Dominique Theval tells Grub Street that he’s seeking to create “dishes that remind guests of classic French home cooked meals,” at his new restaurant Dominique’s Kitchen in Redondo Beach. Formerly the owner of his own Mange Tout in London, the Parisian followed a stint cooking at Pnomh Penh’s Sunway Hotel with a move to L.A. in 2000, where he opened Morel’s as executive chef and eventually found himself at Taix, before opening his own place in the South Bay. Set-up as a neighborhood restaurant bent on made-to-order classics with a side of California freshness, Theval’s menu is a dinner-only affair of European dishes with a French core.
Dishes, which mostly all fall below $20, include time-honored servings like snails baked in garlic butter, egg cocette with port and black truffles, baked Brie, and onion soup to start, along with starters like spicy lamb sausage with organic quinoa for only $5.85, chicken liver pate made in-house, and fries with honey and curry.
Entrees include a short selection of pastas and risotto riddled with chopped mushrooms, jumbo shrimp with Nicoise, Scottish salmon laid with sauteed kale, a prime Angus rib-eye, pan-seared sole, and lamb chops, along with ile de flotante and chocolate mousse for dessert. Wines are mostly French and West Coast, with a lambic and Trappist Westmalle joining some usual suspect beers.
The chef calls his Kitchen a “laid-back” place where each classic dish is “carefully crafted with great passion.” The restaurant is open from 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., and stays open to 10:00 P.M. Fridays and Saturdays, while keeping closed on Tuesdays. See the full menu online.
Dominique’s Kitchen, 522 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach; 424-247-9054.
