Dining Out -- Mary Furr
When spring comes, my adventure-seeking heart leaps at thechance to
discover another culture, another cuisine. Chimayo at the Beach, nestled
at the base of the Huntington Beach Pier, is an exciting place on Sunday
morning, attracting natives and tourists. It’s the restaurant right on
the sand, downstairs from Duke’s and aglow with the sunset colors, burnt
oranges with copper and purple overtones.
The interior, oblong shaped like a surfboard, has glass-protected
patios, a three-level dining area with booths and tables facing the
beach, a bar and near the entrance an open kitchen commanded by
innovative chef Thomas Tran. Tran, who has been at Chimayo since its
opening three years ago, creates a cuisine that rivals the panoramic
view.
The Sunday Champagne Brunch ($24.95) is a three course affair that
varies from a “design your own” that begins with champagne or mimosas and
proceeds to a choice of appetizers, entrees and desserts.
The shrimp cocktail is one of the best around -- a big bowl filled
with firm pink bay shrimp, cubes of juicy papaya, avocado and celery in
the most wonderful sauce that lingers on the tongue with its mild spicy
warmth.
Another appetizer is a bowl of fruit with a quarter fuzzy kiwi, melon
cubes, berries and mandarin orange segments with a blob of yogurt on top
-- mixed with fruits, it’s healthful eating the easy way.
With a bow to New Orleans and Creole cooking, the jambalaya entree is
a versatile dish combining rice with corn kernels, peas, bits of tomato,
green and red bell pepper slices and spring onions with shrimp. Italian
sausage slices and charred chicken pieces in a confetti of color, texture
and taste defy its simplicity. It’s the dish popular with southern
families created from yesterday’s leftovers.
The roasted chicken breast is a trendy “edible edifice” beginning with
a mound of cheddar mashed potatoes, covered with fresh large spinach
leaves and topped with the sage-rubbedchicken breast all surrounded by
ancho-honey jus. The rich, slightly sweet ancho chile combines well with
the honey -- it’s sweet but not cloying.
An excellent choice for dessert is the simple mango sorbet in a crisp
almond-flavored tulip-shaped cup holding three scoops of ice. The
freshness and purity of flavors make this dish. Even simpler is the creme
brulee, a thick creamy vanilla pudding topped with a brown-sugar glaze or
crust decorated with strawberry halves. These are classic desserts done
well.
According to Manager John Sanchez, Chimayo’s Sunday Brunch will
celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a new “Voodoo Festival” menu that will have
the “the usual favorites but with a spicier edge.” This is not the place
for a quick meal, but rather one to drink in the view with the
margaritas, listen to the mariachis and spice up Sunday morning with
brunch at the pier.
* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments
or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 hbindy@latimes.com.f7
FYI
o7 Chimayo at the Beachf7
WHERE: 315 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach
HOURS: Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday Brunch, 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Friday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 4 to
10 p.m.
PHONE: (714) 374-7273, fax (714) 374-7263
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