Chef Michael Hung, formerly of Faith & Flower in downtown Los Angeles, has just opened a new restaurant, Viviane, in the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. Â This is not your typical hotel restaurant, Chef Hung has created a flavorful continental with French accents menu that will leave you wanting more.
The restaurant is chic in nature with clean finishings throughout. Â The outside seating is around the hotel pool with trendy twenty-somethings looking for a fun, but tasty night out. Â The bar is equipped with liquor to impress the most finicky of palates and a nice wine list to match.
To start we sipped on the Manhattan Flight which included a traditional Rye Manhattan, a Rob Roy – made with Scotch and Carpano and a Cuban Manhattan with 8-year Bacardi Rum and Hamilton Guyana Rum. Â The flight was a fun way to start, especially for those looking to explore some unique drink combinations.
The menu had an overall shared plates theme, starting with the Raw section. Â There was a choice of two different tartars – a Tuna and a Beef, a Pastrami-Style Salmon Tartine (which I thought looked interesting) and a Foie Gras Torchon. Â The Beef Tartar was amazing! Â The large chunks of raw steak were tossed with a mushroom duxelle, raw egg and caperberries. Â I found the flavors to be perky and not bland and I loved the texture and creativity.
The Salads were seasonal, especially the Persimmon and Pomegranate with Arugula, Frisee and Toasted Sunflower Seeds. Â I enjoyed the Honey Thyme Vinaigrette which added a nice balance with the fresh fruits in the salad.
The Bigger Plates had a smattering of pastas, pork belly, tofu ragout and quinoa with duck egg. Â The Ricotta Ravioli with Chanterelles and Delicata Squash in a Brown Butter Sauce was lovely. Â The only problem was that the sequence of dishes was a little off and we received the pasta after our steak arrived?! Â I will however, cut them a little slack considering they have been open for only 2 weeks, but maybe that was the chefs intent to deliver the plates in any order? Â
Our final dishes were a Rib Eye with Bone Marrow Gremolata and sides of a Smoky Potato Puree and Creamed Spinach. Â The steak was served with a Red Wine Reduction and had a nice flavorful crust. Â As for the sides, the potatoes were the best I have ever had with a hint of smoke and the creamiest of textures. Â The Spinach was nicely prepared too and I enjoyed the crunch of the mini croutons on top.
Viviane’s serves many other Large Plates including a Pan Roasted Skate Wing, Half Chicken & Dumplings and Seafood Boudin Blanc Sausage with Lobster and Scallops. Â If you never made it downtown to Faith & Flower, now is your chance to taste Chef Hung’s cooking at Viviane in Beverly Hills, it’s delicious!