Mr. Chow
Malibu Country Mart • 3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu • (310) 456-7600
For almost four decades, MR CHOW has been offering fine dining in Beverly Hills, serving authentic Beijing cuisine with elegant service. Now, Palisadians have the opportunity to try this cuisine closer to home, in Malibu, where MR CHOW has taken over the former Nobu spot in the Malibu Country Mart.
The restaurant’s white-on-white color scheme is chic, but still warm and inviting.
When guests are first seated, a roving champagne trolley comes by offering a flute of vintage champagne. Or, you may order a specialty cocktail made with fresh ingredients designed by head bartender Atilla Rubes.
We, however, were treated to samples of lunchtime salads. These were each delicious and quite different. A sweet and spicy hoisin sauce gave beautiful flavor to the warm duck breast served with bib lettuce and shaved garlic. At lunchtime, this salad is $13.
Watercress, with its peppery snap, was the perfect accompaniment to the succulent crab in the crab salad ($20 at lunch). Chicken salad, with its array of sweet shaved carrots, was another tasty winner ($10). Warm five-spice tofu salad, with a zesty chili sauce and slices of crunchy sweet Asian pear, had a superb favor that was most compelling ($10).
The drunken fish, from the dinner entrée menu, is light, fresh sole poached in white wine with a few mushrooms, and is delicately flavored and delicious ($38).
Succulent green prawns arrayed with chilies ($36) came with tangy sautéed baby bok choy ($6.50).
Ma Mignon, filet mignon marinated with peppercorns, is seared and perfectly cooked rare to be totally seductive. Good to the last bite, this steak is prepared by a MR CHOW recipe dating back to 1975, and is $44. With it came asparagus spears.
No meal would be complete here without sampling MR CHOW’S handmade Beijing noodles, made by Ella Hu, the restaurant’s first female pasta chef. At dinnertime, these scrumptious noodles are $18.
For dessert, we enjoyed the refreshing fruit plate with Grand Marnier-soaked slices of Mandarin orange and litchi nuts. My friend enjoyed a special Asian tea with a mint leaf. Desserts are each $10.
In addition to the à la carte offerings, the menu lists three semi-prix fixe menus: $58 per person for a two-course dinner; $62 with a choice of fresh crab, fiery beef or steamed sea bass; and $68 for a three-course dinner with Peking Duck.
The gracious setting is enhanced by the elegant, caring service of the white-clad waiters. Dinner hours commence at 5:30 daily, with service until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Lunch is served Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. Free parking at the Country Mart.
o o o
Wine Dinner Tonight
CAFE del REY
4451 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey • (310) 823-6395
Freemark Abbey’s handcrafted wines will be featured tonight with a special four-course dinner designed by Executive Chef Daniel Roberts, priced at $85 per person. This wine/dinner fest begins at 6:15 p.m.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
