Amaya Refashions Into Bijou, Adds New Wine Bar

Dubbed the "Jewel by the Sea", La Jolla gets a shiny new concept today with the opening of Bijou, a new French bistro that takes the place of Amaya, which debuted last March on Prospect Street.

The powers that be say that the departure of chef Camron Woods, and the desire to shift the restaurant in a more accessible and casual direction, spurred the switcheroo.

Executive chef William Bradley of Addison, the jewel in The Grand Del Mar's crown, is Bijou's culinary director and will be seeing the restaurant through its opening paces; Shaun Gethin a six-year vet of Addison's kitchen, will be the chef de cuisine going forward.

Bradley told Eater that his menu for Bijou, which is open for dinner only, is an ode to the traditional French bistro, with dishes that might seem simple and familiar (French onion soup, coq au vin) but have been conscientiously adapted by kitchen; the frites for the steak frites went through a thorough testing to find the ideal size and frying method. A dish of oeufs mayonnaise, halved hard boiled eggs cloaked in satiny paprika-tinted sauce, were inspired by the chef's favorite bistro gem in Paris, Le Comptoir.

The decor hasn't changed much but the front room now houses a wine bar pouring a new list that's mostly French, with some new American producers, and designed to be more reasonable and approachable than Amaya's offerings. There's also a bar food menu, which includes oysters, a smoked ham tartine and "Le Burger a l'americaine".

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