Behind the Scenes at O's Steak & Seafood

Never mind that I’ve spent the last three hours in the kitchen with Ian, O’s chef de cuisine and the mad scientist responsible for this cheese plate. Never mind that I’ve followed every step in its construction, been in on the testing and tasting, watched him make caviar out of...

By Sean Cronin

October 23, 2007

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Never mind that I’ve spent the last three hours in the kitchen with Ian, O’s chef de cuisine and the mad scientist responsible for this cheese plate. Never mind that I’ve followed every step in its construction, been in on the testing and tasting, watched him make caviar out of grape slurry and turn vinegar into a cloud. Knowing all that, I also know that I will never be able to fully describe this single bite -- and that I will never, ever forget it. It will be with me for the rest of my life, because this is the moment when everything changes for me.

This is the moment when it all makes sense.

That single bite, the plate that contained it, the chef who constructed it, the kitchen that served it – that’s all in one king -hell behind-the-scenes peek at chef Ian Kleinman and his work at O’s Steak & Seafood at the Westin Westminster. This week, forget everything you know about food and fine dining. Forget everything you thought you knew about chefs and their work. Forget even that balsamic vinegar is a liquid, that caviar is fish eggs and that fire is made for cooking. Because when it comes to the freaky super-science of molecular gastronomy, there are no rules, no boundaries, and anything is possible.

You’ll never look at dinner the same way again. Meet “Mr. Wizard” in the next Café section, coming here Wednesday. – Jason Sheehan

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