What inspires flavor and how it evolves
Four leading chefs reveal their inspirations behind their favorite flavors.

by Tori Rogers

We've all experienced at least one meal, one magical dish in life. I've had the good fortune to experience several, including the tempura tuna with uni sauce from Chinois in Santa Monica (I confess I've had the urge to pick up the plate and lick it); Charlie Trotter's superb squab salad with foie gras hollandaise; Lee Hefter's amazing sweet corn agnolotti with summer truffles at Spago; Jean Louis Palladin's amuse bouche — a world class "toad-in-the-hole" of brioche, quail egg and beluga caviar — at Napa; Nobu's velvety blackcod with sweet miso; a surprise find in Calistoga, Calif., at Brannon's — killer Thai mussels; the Hot Tamales' sublime green corn tamales at Border Grill; and my daddy's smoked chickens (called "funeral chickens" in Pine Bluff, Ark., but that's another story).

While these chefs, like painters, create art with food, their passion is flavor, which is what makes each dish truly memorable. They each have a different, yet significant story to tell about flavor.

How did they choose the flavors that so well represent them? How did these flavors evolve? How did their menus and their respective palettes change over time? Was it an overnight epiphany or a trip to a faraway place? Where do the inspirations come from? I decided to find out.

 

Nobu Matsuhisa:
the marriage of flavors from Japan and Peru

Nobu's tiradito, or Peruvian-style sashimi, is an excellent example of his Peruvian-influenced menu.

When you experience Nobu or Matsuhisa — and now Ubon, his newest casual dining concept — for the first time, you may not pick up on Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's use of Peruvian flavors. But there it is — anticucho spicy chicken and salmon, tiradito, ceviche. Then there's the nod to California, with dishes like jalapeño yellowtail, plus the use of organic vegetables.

How can Peruvian and Japanese flavors blend so well together? Nobu explains it this way: Japan is an island and therefore surrounded by water. Peru, too, is surrounded (almost) by water. Water means fish — lots of fish. And for a Japanese sushi chef, that's heaven. Given this fresh and abundant supply, Nobu learned to use all kinds of seafoods and appreciate them for their individual flavors, textures, and the unique ways they "wear" the flavors of marinades and sauces.

Peruvian cuisine came into Nobu's life when, after several years of working in Tokyo, he became inspired by the tales of a Peruvian customer and decided to move there to stake his claim. To him, adapting Peruvian flavor to his classic Japanese methods made perfect sense. Instead of soy sauce, he used Peru's favorite lemon juice with salt. For wasabi, he substituted regional chilies and garlic. Ceviche, a national favorite, also worked well for him.

Peruvians love steak and potatoes. Instead of regular beef, Nobu used Kobe, the finest, most expensive beef in the world, or sometimes a steaky fish like tuna, with tremendous results. He modified another Peruvian favorite — mussels with salsa criolla — using New Zealand green mussels and his own salsa. Nobu also loved the local anticucho — a skewered cow's heart liberally seasoned with a pungent spice rub and sauce.

In 1987, Nobu opened Matsuhisa in Los Angeles. Bit by bit, he added his Peruvian flavors. However, he was a little unsure about serving cow's heart in America, so he tried the dish with Kobe beef, chicken, and fish — a brilliant adaptation on or off skewers.

"Being a sushi chef made it easy for me to interact with my guests, offering them things to taste and try," he says. "That's how I learned if my new dishes would work."

Nobu successfully adapted Peruvian anticucho, traditionally skewered cow's heart, into ribeye steak for acceptance in America.

Nobu enjoys and takes pride in giving customers what they want, what they like. For example, he's sure he's the first sushi chef to make softshell-crab rolls. He recalls coming across some particularly lively softshells at the market one morning, and while Japanese traditionally don't use softshells in cooking, he couldn't resist. He served them that evening as an entrŽe, and a guest at the sushi bar asked if he'd make the crab into a roll. Nobu describes the roll: hot, crispy crab; cold, crunchy cucumber; green onion; a spicy sauce; snappy, salty smelt eggs; the sea-saltiness of seaweed; and seasoned rice.

He also devised shrimp tempura hand rolls, noting that these are identifiable, popular foods for Americans. When Nobu says "popular," he means "I know this, I can eat this — and it's cooked." Tempura makes a perfect filling for sushi beginners.

Nobu thinks his flexibility has given him an edge, helping him garner press and, ultimately, a partnership with Robert DeNiro, which has given him the wings to fly around the globe.

"For four years, [DeNiro] asked me to come to New York and open a sushi bar. He had a vision. And that vision was smack in the middle of one of the scariest neighborhoods I'd ever seen," Nobu recalls.

"I had just opened Matsuhisa, though, and I didn't want to leave it. But, after four years, it was doing great, sales were higher than ever, and I could pursue new ventures. That's when we started working on Nobu New York. Now there's Nobu Next Door, Nobu Aspen, Nobu London, Nobu Las Vegas and Nobu Tokyo."

Now he's working on Ubon (Nobu spelled backwards). There's no trademark sushi here — this place is all about noodles, with a few distinctive Nobu dishes thrown in. It offers a big menu in a casual dining room, and it's being eyed with expansion in mind.

Will the menu shrink in order to limit complexities? "No," says Nobu. "In fact, the menu will probably grow. Noodles provide a wonderful background for just about anything. And people still have lots to learn about soba and udon. They have wonderful health benefits and are fun to eat. Besides, since I have a problem saying 'no,' if customers tell me they want things, I'll deliver on that at Ubon, too."

In spite of all the diversifying, Nobu keeps his hand in the day-to-day operations. He has trained all of his sushi chefs in his own style. He says, "Most have been with me for five, six, even 10 years. They're like my family. I've watched them get married, have children, and sometimes even leave to open their own restaurants."

Watching a family meal at the end of a busy night at Matsuhisa, you know this isn't idle talk. Nobu laughs and has fun with his team. He's very relaxed, and it's clear he knows what's going on in each of his restaurants, even with his busy schedule.

In one brief stretch of time this past summer, he cooked for the Dalai Lama, then for the Clintons in the Hamptons, then off to Japan, then to Aspen before going to London and back to Los Angeles again.

But this global restaurateur isn't easily wearied, in fact, even at closing time, he's eager to greet guests, and share with them his passion for his unique cuisine.

 

Too Hot Tamales:
celebrating Latin American flavors without limitations

Border Grill's popular steak is a fine balance of flavor and texture.

City, the Hot Tamales' first restaurant in Los Angeles, was indeed hot from the day it opened — constantly packed with celebrities that came, first, to eat, and second, to be seen. This was 1981, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger were dishing up global cuisine with no boundaries, no boxes, no limits, no rules. They blazed trails with flavor from the beginning, but, interestingly enough, they didn't think about it that way. To them, the menu, then and now, simply reflected flavors they loved to eat.

Fast forward 18 years, and you'll find Susan and Mary Sue in the kitchens of their 14-year-old Border Grill in Santa Monica and their newly opened Ciudad in downtown Los Angeles. You can watch them daily by tuning into their Tamales World Tour on The Food Network. Additionally, they've published four cookbooks, each with a clear message: flavor.

Flavor is paramount to them. In fact, they both concur that it's really all they care about. If given the choice between a great-tasting dish or one that looks terrific, they'll choose taste over presentation any day. While they can appreciate the presentation efforts of many chefs today, they laughingly admit they're lucky to have people in their kitchens who care more about presentation than they do.

It makes sense that, even with their classic French training, they much prefer the more rustic, country fare of Europe — the daubes, the braises, the cassoulets — over what they call "beurre blanc" or more formal dishes. Apply these same culinary styles, techniques and flavor impressions to Latin America, and you'll understand the Hot Tamales' menu and their favorite flavors. They use strong, bold flavors and exotic seasonings. Their foods are direct and forceful, not subtle.

Says Susan, "I look for strength — heat from spices, acidity from citrus, and boldness from oregano or cumin seeds."

For Mary Sue, it's balance. "On our plates, you won't find big hunks of protein with a mound of starch. Instead, you'll find a balance of flavor, texture and temperature — like Border Grill's skirt steak. It's an inexpensive cut of beef that we marinate with tons of garlic, cilantro, black pepper and lime. Then it's char-grilled, which adds even more flavor.

"The moros (a mixture of black beans and white rice) we serve with it provide a rich, smooth, comforting bite, but layer the corn relish and avocado-tomato salad, and you've got acidity, texture, color, and crunch. Eat a bite of each individually to understand their unique flavors, then load up the handmade flour tortilla with a little of each for the real thing."

Authentic flavors of Mexico make up the menu at Border Grill.

Their flavor concerns extend beyond food. They spend considerable time developing drink recipes — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — to pair with their dishes. Minty lime coolers, cava-bubbling white sangria, and agua frescas all highlight the special South American produce they procure from small purveyors. They offer samplers of drinks, too — like their rum sampler — which is both enjoyable and educational after dinner.

But they don't just sit back and assume each item will sell. They write scripts and train their staff how to talk about flavors to their guests. In fact, the Hot Tamales consider their servers to be their best asset in promoting new flavors unfamiliar to guests.

"Well-trained servers have the power to really make a guest's meal so much more enjoyable and memorable by making sure guests understand our themes, our flavor choices, the ingredients, and the extra touches we add to each dish."

Another way they successfully promote new flavors is through relatively commitment-free offerings during happy hour and lunch. Priced at $2 per plate, why not try them all? They also consider their newsletter and website tremendous vehicles for sharing new information about flavor.

Their inspiration? The markets. Whether it's the farmers' market bounty or a trip to the grocery store, the markets, for these chefs, are an abundant source of flavor inspiration. Not only do they showcase the diversity of produce, but they provide a visual experience that creates excitement about food.

Travel has also been a significant influence. Their first trip to Mexico was in 1984, with the intent to find dishes for Border Grill. Then and now, they start early and go late into the evening, tasting all day long, in markets, restaurants, at roadside stands, and with farmers. They find inspiration just about everywhere.

Do they think about food trends often and research how to incorporate them in new ways on their menu? Not formally. They agree they don't really intellectualize about trends.

"If we like it, we work with it. If we don't like it, we won't use it.

"When we opened Border Grill, we had an enchilada on the menu, but it wasn't an enchilada that anyone would recognize. It was a real Mexican enchilada. Now we're in Vegas, and we've got customers who have never seen anything prepared our way. Every now and then, we consider compromising — but not on balance, and not on flavor. Maybe on presentation; we'll make something that looks the way people think it ought to.

"We've evolved like our food, too. We go through phases when we think everything has to be authentic, traditional Mexican food. Then we realize we've boxed ourselves in. That's really how Ciudad began. We began to explore flavors beyond Mexico on the TV show, and all of a sudden, we realized we had more, much more that we wanted to cook regularly."

Additionally, they feel they are in a position to educate customers. By using interesting, unusual ingredients, they assist in pushing the public's flavor preferences along, too.

"If someone hates rutabagas but has them in a dish in one of our restaurants, prepared in a way that changes their mind, then we've really accomplished something."

 

Wolfgang Puck:
the flavors of France, Italy, Asia and California, with a little Austria on the side

Wolfgang Puck's enterprise includes 38 restaurants.

Wolfgang Puck has covered the dining landscape from upscale cuisine to the express lane at the grocery store. As a chef and entrepreneur, he guides the culinary paths of 38 restaurants - from the many locations of Spago, to Chinois, Granita, Postrio and the newest, Lupo, to the myriad of Wolfgang Puck Cafes and Expresses - plus a sizable frozen food business, and a nationally expanding canned soup line. With the opening of Spago Beverly Hills, he rejuvenated and reawakened America's appreciation of the depth and breadth of California cuisine by infusing a little bit of his homeland, Austria, into the mix without diminishing his beloved flavors of Spain, Italy, France, and Asia.

In the beginning, Wolfgang dreamed of a simple red-and-white-tableclothed pizza joint, but Barbara Lazaroff, his wife and partner, had greater aspirations. Spago Hollywood, upon opening, was much more than a pizza joint. With Barbara's marketing and business savvy, Wolfgang became America's first celebrity chef and Barbara one of the most celebrated restaurant designers in the country.

Wolfgang knew early on if he was to cook the best food, it had to start with the best ingredients. And he began building relationships with small independent farmers, growers, fishermen - purveyors he felt were as obsessive about quality as he.

Both Wolfgang and Lee Hefter, his Spago Beverly Hills executive chef, attest these relationships continue to be solid inspiration for the dishes they prepare today.

Is there any new ingredient, new flavor Wolfgang is using now that he feels is cutting edge?

"Flavor is spontaneous," he says. "How can you know what the next best thing is? All I know is, when I cook - and sometimes the inspirations come from mistakes - I say, 'Hmm, this is interesting, I think I can work with this.'"

Though the pace at Spago is hectic, Wolfgang says the busiest times for him are most often his most creative. And flexibility is critical. Working with small growers means that supply doesn't always meet Spago's demand. Flexibility, creativity and solid fundamentals are critical to the restaurant's success, particularly since the menu changes daily at both lunch and dinner.

It is a very eclectic menu, what Lee considers "intelligently fused food - not a hodgepodge of things that don't belong together in one dish, but a fusion of dishes done wisely in order to appeal to a broader audience."

He adds, "I have to be jack of all trades here, a real specialist in every cuisine represented on our menu."

For example, if you crave sashimi, be prepared to enjoy it as if you were in a top-notch Japanese restaurant. Hungry for Italian? The agnolotti are not to be missed; depending on the season, they may be filled with sugar-sweet white corn, mascarpone and goat cheese, topped with shaved white truffles. French cuisine? With Wolfgang's classical French training and Lee's tenure, you'd be hard pressed to find a better cote de boeuf with aligot potatoes.

Even Austrian. Wolfgang grew up there, and the dishes from his childhood are among some of the most popular at Spago, although Lee confesses he was originally a little skeptical about making them permanent fixtures on the menu.

Nothing would be on Lee's menu if he didn't absolutely love it. Everything is tried over and over again. What are some of Lee's favorites among his varied menu items? Brioche-crusted sweetbreads with shallot marmalade, and black fig salad and fennel seed as an appetizer.

"It excites every part of your mouth - sweet, sour, crunchy, velvety, crispy," he says. "Then the quail. I love birds. They're the hardest to eat, the hardest to cook, but they've got the biggest payoff, because the flavor's so great. We've got a terrific quail dish on the menu; they're pan-roasted and served with polenta gnocchi, bacon, chanterelles, and natural juice."

Another key to great flavor at Spago? Lee gives credit to his team. "They execute my vision daily. We have a big menu with very high volumes. We are under the kind of microscope few restaurants experience, but together we've progressed as a team capable of executing at this quality level."

Spago Beverly Hills' Tasting Menu

Spicy Tuna Tartar with Sesame-Miso Cones Brioche-crusted Sweetbreads with Shallot Marmalade, Black Fig Salad and Fennel Seed, Symphony of Chino Farms' Vine-ripened Heirloom Tomatoes Sauteed Maine Monkfish "Saltimboca" with Parmesan Ravioli Prosciutto, Sage and Shallots Pan-roasted Quail with Polenta Gnocchi, Bacon, Chanterelles and Natural Juice Roasted Cote de Boeuf with Braised Celery, Crushed Peppercorns and "Pommes Aligot" Assorted French Cheeses with Grilled Walnut Bread Sherry Yard's Dessert by Inspiration (Two Courses)

 

What is the common thread? One thing is certain, these are all great cooks. In life and in the kitchen, each pursues excellence and innovation, not because the "trends" tell them they must, but because they have to. They know no other way. They are innovators. Lee says it best, "To be a good cook is an art. To be a great cook is an obsession."