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By Jill Garneski Leon
Have a
yen for something Chinese? Now's the time to break out the
good chopsticks. An entire dynasty of haute Chinese cuisine,
beautiful people, ornate surroundings and exotic drinks awaits
you.
1.
CHINA ONE
Eat,
drink, vibe and prosper is the mantra at China One. The space
is small, but the names are big - as in Wesley Snipes, who
opened the restaurant in 1998 with his enchanting business
partner, model Donna Wong. Wong grew up in the restaurant
business, and Snipes has a passion for all things Asian, so
the restaurant was a natural business venture for the charismatic
pair. "We got it together and there she is," says Snipes,
who acts as silent partner.
The intimate
room is classically decorated with crimson walls, black booths
and tables, Chinese paper lanterns, beaded curtains and a
28-foot-long steel dragon looming ominously
over the
crowd. "His name is Mr. Dragon, protector of the house," explains
Wong.
The food
is traditional Cantonese and Szechwan with an East Coast kick.
Proverbial favorites like barbecued ribs, roast duck and orange
chicken are well-prepared and presented. Snipes,
who has
been known to answer the reservation line and wait on an occasional
table, confesses that he loves the food. "The first time I
tasted it, I was floored. You'll see." His favorites are the
Woo Dip Har (which translates loosely to butterfly shrimp),
a specialty of the house and covert Wong-family recipe, and
the egg rolls ("They are rockin"').
The won
tons are impeccably crisped: One order of seafood won tons
easily turns to two, and the enticing spiced banana won tons
are covered in a medley of ginger, coconut, powdered sugar
and chocolate syrup.
Local
merchants and Hollywood types, like Eric Benet, Salma Hayek,
the Wayans brothers, Jerry Springer, Joe Sample and John Woo,
frequent this tres hip industry haunt. Dress to impress because
the style is funky and sexy, and make sure you get on the
list for Wong's and Snipes' next sake party.
China
One, 8290 Santa Monica Blvd.,
West
Hollywood;
(323)
656-2215
Entrees
range from $7 - $16.
2.
CHINOIS ON MAIN
If
Chinois on Main were a movie, it would be a Fellini. The second
masterpiece of celebrity' chef Wolfgang Puck and his wife,
designer Barbara Lazaroff, Chinois on Main is an outburst
of passion and eccentricity. Long before feng shui became
a must for interior design, Lazar tapped her own creative
alchemy for a look that would be timelessly vogue. She fashioned
an eye-popping, tropical orchid window and a scheme of celadon
green, fuchsia and black as a backdrop for her restaurant's
stage.
With Puck
at the helm of this Asian-inspired French/Chinese cuisine
(don't try that at home), the menu is as exciting as it is
delectable. The Shanghai lobster is out of this world, served
in a spicy ginger sauce with a fringe of crispy spinach. If
you prefer something less brazen, the chicken salad is delightful.
Tempura Ahi tuna sashimi with fresh uni sauce is a popular
appetizer, the specialty of the house is the whole, sizzling
catfish served with ginger and ponzu sauce tableside.
Located
on trendy Main Street in Santa Monica, local merchants, residents
and celebrities jam the restaurant daily. Fans include Brad
Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and her husband, David E. Kelley.
Catherine Zeta-Jones orders the catfish and Lauren Bacall
adores the chicken salad. The dress code here ranges from
dressy-casual to elegant, so don't leave out the style - you
wouldn't want to clash with the room.
Chinois
on Main, 2709 Santa Monica;
(310)
392-9025
Entrees
range from $22 - $39. Full bar.
3.
JOSS
This
two-room restaurant is a throwback to the austere, icy-cold
interiors of the '80s with sparse decor and sharp angles.
An auspicious touch of white tablecloths and affable service
soften the ambience, and there's a hint of emotion and humor
at the entrance, where celebrities can write on the walls.
What a witty way to get a permanent autograph from well-fed
stars.
The food
here is elegant and exotic, and all dishes are made to order.
You decide if your Mongolian lamb will be slightly hot, hot
or very hot. To say the bill of fare is interesting would
be an egregious understatement. With offerings befitting a
banquet for Buddha, the menu boasts items like glazed ginger
axis venison, shrimp with nuts of olive mellow and scallops
scorched with ginger and pomelo specks. The Riesling ostrich
medallions are lean, yet savory. (Ostrich has a similar texture
to a svelte steak - the meat is red, unlike any other fowl,
and not at all gamey.) The wine list offers one of the best
selections of Bordeaux in town. If you prefer a white wine,
the Chateau du Nozay Sancerre is a pleasant complement to
your crisp spring rolls Indochine.
Located
on the more polite side of Sunset Boulevard, Joss is a suitable
and convenient power lunch spot for top brass lawyers, agents
and managers from the Luckman Plaza across the street. Wear
a suit, if you're not a name-brand star like Nicolas Cage,
and don't even think about writing on the walls. In the evening,
Joss is a neighborhood eatery for locals whose houses appear
on sightseeing maps. Except for the famous graffiti, it really
is about the food at Joss.
Joss,
9255 Sunset Blvd.,
West
Hollywood;
(310)
276-1886.
Entrees
range from $12 - $38. Full bar.
4.
MR CHOW
Pow!
It's Chow and how. The word panache must have been created
to describe this restaurant, which was originally partnered
by A&M Records co-founder Jerry Moss. Since it opened
in 1974, Mr Chow has gone in and out of fashion right along
with bell-bottoms and big hair. Now, it's back with a bang.
The children of the original diners have rediscovered Mr Chow
- Casey Wasserman, grandson of former MCA chief Lew, and Kiefer
Sutherland, son of early patron Donald, are fans.
The dining
room's design was the brainchild of proprietor Michael Chow.
Striking black-and-white panels hang from the ceiling, but
the clever clincher was getting amazing artists to paint portraits
of Chow in exchange for free food. As you walk in, catch a
glimpse of Keith Haring's infamous "portrait of Chow in a
bathtub full of noodles, along with images from Andy Warhol
and photographs by Helmut Newton.
The menu
is Beijing cuisine, or Chinese royalty. According to Chow
lore, a Peking Emperor notified his provinces that they were
to present him with their finest receipes. The chosen morsels
became what are known today as Beijing cuisine. The more popular
of these delicacies are the drunken fish, which is a feather-light
filet of Dover sole poached in rice, wine and served with
sea mushrooms, green prawns marinated in spinach and, of course,
the Peking duck. The desserts, however, are Italian - go figure.
Like everyone,.
stars love the royal treatment and have their own favorites.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who comes with her parents, Blythe Danner
and Bruce Paltrow, enjoys the scallion pancakes, Tom Hanks
has Mr Chow's handmade noodles, while Mariah Carey can't decide
between the nine seaons prawns and the squab with lettuce.
If you want to -feel at home, wear designer couture - after
all, this is royalty.
Mr
Chow, 344 N. Camden Or., Beverly Hills;
(310)
278-9911.
Entrees
range from $21 - $48. Full bar.
5.
TRADER VIC'S
Everyday
around 5 p.m., the smell of Chinese ovens roasting mouthwatering
treasures wafts through Beverly, Hills. If you follow your
nose, you'll end up at Trader Vic's for cocktail hour. Immediately,
you're transported to another place and time. The dark bar
is carefully lit with flickering candles, and the aromas of
the Chinese ovens are replaced with fresh gardenias, mint
and rum. Stern Tiki and whimsical fertility gods act as sentinels
while topless sirens dance across your cocktail menu. Whoa!
You haven't even had a drink yet.
Don't
miss the bar experience, but go easy on the pu-pu appetizers
and Mai Tais, so you can enjoy everything this heady paradise
has to offer. Classics like fried shrimp and barbecued spareribs
should be sampled along with stealthily potent concoctions
from the bar - perhaps a scorpion or navy grog. Also, the
martinis are made to perfection. You will be gracefully escorted
to your table and impeccably served. The menu is largely Cantonese
and Hunan, with half the entrees prepared in the Chinese ovens.
The Cantonese prawns and Hunan scallops are worth the trip,
and the lamb and fresh sea bass are also good choices.
Dinner
jackets are requested and blue jeans are permitted only in
the bar area. Dressing for dinner is back, and glamour is
in. Hanks and Martin Short observe the dress code and have
been seen huddling in Hanks' favorite corner table. Whoopi
Goldberg has a standing Sunday night reservation - she usually
brings her mom. Some things don't change, and, fortunately,
Trader Vic's is one of them.
Trader
Vic's, Merv Griffin's Beverly Hilton,
9876
Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills;
(310)
276-6345. Entrees range from $20 - $42. Full bar.
JILL
GARNESKI LEON is the creator and host of Celebrity Soup. For
more information visit www.celebritysoup.net.
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