Signature dishes that thrill the palate

The Polo Lounge Menu

Signature dishes that thrill the palate
A native of Japan, Executive Chef Katsuo "Suki" Sugiura has trained all over the world, and is fluent with Japanese, Indo-Chinese, Caribbean, South American, Classical French, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and regional North American culinary traditions. This traditional foundation has given Chef Suki a strong platform from which to launch his own forward-looking, contemporary approach. He borrows the best from many traditions.

His philosophy is that great cooking is honest, not faddish. It uses fresh, local foods in a creative blend that is distinctive and totally pleasing to the eye and palate. He believes that restaurant menus must reflect local preferences and complement the climate. His genius lies in his ability to create dishes of spectacular flavor, freshness and appeal.

From soups and appetizers to main courses and desserts, Chef Suki's skilled culinary ecumenism is on display. Several dishes are happy marriages of Southwestern and California influences. Examples include the popular Chicken Tortilla Soup with Avocado, Spring Onion and Cheddar Cheese; the White Shrimp Cocktail appetizer with Jicama and Avocado and a Mildly Spiced Tomato Cilantro, or the Lobster Tomato Quesadilla.

Asian-California accents are present in other items. There is Crisp Sesame Ginger Duck Potsticker with Grilled Corn and Sweet Pepper (an appetizer) and the Stir-Fried Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Jumbo Shrimp, Beef Tenderloin, and Black Bean Scallion Sesame Sauce (a pasta dish). An Asian-inflected dinner entrée is the Sautéed Five-Spice Marinated Smoked Duck Breast with Crisp Pasta, Stir Fried Vegetables, and Ginger Star Anise Passion Fruit Sauce.

A sophisticated Mediterranean sensibility is reflected in the Assorted Seasonal Mushroom Polenta with Mascarpone (an appetizer) and the Veal Osso Bucco with Aromatic California Vegetables and Couscous (a dinner entrée). Back to Menu

Long-time favorites on the menu
While most Polo Lounge menu items reflect cutting-edge culinary taste, long-time patrons can spot fondly-remembered dishes in the "Polo Lounge Favorites" section of the menu. Included are Beluga Caviar served with Sourdough Blinis; a Caesar Salad with Locatelli Cheese shavings; Focaccia Croutons and White Anchovies; McCarthy Salad; Steak Tartare; and Country Style Meatloaf with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato and Roasted Corn Sauce.

Sensational Desserts
Desserts at the Polo Lounge are as spectacular as the rest of the menu. Examples are the Chocolate Chambord Soufflé Cake with White Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream, or the divine Chocolate Trio, a White-and-Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake and a Chocolate Liqueur Sorbet. The Polo Lounge treatment of Baked Alaska features a Dome of Fresh Vanilla Ice Cream with Layers of Raspberry Sorbet. The Marjolaine Tower is a concoction of Baked Nut Meringue with Layers of Cherry, Ruby Peach, and Crème Fraîche Mousse. For those who prefer something simpler, there is a wide assortment of homemade ice creams and sorbets.

Sunday Brunch and Winemaker's Dinners at the Polo Lounge
In addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, the Polo Lounge serves a three-course Moët et Chandon Champagne Sunday Brunch, served on the sun-kissed patio amidst an array of colorful flowers. Served from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., the Sunday Brunch is traditionally accompanied by a festive, live Mariachi band. Each month, the Polo Lounge hosts a Winemaker Dinner, pairing Chef Suki's culinary creations with wines chosen from select wineries around the world.

Wines and cocktails at the Polo Lounge Bar
The Polo Lounge features more than 250 different kinds of wine from around the world. Californian, French, and Italian wines are especially well represented. There are specialty Single-Malt Scotches, Cognacs, and Ports, as well. Tri-color tortilla chips, fresh guacamole, salsa and salmon dip are a cocktail hour tradition.

The restaurant and bar also feature seven different kinds of martinis. The Polo Lounge Martini Menu includes: The Beverly Hills Martini with Bombay Sapphire and Italian Dry Vermouth; the Cosmopolitan; the Blue Kettle Martini; the Silky Martini (Stoli with a splash of Peach Schnapps); the KB Connection; Orange Crush (Stoli Orange Vodka, Grand Marnier and fresh orange juice); and Raspberry Twist (Vodka, Chambord & Lemonade).

Overall, the Polo Lounge Menu emphasizes a wide choice of sophisticated foods in beautiful presentations. Health-conscious diners will appreciate the abundance of grilled items, vegetables, fish and seafood on the menu. There is a rigorous insistence upon utmost quality for both ingredients and methods of preparation. Chef Suki makes his own flavored oils, wine sauces, and noodles. In addition, the Polo Lounge:

Maintains its own herb garden on the grounds of The Beverly Hills Hotel. *
Does all of its own baking.
Makes its own sausages.
Makes its own fruit vinegars.
Smokes meat, poultry and fish in the restaurant's own kitchens.
Uses blocks of oak and other fragrant hardwoods (instead of mesquite) for grilling and smoking.

Suki has been profiled in Gourmet and Bon Appétit. "Chef Suki's food is the work of an imagination that enjoys free rein but doesn't go overboard to prove a point. For all its complexity, Suki's cooking is incredibly delicate," said a writer for Gourmet. Here are some of his career highlights:

Featured panelist at the 1999 National Food and Wine Chefs' Leadership Summit as the "Original Pioneer of East-West Fusion."
Named Los Angeles' "Chef of the Year" in 1998 by the American Tasting Institute.
Contributing chef to East West Food: Food from the Pacific Rim and Beyond, with 10 of the World's Hottest Chefs, published by Hamlyn in 1997.
Profiled in June 1994 Bon Appétit magazine as one of the top chefs in Hawaii.
Profiled as a supremely accomplished and innovative chef in Gourmet magazine's September 1979, October 1989, and April 1993 issues.
With Chef Suki at the helm, the Grand Cafe Restaurant is singled out in 1991 by Money magazine as one of Miami's top three dining spots.
Selected in 1989 by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the top ten new chefs in the U.S. from a field of 300 nominees.
Selected as the chef to prepare meals for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, the Princely family of Monaco, Presidents Reagan and Clinton, and many top-ranking officials from other countries.
Extraordinary knowledge of many cuisines: Born in Japan, classically trained in French cuisine, Sugiura has been a chef in France, England, Germany, Norway, Finland, and the U.S. This knowledge gives him a deep wellspring to draw from as he creates new dishes.

Power portals at the Polo Lounge: Then and now, the place to be.
Popular with Hollywood's glittering insiders since its 1941 christening, the Polo Lounge's refreshed, elegant setting continues to be the place to see and be seen. It's where Hollywood's greatest stars, from Marlene Dietrich to Elizabeth Taylor to Sharon Stone, have held court from their favorite tables. It's where Oscar's favorites celebrate after the Academy Awards Ceremonies. (In recent years, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Roberto Benigni, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Costner, Nicolas Cage, Nick Nolte, Helen Hunt, Jennifer Lopez, and Judi Dench have celebrated at the Polo Lounge).

There are, of course, "power zones" at the Polo Lounge - places traditionally regarded as the best spots to be seated and noticed. The bar is one of them. Notice the picture of Will Rogers and Darryl Zanuck playing polo behind the bar? Rogers and Zanuck hung out at the bar when they weren't playing polo, as have generations of other legendary Hollywood figures.

Pretty in Pink: The Polo Lounge Patio
With its spectacular array of palm trees and flowers in brilliant shades of pink and rose - azaleas, bougainvillea vines, camillias, impatiens, star jasmine, and more - the patio at the Polo Lounge is one of Los Angeles' premier and prettiest outdoor dining settings. One of the distinctive landmarks of this enclosed patio garden adjoining the restaurant is a beautiful, 90-year-old Brazilian Pepper Tree. While the restaurant abides by California's law against smoking indoors, an outdoor alcove of the patio offers a refuge for smokers.

Fine dining at the Polo Lounge is offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended.