Post #428710 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Jan 14, 2009 10:23 AM

This just in: Mea culpa, I was just going by the name, but Cal-Asia is actually and American owned company. Shows what I know. Not that that matters anyway.
I just want to say that no one here can imagine the behind the scenes work it takes to put such a business up these days. It's not like it used to be, where gas torches and raffia awnings and waterfalls and all that stuff was just plopped in there no questions asked, and smog regulations for Chinese ovens did not exist. The hoops to jump through and compromises to be made are a real challenge, and I commend John for fighting to get everything as close as possible to the way we, and he, would want the place to be. I can say that much, it will NOT just feel like another "franchise".

As for the veteran Beverly Hills bartenders, according to my info, they are still employed by the Hilton, with all its benefits, but John is trying to get them for guest appearances. Yet I see no reason to worry about the level of cocktail quality, there will be a well trained cadre of international mixologists manning the bar.