By Leslee Komaiko
For dineLA.com
Talk about singularity of focus. At the tender age of 13, Govind Armstrong, who grew up in Encino, started an apprenticeship at the original Spago on Sunset Strip. Years later, he went on to open Chadwick with partner Ben Ford in Beverly Hills. Chadwick didn’t survive, but Armstrong is now the chef-owner of two successful Table 8 restaurants, one on Melrose Avenue and the other in Miami Beach. And New York get its own Table 8 later this year. With a cookbook, Small Bites Big Nights, under his belt, the personable and — let’s not mince words — hot chef is now a sought-after television personality who has appeared on shows such as Top Chef and Oprah.
Let’s first address the thing on everyone’s mind. Seems like whenever your name comes up in conversation, the word “sexy” follows. How do you feel about this?
I’m beyond flattered. I’m a very low key kind of guy. I get embarrassed easily. I’m pretty shy around people.
You’re shy? But you’re on television all the time.
Even when I’m on TV I’m pretty reserved and quiet. I get real nervous, which is why I would never want to do my own show. I love interacting with people in the restaurant. That takes a little bit of getting my nerve up as well.
Tell me about the book.
I wanted to do a book on everything I’ve served in the lounge: smaller plates. For some reason I convinced myself it would be easier to do that than a Table 8 cookbook. I thought I was really prepared for it. Turned out I wasn’t.
How so?
Recipe writing for the general public is a little different than for a cook. Testing them was a whole other challenge. I tested the majority in my home kitchen so they would all work in a residential kitchen. I thought I would save money by not hiring a food stylist; my back still hurts from being behind every shot. It was just a lot of work: two hours of your day committed to solely that. Once it’s off your desk there’s this empty void in your life. My editor always pushed me to get started on something else. Maybe in the next year or so after the New York restaurant opens.
When will that be?
Probably sometime in the fall, maybe September or October. It’s going into an incredible hotel, the Cooper Square Hotel in the Bowery. We’ll do all of the food service: breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a huge undertaking compared to the So Cal life of dinner only six nights a week.
That means oatmeal and everything?
Oh, yeah. But it will be steel cut Irish oats. Nothing but the best.
Why grow outside of LA rather than stay here?
I’m not one to compete with myself. I’ve always wanted to tap into different markets.
Are you at all scared about going into New York?
It’s scary on many levels. Just being from the West Coast and moving east is an extremely risky move. We on the West Coast have always been looked down upon. In the last eight to 10 years things have been moving in a direction that’s more respectable. But there’s always been that barrier of the West and East Coast; that alone is a little unnerving.
Tell us about the name Table 8.
I met my two business partners at the last restaurant I was involved in, Chadwick. They came in, eight people, and sat at table eight. Eventually things didn’t work out for us at Chadwick. I took a big chunk of time out. Before [the Table 8 space] went on the market we got wind of it. It was Bouchon before.
What happened with Chadwick? I loved it.
I loved it, too. We put our heart and soul into that place. Maybe it was a little before its time.
We had our entire garden where we grew a lot of our own produce. We composted everything. It was very full circle sustainable. That’s not the cheapest thing to support. We’re dealing with such small margins anyway in the restaurant business.
I recall hearing you say something about sneaking pork into everything. Tell me more.
Not “sneaking.” I’m not evil. I don’t sneak it into anything vegetarian where it’s not appropriate. But I’m a huge pork fan. Whatever makes sense. Sometimes we’ll caramelize vegetables in a little kurobuta pork fat.
Do you still spend time in the kitchen?
In Miami I don’t have the time to stand around and cook on the line unfortunately. I do all the recipes. I’ll train guys and work with them in the kitchen. There’s a lot of managing a big operation out there. I still get on the line every now and then in LA because I can. It’s a smaller operation.
Why did you decide to renovate Table 8 LA?
I needed to shut down. When I moved out to Miami I needed at least three months. It had been three years plus at Table 8. Restaurant spaces get pretty beat up. It made sense timing wise.
I’m sure you’ve heard the naysayers.
Oh yeah. It’s definitely not for everybody. Definitely a 180 degree difference, like night and day. We needed that sort of change. It was a little more extreme than I had envisioned. The vision sounded perfect; food was going to be focus.
I have a question that I’m a little hesitant to ask, but here goes: any idea why we have so few chefs of color? At least high profile chefs?
I wish I could answer that. It’s been something that has crossed my mind. I don’t know.
Where do you like to eat in LA?
Good sushi of course. I love Mori Sushi on Pico.
Why Mori in particular?
Mori, he’s incredible. Super talented. So passionate. He makes his own dishes. He’s such an intense character.
Where else?
There’s a great place on Sawtelle called Kiriko. I love good Mexican food, too. Tere’s Mexican Grill on Melrose near Rossmore. Oh my god, it’s so good. The carne asada taquitos are delicious. The carnitas are amazing. Loteria Grill l love, Campanile because it’s walking distance from my house.
And you worked there, yes?
I was there a number of times. They recycled me like three times. I love Mark [Peel]. He was at Spago way back in the day when I first started and we share same birthday.
Table 8, 7661 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323.782.8258
