The Dining Room

I returned to The Dining Room when Micheal Voltaggio was the Chef. After having been to The Dining Room several times and watching Top Chef I was very excited to return to The Dining Room. We ordered the Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings. This was a once in a lifetime experience. So of the notable dished were
–Foie Gras with Blood Orange Juice which was frozen so when you cut into it the juice spilled out.
–Beef tenderloin which was cooked to perfection and quite tasty.
–Skate which is a fish that is quite thing. However it Michael served put several layers together using a vegetable based adhesive.
–Pastrami Pigeon which was very interesting and quite tasty.
This was an overall GREAT experience. The food was awesome and at the end of dinner we were also able to meet Michael. He was very nice and friendly making conversation. One of my best dining experiences yet.

Wow… This is easily the best meal I have ever had on Earth!
There wasn’t as much diners compared to last time, so the meal was perfectly prepared. Everything was flawless. I don’t want to go into further description about the food, because I want to keep the dream in my head.
Chef Voltaggio has the honor of «best chef» for me!

Now, I don’t know much about fine dining. This was my first experience so take what I have to say with a grain of salt.
I thought everything was outstanding. My friend and I got the four course meal for $ 79. We wanted wine but it was an additional $ 45. Each of us got different dishes so we could maximize our selection.
Here’s a full description of my overall experience:
I’ll say the highlights were the free items. We reserved our tables through Open Table and because it was our first time we got 3 free items. Anything free is fine by me. Also a highlight were the Foie Gras Frito, Breads (AMAZING BREADS!), and Pork Belly. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to dine there any time soon because I just can’t afford it but it was definitely an experience I’m glad to have had. Kudos Michael Voltaggio.

«And here is our dessert plate complete with a chocolate „surprise“ lollipop…»
At first I thought I was lied to when I first bit into that handmade chocolate lollipop on a stick and tasted nothing amazing at all, but a couple seconds after I first tasted that chocolate… POP! Crackle! POP! It was pop rocks melted into the chocolate!!! Genius, I say. Pure Genius.
This place definitely knows how to end your meal on a high note. That extra dessert plate after we had our real dessert – their chocolate fools gold, made that meal phenomenal. I haven’t had a dessert that tasty I think pretty much my whole life. And the chocolate they actually made look like real pieces of gold! That fudgey taste enveloped by a peanut butter aroma and taste was divine!!! I almost wish I had eaten that in all of my 4 course tasting menu!
Yes, we did splurge and do the tasting menu and paid the extra money for the wine pairing here. You know what they say, go big or go home, so we went big, and spent big, ate big, and then went home pretty happy campers. I mean being the Top Chef fans that we are, we had to come try this restaurant when we were home in CA for a few days.
The highlights of the meal — pork belly paired with this orange hefeweizen was perfectly matched and perfect for our taste buds, and probably one of the best dishes we had. Their octopus starter dish with little things called buttered popcorn was a little chewy, but had a sauce drizzled on it that I definitely want the recipe for. They also had this lamb dish that they boiled in a bag rather than grilling or pan searing, which made that lamb taste like no other lamb I had ever had before. It was so tender and moist, and had I not known it was lamb, I probably wouldn’t have recognized it because it was cooked in such a novel way.
A couple of the fish dishes we were brought, especially that skate fish dish, I wasn’t as impressed with, but the journey Michael Voltaggio took us on during our meal was well worth the price. We tried to convince our waiter to let us meet him while we were there, but failed. Oh well!
And the other downside? Our service definitely seemed to forget about us a couple of times. We waiting FOREVER for our dessert to come out, so maybe that’s why they make it taste so good. That combined with the free godiva chocolate martini they brought us to say sorry, pretty much made up for those awkward minutes at our table without any drinks or food ha ha
And Michael, a little word to the wise, I heard you are renovating your restaurant, but seriously when we walked in, it looked like a old person’s restaurant – all of those muted colors, old ship paintings on the wall, didn’t really seem like the style of a Bravo TV show winning, young, trendy, and upcoming chef like yourself, so I hope you have revamped it a bit now!

Having just eaten at the French Laundry two weeks ago I thought for sure I’d been ruined for life at any other fine dining restaurant. I was (happily) dead wrong. :-)
First, I have to say one thing. if you are not a fan of molecular gastronomy and modern unique preparations do not come here. I came here with a couple friends who were just not into it because as they said ‘they don’t like their food manipulated’ and prefer good old fashioned cooking. I, on the other hand, am open to all sorts of cooking — cuz ultimately isn’t it all about how it tastes regardless of whether it looks like something else or tricks your palate somehow?
Anyhow, we all ordered the 5 course tasting menu and three of us also got the wine pairing. My first course was the fois gras — I had it chaud or hot but they offer both cold and hot preparations. It was divine and one of my favorite dishes of the evening. My other first course was the pork belly which I also found delicious, even though I’m not a huge fan of cabbage or kim-​chi. I found it added an earthy taste to the fattiness of the pork belly and was very well paired.
My two main courses were the lamb and kuroge beef. The lamb was sinful… the course came with a slice of leg and a slice of loin so you got the best of both worlds. It came on a slight bed of nori spaghetti squash w/​some added fried rice for crunch. The kuroge beef was good but a little strong — not sure how to describe it. My friends who had it felt it was too strongly seasoned perhaps and I tend to agree. It was probably my least favorite of the dishes although it was still more than edible.
For dessert we ordered one of each since there was four of us and passed the plates so we could sample all of them. Although my friends all chose the sticky toffee as their favorite, mine was actually a refreshing tart citrus panacotta. I’m usually a big chocolate person but there wasn’t a lick of chocolate on the thing and I couldn’t get enough of it! ;-)
My main complaint with the dinner was, to be frank, the wine pairing sucked. I’ve been to many fine restaurants and almost always get the wine pairing as I figure a sommelier is gonna do a WAY better job than I could ever do. At the Dining Room, it just wasn’t so. Out of 5 wines, three were sweet wines and one was a ginger beer. I am not a sweet wine person unless it’s with fois gras or dessert and I *detest* beer so unfortunately for me it was a total waste of money. Also, our sommelier twice didn’t even get to the table to serve our pairing until quite a bit after our food was sitting there getting cold. I’ve never seen that at a restaurant of this caliber. This is a michelin rated restaurant for pete’s sake. :-\
Anyhow, I would go back… even though it’s a bit of a trek from the OC. My friends were all kinda ‘eh’ on it and mostly said they wouldn’t go back but as I said, I think it’s cuz they were turned off by the gastronomy cooking and also the wine pairing was a disappointment to all of us.
I heard they are renovating it in a few months too. will be interesting to see how it looks. I kinda liked the ship models that are displayed all around the room. kinda funky but interesting. Hope they leave ‘em up. :-)

My boyfriend and I are major foodies, so coming up with the perfect place to take him for his 22^nd birthday was quite the task. I couldn’t be more excited after finding out about The Dining Room! We are huge fans of Chef Voltaggio and his work.
First off, the restaurant will validate parking so don’t worry about the $ 15 charge. I was really surprised walking into the Dining Room because it seems very traditional and classic, not modern and unconventional like I would have pictured. I think my only critique of the entire meal would be the atmosphere– maybe they should somehow remodel or update its look. I found it a little stifling for the creativity in the food presented and for an intimate conversation.
The food was PERFECT. I love, love, loved it! Even if you aren’t a major foodie (and why wouldn’t you be?!), I think everyone can appreciate the beauty, art, and simply delicious cooking at the DR. Everything is so well-​prepared and thought out, and the service was impeccable as well. We ordered everything our waiter, Ryan, suggested and weren’t disappointed at all. They take the time to thoroughly explain everything and answer your questions.
We ordered one four course (two beginning, one middle, one end) with a wine pairing and one five course (two beginning, two middle, one end):
— Japanese Shima Aji– this is one of the Chef’s specialties. When we spoke to Michael later, he mentioned that only three people in the US use this pickled baby peach. Apparently, these peaches are special in that it is used before the pit develops. It is light, sweet, juicy, and compliments perfectly with the bonito. The sea sponge gives it a complementary saltiness (since the fish isn’t salted).
— Langoustine: this was one of my favorites. It’s served with a bouillabaise sauce that is soo delicious. It’s very rich and flavorful.
–Bread with truffle oil and goat butter: this was one of the different breads they brought, but I just had to point out that it was soo delicious. It was fresh out of the oven and the goat butter was very, very unique! Very light with a hint of goat cheese.
— Pork Belly: done in two different ways with twists. One with kimchi and the other with a sweet, peanut reduction (almost Thai influenced)? I’m usually not a fan of this but I loved it!
— Mediterranean Sea Bass: I love seafood and I LOVED this. The sea bass was perfect: crisp on the outside and flakey and buttery on the inside. It simply melts in your mouth. The fennel and quinoa give it a great texture. The coolest thing about that is that you cut open a fried ball (I can’t remember what it is) and this wonderful, braised liquid comes out for the fish. Soo yummy!
— Wagyu short rib: Apparently this is braised for 48 hours before cooking, and you can taste how fully the marinate has soaked into the meat. It is so tender and juicy. You can see its twist with the «white» ketchup and potato «tots.»
— I’m not a dessert connoisseur, but my boyfriend liked both. Fool’s good has some amazing chocolate and hazelnut flavors (with gold flakes!) and the sticky toffee pudding was good too.
Afterwards, I worked up the courage to ask Ryan if we could meet the Chef and he said he will ask and make sure he wasn’t too busy. He came back and said yes! We went to the back, into the kitchen, and long and behold, there was Chef Voltaggio! He was in the middle of plating and told us to hold on a minute. We met with him, shook his hand (!) and took a picture with him.
— He said he will do an all-​star version if they find someone who can beat him!
— He’s in the process of expanding his name so he’s super busy but the restaurant comes first, although he’s not planning on opening his own.
— I told him I was also rooting for Jen throughout the season and he gave me a disappointed look, LOL.
— I told him my BF wants to work in the culinary business and asked if he had any advice. He said that he personally didn’t have any– he never even went to college. All but two of his staff went to Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. Here comes the best part: he said that my BF could totally come in during prep (12 – 2 pm ish) and help out! He’d be glad to have him.
So that concluded our perfect evening. Thanks Chef for an unforgettable experience!

Came back a couple of days ago for my bff’s birthday. Chef Michael, once again, did not disappoint. This time around we ordered the 4 course tasting. I was just way too crazy full after the 7 course last time, so we played it safe this time around.
We both started with the Langoustine and the Pork Belly. The Langoustine was as delicious as last time. It seriously is a must order when coming here. I sopped up all the sauce with the bacon bread we were given. YUM! The Pork Belly was tender and perfectly done. It had kimchi and a peanut sauce noodle accompaniment. Chef Michael said he just came up with the kimchi recipe the night before we were there. I thought it was very authentic and perfect in heat. I then had the short ribs, pot roast style with miniature tater tots. Wow, so good. Definitely a new take on a traditional comfort food. My bff had the turbot, which I thought was good, especially with the pickled radish. That was fantastic.
I was a bit sad the hearts of palm wasn’t on the menu anymore, but hey everything else was still just as delicious. We got to go back to the kitchen (again for me) to see Chef Michael. This time, his brother, Bryan, was there too! We were so excited! They are wonderful chefs with great personalities. Chef Michael said he would give me his kimchi recipe! I’m still waiting please! Can’t wait to go back again!

An amazing dining experience is the only way I can describe the Dining Room at the Langham in Pasadena. Having dined here previously when it was still the Ritz Carlton — the food has definitely undergone a stunning transformation.
I do agree with some of the Unilocalers’ complaint about the ambience of the restaurant — it certainly does not reflect Chef Voltaggio’s innovative cuisine. However, the atmosphere is still vastly improved as compared to my previously visit about 2 years ago when the décor was even more boring and the lighting almost non-​existent.
As for the food, well, we decided on the Chef’s seven course tasting menu (meaning that we did not get to decide on what we were gonna eat that evening). The tasting menu consisted of: Japanese Shima Aji, Langoustine, Foie Gras, Skate Wing, Pastrami Pigeon, Japanese Kuroge Beef, and Fools Gold for dessert. The night started with an amazing amuse bouche of foie gras soup — never have I had foie in this form — and I must say that it blew my taste buds away … it WAS that good.
The entire seven courses were outstanding … but my particular favorites included the skate wing which was served with brown butter and scrambled cauliflower. The Japanese Kuroge Beef served with a marrow toast and bordelaise sauce was unbelievable. That particular beef was so flavorful, rich and absolutely cooked to perfection … and to top it off … BONE MARROW!!! What at an insane dish that worked in every level. As good as the beef was, my absolute favorite of the menu was the Foie gras terrine served with apple, safron and aerated brioche. Having ordered foie as much as I can, due the impending ban here in California, I must say that Chef Voltaggio’s version tops them all. The flavor he was able to create with this dish is just incredible … and this is coming from a person who prefers their foie seared rather than in terrine form.
As an added bonus, we got to go to the back and meet the chef. Michael Voltaggio was surprisingly down to earth, gracious and was genuinely interested to hear our opinions on our dining experience that evening. He was kind enough to give us a signed menu and take photographs to forever remember a very special evening indeed. The Michelin star is truly well deserved … in fact I think it might even deserve two. I cannot wait to come back to my new favorite restaurant … and to think … it’s only about 5 miles away from my house.

I decided to try this restaurant because I heard that Michael Voltaggio is now the chef and he was from SLS hotel. I had the 7 course tasting menu $ 125 plus $ 70 for the wine pairing, and the food was excellent. Very creative, cutting edge, use of nitro and creating visual suprises against your expectation.
The tasting menu was:
Chips and Salsa (amuse boche)
Shima Aji sashima paired w/​sake
Langoustine with mushroom paired w/​Chanin Blanc
Foie gra terrine with Brioche paired w/​a fruity and sweet wine from Spain (hint of almond) *** a winning combination!
Skate fish paired w/​White wine from Rhone Valley
Pastrami pigeon paired w/​Belgium beer *** the dish was too salty for my personal taste
Wagyu beef with bone marrow paired w/​Château de Pez (St. Estephe) *** Delicious, well marbled beef, I prefer something from Pessac.
Nitro citrus lemon sorbet to clean the pallet
Pineapple with foam w/​Austrian chardonnay dessert wine
Chocolate cake
Service was good, prompt, and professional. Can’t complain for a hotel that’s losing money everyday.
However, the dining room really need to have their deco updated, it was the 80s style clubby steak house with wood panels and leather chairs. Doesn’t match the new American cooking that Michael is bringing to the diners. That’s why I have give it 4 stars instead of 5. Of course, this is «conservative» Pasadena and not West Hollywood.

I’m not going to go piece-​by-​piece through this menu, but I will say:
We went here while Top Chef was filming and so we didn’t know who had one yet, (but yay!!! Michael). Everyone in our party of five, (ha), got the tasting menu and we were all mostly pleased. One of our friends didn’t seem as gung-​ho, but, it wasn’t as much his thing. I really enjoyed my food, and I really enjoy when a chef shows personality and levity through their food. Also, when they throw in little add ons, like a raspberry-​chocolate «tootsie roll» made with edible cellophane, I”m game.
Now, right before we came here, we went to O’s steak and seafood back in CO for their 100^th molecular gastronomy tasting menu, and well, this wasn’t quite there. However, I think that the chef had only been at the Dining room for about 2 weeks before we came, which is not long. Also, the environment is not really our thing: a hotel, albeit a very nice one, that, when we were there, was filled with a lot of unhappy, rich-​looking old people. Kind of a stuffy environment. The couple next to us went through three bottles of wine and we never heard them laugh. However, the staff seemed to sense that we didn’t really care about pretense. They were friendly, very attentive, and kind of stayed near our table and ended up chatting with us.
Our main waiter, (yes I think we had more than one), talked to us about Top Chef. When he found out we had a signed menu from a previous Top Chef finalist, we asked if it might be possible to get a menu signed by Chef Michael. His response? «Why don’t we give you a tour of the kitchen?» Flash to all of us happily wandering into the kitchen and meeting now Top Chef Michael, who spoke to us for so long we thought we should go, and then kept talking to us! It was a wonderful way to end the evening. He clearly cares about his customers as much as he cares about his food.

I am a Top Chef fanatic and have been enamored with the Voltaggio brother’s throughout the show. My brother was nice enough to book reservations for us as soon as we found out who won Top Chef.
The restaurant is tucked away in the beautiful neighborhood of Pasadena. The hotel is looked quite small and not as grande as I would expect. I had read that they were going to undergo renovations for a couple of weeks in Dec. 2009. The restaurant décor is very typical of a Hotel Restaurant. Basic, and uninteresting. As many have mentioned, it did not seem to fit Chef M Voltaggio’s edgy personality at all.
The staff members were all very nice and did not reflect any form of stuffiness even though the room itself did. Patrons consisted of couples in their 40s and 50s and groups of women (probably here to meet the Chef =P).
We were given our menus and after about 15 mins we were offered the Amuse Bouche. We were each given a carrot and yuzu soda with coconut foam. It was really nice and refreshing. A nice beginning.
Next was bread. The choices of bread were whole wheat, flaxseed, and BACON. The bacon one was by far my favorite. Nice and savory bacon in a sweet roll.
My first appetizer was the Langostine. The langostine had a nice natural sweetness and was cooked perfectly. Underneath, was a mushroom purée that tasted like foie gras. It had that amazing umami taste. I could not get enough of it. The Bouillabaise sauce was poured tableside. It had a bold prominant shellfish broth flavor. On the very top it wasFennel confit? This was one of my FAVORITE dishes of the night. You can tell every component on this dish had a purpose.
Second appetizer was the Foie Gras Mousse filled with Blood Orange Sauce, Brioche Aeriated Sponge Bread. It was slightly sprinkled with some sour salt rocks. This dish was like heaven! The Foie Gras was so creamy and the citrusy sauce helped to cut the fat perfectly. When you combine all the components together. and put it all in your mouth, you will be speechless. The light and airy brioche went so well with the Foie. I am typically used to it being served with a crostini type of bread.
One of the main courses we had was the Braised Veal Cheek. It was tender, cooked perfectly. It was accompanied by a mushroom broth with a variety of mushrooms. The dish was nice but the appetizers were stellar.
The second main course was the Wagyu Pot roast sous vide for 24 hrs? It was extremely tender but not completely falling apart. It had just the right amount of marbling. This came with a potato mousse that had been tempura fried. I could have done without it but I guess it served as the starch. Nice preparation and handled delicately.
Another main course choice was the Turbot (white fish) topped with pumpkin seed granola. I’m typically a fan of fish with more fat content. I did not enjoy this dish as much. Although, everything was cooked perfectly and the presentation was beautiful.
Another surprise that came was the Black Truffle Brioche Bread. This was such a treat! Two of my favorite things together. This was served with a goat cheese cream. I could have eaten a dozen of these.
Moving on to dessert. I had the Sticky Toffee. This dessert was accompanied by a variety of items including, banana purée, banana flambé, rice ice cream, and citrus foam. It was almost like a dessert tasting menu.
Our second dessert was Espresso Coffee Cake with some Tuille cookie filled with cream. There were some other items that were on the plate that I may have forgotten.
In addition to the desserts we ordered we got a tray of nibbles from the Chef. The tray consisted of dark chocolate lollipops with pop rocks, herby macaroons, passion fruit jelly with edible wrappers. The passion fruit jellies had a burst of citrus flavor, almost like he was able to pack a whole fruit’s flavor into such a little candy. This showcased the Chef’s sense of humor and creativeness. Lastly, we had some ginger flavored dipping dots as a pallette cleanser.
We were able to meet the Chef after our meal which just made the whole trip there worth it. He appreciated any feedback we had on the food. Was interested to know what we liked and didn’t like.
All in all, I think Chef Michael Voltaggio has an incredible palette and I think that he is extremely creative. I think some of his combination of flavors were genius. Sometimes it sounded weird reading or hearing what was going together on the dish. but when you had it together. it was magical. It was nice to be able to taste the true flavor of the ingredients. and how the Chef was able to have those ingredients all shine in their own way. His dishes have a high level of sophistication and are so fun to eat! Portions looked small but at the end of the meal we were stuffed!
I just realized that he had a website up too.
for updates on the brothers. If the brothers do end up doing something together I think it will be off the hook!

Liz S. was totally cool about letting me do a guest-​blog on The Dining Room since we are both Top Chef fanatics. :) She is the most witty, observant, and thoughtful of food bloggers!
Forget the customary Sunday brunch after a morning of sleeping in or any notion of TGIF. My favorite day of the week is Wednesday and it’s all because of Top Chef.
After an exciting finale that had us on the edge of our seats (just which Voltaggio brother would take it?) there was no doubt that we just *had* to go to The Dining Room at The Langham to see what Chef Michael Voltaggio is all about.
Strolling into the very posh Langham lobby, I wondered how Voltaggio’s whimsical and contemporary creations would mesh with the formality of the hotel that accommodates The Dining Room. Upon being seated my sister, Heidi, and I noticed the «ship» theme. Hmph. It’s not the most modern or stylish of spaces, but I think that is set to change in 2010. As of this upcoming January, The Dining Room will close its doors to «revamp» and remodel the front of the house. I have no doubt that they will liven up the demure space and give it more a chicness that will compliment Voltaggio and his cuisine.
The menu offers the perfect variety. We decided to go with the five-​course menu, each ordering different items. That way, by the time we finished we would have tasted ten different dishes.
After starting off with a delicious bacon biscuit and truffle brioche with a chevre butter (so delectable that I started nibbling instantly) I was reminded: «Oh, don’t forget to take a picture!»
First we started off with the Langoustine w/​Fennel «Slaw» and Porcini «lasagna» w/​bouillabaisse. Divine. The Langoustine was prepared perfectly. I could have had several more portions of this.
Japanese Shima Aji. The pickled baby peaches gave the dish a complimentary brininess; the Benito flakes gave it the balancing crunch. I do admit that the texture of the dashi sea sponge was a little «different» and I could’ve done with a slightly smaller cube.
My sister had never had foie gras before and decided that it was decadent and wonderful. The aerated brioche and almonds gave the feathery dish a nice textural balance and when you cut into the foie gras there was a nice sweet apple-​saffron «surprise» that oozed that. Heaven.
My favorite dish of the evening was the Kurobuta Pork Belly. Succulent pork belly sous-​vide 48 hours (so said by our charming server, Joshua.) With pistachio beans, garlic chips, a pearl onion and coriander sauce.
The Turbot was dressed with butternut squash, Madras curry and a fun pumpkin seed granola. I love that Chef Michael never forgot that textural element in any of his dishes. Divine.
Chilean Sea Bass with fennel, quinoa, Billy-​bi croquette. Again, it was amusing and fun to cut into it and get the perfect amount of sauce drizzled on the sea bass. Between the two fish dishes we enjoyed the lightness and flavors of the turbot more. (Had my husband been with us, though, I know he would’ve loved the sea bass. Some people just prefer a meatier fish.)
The Veal Cheek with the cutest Hon Himeji mushrooms was a beautiful plate to look at. I thought for a split second that the lentil «balls» looked like braised blackberries. Again, what a captivating play on visuals. My eyes saw one thing and tasted another. And you have to give kudos to cuisine that can keep you on your toes. :)
The Wagyu Shortrib was prepared in a «pot roast» style. Earthy, comforting, cozy. My sister tasted nutmeg and thyme. I tasted marjoram and a little sage in the gravy. Served with confited potatoes and carrot «straws» this dish was the perfect way to wrap up the savory part of the meal. It was like a fleeting «hello and goodbye» of the holidays that have just ended.
As a little intermezzo we were presented with the most refreshing raspberry and yuzu «ice.» Shaped like the Dippin’ Dots that we enjoyed as kids, we appreciated the walk down Memory Lane.
We enjoyed the Fool’s Gold (chocolate and salty hazelnut praline w/​milk sorbet) and the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Lime and Banana Custard, and loved the flavorful but not-​too-​sweet aspect of both desserts.
The Fool’s Gold reminded me of Bryan Voltaggio’s mint and chocolate ganache during the Restaurant Wars episode and made me wonder if the brothers ever cook together and devise shared recipes.

so. as it was my 4^th time coming here, I was a bit disappointed that I was going to try the same place that I’ve tried a couple of times. esp since I’ve had complimentary drinks, appetizers, entrees galore when my friend dated a waiter from here, and the fact that there were so many other restaurants yet to be discovered! However, I’m REALLY glad I did and the money was well spent. My friend had wanted to come here and made reservations the day before because he had wanted to try food from Michael Voltaggio (he loves Top Chef).
However, the menu had changed completely. It’s a set course of 4, 5, or 7 courses. As we opted for the 5 course menu, here’s what we ordered:
Amuse Bouche (compliments of chef): Small cup of caviar with some sort of sauce that I can’t quite pinpoint. The creamy sauce really balanced out the saltiness of the caviar
Appetizer: I really don’t have much to comment on these expect the fact that they were okay. Delicious but not extremely impressed.
1. Octopus
2. Langoustine
3. Foie gras
4. Japanese shima aji
Before we had even hit the 2^nd appetizer, the waiter comes by and says, «The chef notices that the next dish has a bit a lag time, so the chef is offering complimentary wine to compliment your next appetizer.»
So the waiter comes and gives me a 2000 red wine, and my friend a 2001 white riesling. Names I don’t remember since I don’t drink wine. Delicious!
Then before our entrée, gives us a complimentary black truffle brioche. Tastes like a not so buttery light croissant with black truffle shavings. My friend had said that the black truffle is quite expensive, so to be able to know how where to put it in order to compliment it is a challenge, because it’ll be a waste to use it for whatever.
Entrée:
1. Wagyu short rib: Melt in your mouth good. Very rich. They had placed carrots and coconut foam on top.
2. Halibut: Melt in your mouth good. I loved how they cooked the skin so that it was crispy and salty. They had this small ball encapsulated with a liquid sauce, in which they recommend you cut it in the middle so it spills directly onto your fish.
3. Veal cheek
4. Hen — new on menu, recommended by the waiter
Pre-​dessert (compliments of chef): Small tiny egg-​nog flavored dip and dots. Definitely reminded me of Bazaar.
Dessert:
1. Sticky toffee pudding — The toffee cake was so good with sticky toffee draped around the cake, with vanilla ice cream on top. The middle contained a banana cream, and the right side was crème brûlée ice cream.
2. Baba Au Rhum — Don’t remember much by this time as I was really full and very sleepy.
Post-​dessert: YES THERE IS ONE! WOW. After all the free things that they gave us. Very happy and beaming by now. My favorite was the plastic edible wrapped passion fruit jelly. OMG I wish I can buy some at a local market or something! Then there was the powdered lime ball which I licked and didn’t want to eat. Lastly, a dark chocolate lollipop that had a «surprise» inside, which was your pop rocks in the center. Fun to eat. and loved every single piece.
Oh, and the bread! SO GOOD! I can take a dozen home with me! Bacon bread and regular wheat bread. SO FRESH SO GOOD. SO REFRESHING. They offered salted butter and unsalted butter.
Apparently, Michael had worked at Bazaar and transferred what he learned there over here. The dishes were more creative, and definitely had you wondering what flavors you were tasting. I noted that the service was extremely personal and attentive, to the point where they knew exactly when you finished your dishes, when to clean your table, and refilled your water every time it was half empty. I believe the waiters here only service 2 tables, with 2 busboys that were consistently helping out. I would have to say this place gave me the best service I have ever had in my life. I felt like I was a celebrity dining here!

We went back again to the Dining Room on Saturday night after having tried the restaurant a few months back when Chef Voltaggio had just taken the helm. Last time, we ordered every dish on the menu and it was good then, but now that the chef has had more time, it’s just gotten that much better. As such, we were lucky beneficiaries of an amazingly delicious meal.
To begin with, our opening amuse was incredible. I believe it was a jamon iberico flavored cream with a gelee topped by caviar. It was sheer heaven, and everyone at our table wanted more of it.
I had the sweetbread next which was wonderful. The texture was perfect and the sauce was incredible. The presentation was also just beautiful (though that’s to be said about all of his dishes).
Next was the new dish the chef just added to the menu that night — this would be the special turnip soup with foie gras terrine and pear that he made for the Top Chef judges in Napa (Finale Pt 1) elimination challenge. I think he made the tweaks Gail Simmons suggested because it was perfect. All the elements just went together beautifully.
We had made a special request for the chef to make one of his winning dishes from Restaurant Wars — the cod with parsley sauce and billi-​bi croquette (I got mesmerized with this dish from the show because of all the gorgeous colors). Though we got dover fish instead of cod, it was lovely. And I’m sure it would have been even better had I not burst my croquette on the plate instead of in my mouth.
Next I had the duck with which had a more Middle Eastern preparation — Merguez, Red Pepper Couscous, Almond and Harissa. I tend to like a very traditional duck preparation, and this was very different, but I liked that it challenged me with very unique flavors.
I think the best middle course though was the Japanese Kuroge Beef with Marrow Toast, Matsutake and Bordelaise Sauce that I took a bite of from D’s plate. (This dish required a supplemental charge, but it was a real standout. The texture was melt-​in-​your-​mouth).
For dessert, I had ordered the coffee cake, but I liked hubby’s choice of sticky toffee pudding even better. That toffee was sublime.
After that, I was too full, so hubby ate all my dessert amuses, especially the candies with the edible cellophane which are his favorites.
All in all, a stellar meal. It is easy to understand why he is Top Chef.

#115
The Langham and the surrounding neighborhood are just beautiful. The hotel itself is set back pretty far from the street so your only option is valet parking, but it’s not a big deal since the restaurant validates, the otherwise $ 17 charge IIRC.
The first thing I thought walking into The Dining Room was, «Michael Voltaggio works here?!». If you’ve watched him on Top Chef, you certainly wouldn’t expect such a personality to be working at The Dining Room. I mean, I could totally see the guy as Executive Chef at The Bazaar, and indeed he was, but here threw me a bit off. The classic décor of The Dining Room’s dining room just didn’t scream Michael Voltaggio to me.
Anyhow, I’m going to start off with some bad first. We weren’t given a wine list, just the cocktail menu. It wasn’t like we just walked in off the street. We asked for the wine list, which took about 20 minutes. It wasn’t even a busy service. After consulting with the sommelier and ordering a bottle, it took another 20 minutes before our server came to ask if we wanted to see the menu or just go ahead with the tasting menu, which we told her at the start.
The pacing of dishes seemed poor. There was way too much time between dishes as we approached the middle and end courses. And finally, this was a minor gripe, but the servers constantly reached across our bodies to place silverware, plates, and glasses. It’s a minor thing, but that’s something you never see in fine dining.
Alright, so service sucked, but the food really came through and was excellent. I was able to get a tasting menu printed, but a lot of detail was missing, so I’ve made annotations. Sorry for the poor photos, blame the low light and my iphone.
–Amuse Bouche: Baby Japanese Peach, Yogurt, Curry Tuille
It was so refreshing. The way the yogurt was encapsulated in a thin layered ball allowing for the amazing burst of liquid, similar to what’s done at The Bazaar with the «olives».
–Pacific Yellowtail: Soy-​Watermelon, Sea Sponge, Smoked Egg Yolk, Wasabi, Sea Salt, Puffed Rice
The fish was very fresh and had an interesting flavor combination with salty (sea salt), sweet (soy-​watermelon), and smoky (smoked egg yolk).
–Langoustine: Young Fennel, Lobster Mushroom Lasagna
Having never had langoustine before, it looked like a shrimp. But as I understand, it’s more in the realm of mini lobster. That said, I loved this dish.
–Foie Gras: Aerated Brioche, Concord Grape, Sunchoke
I’m generally not a foie gras fan, but I liked this. I feel like the brioche helped me balance the rich flavor of the foie gras.
–Turbot: Butternut Squash, Madras Curry, Pumpkin Seed Granola, Yogurt with Pumpkin Oil, Sorrel Leaf
The second fish course was just as good as the first. Combining all the elements into each bite was a bit of a challenge, but well worth it.
–Pastrami Pigeon: Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, Rye
I might have missed it, but I didn’t taste any Swiss cheese. While the menu says «Sauerkraut», it was more of a sauerkraut gelee.
–Wagyu Short Rib: Flavors of Pot Roast (Potato Medallion, Carrot Cylinder, Puréed Potato, Garlic Chips)
It was certainly a nice cut of meat and I thought the puréed potato looked pretty cool on the plate — perhaps a bit too buttery/​salty.
–Pre-​dessert: «Strawberries and Cream»
This reminded me of those little ice cream dots that you can get. It surely tasted like strawberries and cream.
–Fools Gold: Chocolate, Salty Hazelnut Praline, Milk Sorbet
Wow, this was rich. If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll be in heaven. As if one wasn’t enough, my sister couldn’t finish hers … so I did haha.
–Post-​dessert: Fennel Seed Macaroons w/​Butter Cream, Blackberry & Lychee Jam Gummies, Dark Chocolate Lollipop w/​«surprise»
The gummies had an edible wrapper and the «surprise» was pop rocks inside the lollipop. I felt so juvenile with pop rocks popping in my mouth, but how cool.
I read that Chef has mentioned how few covers there are at The Dining Room. It’s kind of ironic because I also read that he complained about too many at The Bazaar. Anyhow, The Dining Room is supposed to have massive renovation in January 2010. I’m interested to see how it evolves.

We went here for dinner Thursday night. You really can’t describe the meal as «dinner.» It’s much more of a dining experience from beginning to end. We were impressed by the food, service, and especially the bread/​water guy who clearly took his job seriously.
While The Dining Room certainly isn’t the type of place I can afford to eat at regularly, I highly recommend it for any special occasion.
Also, you MUST go with the Chef’s Tasting Menu. Each item is best described as tempting to the eyes and fun in your mouth. The Japanese Shima Aji with pickled baby peach, sea sponge and bonito was my absolute favorite, but every bite of every dish was delicious (the only exception was a sour gelee that came with the pastrami pigeon which was too sour/​salty for me).
After dinner, we got to see the kitchen and meet Chef Michael Voltaggio who was incredibly humble, gracious, and friendly. I was also amazed by how spotless the kitchen was!
The food, the Chef… everything here was simply fabulous! Check out my pictures (with captions) to see some of the highlights.

The boyfriend is a japanese chef so we like to splurge on pricier restaurants from time to time and since he won hundreds in poker last night we decided to hit up ZE DINING ROOM. our bill ended up to be around $ 350 including tip + tax.
i watch top chef all the time and those tats on chef michael’s arms are just delicious. I couldn’t figure out what to wear and wanted to wear just jeans but my friend told me to to wear a dress. I didn’t listen to her advice and when I got there, I felt a tad bit underdressed. We went on a Tuesday night and everyone there was more than triple our age. no joke. This one guy that sat across from us looked exactly like the old dude with the Nazi secret from the movie Inside Man (sorry if that spoiled anything).
Anyway, I’m rambling. Onto more important things. the food. Check out all the photos I took! We both selected the 5course tasting menu for $ 95/​person. I have to say, my favorite was the Halibut Cheek with Cauliflower and Lemongrass foam.
We also got the foie gras, Pacific Yellowtail, Japanese Kuroge Beef (don’t forget, you have to add $ 30 on top of the tasting menu for this one), Black Cod, Suckling Pig, and Turgot.
If I were to do it again, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the Kuroge because to me it wasn’t ALL THAT… The Black Cod has a very powering UNI taste so if you’re not used to sea urchin, order something else.
I have to say though, you can DEFINITELY tell the chef put all his heart and soul into creating this menu. Every single dish had some sort of surprise or unique element to it AND all the different flavors worked together.
For dessert we had the Mascarpone Cheesecake and Fool’s Gold. I have no sweet tooth so the fool’s gold was way too sweet for me. It had a unique sesame-​ish base with toffee and a hint of bitter chocolate and yes… there really is GOLD on top of the chocolate (see photo). I really liked the TOMATO SORBET that rested on top of the cheesecake… very delicious flavor.
Every person there was drinking wine because a) the wine list is insanely extensive and b) they’re all more sophisticated than us. BUT… If you decide to get a cocktail… you MUST TRY the Maker’s Mark one… it’s sweet and acidic but compliments the bourbon PERFECTLYYYY. We also tried the Curry gin and tonic which tasted herby. almost like lavender.
Our server deserves 500 cookies because he ended the night with our bill PLUS these really freaking good dark chocolate lollipops with… WAIT FOR IT… POP ROCKS INSIDE!!! what a snazzy surprise in the middle. if you go to the dining room and like dark chocolate… you must ask for this.
3 ending words. Michelin Star Deserved.

I was taken here for my Birthday last night since I’ve been wanting to check out this restaurant. The Langham hotel (former Ritz Carlton) was beautiful! It was pretty empty, even the restaurant… then again it’s a Tuesday night and bad economy.
We ordered the Chef’s Tasting Menu of course. Started off with the amuse bouche — ick. That was the worst amuse bouche I ever ate. Some kind of homemade noodles with whipped chanterelle sauce. It was sooo salty I couldn’t even eat it. I was getting a little nervous about how the real meal is going to taste.
2005 Riesling that was great.
Bread — olive bread and a sourdough, nice and warm but a little too hard and crusty on the outside for me. Came with butter from Normandine (nice and sweet), and some other kind of salted butter I don’t recall.
First course — Jamon Iberico de Bellota (best part of the melon, sherry vinegar tapioca balls, marcona almonds). Very refreshing and nice.
Black truffle brioche with gruyère butter — OMG, the best ever!
Second course — King Salmon with porcini mushrooms, pine nut butter (homemade porcini mushrooms) — wow, the best salmon dish I’ve ever had. melted in my mouth and the homemade porcini mushrooms were perfectly seasoned.
Third course — Tomato tartare with parmasean over easy, tapenade powders — this was neat. It looked like eggs over easy but it was not eggs at all. The yolk part was dressing, and the white part was parmasean cheese but it looked like a real egg. Loved the creativity. The tomatoes were so sweet.
Fourth course — Veal cheek with lentils, shimeji mushrooms and dehydrated bacon — this was okay, not a fan a the bacon since it tasted funny
Japanese Kuroge Beef with honey glazed eggplant, nori rice, whipped soy — delish! can’t go wrong with Japanese beef. The eggplant and whipped soy were too salty. The chef tends too over salt his dishes with rock salt, but because of the creativity of his dishes I’m giving him 4 stars.
Sweet prelude — vanilla and root beer ice cream but looked liked dip’n dots.
Coffee cake with nitro, lemon — the chocolate cake was like a molten cake, then espresso mouse with freeze dried in nitrogen, and the lemon ginger thing was in a crisy thin wafer. I was soo full I couldn’t finish it up.
I got a signed menu from the chef so that was nice. I would come here again, and hopefully next time they don’t over salt their dishes.

DineLA Restaurant Week.
Stellar. Simply stellar.
The tables are spaced far apart so you have privacy. The décor is quiet elegance. The service was top notch. In fact, from the time you see the valet guys, all the way through the hotel, and into the restaurant, you are treated like you are their top priority guest.
Dinner:
Amuse: kanpachi with micro greens. It was good.
1. Squash Blossom Tempura — Stuffed with Brandade, Microgreens and Romesco Sauce. So flavorful, crispy, delicous.
I tried my friend’s stuffed baby squid, it was good, but I liked mine better – more flavor from the brandade.
2. Catalan Cod — Torta Espanola, French Green Beans, Chorizo, Brown Clamshell Mushrooms, Escabeche and Olive Oil Chive Broth. Oh my god, the cod was just perfect. So light, and it flaked just right, perfectly cooked fish. The green beans were cut into thin pieces lengthwise and wrapped into a small bundle with a piece of chive.
I tried my friend’s pheasant, also perfectly cooked, but I still liked mine better.
Pre-​dessert: chocolate ice cream/​sorbet? raspberry purée, and something on the bottom. I was kind of obsessed with the plate this was served in, kept thinking I’d never go through all this trouble at home so I would never have a use for that plate that seemed to have been made just to serve this pre-​dessert.
3. Milk Chocolate and Cardamom Mousse — With Banana Fritter and Myer’s Rum Ice Cream. Everything was minty. I couldn’t even taste the cardamom.
I tried my friend’s Poached Pear and Hazelnut Cake — With Dulce de Leche Mousse and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream. Again, it was very minty.
Their desserts didn’t quite live up to the other courses.
At the end of this meal, I had a newfound appreciation for microgreens. It was the perfect way to add a touch of very welcome greens to the dishes.
End with some mignardises. You know, those teeny sweets high end restos bring out before the bill. I love this ending to dinner, I get giddy when I see the mignardises.
Is it worth going back at full price? Absolutely.
The final touch: when the valet brings my car up, he asked me if I’d like a bottle of water to go. Now that is a first.

This is definitely a place to go when you want to impress you and your guest. Its located in the landmark Langham Hotel Pasadena (formerlly known as Ritz Carlton’s Dining room). It has completed its renovation in ⁰¹⁄₂₀₀₉. Its a perfect place to go for a special occasion. The servers are all very attentive and friendly where brings the taste, presentation of the food and the service into a wonderful dining experience.
Our Amuse-​bouche was Kanpachi Tartare with micro greens. Simply gives me an idea of how good the taste for my upcoming meals.
Appetizer wise, We ordered: 1) Monterey Baby Calamari
Bread Stuffed and Sautéed, with Aioli Sauce, Arugula Salad, Parmesan, Lemon Dressing. The Calamari is perfectly cooked, tender yet still cripsy. For some reason I hope the stuffing inside will be slightly more juicer. 2) Liquid Polenta and Truffles
Poached Quail Egg, Serrano Ham, Shaved Fresh Truffles. I like this one a lot. It’s pieces of black truffles on top of thinly sliced hams on a bed of liquid polenta. One of the best appetizer I had in a while.
Main Course:
1)Turbot — Sautéed, with Fresh Potato Gnocchi, Artichoke, Fresh English Peas, Mussel Nage. This fish is actually a part of flat fish category. Its very tender and the fresh peas are very delicious and the presentation of this dish is just wonderful. However, I don’t recommend this fish if you don’t like the fishiness in your fish dish.
2) Muscovy Duck Breast — Sautéed, with Duck Leg Rillette, Basil Potato Mousseline, Cipollini Onions, Huckleberry Sauce, Medium-​rare. The duck-​leg rillette is delicious especially with the onions on top of it highlighted the taste of this slowly cooked meat. The duck breast itself. Its one of the best I have had in years also. Its perfectly tender and cooked to perfection without losing its taste. This is a must-​have when you visit this restaurant, in my opinion.
Pre Dessert — Chocolate Sorbet, Raspberry purée.
Dessert — Poached Pear with Hazelnut cake, caramel sauce. Fresh Cream ice cream with mint. I love the fresh cream ice cream ALOT. Its so creamy and smooth texture. It just simply melts in your mouth and the creamy milk taste just spread all over your tastebud!
Petit Four and Chocolate was also served on the house.
This place truely deserves Michelin 1* and AAA 5*****. I just wish they can bring back the old chandelier, it’ll make this place feel more old-​world elegant. Definitely recommend.