Viviane — Restaurant in Beverly Hills

The appetizers we ordered were unique and clean tasting. The duck proscuitto platter was my favorite. Each element in that "summer-themed" plate had a different taste and texture, from the dry-cured duck served with arugula, to the porky rillette that pairs with country bread, to the peach served two ways, one as a grainy mustard and one in thinly sliced form, to the fresh beets and grapes, to the refreshing cucumbers glazed with a tart dressing.

The other appetizer, an albacore tartare with giadiniera, was a little messy in my opinion. The giadiniera or small picked vegetables are meant to add a unique flavor profile to the albacore, but I thought that it was overused and that made the dish too bright.

Moving onto the main courses, we ordered the mafalde with star anise braised quail sugo and the California white bass. Unlike the appetizers, the execution of these main dishes were somewhat ordinary, nothing too edgy, standard hotel restaurant fare. The taste of the grilled white bass was unremarkable, it was a meaty and mild fish, with texture of chicken.

The mafalde dish did remind me of a Thai stir fry, I suppose it was a modern version of something like the pad see ew, with premium handmade wide noodles, substituting chicken with quail, although both probably taste very similar when drowned in the garlic and basil-infused broth. This concept is somewhat alike the Taiwanese Sunday gravy pasta at Status Kuo in Mar Vista, by elevating the quality of ingredients in Asian comfort dishes. Honestly, I thought that Viviane's mafalde was just alright, after having one of the best at Ask For Luigi in Vancouver a few days before. The mafalde there was curly and cooked al dente, and here the texture just wasn't that bouncy.

For desserts, we had originally ordered the Japanese Cotton Cheesecake and a Chocolate Mousse, but we were served Black Sesame Panna Cotta and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches instead. They turned out to be exceptionally tasty, but I wish the server would have warned us that the original desserts on the dineLA menu were not available. I would have switched out the ice cream sandwich for a banana cream pie.

Between the two desserts, I thought that the Panna Cotta was by far the more interesting one. It was very well executed, neither too creamy nor watery, had some gelatin structure, and lingering black sesame paste flavor. The taste combination of black sesame, floral vanilla, nut, and fruits clashed very well.

It was fairly obvious that this season's menu is Euro-Asian themed. The clean French bistro cooking with Asian flair is no doubt unique and after having two remarkable experiences with Chef Hung's dishes, I'd like to visit again when the menu refreshes...

A hidden gem in Beverly Hills, this restaurant, located inside 4-star Avalon Hotel, is a PERFECT place to relax, and enjoy the beauty around you. Despite its 4-star rating, it is a very cozy no frills place of relaxation. There is no pretense here, they are focused on customer service, quality food and making you enjoy your visit.

I really felt a very comforting vibe there. Simply elegant. You are greeted by the valet (complimentary), there is a trickling fountain and several bicycles which you may use in the residential neighborhood or to run errands in the area.

The decor of the hotel is eclectic - modern mixed with artistic and retro style of 1950s, the era in which this luxury apartment building (converted to a hotel) was built.There is modern art and architecture throughout - the lobby has some interesting chess pieces and abstract art, among the very comfortable circular couches.

Each table in the dining room and poolside have colorful desert plants, the seating is all cushioned and very comfortable. There are plenty of windows here, making this a nice open space - dining in the restaurant or just chilling by the pool.

You may dine in their dining room, which faces the pool, but there are tables, couches and tables, as well as private cabana tables surrounding the uniquely shaped pool.

They get very busy during peak meals times, so it is best to make a reservation. Otherwise, safe to say that you can drive in and be served reasonably quickly if you do not arrive during peak hours.

I recommend this place for relaxation first. However, it seems that this would be an excellent choice for romantic meals and business meetings because it is low key, off the beaten path and due to its location in a residential area. It is near shopping and other conveniences.

I truly look forward to my next visit!...

I came here for a birthday party and found the whole experience very pleasant. We came in and before getting seated we decided to get some drinks. The bartender was very knowledgeable and helped us select and make our drinks. Not too strong, and had a great taste to it.

Then as we sat down to begin our dinner, the waiters came by and made sure we all had water. As the courses started coming in, we were treated to a tantalizing appetizers. Most of them were normal ingredients presented in a very unique fashion. I loved most of the appetizers, but they were quite small portions.

For the main courses, there was a bit of a wait in between the courses. Nothing unbearable, but the timing could have been improved slightly. But they were definitely worth the wait. Their chicken was delicious! The meat was tender in the middle, but I wish the skin was a bit crispier.

Dessert was delicious. Nothing particularly memorable, but it definitely didn’t let down the atmosphere the rest of the dinner had built up.

I would be glad...