New chef at the Maybourne cooks up a plan

British-born Damon Gordon will mix flavors of Europe and California among hotel’s 4 venues

Damon Gordon says diners at The Maybourne Beverly Hills can expect touches of France, Spain, Italy and Southeast Asia.

Gordon will fashion the menus at the Terrace Restaurant and the other eateries at The Maybourne Beverly Hills: The Maybourne Cafe, The Whiskey Bar and The Maybourne Bar. PhotoS by Andy Holzman

Spring pea gnocchi is among seasonal items coming soon, Gordon says. Menus in the hotel’s bars will include foods designed to pair with spirits.

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By Richard Guzman

riguzman@scng.com

The flavors of Europe, with a fresh California feel, are coming to Beverly Hills, thanks to a highly experienced chef who has recently taken over the kitchens at The Maybourne Beverly Hills hotel.

“I want people to experience a journey while they’re eating the best local product,” said Damon Gordon, the executive chef in charge of the venue’s various eateries including The Terrace Restaurant, the Maybourne Cafe, The Whiskey Bar and The Maybourne Bar.

“In general I would say it’s going to be modern European influence with heavy flavors of Southern France, Northern Spain, some Italian in there as well but also with a twist of Southeast Asian flavors and I also think some Indian food as well,” he said of his plans for new dishes at the hotel’s restaurants.

The British-born chef has an extensive resume with more than two decades of restaurant experience and gigs that include stints as executive chef at The Ivy Hotel in London and most recently the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalow in Santa Monica. Gordon is revamping the menus at The Maybourne and will be debuting new dishes this spring, and he plans to use local farmers market finds for his seasonal offerings.

“We are so lucky here in L.A. in what we have and what we’re exposed to, the farmers markets products, all the great farms near us. So I think that allows you to be able to use the best local products,” Gordon said.

The Terrace Restaurant is the hotel’s signature eatery, known for its California-inspired cuisine and al fresco dining. For the spring menu, which will launch in March, Gordon is planning dishes such as a gnocchi using local spring peas and an aged pecorino fennel. He’s also offering a poached Rohan duck, which is a cross between Pekin and heritage mallard ducks commonly used in French dishes.

“We’re going to poach it in jasmine tea first, then we’re going to roast it and serve it with some beautiful poached cherries, like a cherry reduction. It’s got a modern European composition, but then we’re utilizing a jasmine green tea from Asia,” he said.

Plans for the Maybourne Cafe’s spring menu include dishes like an open-face tartine with wagyu beef, as well as steamed mussels with garbanzo beans and harissa, a Moroccan spice paste, and housemade steak frites.

“You got a real mixture of flavors in there,” he said.

The hotel’s Maybourne and Whiskey bars will offer dishes from the main restaurant menus. The Whiskey Bar will also serve dishes designed to go with its whiskeys such as housemade potato chips with a smoky chipotle and salted caramels.

The Maybourne Beverly Hills is at 225 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills. For more information go to maybournebeverlyhills.com.