Executive Chef David Hands
The 7th Annual Calabasas Malibu
Wine & Food Festival, June 21- June 22, 2013 - Bouchon Bistro, Beverly Hills
“Everyone’s misconception is that French food is very heavy,” says Bouchon Beverly Hills Executive Chef David Hands. “We’re trying to change that.” Just looking at the sun-drenched, flower-accented dining room and patio, I’m already swayed. This place is simply too airy—maybe the prettiest dining room in the neighborhood, actually--to suggest anything heavy and heartstopping. And the menu bears that out: while it changes seasonally, dishes like the watercress, endive and Roquefort salad or Loup de Mer with artichokes and turnips are typical (though the classic Flat Iron steak frites is likely popular too). Fresh oysters and shellfish are also an emphasis.
“We are a traditional Lyonnaise bistro,” he says, “but also celebrate local ingredients. Coming from England, I’m amazed by the produce here. California has the best of the best.” The chef isn’t a fan of the frequently-used phrase “Farm To Table” (isn’t everything farm to table, really?) but couldn’t be more sincere about “using purveyors that are passionate about their product, and who share our philosophy.” That could mean someone just “up the road,” but if a better supplier happens to be in Pennyslvania (where they source their lamb), then so be it.
“The fundament of cooking is to make something taste like it should,” says the Chef. “We’re the last step in a long line, and all we have to do is not mess that up.”
Though Bouchon, located directly across a pretty mini-park from the Montage hotel, is the sister to Thomas Keller’s famed restaurants in Napa Valley and Las Vegas, Hands takes pains to show that this restaurant thinks for itself, too. “Working for Chef Keller, it’s great to have his name, but it also bears a responsibility. He knows every staff member by name, but he backs me and lets me do what we want to do.” Hands came here from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Devon, and then a stint at Keller’s Per Se in New York.
The chef shows me around the kitchen, bakery and pantry—designed to order by Viking—and it’s one of the most remarkable workspaces I’ve seen in a restaurant. All counters in the hot line have clean linens changed for every meal, and All-Clad cookware which is replaced every few months (the old ones are donated to cooking schools). There’s a huge video display connected to the other Keller kitchens, to encourage communication and closeness.
Produce in the Garde Manger is so perfectly displayed it would make Martha Stewart envious, and the gents making fresh loaves in the bakery work with the meditative movements of monks. Everything is so clean that if I didn’t see and smell a 50 gallon pot of stock being boiled down right in front of me, I’d wonder if they even made food here at all.
“Summer is the best time of the year for this location,” says Hands, starting to think about the du jour items he’ll offer in the upcoming season: “Lots of seafood, lots of produce.” With a healthy regular clientele (“Some come in four or five times a week!”), he has to keep things interesting. “For me, it’s all about sharing and family,” says Hands—describing how he likes to order a meal, but also every aspect of the restaurant. “That’s how I feel we should eat.” The Bouchon property also features a classic, well-appointed bar, and a small but gorgeously stocked bakery counter, open all day long.
By E.C. Gladstone
