I’ve dined at Chaya many times, at both their Beverly Hills and Downtown locations. And with RestaurantWeek in full effect, I had one more reason to stop by with a friend. For those not familiar with RestaurantWeek, it’s essentially a two weeklong promotion where participating restaurants (mainly medium to upscale) create pre fixe menus for dinner or lunch at discounted prices in hopes of garnering new customers. The three course meal that I ordered at Chaya was smoked salmon beet salad, Indian style beef filet, and mango sorbet. While the salad was extremely refreshing with a light dressing, the filet was simply out of this world. What made it so special were the peppery spices that they used in the marinade. As with all pieces of meat you get from an upscale restaurant, they don’t always come out perfectly. I don’t just judge a restaurant by that. I judge them on how quickly they fix the issue. One of the pieces of meat was a bit marbly. I waved the nearest attendant, and before I could even explain what was wrong, Dan (who unbeknownst to us was the General Manager) took the plate with a smile on his face and apologized. Within minutes, I had a brand spanking new filet. This time, the filet was perfectly cooked, delicious, and the service made it even better for me. We topped off the meal with a mango sorbet that was like eating a “just right” mango with every spoonful. At the end of the meal, Dan came back to the table, introduced himself, and checked to see if we needed anything else. I was surprised to hear that he was the GM. For all I knew, he was the waiter or busboy. It means so much to dine at a restaurant that gets its GM involved. To be a successful leader you must experience what it’s like to be in the trenches, battling it out. Dan showed that even at this point in his career, he is still getting his hands dirty. Other than that, I enjoyed the experience as usual. If you haven’t been to Chaya yet –what’s wrong with you?! No, no, go check it out. If you are not up for a meal, then at least try their happy hour—it’s one of the best.

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