Adam Robson Chew (apt name), the head chef at Cape Lodge, is in Malibu this week, where he is teaming with Joshua Balague, executive chef at Malibu Beach Inn, in “West Coast to West Coast,” a seafood-centric dinner series that aims to highlight the culinary influences of the two locales.

Adam Robson Chew

Western Australia’s Cape Lodge, which opened in 1992, is a 22-room property in the Margaret River region – great wines are produced there – while Malibu Beach Inn’s 47 rooms hold a prime spot on the Pacific Ocean. Both lodgings are situated in beautiful environs, surroundings sure to complement meals served at the establishments’ tables.

Cape Lodge
A room at Malibu Beach Inn.

Robson Chew, who is from the United Kingdom, had worked at a number of restaurants, including Oscillate Wildly and Nomad, prior to joining the kitchen brigade at Cape Lodge. Balague, meanwhile, who credits his grandmother with sparking his passion for cooking, began working in restaurant kitchens at 16 and graduated from Cordon Bleu Pasadena in 2008. He had stints at Napa Valley’s Oenotri and in kitchens in the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest previous to his appointment at Carbon Beach Club, Malibu Beach Inn’s restaurant.

Joshua Balague

The chefs are collaborating beginning today through June 16, and I had the opportunity to sample their wares at a preview dinner this week. My take: If you enjoy dining well above the beach on a sublime strip of the Pacific Ocean, get a reservation for the series (OpenTable is the place to book a seat).

Here’s the menu:

Amuse Bouche:
Sea urchin uni on toast
Baby lettuce and bottarga
(Ashbrook Estate Verdelho)

First Course:
Spot prawn carpaccio with heirloom tomato and spiced watermelon
(2021 Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon)

Second Course:
Razor clam, green shallot, and linguine
(2021 Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon)

Third Course:
Monkfish with mussel béarnaise and purslane
(2021 Vasse Felix “Premier” Chardonnay)

Fourth Course:
Necartarine with salted macadamia cake and blood plum granita
(Ashbrook Estate Verdelho)

Fifth Course:
Selection of local cheeses
(2018 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon)

The chefs told me that it took them about an hour to come up with the menu, and the uni was an inspired choice, as it began the meal in a great manner. To my palate, the monkfish dish was the highlight of the meal, and I hope only that the chefs plate a tad more monkfish than that served at the preview dinner. I’ve no doubt that the staging event allowed them to iron out the wrinkles they discovered, and the debut meal was engaging and full of flavorful touches – the fried prawn head was satisfyingly earthy.

The wines were apt and suitable, and though I was partial to the Vasse Felix Chardonnay, all paired well with the courses.

The evening will cost you $90 per person, and $50 gets you the wine pairings listed above.