Philippe Chow’s in Beverly Hills celebrated one year in business in the fabled city this past November after moving their location from West Hollywood. Philippe Chow himself spends most of his time at his famous New York restaurant ,but pops out here when he needs to supervise the cooking of his Mandarin Chef Yao Wu Fang aka Steve. PC prefers to stay in the background all the time and I now know the reason why. Since his English is so shaky he prefers to let his cooking do the talking, and what real tasty cooking it is.

Philippe Chow is known for his innovative Chinese cooking and in particular the art of hand-pulling noodles, which had become a lost art. His New York restaurant is world famous and is located in one of the most fashionable areas, and now Beverly Hills is looking to duplicate that success after their initial splash on the trendy Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

The actual owner of the restaurant is Manny Halley, a powerhouse in the rap, hip hop and soul world. Hence the constant appearances at the restaurant of the likes of Lil Wayne, Nelly and Keyshia Cole. Others who have shown up include Oprah, Kobe Bryant, Kloe Kardashian, Mel B and Kevin Hart, although these types are shuttled to the back of the thin narrow establishment to the VIP rooms where you have to spend a minimum of between $600-$1200 per room to be considered on that hallowed ground.

The vibe is certainly one of smooth soul, and if you are familiar or comfortable with that world, then this place is a must visit. Service is no-nonsense and brisk, so it is not really the place to hang out, but if you absolutely want to, then the bar certainly looks appealing with the obligatory big screens to watch hockey or basketball. Cocktails are very reasonably priced at $12 (for Beverly Hills at least) and I was told that the Lychee Blossom is the one to go for.

Out front the mere mortals are herded together in a long narrow room where they have a tempting array of appetizers to choose from. I would go for the Chicken or Beef Satay with the cream and peanut sauce, one of the most popular items on the menu. Also the Cabbage wrap w/ chicken is kind of irresistible, as are the home made dumplings, although the small portion will want you gasping for more.

Also go for the Wok fried Salt & Pepper Prawns and the Pork Fried Rice, and you will probably need to keep some room for the Drunken Sea Bass w/Chinese rice wine sauce and wood ear mushrooms. Overall, despite some minor grumblings about the seating and actual ambiance of the restaurant, which I found rather limiting and dull, the food was consistently enjoyable and does not stay very long on the plate, and the memory of the dining experience tends to linger on for a few days.

Philippe Chow Beverly Hills
8620 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 289-3500

Lunch 12 m-3.30 pm
Dinner 5.30 pm to 10 pm
Street Parking available