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Urban-Style, Fine Dining
in Studio City
Raphael is a cozy, fine
restaurant on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. The interior design (by
Terry Raphael) has contemporary flair, the tables outside are separated from the
busy boulevard by a living wall of greenery...... The owners - with a
restaurateur heritage - ensure that not only the cuisine but the experience
of visiting Raphael is a memorable one.
In my pursuit of new and interesting restaurants, I’ve met with one of the
owners of Raphael, Alon Raphael.
Editor: What could you tell the visitors of DinnerInLA.com
about Raphael restaurant?
Alon Raphael: In terms of our cuisine, we feature world cuisine. Our
chef (Stephen Barkulis) comes to us from the acclaimed Water Grill in Downtown.
We specialize in traditional dishes from around the world. We figure if the
French were doing it right for a thousand years who are we to comment and
tell them what to do. So we do very traditional dishes as a result. We have
a somewhat limited menu, in order to focus on quality and make sure that our
dishes are prepared properly and elegantly, we run nightly specials made of
what’s fresh and available. So instead of focusing on everything under the
sun, we focus on what’s fresh and good. We have a green wall outside, a
living wall of plants that we grow the herbs for the kitchen in. Hopefully
soon the tomatoes will bloom, if I have my way.
Our wine program features 60 wines - give or take - depending on the day.
The selection ranges from our house wines to the best in the world, all of
them available by the glass. We’ll be happy to open any bottle on our list, whether it’s offered by
the glass or not, for a guest's commitment of
two glasses, regardless of price.
Editor: What inspired the creation of Raphael restaurant?
Alon Raphael: My family owned Bell Air Bar and Grill for many years,
over on the West Side and we sold it about 2 ½ years ago. We were wondering
what to do next. We all love the restaurant business. It’s a way of life and
a joyous one. We live in the area of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive, my
father lives there for over 30 years. Sometimes we want to go out together
as a family for a world-class meal and there are many excellent restaurants
in the Valley but there is nothing quite as formal as what’s found on the
other side of the hill, in the city. The difficulty is the travel, the
traffic, the parking………..
The entire experience of having dinner in the city is diminished in value by
the commute. We ended up coming to this side of the hill, the Valley, for
casual meals and for the elegant meals to the other side of the hill.
So our thinking became: why not offer the city caliber experience for the
patrons in Studio City and Hollywood Hills without the hassle and
inconvenience of the city?
Editor: What do you find the most satisfying when it comes to your
work?
Alon Raphael: I can say without any hesitation: it’s spending time
with our customers! In our restaurant, 90% (or maybe even closer to a 100%)
of our customers are people I have seen before and people that I look
forward to seeing, again. Studio City is a small town within Los Angeles.
The people in the area are as polite, nice and engaging as can possibly be
imagined in a small town, leave alone in a big city.
The regular customers have become my friends and that’s who I’m looking
forward to seeing: my friends.
Editor: What would you recommend for dinner tonight?
Alon Raphael: I’d recommend one of our specials depending on what’s
fresh and available. We have a menu of high quality staple dishes such as
sashimi, ahi tuna, Colorado lamb, but my personal favorites are our chef’s
innovations. Often times, he is at the farmers’ market, sees fish purveyors,
and thinks of combinations I would never even dream of. One instance of a
special we’re running this weekend - which I think is just fantastic! - is a
water melon and Feta cheese salad. He sous vides the water melon so it
compresses and tastes like the juiciest watermelon you’ve ever had in your
life. (We stock the highest quality Feta cheese and Marcona almonds.) It’s a
relatively simple dish but that’s what we’re about: elegant, simple dishes
that are tasty.
Editor: You mean dishes prepared with love.
Alon Raphael: Absolutely!
Editor: It has come to my attention that Raphael restaurant is
environmentally-friendly…
Alon Raphael: Yes! My mother (from the Editor: that’s Terry Raphael,
the interior designer responsible for the edgy, contemporary style of the
restaurant) is a self-professed ex-hippie and we spared no expense ensuring
that our restaurant is as green as possible. Our bar is made of compressed
bamboo (a renewable resource). We take pride in our living green wall.
Needless to say, we
recycle. In every instance, we strive to
leave as small ecological footprint as possible.
Editor: On behalf of DinnerInLA.com thank you for telling us
about your restaurant. I'd like to wish you and Raphael restaurant continuing
success!
Well, after spending some time at
Raphael enjoying the ambience and company of Alon Raphael, I’d have to say
that the Raphael family has succeeded at creating a first class, city-style dining oasis in the
midst of San Fernando Valley. So, here is the scoop for Valley's food
connoisseurs:
when the mood for the metropolitan, refined and formal strikes, skip the
commute and head over to Raphael restaurant!
Raphael
11616 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818)505-3337
Website
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