Q&A with Mark Leighton Ching, Executive Chef, Loews Hollywood Hotel
What culinary trends are you seeing around downtown L.A., Hollywood and the Valleys these days?
Juicing, raw foods, vegan, natural and non-GMO. Cold-pressed juicing, cleansing and nutritional support is probably the most popular. As anyone that has a juicer at home knows, this is time-consuming and messy. Viola! The corner juice bar or storefront. Clean, modern, focused—and wildly expensive. Yet people flock to these establishments and fork over the cash for the convenience.
What makes the area a great destination food-wise?
L.A. offers choice. Healthy? You got it. Not-so-healthy? You got that, too. In between you have everything—soup to nuts, literally, with all the healthy stuff, yet a doughnut shop or bakery on seemingly every corner. Widely varying demographic and neighborhood ethnicity influences are huge. Roy Choi and his Kogi trucks. Koreatown, Little Saigon, Little Italy, Little Armenia, Mexico—you name it, it’s here!
When groups come to town on business, what are some ways in which food can play a wellness role in their program?
Planners and companies can choose to define their message in regards to employee investment, health and well-being. There will always be demand for the traditional candies, pastries and sweets, but you can choose to break the mold and provide more healthful options in meals and breaks during the course of a conference.
What is one of your favorite places to get a wellness-inspired bite or drink?
I reside in Burbank, just over the hill, so I have zeroed in on a place called Lemonade [which has several locations in the Los Angeles area]. It has all fresh offerings—at least 20 composed salads daily and eight to 10 hot offerings, including proteins and vegetables and fresh-squeezed lemonades. Most offerings are gluten-free by nature. Of course, they also have artisan breads, as well as simple but slightly different dessert options.