Chaya Brasserie [fusion of French and Japanese cuisine]: Brunch

Brunch Thirst Quencher: Ginger Strawberry Mojito {Lemonade with Strawberry Purée & Fresh Ginger, Fresh Crushed Mint Leaves Garnished with Fresh Lime}

A cross between a Collins and a Highball Glass held my potable liquid sans the rum and traditional sugar/syrup concoction that had all the makings of the popular Cuban cocktail, but was nonetheless, a mildly sweet nectar. It’s accompaniment of fresh mint leaves massaging the interior edges of the glass, slightly pressed, released a gentle, yet aromatic bouquet which made it attractive to smell and gaze at, as it was undeniably pleasant to soak along the tongue.

Appetizer: Crispy Goat Cheese Salad and Scarborough Farm Baby Greens {Portobello Mushrooms, Walnuts & Red Wine Vinaigrette}

What this salad dish lacked in shocking color (which I have grown accustomed to seeing in many of Chaya’s victuals) made up for in flavor. The deep china bowl contained the spongy, spreadable fromage de chèvre that sat atop the bed of vinaigrette-soaked greens. Lying underneath the bulbous mound of cheese were various strips of Portobello mushroom, the texture of which were nearly wafer-thin and melted in your mouth. The delightful crunch of the meal was compliments of the dried, semi-sweetened walnuts that populated the potpourri of fresh ingredients.

Chaya Brunch: Pappardelle, Kobe Beef & Porcini Bolognaise, Poached Eggs

I must admit that the running yolk of the poached egg was an unusual sight to behold as it mingled with the mushroom bolognaise sauce. However, the taste that it produced was an experience I’d soon like to recapture - - which may be difficult, as the dish was intensified by finely chopped chunks of delicious Kobe Beef which conveyed a salty richness. Each of the two eggs that rested atop the folded ribbons of pappardelle noodles were lightly sprinkled with a hint of Parmesan awakening another gustatory delight. As an aside, the elements that comprise this rather stately meal will immediately turn heads as it's brought from the kitchen to your table.

Brunch Dessert: Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée {Fresh Seasonal Berries}

The ‘burnt cream’ dessert was the perfect close to an already gratifying meal. The Hawaiian Vanilla Bean custard that wallowed underneath the caramelized-sugar shell was absolutely mouth-watering. Although not as healthy as I would’ve liked, the mixed berries that sat outside of the ramekin offset the crackling, confectionary decadence.

Chaya Brasserie, Beverly Hills

www.thechaya.com

Chaya Brasserie [fusion of French and Japanese cuisine]: Brunch

Brunch Thirst Quencher: Prickly Pear Lemonade {Lemonade with Prickly Pear Purée, Garnished with Fresh Lemon}

Upon my waiter’s placement of my mocktail before me, my retinal synapses immediately fired with delight as cubes of ice danced in a pool of cool, yet explosively vibrant fuchsia. The sprinkling of juice onto the drink from the ornamental lemon gracing the rim of the glass added an extra tartness that enhanced the libation making it a truly refreshing opener. With my palate awakened, and pulse quickened by the strained prickly pear accompaniment - - no spines were present from the cactus fig, although my taste buds were pleasantly pierced - - my table welcomed the arrival of my salad starter.

Appetizer: Slow Roasted Organic Beets & Cara Cara Oranges {Wild Arugula, Fennel, Toasted Almonds, House-Made Ricotta Salata & Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette}

What a time to be (suffering) without Hypergeusia. With an abundance of color, varied shapes and form, Wright couldn’t have crafted a more architecturally sound salad dish with ingredients so fresh, you’d think they were just grafted to the china from an organic garden nearby. The crowning element was the pyramid of ricotta salata, the chef’s-processed sheep milk cheese which acted as the slightly-salted, dairy mortar on my fork when combining the multiple taste-sensations teeming on my plate: the about-half-dozen-cherry-halves; non-acidic, yet on-the-verge-of-candied and cubed cara cara navels; the thinly sliced pickled-beets all of which were smothered in a frustratingly delicious Meyer Lemon vinaigrette. My knife took to the cheese like a heated blade to warm butter and the oil and vinegar sauce was just the right extinguisher as each glorious bite would cool in mid-air on its way to its Valhalla, between my lips.

Chaya Brunch: Wild Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict {English Muffin, Poached Eggs, Spinach, Hollandaise, Wild Smoked Salmon & Hash Browns}

The coup de grâce … the death knell: one look at the butane-torched hollandaise gracing the double mounds of egg complimented by two tiers of generously-served helpings of succulent smoked salmon and warm spinach and I was in a state of transient submission as if I had been shot without my knowing with a tranquilizer gun by the patrons at the next table. Once the egg yolk was pierced, history repeated itself as Mount Vesuvius erupted golden lava onto each respective muffin working its way to the golden-browned strands of potato confetti.

Brunch Dessert: Fallen Chocolate Cake {Vanilla Ice Cream & Raspberry Sauce}

The ribbon - - or bow - - atop the afternoon’s gift was the waiter’s-recommended Fallen Chocolate Cake, a surprising dessert that seemed to have a life of its own. Once the flourless walls were penetrated, molten chocolate and raspberry sauce poured out onto the plate making me wish I had a spoon in my arsenal. Thankfully, once it reached room-temperature, the liquid cast and hardened. The spectrum of temperature in the dish was remarkable: there was a sublime balance of warm and cold once reacted with the cool scoop of vanilla ice cream. A sample of fresh berries added color to an already desirable dish …

… with the flavors fusing in my belly, it was a nearly overwhelming experience, as if Francis Lai were executing a live-performance of his theme to A Man and a Woman and Michel Legrand stopped by for cocktails …

Chaya Brasserie, Beverly Hills

www.thechaya.com