Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Happy Food at Govind Armstrong's Republic of Laughter

By Laura Medina

Acclaimed Chef, Govind Armstrong.

When did eating and cooking became so serious?

The cooking and the preparation are understandable but the "digging in" part?  The eating part should be fun!

After enduring Food Network's "Iron Chef America," guest judging on Bravo's "Top Chef" and opening then running numerous acclaimed restaurants, Chef Govind Armstrong decided good food should be fun.

Building upon Tony Robbins and Masaru Emoto, with the belief that positive words can physically transform bodies and emotions; and laughter is the best medicine according to Madan Kataria of Laughter Yoga, Chef Govind christened his light-hearted but hearty cafe, Republic of Laughter or otherwise known as "ROFL." A play on "LOL."
Still, the munchies here are no joke.

Remember, he was a prodigy of Chef Wolfgang Puck, another man who made California Cuisine lighthearted and fun.

Everybody at the ROFL dove right into the platters of crunchy and sweet barbeque spare ribs, sunk their teeth into little but meaty beef sliders, and the gooey grilled brie and pear cheese sandwiches.  The deviled eggs topped with ahi tuna slices are potential to become the next big thing in brunch.

The mantra of "Laughter. Joy. Happiness. Love." wrapped around the counters.

The hip Hollywood crowd had a silly time, joking around and trying on silly party favors and hats and fake mustaches for a photo booth.

Chef Govind Armstrong proved good cuisine doesn't have to be serious, hip culturali aren't stuck-up, and his Republic of Laughter aka ROFL is a retreat from the city's pretentiousness.  The hot air coming out of the kitchen is good grilling and laughter.

It's a place where folks can relax and dig in.



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