My girlfriend Juliam and I were utterly pummeled by luxury at Alexander’s Steakhouse in Pasadena on a recent night out. Chef Florent Courriol, who previously cooked at Michelin-starred Amber in Hong Kong and L’atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong, was recently named executive chef of the Japanese-inflected steakhouse, and the evening’s cooking was as good as his pedigree suggested.

Service was truly just as memorable with Alexander’s team of hospitality pros dedicated to making us feel taken care of at every turn. Without further ado, a play-by-play of our most excellent feast:

To start, an amuse bouche—two-and-a-half bites of perfectly seasonal springtime peas.

And then came the oysters: Kumamotos done up with an apple granita, jalapeno, aloe vera, and the magic of dry ice.

The hamachi shot is a staple at all Alexander’s locations, but the composition reflects local tastes and ingredients. Ours featured dashi, avocado, Fresno chilies, ponzu, negi (onion), and arare (rice puffs).

Next up were Santa Barbara spot prawns prepared two ways: cooked and raw. The former was wrapped in thin sheets of pastry en papillote with aged lemon, miso, and basil, while the latter was prettied with fish eggs along with tomato, strawberry, lime caviar, and watermelon.

Quite possibly my favorite dish of the evening was the Wagyu beef tartare seasoned with shallots, chives, mustard seeds, yuzu kosho, and pickled wasabi, and topped with an avalanche of caviar. A seaweed cracker added the final, crispy flourish.

The octopus was balanced between tender and toothsome with its fermented red bell pepper coulis, pickled onions, and smoked pancetta.

Buttery tortellinis stuffed with ricotta and served alongside poached langoustine with green peas and black truffle arrived next. The texture of the pasta was excellent.

Next up was a rare dinnertime appearance by French toast. In place of the usual maple syrup, whipped cream, and mixed berry compote was a savory onslaught of Santa Barbara sea urchin and A5 wagyu beef. The powerhouse set of ingredients, balanced atop crisp-golden brioche, teetered ever-so-delicately with each bite.

A trio of breads along with a duo of butters was next on the scene. With its pillowy profile, the warm Japanese milk bread was tops in my book.

Alexander’s is famous for its impressive selection of Wagyu, and we were treated to four phenomenal varieties: Miyazaki (raised in a temperate climate), Hokkaido (raised in below freezing temperatures), Shiga Ohmi (rarest), and Kagoshima (well-balanced marbleization). On hand to balance each rich bite were nine different varieties of salt.

A simple strawberry sorbet transitioned our palates from savory to sweet.

The first dessert was inspired by Uncle Tetsu’s ethereal Japanese cheesecakes…

… while the second laid down some dark chocolate ganache with Harry’s strawberries, black sesame, and yuzu for balance.

Cotton candy and handmade chocolates sent us into the night fabulously happy and stuffed.

Steakhouses are better known for solid standbys rather than culinary creativity, but that’s not the case with Chef Florent Courriol at the helm. The new menu at Alexander’s is really giving the neighborhood something to talk about.

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Alexander’s Steakhouse
111 N. Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-486-1111

One year ago: HiHo Cheeseburger – Santa Monica
Two years ago: {swoon} Tuna Tostada at Contramar – Mexico City
Three years ago: Shake Shack – Las Vegas
Four years ago: Maude Restaurant – Beverly Hills
Five years ago: SLACKER
Six years ago: Breakfast at Good Girl Dinette – Highland Park
Seven year ago: Sweethome Grill – San Gabriel
Eight years ago: Rhubarb and Raspberry Crostata
Nine years ago: Buy Me Some Garlic Fries and Dodger Dogs…
Ten years ago: The Donut Man – Glendora
Eleven years ago: Vegetation Profile: Durian
Twelve years ago: Pecan Spice Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting