Chef Ashley Oates Takes the Reins at Zinc@Shade

Zinc@Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach has been open for more than ten years and dining on the shady patio overlooking Metlox Plaza has been a guilty pleasure of mine from the very beginning.

Zinc was at the vanguard of the exploding food scene in Manhattan Beach and in all this time, they’ve never taken their success for granted. The kitchen team regularly kept it fresh with innovative menus, current food trends and decadent craft cocktails, while consistently offering a quality dining experience and remaining true to the casual beach culture and loyal customer base.

Shade Hotel recently announced that Chef Ashley Oates had been promoted to Executive Chef at zinc@shade, where she has served as sous chef since 2013 – and like her predecessor, she is a young, energetic, remarkable talent.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

Fifteen years ago, Ashley embarked on a career in culinary arts to conceptualize and create mouth-watering edible creations, fueled by her belief in the importance of food’s ability to bring people together. Upon graduating high school, Ashley studied at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena. Over the course of her career, she has served A-list celebrities such as Britney Spears, Vince Vaughn and Donald Trump, and held positions in various kitchens throughout Los Angeles and the South Bay, including The Hollywood Bowl and Trump National Golf Course in Palos Verdes.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

Impressed with the diversity and the creative turn of food in the South Bay, Ashley plans to maintain zinc@shade’s position at the forefront of the food scene through her approach of creating classic dishes with a modern twist. “Adding flair and my own personality to the dish has really taken our menu to the next level,” said Oates. “You can’t be scared to take a risk with food.”

I was recently invited to sample a few of the items Ashley has added to the menu over the last few months, in addition to a soon-to-be-added item. It’s hard to believe the menu could be enhanced any further, but once again, it is.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

We began with the aforementioned soon-to-be-added item, Hamachi Crudo. The raw fish was sliced into two inch pieces, served with roasted beets, avocado and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The ponzu vinaigrette had a fresh bite, courtesy of some jalapeño. It’s a perfect starter dish for the table – clean, light and edgy.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

The Shade Cobb Salad was dressed with blue cheese vinaigrette and featured mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, charred green onion, sourdough croutons, pickled onions and crispy prosciutto flakes. The vinaigrette was mild and smoky and accented the other flavors beautifully. The prosciutto was a refreshing change from the standard, heavier bacon. This salad is currently on the lunch menu.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

The Maine Diver Scallops were perfectly seared and served with a poached egg atop asparagus farro in a maple-bacon-butter sauce…..yes, you read correctly, maple-bacon-butter. This dish offered a little bit of everything – sweet, savory, crunchy, tender goodness. The Diver Scallops are currently on the dinner menu.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

The Panang Curry Bowl is on both the lunch and dinner menus and if it isn’t already one of the more popular items, it soon will be. I’m always wary of curry dishes because many cooks use too much, overpowering the ingredients. Not so here. Ashley combines curry paste with coconut milk, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and lime rind – it’s surprisingly fresh, and made what could have been a boring dish of sweet potatoes, cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, onion and quinoa into something exotic.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

The Flame-Roasted New Zealand Lamb Chops are currently listed on the dinner menu under ‘Share’ – but you won’t want to share these with anyone. Herb marinated and flame-roasted, the four meaty chops are served with garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized onion and roasted mushrooms in a red-wine sauce. The meat was so incredibly tender and flavorful; it’s a crime not to offer this dish as an entrée.

Photo courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography

These dishes are an invigorating sample of what Chef Ashley has been up to since assuming responsibility in the kitchen and her tasty contributions skillfully complement the established menu favorites.

When she’s not in the kitchen cooking with fresh, local ingredients, Ashley spends time sharing her passion for food with deserving causes. She is an ambassador for Two Hands, Two Cans, a non-profit which works with children to show them how to cook with healthy ingredients and how to plant and maintain fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as introducing older kids to jobs in the food and beverage industry.

For additional information and to make reservations, visit the website at http://www.shadehotel.com or call 310-546-4995.

Shade Hotel is located at 1221 North Valley Drive in Manhattan Beach.

All photos courtesy of Gloria Plascencia Photography.