Wolfgang Puck
The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famous chef has built an empire that encompasses three separate Wolfgang Puck entities: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.
Puck began cooking at his mother’s side as a child. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang began his formal training at fourteen years of age. As a young chef he worked in some of France’s greatest restaurants, including Maxim’s in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 3-starred L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States.
ESQUIRE MAGAZINE’S "BEST NEW RESTAURANTS" CELEBRATES WP24 BY WOLFGANG PUCK
On October 11, 2010 Esquire magazine announces its "Best New Restaurants" of 2010 including WP24 by Wolfgang Puck. With WP24, Puck has once again changed the city’s culinary landscape with his modern interpretation of traditional Chinese cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles located downtown at L.A. LIVE.
As if Wolfgang Puck didn’t have enough irons in the fire, here he goes opening a classic, high-flying Chinese restaurant on the 24th floor of the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel. WP24 is classic Puck—dramatic design, adaptive cuisine, and…the flair and finesse of Chinese dishes, said John Mariani, Esquire Food and Travel Correspondent.
The menu at WP24 reflects Puck’s and Managing Partner & Executive Corporate Chef Lee Hefter’s time spent in the Far East and respective passion for Asian ingredients and cooking methods. The various tasting menus in the main dining room, ranging from a three-course prix fixe to a 10-course Dynasty tasting, place an emphasis on Chinese dishes prepared tableside with Puck’s signature touch. The WP24 Lounge provides guests with the ideal environment to enjoy Asian small plates of dim sum and sushi in lieu of a formal dining experience. A selection of innovative desserts is inspired by authentic Asian flavors and ingredients, reinterpreted with a modern hand. Perched atop the twenty-fourth floor of the hotel, WP24 offers spectacular panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles and its picturesque skyline.
I am honored that Esquire has recognized the hard work and dedication of our entire team, said Master Chef Wolfgang Puck. What we have created at WP24 is a reflection of the culinary progression in America and the demand for refined Asian cooking—what I have been passionate about since first stepping foot in the Far East decades ago.
Esquire magazine unveils its annual list of Best New Restaurants of 2010 in its November issue on newsstands October 11th. For more than 25 years, Esquire Food and Travel Correspondent John Mariani has eaten his way from coast to coast, and he has once again selected the 20 best new restaurants in America (plus another 15 not-to-miss spots), including "Restaurant of the Year", "Chef of the Year", "Hostess of the Year", and the inaugural inductions to the "Esquire Restaurant Hall of Fame"
Twenty-seven years ago, Wolfgang Puck opened the ground-breaking Chinois on Main and dazzled diners with his interpretation of fusion cuisine blending Asian dishes with California products and French techniques. Puck is once again changing the culinary landscape of Los Angeles with WP24 by Wolfgang Puck, serving his modern Asian fare at his new restaurant on the twenty-fourth floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles located at L.A. LIVE adjacent to Staples Center and Nokia Theatre.
"WP24 is an evolution of what I have been passionate about for the majority of my career," said Wolfgang Puck. "The Asian influence on American cuisine has always been present and this restaurant is a reflection of our culinary progression and the demand for refined Asian cooking."
The menu developed by Puck and Managing Partner and Executive Corporate Chef of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Lee Hefter, reflects their time spent in the Far East and respective passion for Asian ingredients and cooking methods. David McIntyre, a Spago veteran, heads up the kitchen as Chef de Cuisine of WP24 while Sally Camacho helms the sweet side as Pastry Chef.
The expansive lounge provides guests with the ideal environment to enjoy small plates before an L.A LIVE event or a full dining experience. Selections from the menu include Prawn Toast with sweet and spicy garlic chili and Szechuan Chicken “Dan Dan” Dumplings with ground peanuts and chili oil. The lounge also showcases a variety of sushi, nigiri and salads such as the Tai Snapper & Seaweed Salad with toasted sesame-lemon dressing and Crispy Shrimp & Crab hand-cut sushi roll with cucumber, avocado, tobiko and ginger-soy glaze.
The menu in the main dining room places an emphasis on Chinese dishes with Puck’s signature touch. Appetizers include the “Not Too Classic” Hot & Sour Soup with king crab, roasted sweet corn, Thai basil, cilantro and sweet prawn wontons; Crispy Suckling Pig with black plum purée and wild flower-licorice honey; plus an assortment of handmade steamed dim sum.
Entrées include Steamed Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns with aromatic citrus-soy sauce and hot chili-orange oil; Lacquered Carpenter Ranch Squab with dry fried string beans and maitake mushrooms; and Szechuan Style Prime Filet of Beef “Au Poivre” with smoked chili-shallot reduction. Hot Pot, a traditional Chinese stew that dates back 1,000 years, also will appear on the menu with a Kobe beef cheek & veal tongue variation. The menu features tableside service of dishes like the Whole Loup de Mer baked in Salt Crust with Zhenjiang black vinegar and the Whole Roasted Duckling “Peking Style” with traditional garnishes. Hunan Spicy Eggplant with roasted shishito peppers, chili and crisp garlic; Shanghai Noodles with oxtail, fresh chilies and Thai basil leaves; and Garlic Yu Choi & Choi Sum Greens may be ordered to accent the meal as a side dish.
A selection of innovative desserts by Pastry Chef Camacho include Tamarind Ginger Cake soaked in warm rum and served with young ginger ice, mango gelée, black sesame ice cream, prickly pear and dragon fruit and Calamansi Vacherin, a Szechuan peppercorn meringue with calamansi cream and a macadamia star anise crumble.
The beverage program mirrors the cuisine featuring significant influences from the Far East. Beverage Director Tim Wilson created a global wine list that complements the complex flavor profiles of the menu. Additionally, WP24 offers a selection of Asian beers and sakes by the bottle and glass. Specialty cocktails created by mixologist Shawn Barker also play with Asian ingredients with the Umami Cocktail (Hendrick’s, ume plum, cucumbers and shiso leaves), the Pearfect Asian (Absolut Pear, Canton Ginger Liqueur and lime) and Dragon’s Fire (Herradura Anejo, grapefruit, jalapeño and Thai basil). For the more traditional in taste, classic cocktails like the Side Car (Hennessy VS, Cointreau and lemon) and the Aviation (Hendrick’s, Luxardo Maraschino, lemon, and Crème de Violette) also are available.
ICRAVE created a space to complement the spectacular panoramic views of Los Angeles. The lounge, inspired by an urban garden, has large wood seating ‘pods’ enveloped by nine-foot tall, hand-woven undulating screens. In contrast to the lounge, the main dining room was conceptualized to be an open space, enhancing the area by bringing the elements of the picturesque skyline into the room. Columns of light captured by perforated metal tubes span from floor to ceiling, reminiscent of the neighboring towers. The Wine Cave, one of WP24’s private dining areas, is screened from the lounge by a large wine display. WP24 by Wolfgang Puck is located at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles at L.A LIVE, AEG’s 2.5 billion dollar downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district at 900 W Olympic Blvd. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday – Saturday and the lounge is open seven nights a week. Breakfast and lunch service to begin in the near future. For reservations, please call (213) 743-8824.
