37 wines by the glass run from $6 to $22. Corkage: $12. Music/entertainment: Live jazz Wednesday through Sunday. Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery. Reservations: Yes. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Chef Gabriele Dunn and owner John Gress show off a Polynesian lobster dish at Tryst in Newbury Park. Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News |
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