Dining in the Eye of the Storm at Tulipe

Open kitchens are all the rage these days. Trouble is, most of them are so separated from the dining room that you really don’t see very much. Tulipe is different; this new restaurant on the site of the old Ma Maison, 8360 Melrose Ave., (213) 655-7400, puts you right into the center of the action. And there you can watch two accomplished chefs, Roland Gibert and Maurice Peguet, as they cook up a storm in their new restaurant.

And they are doing some pretty exciting stuff: Ravioli made of duck ham and snails in a bright green parsley coulis. Smoked salmon on a bed of sauerkraut. Wild mushrooms served with fava beans. A wonderful pastry of blue cheese and pears. And these are just for starters. The entrees, such as grilled scallops on a bed of caramelized shallots, are equally interesting.

The room itself is bright, loud and rather plain: all the romance is on the plate. But prices, for food of this quality, are also on the plain side: appetizers are $4.50-$9 and entrees $14-$19. Two careful people could eat a three-course dinner for $50 (food only).