THE GOSSIPING GOURMET: New chef at Claes missing extra layer

We love it when a new chef comes to town, especially when he takes over the kitchen at a restaurant we have already reviewed, because we get to review it again.

Sometimes the menu remains the same, but the tastes can be different because every chef has an individual style. Sometimes, there is a total transformation, which is the case at Claes in the Hotel Laguna.

Chef Jeff Platt has completely revamped the menu, offering steakhouse fare on the one hand and seafood with a California flair on the other. Strangely, fowl has been banished altogether. Also gone is the pretentious “menuspeak.” Offerings are clearly described in a way that doesn’t require a soliloquy by the waiter. The food is still very high-end, but the preparation tends to be clean and simple, allowing the flavor of each quality ingredient to shine through.

The décor remains the same, with soft beige and mocha tones that do not detract from the gorgeous ocean views, which dominate the room at this restaurant on the sand. Dining in the summer is particularly pleasant as you sip a glass of wine and watch the shifting light as the sun sinks spectacularly into the sea.

The amuse-bouche was a soupçon of soup “” lobster bisque. Rich with butter and cream, yet still retaining the essence of lobster, it was subtle and good, but we longed for another hint of flavor to give it complexity, a bit of fennel, a touch of brandy, just something.

With the extraordinary popularity of sashimi, could crudo be far behind? This Italian take on raw fish is popping up on menus everywhere. Originally referring to uncooked fish, drizzled with oil, lemon and salt, it has come to be shorthand for any kind of raw fish preparation from tartares to ceviches.

Claes offers a crudo plate with four varieties: one oyster, salmon tartare, crab salad and marinated tuna. The oyster was briny and tender, and left to stand on its own. The chopped salmon tartare was very fresh but unseasoned. It was ringed with a thin line of balsamic reduction, which wasn’t quite enough to flavor the entire portion.

The snow crab salad was not raw and wasn’t really a salad “” at least, we couldn’t taste any discernible dressing. The impeccably fresh shredded crab was enhanced with a bit of chopped chive, but why not just a smidgen of dressing? Last, and definitely least, were chunks of tuna in a Japanese style marinade, served with wasabi and daikon. The tuna lacked the creamy texture and bright flavor of sashimi grade tuna. The marinade turned the fish somewhat gray and left a slightly bitter aftertaste.

It is soft-shell crab season, and you can still enjoy this delicate crustacean for another few weeks. Rather than the most common preparation “” lightly breaded and deep-fried “” Platt sautés it to a crunchy finish without any coating.

This simple method makes for absolutely delicious crab, especially when the product is so sweet and juicy. The menu advertises an accompanying endive salad with garlic apples and tomato relish, but there were just a few shreds of endive and apple. Definitely a garnish rather than a salad, and the tomato relish was nowhere to be found.

The entrée menu is divided into Sea and Land. The land portion features five prime steaks, a kurabuta pork chop, a veal chop, a lamb duet (porter house and chop) and a surf ‘n’ turf. These are all served with a bouquet of fresh seasonal vegetables, a choice of sauce and a “preferred potato style.”

The sauce selections are: bordelaise (a red wine reduction), Robert (brown sauce with whole grain mustard), Bearnaise (like a Hollandaise with tarragon) and duxelles (sautéed mushrooms and shallots).

The potato choices are: Yukon gold and porcini mushroom puree (mashed potatoes flavored with porcinis), potatoes Anna (crispy layered potato cake), crisp potatoes with aioli and tomato brava (potato chunks baked in oil and topped with tomato sauce and garlic mayonnaise) and last, a potato risotto with bacon and rosemary (potatoes cooked in the style of risotto). Platt obviously loves his potatoes because these are all labor-intensive dishes, as are the sauces. All of which makes this a cut above (no pun intended) the usual steakhouse cuisine.

Sitting by the sea, seafood seems the obvious choice. Should it be bouillabaisse or big island tuna, Maine lobster or scallops? We were most tempted by the morel-crusted halibut.

Once again, the superior quality of the moist fish, cooked with consummate finesse, attested to the chef’s insistence on the finest ingredients. It was dusted with salt and morel mushroom powder that formed the thinnest possible crust and served in a tiny puddle of red bell pepper nage (a broth, usually seafood). It came with a very flavorful, well-seasoned melange of crab, Yukon gold potatoes and finely chopped tomato.

There is an interesting selection of desserts. For instance, S’mores Our Way consists of chocolate fondant, marshmallow brulée and ice cream, a very sophisticated version of this campfire treat, indeed. The brown butter pear tart is served with honey caramel ice cream.

We couldn’t resist the classic British dessert, sticky toffee date pudding. If you’ve never tried this lush, butterscotch indulgence, you’ve missed out on one of the great old-fashioned homey desserts. It is not a pudding as we use the term. It is more like a very moist bran muffin in texture that has had buttery brown sugar syrup poured into it for flavor. It was served with a splash of raspberry puree.

High quality ingredients can stand on their own but a chef’s job is to give them a little excitement. We missed that here, that little extra layer of flavor that turns a good dish into a great one.

We must mention that Claes has a world-class wine list, but they still have many very affordable bottles and a surprisingly modest corkage fee.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Claes at the Hotel Laguna

WHERE: 425 S. Coast Hwy.

WHEN:

Breakfast: 7 to 10:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday Brunch: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: closed Monday, Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Friday through Saturday 5:30 to 10 p.m.

PRICES:

Appetizers: $9 to $18

Entrées: $30 to $52

Desserts: $7 to $9

WINE:

Bottles: $25 to $6,000

By the glass: $9 to $14

Corkage Fee: $15

CONTACT: 949) 376- 9283 or (949) 494-1151

ELLE HARROW AND TERRY MARKOWITZ owned a la Carte for 20 years and can be reached at [email protected].