Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5037
E ver great chef can use a savvy business partner. Philippe Chow chef'd at Mr. Chow for 27 years until he left to start up his series of eponymous restaurants with Stratis Morfogen. (Philippe Chow is no relation to Mr. Chow owner Michael Chow.) "When he left the mother ship, as many great chefs do, we became business partners," explains Morfogen, who opened the first Philippe Chow restaurant on Madison Avenue and 50th Street in New York City. Designed by Morfogen's wife Filipa, who is Accessories Editor for Vogue, the new Philippe by Philippe Chow—the sixth restaurant in the group, which includes locations in Greenwich Village, East Hampton, Mexico City and Mi- ami—has arrived in L.A. with the colors, fabrics and food of the Far East. Lemongrass aromas fill the room, and classic rock'n'roll, from The Beatles to Pink Floyd, sets the tone. "Sophisticated doesn't have to mean stuffy," Morfogen notes. The cuisine is Beijing-style, which third-generation restaurateur Morfogen describes as a Nouvelle approach to Chinese, jettisoned into the future. "I've honed my skills with a partner as talented as Philippe. I can concern myself about marketing and the front of the house, but I certainly don't have to worry about the kitchen." Philippe West Hollywood is located at 8284 Melrose Avenue. —Meridith May Stratis Morfogen (left), of Philippe West Hollywood, toasts Brancott winemaker Patrick Materman in the restaurant's wine cellar. Meet Stratis Morfogen december 2009 / the tasting panel / 71 T asted side-by-side with some of the 2008 vintage wines, the 2009 Sauvignon Blancs from Brancott show the same keen fo- cus and expressive fruit that has made this brand one of the defini- tive producers of this varietal in New Zealand, or anywhere. —Anthony Dias Blue Brancott Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough ($12) Juicy and fresh with bright acidity and lovely citrus, gooseberry, lemon me- ringue and peach fruit; ripe, keen and pure; long, charming and delicious. 91 points Brancott Vineyards 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Marlborough ($18) Smooth and lush with clean, balanced fruit (gooseberry, honeyed citrus), brown sugar and soft acidity; long and rich, balanced and complex. 90 Brancott Vineyards 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Letter Series "B," Marlborough ($26) Bright and fresh, Sancerre-style Sauv Blanc with min- erals and rich, racy citrus and gooseberry fruit; expressively long and tangy with depth, style and finesse. 91 Brancott Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Letter Series "B," Marlborough ($26) Juicy and forward with grapefruit, spice and citrus; tangy and persistent with bright flavors and lively acid structure. 92 The event featured fresh oysters served by Chef Christophe Happillon of Oyster Gourmet, paired here with Brancott's 2009 "B" Sauvignon Blanc as well as Waiwera water from New Zealand. Tasting Notes