What: Another Emeril’s extravaganza
Where: Near the convention center
Price Range: $$$-$$$$+
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; 5:30 to 10:00 p.m.; to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; Sunday brunch 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Reservations: Highly recommended. (407) 503-2467
Located at the point where the Royal Pacific Resort meets the massive convention center attached to the hotel, Tchoup Chop (pronounced “chop chop”) is to Royal Pacific what Bice is to Portofino Bay, the signature restaurant for the hotel and a destination in its own right. And being an Emeril Lagasse restaurant, the cooking is as bold as the decor.
Guests arriving by boat from CityWalk pass through a carved wooden moon gate and cross an open patio to reach the restaurant. The dining area, carefully designed according to feng shui principles, is a riot of blue tile, orange glass chandeliers, pale beige bamboo and rattan and dark teak furniture. A long, narrow pool bedecked with lily pads runs down the middle with a chic and well-stocked bar at one end. The overall effect is at once vibrant and soothing.
Facing the entrance is an open kitchen and food bar that allows “interactive” experiences between chefs and diners. Tchoup Chop is destined to become instantly popular and the odds are that the Lagasse touch will keep the place booked up well after the initial curiosity has been satisfied. So if you plan to dine here, book your dining reservation when you book your hotel room.
Fortunately, the food lives up to the hype. The cuisine is inspired both by the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific and Asian cooking techniques, with the fresh seafood of the Gulf of Mexico and the nearby Atlantic playing a strong supporting role. But don’t expect a re-run of Trader Vic’s, which is the stereotype of a Polynesian restaurant, or even Emeril’s over at CityWalk for that matter. Here the emphasis is on relatively straightforward preparation of superb ingredients. Get a burger for your kid and it will be made from the finest beef. The menu changes with admirable regularity as the chefs take advantage of the seasonal availability of fish and produce, so it’s difficult to predict what will be available when you visit. However, a survey of past dishes will give you some idea and help whet your appetite.
Lunch entrees ($15 to $25) might include smoked pork ribs in a hoisin sauce barbecue or fish steamed in a banana leaf with a sweet onion chile salsa. For larger appetites there is the Hawaiian-style platter of ribs, Kalua pork, and teriyaki chicken with potato hash and baked macaroni. A two-course “Taste of Tchoup Chop” is a bargain at $20. Side dishes ($6 to $8) include Chef Emeril’s fried rice and stir fried garlic mushrooms.
At dinner, the prices get kicked up a notch, as it were. Appetizers ($8 to $14) might include Emeril’s take on Shanghai dumplings, shrimp toast, egg rolls, and summer rolls, all very good. Dinner soups and salads ($6 to $16) are listed separately and range from simple miso soups to elaborate salads with exotic dressings.
Dinner entrees ($20 to $39) include the Hawaii platter mentioned earlier and innovative takes on filet mignon, short ribs, and salmon, which might be crusted with macadamia nuts and served with ginger-soy butter. The grilled double cut pork chop is mammoth and very good, as are the steaks. Meats are often served over mashed potatoes laced with roasted garlic or wasabi paste. The wok dishes and sides from lunch are repeated at dinner at a slightly higher price. Desserts ($6 and up) also change too often to keep up with. Suffice it to say, all the ones I’ve sampled have been terrific.
Sake ($60 to $99 the bottle) features in the culinary concept here, much as wine would in a fine French restaurant, with a small but choice selection of premium brands available. A more traditional wine list is also available.
A highly recommended option for dinner is the Teppanyaki Menu (about $75, but varies according to the ingredients) which is billed as “a delicious experience of Polynesian and Asian influences.” It can be served anywhere in the restaurant, but the best place to have it is at the food bar looking into the kitchen. Here you get to kibitz with the chefs and fellow food aficionados as the meal unfolds.
And what a meal it is. It is a five-course extravaganza, plus an amuse bouche to get started and occasional extras at the chef’s whim. Most of the four main dishes are designed to be cooked on the teppanyaki grill, although the wok is sometimes put to use. The menu changes daily. There are just two seatings a night, three on weekends, so prior planning is essential.
Tip: Tchoup Chop owns a small outdoor “tiki bar,” which serves all the elaborate cocktails ($9 to $19) served inside. What is less well known is that you can order anything else on the menu here, including an abbreviated version of the tasting menu, to be served outside. It makes for a fun blending of the elegant and the casual.
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