Three chefs: culinary trio receives standing ovation.

Just like the "Three Tenors"--opera stars who banded together to give collaborative concerts that achieved worldwide acclaim--a similar phenomenon is coalescing in Westlake Village, California, only this time the partnership is culinary rather than musical in nature, and the performance will not only delight the senses, but nourish the body.

Three chefs--Sandro Gamba, Celine Piano, and Masasuke Shimakawa--will be serving up masterpieces in gourmet dining at Hampton's, Onyx, The Lobby Lounge, and The Spa Care in the new Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California. Together these three chefs bring 65 years of collective experience at some the world's most prestigious restaurants in France, Japan and the United States. Like the Three Tenors, these three chefs will be displaying their talents against the backdrop of spectacular stage settings--in this case, the magnificently designed restaurants of the new Four Seasons Hotel, surrounded by elegantly landscaped grounds that include waterfalls, towering sequoias, extensive gardens punctuated with monumental boulders imported from Thailand's River Kwai.

Diners at Hampton's will be able to enjoy both the outdoor scenery as well as the restaurant's magnificent decor, warmed by vibrant crimson and lustrous gold, paneled with cherrywood millwork and accented by handpainted murals. A glass-enclosed chef's table in the kitchen offers a front row seat where diners can watch the culinary artists at work. Says award-winning Executive Chef Gamba, who will lead the talented chef trio: "I have never seen such beautiful kitchens. For example, in each kitchen, including the banquet kitchen, we have custom designed Bonnet stoves, which are to cooking what the Stradivarius violin is to music. There are special storage areas specifically designed for produce, fish and other items that need careful handling. It is every chef's dream."

What kinds of dishes is Chef Gamba dreaming up for his diners? How about Dungeness lump crab served with a cucumber cannelloni and grapefruit-citrus vinaigrette? Or a vegetarian mushroom tasting entree, with white bottom mushrooms and forest porcinis, laced with coriander. What's unique about Chef Gamba's compositions is his inventive combination of healthy ingredients.

Diners get more than rich, piquant flavor when they order the black bass topped with crispy anchovies on a red pepper compote--they're getting a heart-healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, plus antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C. The spicy curry vegetable bouillon for Gamba's steamed turbot with New Zealand mussels delivers on taste, while also supplying well-researched brain-healthy benefits from curcumin--a compound in tumeric, curry's main ingredient.

Such selections reflect owner David H. Murdock's passionate commitment to health and nutrition. A fish-vegetarian and a well-known collector of Asian antiques and artifacts, Murdock was deeply involved in developing the decor of Onyx, the facility's Japanese restaurant. Chef Masasuke (or Masa, as he's known) will have a dramatic stage upon which to display his dazzling knife skills in sushi and sashimi preparation. Onyx-inlaid doors open on a sleek, modern interior, incorporating backlit panels of semi-precious Carnelian flanking a 2,000-gallon saltwater aquarium over a drinks bar of glowing onyx. Leather booths are lit by custom-made onyx sconces while bamboo and rice paper lanterns hover overhead and gold silk lanterns hang over the sushi bar.

An avid jogger and swimmer, Chef Masa loves creating dishes that satisfy the palate while supporting health. "Japanese cuisine has always been about plenty of natural vegetables--that, and the availability of fresh fish has historically contributed to lower rates of disease and obesity. Having started as an apprentice in Japan, worked in America for ten years, and now to have an entire restaurant focused on authentic Japanese cuisine, I'm thrilled by the opportunity to share more of my country's food culture with diners in Southern California."

Of course, for those with a sweet tooth, one of the chief advantages of the healthy appetizer and entree items being developed by Chefs Gamba and Masa can be summed up in three words: Room for dessert! Enter Chef Celine Piano, stage right. Growing up in France's famed Basque country, she fell in love with the art of pastry making as a young girl. At 12 years old, she set her sights on becoming a pastry chef, landed an apprenticeship at age 15, worked endless hours for paltry pay in a male-dominated industry, rising to become executive pastry chef at Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond dining rooms.

Chef Celine is excited about the challenge of taking popular dishes and making them healthier, without compromising on taste. "For example, our panacotta, which people know and love, is made from coconut water and coconut milk, which makes it naturally sweet," says Chef Celine. As a chef whose reputation affords her a wealth of professional opportunities, she was drawn to the unique partnership with the California WellBeing Institute, through which she'll be able to share her skills and experience in the institute's LifeKitchen. "I love teaching," says Chef Celine. "People are often scared of trying to make pastries because they think they're so complicated. I can show them that it's really quite simple--and that it can be a healthy pleasure, rather than a guilty one."

For the other two chefs in the culinary troika, the chance to feed diners-not just with healthy food, but with knowledge about nutrition--was a major draw in joining this new venture. Says Executive Chef Gamba: "I really believe that the key to success is to go back to basics and teach people how they can enjoy simple fruits and vegetables that are not just good for the body, but also make you feel good. Our partnership with the California WellBeing Institute enables us to change the way people perceive food that is good for you. People are going to understand that healthy cuisine can be delicious, exciting and easy to prepare."

Superfoods ingredients, chosen for taste and nutrition, imaginatively prepared without over-reliance on fat and processed foods--now that's a recipe for a happier, healthier dining experience that won't add inches to your waistline, and may even end up adding years to your life.