Cuisine:

• Contemporary
• Eclectic

Elements Kitchen Description:
After winning over Pasadena with the original Elements Kitchen (an endearing, mostly al fresco eatery now renamed Elements Café), chef-restaurateur-caterer Onil Chibás opened this more ambitious restaurant adjacent to the historic Pasadena Playhouse. Most of the candlelit, linen-topped tables have a view of the glass-ensconced exhibition kitchen, while fine art lines the walls and vintage-style amber lamps hang from the ceiling. Elements Kitchen applies classic French technique to Latin and Asian flavors, resulting in an intriguing, eclectic cuisine that showcases seasonal organic ingredients. The menu is arranged by principal ingredients (e.g., "chicken & birds," "eggs," "lobster"), with small and large plates available in each category. Appetizer-size dishes have included crispy fried chicken livers over grits, and a playful "steak & eggs" (seared rare tuna steak with a short stack of blini and masago caviar). One of the simplest dishes, a plate of spaghetti squash topped with marinara sauce and a dollop of herbed ricotta, was among the most successful, suggesting the kitchen may be overly ambitious. Larger plates are represented by seared black cod with chorizo pipérade, and the "Breakfast at Tiffany's" omelet featuring butter-poached lobster and a luxurious uni-infused hollandaise. Desserts are spotty, but a thoughtful, attractively priced wine list is a plus.


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