Restaurant Review: Paperfish in Beverly Hills
June 03, 2008
Joachim Splichal’s new restaurant, Paperfish, is a fusion of trendy oriental tastes and complex textures. The new Patina Group restaurant is not located in a busy street but outside the main business district of Beverly Hills.
Start with the décor. The restaurant is upholstered and carpeted to eat up collateral noise and lend itself to intimate conversations. It’s 1950’s meets the 21st century, pairing bright red with muted gray and white to create an overall glow effect. Walls are curved, adding to the contemporary feel of the place, and ambient light comes from retro-fixtures to enhance the sense of intimacy.
Executive Chef Kevin Meehan is young and talented. He combines flavors and textures with seasonal produce and the fish du jour in colorful combinations. The menu is divided into unique “Patina” categories, including raw, chilled, warm, paper, shell, flat, round and farm.
The scallop ceviche was delicately prepared with sweet pickled onions and cilantro. A touch of avocado enriched the experience. We also enjoyed a wild mushroom risotto, featuring a chive froth, which was tasty, but a bit rich.
The herb-crusted halibut and fresh vegetables was our least favorite dish. This preparation was perhaps a little over done. Great fresh fish is its own reward, needing little more than a sprinkle of herbs. The English pea puree was underwhelming.
Our favorite dish was the trio of beef, featuring tenderloin, short rib and an oxtail croquette, which was delicious. The short ribs fused with wine were intoxicatingly tender and sweet. The beef was combined with cipollini onions and delicate creamed spinach, a perfect textural assortment with flavors that blended well together. The tenderloin was perfectly rare, tender and flavorful.
We were treated to a complex dessert that combined cold ice cream with warm bread pudding, fresh berries, mint sauce and lavender. Fragrances combined with texture to enhance the overall flavor.
Our service was excellent. A choice of rolls accompanies dinner with a wonderful plate of grated butter.
Paperfish is pricey, maybe a tad over the top. The restaurant is located at 345 Maple Drive in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 858-6030.
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