Rolled potato flatbread, curry leaf yogurt and herbs is an ideal summertime dish. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Executive chef Matthew Kenney’s acclaimed vegan restaurant Plant Food + Wine on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach has relocated to the iconic Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.

“We were at Abbott Kinney for 10 years, and when our lease was up … we have always had a great relationship with Four Seasons, they are amazing operators,” Kenney said during the opening night of his new restaurant. “I found that we are good at being innovators and creative, yet we are nowhere near as strong and as impeccable as Four Seasons is as operators, so we wanted to focus on what we do best and put the two partners together, and create something for the next generation of Plant Food + Wine and what we see as the future of food.”

Chef Kenney and Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills have collaborated through the years offering multiple culinary events. He produced a Folia plant-based menu for the hotel’s Wellness Floor. He is anticipating his new creative vegan menu at Plant Food + Wine will appeal to all.

“Our patrons will now be able to sip and savor Mathew Kenney’s elevated, plant-based cuisine surrounded by the property’s natural beauty. This partnership also proves to be a milestone for the brand’s continued emphasis on wellness offerings,” said David Wilkie, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.

The restaurant is located on the fourth floor on a garden-like patio, next to the hotel’s spa and rooftop swimming pool. Natural wood finishes, white marble and verdant plants create a tranquil ambience.

Chef Kenney is a superstar in the vegan world and is known for “crafting the future of food.” After attending the French Culinary Institute to learn classical culinary techniques, he worked in various kitchens in New York, before opening his own Matthew’s in New York. Food + Wine Magazine named him Best New Chef in 1994, and a James Beard Rising Star Chef in America in 1995. With his creative kitchen skills and success, he has operated over 50 restaurants in more than 12 countries.

Not only does this entrepreneur specialize in plant-based cuisine, he is also an author and educator encouraging and enlightening people about the benefits of a healthy plant-based diet.

“The menu still embraces local and seasonal ingredients, while applying the multiple techniques we have developed in our test kitchen over recent years,” Kenney said as a few of his starter plates were delivered to the table. “We have developed a large portfolio of breakfast, lunch and dinner items and are very excited to share them with restaurant patrons and hotel guests.”

Starters on the menu include large green olives in citrus oil; fennel pollen almonds; and crispy saffron arancini with tomato jam.

An imaginative Napa cabbage leaf wrapped around kimchi rested on top of red kimchi foam with sweet pea shoots and tendrils, and a sprinkling of white and black sesame seeds. I enjoyed the savory flavor and creative presentation.

Diners can pair the food with a variety of botanical cocktails and naturally curated wines. I selected an orange 2022 Giornata Orangetango wine to enjoy with the entrées. Inspired by Italy, yet crafted in Paso Robles, California, this orange wine is a blend of Vermentino, Fiano and Arneis white grape varieties fermented in their skin. It offers a fresh and clean almost creamsicle nose and hint of peach marmalade and tea with each sip. The texture is soft and supple with a subtle tannic structure. The wine paired well with a bright yellow saffron vegetable rice that was the base for brick red harissa and perfectly cooked cauliflower, tender and flavorful. It was topped with fried caper Tahini and a variety of herbs and greens.

Grilled potato flatbread rolled into a flauta shape, next to curry leaf yogurt topped with chunks of avocado and a handful of herbs. Thin white sprouts and thinly sliced white floral shaped root vegetables decorated the top of the greens.

The last entrée was a dramatic looking dark sesame mole sauce topped with a sweet, charred corn cake. On top of the corn cake were chopped chipotle glazed maitake mushrooms. A few herbs and a tangle of thin and long root vegetables added a sense of theatrics to the plate. The dish had a perfect balance of savory and sweet flavors with each bite.

We finished with two chocolate cake triangles topped with two scoops of frozen pistachio and rose water, that looked and tasted just like ice cream. On top of the cake were thin brittle-like tiles to give a satisfying crunch.

Other desserts include a vegan banana cream pie; stone fruit creamsicle with vanilla gelato and peach granita; and an olive oil panna cotta with summer berries.

Matthew Kenney’s new Plant Food + Wine is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. $$ 300 S. Doheny Drive, (310)273-2222.