Awbrey Glen Restaurant welcomes all

Published 4:00 am Thursday, January 16, 2003

If the menu at Awbrey Glen Restaurant surprises with its unorthodox use of unique flavor combinations, that’s just fine with executive chef Derek Clinkenbeard.

He wants diners to be caught off guard, to find the unexpected in his offerings. He wants to surprise, but please.

Awbrey Glen is an elite private golf club tucked into the trees on Bend’s west side. But while golf on this prestigious course may be limited to members, there is no such restriction in the dining room at Awbrey Glen Restaurant. All may come and experience Clinkenbeard’s flavor fusions.

Clinkenbeard, 32, has been heading the kitchen at the restaurant for a year, after training in restaurants in Chicago and elsewhere. His innovation and attention to the details of subtle flavors produce a nuanced bill of fare for Awbrey Glen.

Consider the five-spice salmon, which resides on the restaurant’s semi-permanent dinner menu (Clinkenbeard rewrites the menu several times each year to prevent boredom and introduce variety). Salmon is served out of habit at many local restaurants – it is the Pacific Northwest’s signature fish. But Clinkenbeard reinvents this pink-fleshed piscine by dredging it in Asian five-spice, baking it with a crust of wasabi and topping it with a sweet plum sauce. Savory, spicy and sweet, the flavors are powerful but do not overwhelm.

And while Clinkenbeard explains the science of flavor combinations – how the fat in the salmon demands something sweet to round out the intensity of the five-spice – diners may want to ignore that lest they lose the mystery of the dish. Instead, try to pay attention to the way the scent of the spice tickles the nose with its exotica and the way the sticky jasmine rice, with its soft texture and flavor, plays a supporting role to the fish. Quaff a little Washington Syrah between bites for an ultimate taste experience – the restaurant boasts a lengthy selection of wines.

For Clinkenbeard, the flavor is the most important part of the food. He researches different combinations and tries them daily so he can surprise diners with new hybrid flavors. Mahi Mahi with avocado-lime coulis. Cardamom-scented lamb with lentils. Risotto with rock shrimp and chipotle in a lobster sauce.

”The combinations are endless,” he said.

So endless that Clinkenbeard creates new dishes daily for the restaurant’s fresh sheet, or list of specials. Each day a different risotto dish, a different small plate of appetizers and four or five entrees are newly developed. Some dishes may never be made again. Others, if favored by a customer, may be revived by a phone call to the chef before a dinner reservation, he said.

And Clinkenbeard isn’t one to allow the pretension of garnish to detract from the food, although he does emphasize presentation of his dishes. Garnish, he steadfastly maintains, should complement the food not only in appearance but in flavor. So, find strings of lemon zest topping the Oregon halibut entree and its marionberry butter sauce, not only because it looks right, but because it tastes right, Clinkenbeard said.

Awbrey Glen’s clubhouse, in which the restaurant resides, overlooks the tree-lined golf course. The building was designed to resemble a lumber mill, said Mark Amberson, general manager of the golf club. Its slatted wood vaulted ceiling and exposed pipes impart a certain mill-like quality, but the the blazing fireplace, crystal candle holders and elegant table service with monogrammed china belies that initial impression.

Awbrey Glen could take a sizable divot out of your wallet, but it doesn’t have to. The restaurant offers a ”Casual Cooking Menu” that features smaller plates at smaller prices, but doesn’t compromise on taste. Pasta dishes and vegetable and chicken entrees are also affordable.

Julie Johnson can be reached at 541-383-0308 or jjohnson@bendbulletin.com.