When award-winning Michelin star chef and humanitarian José Andrés needed chefs to prepare and distribute thousands of meals to medical staff and essential workers in Los Angeles during the pandemic, he contacted chef Jeffrey Chen.

Chen was the chef de cuisine at The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills. After the hotel temporarily closed its doors in 2020, Chen joined hundreds of volunteers to help Andrés set up and cook in a makeshift World Central Kitchen at Dodger Stadium for about five months.

San Laurel photo by Katrina Frederick

I recently met Chen while dining at San Laurel at the Conrad Los Angeles in downtown L.A. He shared how he enthusiastically joined Andrés at the stadium parking lot to help nourish and bring a sense of community to thousands of Angelenos.

Andrés has two restaurants that have earned two Michelin stars and multiple Bib Gourmands awards. When the Frank Gehry-designed Conrad Los Angeles invited Andrés to oversee two signature restaurants, plus the contemporary bars, upscale lounges and a rooftop pool bar, Andrés selected Chen to lead his San Laurel fine dining restaurant.

It’s a dream come true for Chen, who started his career in Toronto, after attending the prestigious George Brown Chef School, one of the best chef schools in Canada. He worked at Hilton Hotels before relocating to Los Angeles and landing a job with Andrés at The Bazaar. His experience perfected his flair for sophisticated cuisine artfully plated offering a touch of playful theatrics. This laid the groundwork for every “Spain Meets California” dish at San Laurel.

San Laurel photo by Katrina Frederick

Located on the 10th floor, the modern design restaurant offers a lovely garden terrace overlooking the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Music Center LA. Inside the bright dining room are windows everywhere you look, even into Chen’s kitchen.

A bit of The Bazaar pizzaz appeared when Chen delivered a lovely almond and garlic soup. Presented in an eye-catching white sea urchin looking shell bowl, the velvety smooth soup had a drizzle of garlic oil floating on top. Peeled grapes, pieces of succulent King crab, and diced blanched almonds garnished the top. The almonds offered a pleasing nuttiness that complemented the crab.

Chen said that Andrés likes to peel all fruit, including strawberries. “Have you ever peeled a strawberry?” he asked. “It’s not easy, but the taste is completely different and sweeter.”

The same goes for the peeled grapes in this soup. Sometimes the skin of the grape has a bitterness, and when peeled the sweetness is pure.

Our affable server brought us a plate of Pan de Cristal, also known as a “glass bread.” It’s a favorite in the Catalan region of Spain. The crust of the bread is shatteringly crisp on the outside just like a delicate piece of glass. It’s made with 100 percent hydration dough that produces large holes inside when baked. We dipped and swiped pieces of the bread to clean the last remnants of the garlic soup.

I paired the soup with a rum based Bergeron’s Secret Chest cocktail. When the hotel and San Laurel first opened, the tropical tasting cocktail was the talk of the town. It was very theatrical when delivered to the table in a box with aromatic dry-ice cloud wafting out. Now they serve it looking like Hawaiian shaved ice in a crystal glass. A handful of mint leaves and a magenta micro flower provide a pretty pop of color. The rum-based cocktail is made with lime juice, orgeat, dry Curacao, and it offers an essence of hibiscus, rose and orange blossom.

Other craft cocktails include a Watermelon Report made with Tito’s vodka, and a smokey Negroni. The beverage list also includes a Spanish Estrella Galicia Pale Lager, and wines by the glass that include a Sherry from Manzanilla Fina Miraflores, a sparkling Cuvee José and a Spanish Gañeta Txakolina. This slightly effervescent coastal wine reminds me of relaxed briny ocean summertime vacations in the Bay of Biscay. It’s a wonderful pairing with warm fondue-like fennel soup. The beautiful smooth white liquid had an alternating pattern of light green and dark green fennel oil dots completing a circle around Manchego foam. A sprinkling of fennel pollen, dried herbs and lavender garlic flowers lined up in a row for an artistic garnish. This is also an ideal soup to dip slices of glass bread to get every drop.

San Laurel photo by Katrina Frederick

A bowl filled with sweet Black Mission figs cut in quarters, next to juicy orange sections, crunchy Marcona almonds and curly green pea shoots delivered comprised a beautiful salad of edible flowers and mixed greens. Below was a milk based Stracciatella with a whisper of nutmeg.

The hearty beefsteak tomato tartare appears to be made with raw beef, but it is vegetarian. The chopped tomatoes are drizzled with aged balsamic, Savora mustard, olive oil, cucumber and black olive and served with a bowl of romaine leaves. Scoop the tomato goodness onto the green leaves to really enjoy this dish.

I heard oohs and aahs from other diners when their vermicelli mac and cheese arrived. Who orders mac and cheese at a Michelin starred restaurant? Apparently, a lot of people dining the night we were at San Laurel. Theirs is a Spanish take on a classic dish. It’s made with fideuá pasta, Idiazábal cheese, chanterelles, egg yolk sauce and crispy shallots. The table-side presentation adds to the theatrics of this shareable dish.

We continued to order two side dishes and an entrée, starting with savory wild mushrooms in a laurel cream sauce. Toasted pan cristal topped with melted cheese and a fried farm egg make this a hearty vegetable dish.

Asparagus spears perfectly cooked and placed on top of a Spanish tomato based Romesco sauce is another popular side dish. Curls of shaved raw asparagus, chopped Marcona almonds and hazelnuts topped this dish.

San Laurel photo by Katrina Frederick

My husband ordered the roasted duck breast that arrived skin on. It reminded me of Peking Duck, without the crispy skin and mild and moist flavorful meat. It was served with braised endives, pearl onions and ume. It was topped with a dark red colored sake, hibiscus and ume jus. Ume is a Japanese fruit that looks like an apricot or plum, providing a sweetness to dish.

The most decadent entrée on the menu is “Meat and Potatoes.” A huge bone-in ribeye from Black Hawk Farms in Kentucky is served with the creamiest potato purée and a lovely jus to pour on top. Definitely a shareable dish.

For dessert, be sure to order the towering pistachio cake with sweet strawberries, lime zest and a scoop of mascarpone sorbet.

They also make a Basque style “burnt” cheesecake baked in parchment paper. The scorched top provides an appealing caramelization in appearance and flavor.

Lastly, we finished with a light citrus granita, a frozen fruit dessert made with fresh grapefruit, topped with a scoop of California olive oil and honey ice cream, and a sprinkling of chopped mint.

San Laurel photo by Katrina Frederick

Before leaving, I walked over to the kitchen to thank Chen for an extraordinary meal.

“It takes a team, and I work with a great group of people,” Chen said.

I thanked all of the talented chefs for such a memorable culinary experience.

San Laurel offers a playful sensory adventure born of Andrés’ Spanish roots. It’s an ideal brunch spot, great for pre-theatre dining, a celebratory event venue and decadent date night destination. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $$$ 100 S. Grand Ave, (213)349-8585.

This article was also featured in the Beverly Press on August 24, 2023.