Fig Restaurant at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica is off the charts- February 2016

 

There are many reasons to visit Santa Monica, CA and one of the reasons should be to

dine at Fig Restaurant located in the iconic Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows.

Chef, Cyril, is a Michelin trained chef from France and it clearly shows. The dishes are

masterpieces of textures and flavor combinations.

A must starter is the Charred Octopus (far right photo). It’s smokey and grilled to perfection and goes

perfect with the side of caper berries, butter beans, sherry vinegar and mint. The

Albacore Tuna Crudo served with ginger slaw, corn crisps and aji amarillo will melt in

your mouth. Another great starter is to order the creamy Burrata cheese and pair that

with the Heirloom Tomato Salad with Persian cucumbers, feta cheese, and zinfandel

vinaigrette. Great on their own, but even better together.

Entrees include the Crispy Mediterranean Snapper on a bed of saffron couscous which

chef Cyril cooks to perfection. You will not find a better fish anywhere in the city.

Other entrees include the Grass Fed Lamb Shank which is moist and delicious. It

served with a perfect side of heirloom carrots, pomegranate molasses, almonds, and

pickled onions. One of the more popular dishes is the rich and buttery Seared Eastern

Scallops. Every bite leaves you wanting more. The Baja Sea Bass is a hearty piece of

fish and pairs beautifully with the earthy side of butter beans and broccoli rabe.

A perfect way to end the meal is with an assortment of hand picked cheeses from Eric’s

Stash. Goat, cow, ewe, blue veined cheeses coming from all over the world are paired

with some nuts and a little cube of jam. They are as good as any dessert.

Fig restaurant has the right location, the right lighting, the right music playing, beautiful décor,

comfortable seating, great service (our server was Michael and he was fantastic), and

delicious food. It’s a great place to make some lasting memories.  We also met the Restaurant Chef Cyril on our great dining experience as he came by to say hello and we told him how fantastic everything was.

Chef Yousef  Ghalaini of FIG Restaurant

Chef Yousef Ghalaini is the Executive Chef for FIG Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, the ingredient-driven seasonal bistro. At FIG, Chef Ghalaini celebrates his passion and commitment for working with local farmers and using the freshest California ingredients to create Mediterranean inspired cuisine.

As a native of Lebanon, Chef Ghalaini was immersed in the culture of food at his grandfather’s bakery where he learned the art of the wood-burning oven at an early age – a skill he has mastered today.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, he honed his food and wine skills at Go Fish restaurant and Robert Sinskey Vineyards, before landing at the Michelin-rated REDD restaurant, mastering one of the most celebrated styles of California cuisine.  Chef Ghalaini moved to New Haven, Connecticut in January 2010 where he brought new life to Bespoke restaurant, garnering critical praise from local media and the New York Times.

During his career he opened Steak 954 at the W Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, followed by Imperial No. Nine at the Mondrian SoHo Hotel in New York City.  Most recently, Chef Ghalaini spearheaded the opening of the Bench at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, a casually elegant restaurant on Stillwater Cove featuring California-Med inspired dishes prepared on open flame, as well as stunning views of one of the most famous finishing holes in golf.

Fig Restaurant is located at: 101 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-319-3111

http://www.figsantamonica.com/

Written by Jim Vatcher/Edited & Photos by Todd Elliot