LOLA 41 - PALM BEACH, FL

 

We had dinner at LOLA 41 – a new restaurant for Palm Beach, located in the soon-to-open White Elephant Hotel.

Our dinner began with sashimi:  both magura (tuna) and hamachi (yellowtail). Both fish were excellent. They were very firm and have a relatively high fat content which makes them melt in your mouth. LOLA 41 offers both nigiri and sashimi. While nigiri uses rice to enhance the flavor of the fish, in sashimi there is no rice. The fish must stand on its own. It is eaten with a dab of soy sauce, as befits the Japanese tradition.

My guests had specialty rolls:  asahi (spicy salmon topped with avocado and tuna) and anata (spicy tuna topped with cucumber and more tuna). Both were well prepared, beautiful to look at, and delightful to eat. Although both rolls were served with wasabi mayo or wasabi aioli, these condiments were unnecessary, as the rolls were delicious in their own flavors.

Under the menu heading of “smaller plates” we tasted poke nachos – a combination of tuna, salmon, wakame and vegetables served on wonton chips. The plate was anything but small: four of us had several chips each. The poke was absolutely fresh, redolent of the sea and benefited from a French touch of seasoning.

My less adventurous tablemates began with edamame and crab stuffed avocado: both totally acceptable but fairly standard.  I would suggest being somewhat more bold because you will be pleasantly surprised.

A seaweed and sesame salad with pickled vegetables, called wakame and sunomono, was fresh and palate cleansing, but slightly strong on spices. I would have liked more seaweed taste to come through. Shrimp tempura was served with a very tasty ginger dipping sauce – such an improvement over the spicy ketchup typically served with shrimp.

One of my guests chose “Hoisin Lacquered Baby Back Ribs”  and a macaroni-and-cheese plate. I would not have selected either dish because LOLA 41’s French Chef, Jeffrey Beauchamps,  does much more interesting items – sort of a wasted entrée opportunity. The ribs were exactly what you would expect, but the sticky soy glaze is too sweet for me. But my guest loved his choice. And isn’t that all that matters?

The mac-and-cheese plate was precisely what you would expect – but don’t go to LOLA’s for this: a better choice would be the LOLA Bolognese instead – basically ricotta and padano gnocchi – excellent.

The room was packed. No real social distancing here as everybody seemed to know everybody: much of the clientele appears to be the golden youth of Palm Beach – but without the excessive noise usually associated with buzzy restaurants. The clientele is attractive, animated and apparently polite – holding chairs and doors for some of the older patrons.

The restaurant is still in the process of sorting out its wine list, which is considerable, but pricey. We had problems with availability of Malbecs and Merlots, but the extraordinarily affable and talented General Manager, Ms. Kerri Powers, solved our problems instantly and with grace and charm.

Pricing, including wine and taxes, but not gratuities, will come to around $75 per person. It appears to me that LOLA 41 will become a popular addition to the Palm Beach restaurant community. When the Pink Elephant Hotel opens, LOLA 41 will be serving three meals daily: one hopes that this added burden will not detract from Chef Beauchamp’s superb Frenchman’s take on classical Japanese cuisine!

Roger is a well-traveled gourmet who writes these reviews for his friends. He accepts no fees and has strong opinions on what he considers restaurant etiquette and menu pricing.