My first impression of GOOP was ordering online and trying to pickup at the Costa Mesa Kitchens location...I covered that in another review. In this one I want to write something after doing some research.
First, nobody would name this "GOOP" who wanted people to take it seriously. The name sounds more like something a Hollywood star would make up because it's "cute." In this case it really does a disservice to the entire restaurant and concept. And over the years it will damage it's viability and credibility - and that's a shame because this outlet embodies concepts that are important for American food-lovers to notice.
SOURCING
One of the things that most American restaurants don't pay attention to is "sourcing" - where you get your products and what is the quality? Restaurants like Per Se in New York and French Laundry in Northern Cal take it seriously because they operate with Swiss precision thanks to the work of Thomas Keller. The Chef visits the farms they source to ensure that produce is organically grown locally, no sprays, no additives, only compost. These are very rare crops that taste extraordinary because they are the product of regenerative agriculture and not "factory farming." The greatest restaurants in the world report they spend sometimes 50% of their time or more on sourcing. They inspect the seafood, they secure certifications that meat is grass-fed and pasture-raised. They ensure that they're consistently using only the best.
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE - NO FACTORY FARMS
The reason we don't know much about this is that we are willing to eat at MacDonalds or any of the hundreds of other fast food outlets that will purchase produce and meat from the lowest bidder and if it suddenly shows up as impossible meats or insects, they'll just forget to mention it until later.
Regenerative agriculture does not mass produce crops of GMO foods and spray them with Glyphosate and Dicamba. Those kill the soil and prevent the soil from transferring nutrients into the plants. Then the soil can't sequester carbon but rather releases carbon into the air. Regenerative farms don't till the soil but rather plant cover crops or let grass and weeds grow for a part of the year. Factor Farms till the soil and kill all the bacteria and life in the soil so it cannot support healthy growth without fertilizers and additives. World Class Chefs won't touch food that is not grown using regenerative agriculture with animals integrated into the farming.
PRECISION PREPARATION
In a fine restaurant, the Chef insures that every detail is given attention and that procedures are established so that every menu item is prepared exactly the same way every time. Even if the kitchen has a lot of sous chefs, the Chef will inspect everything that goes out. Over time, this is how restaurants deteriorate...sous chefs begin to introduce variations in the process while restaurant management starts to cut corners on sourcing....cutting costs, making compromises, etc.
GOOP KITCHEN
So here is a kitchen that is doing everything right...aside from the obvious name problem with doesn't say "TAKE US SERIOUSLY" it exhibits all the characteristics of someone who knows how to be a world class kitchen. And because of the delivery format, they don't have to worry about the 1,000 things that most Chef's worry about....reception, the tables, seating, services, etc. etc. They only have to source well...they only source organic Mary's chicken...and they only source certified best in class Salmon....they don't concern themselves with sorting out beef at all and the produce is all very fresh and organic...sauces are minimalistic...and they don't go near seed oils. Desserts are very low sugar versions...this is by design a very, very, healthy kitchen that delivers at a very reasonable price...if you order through DoorDash or Uber it will cost you noticeably more.
WALKING IN
If you walk in like I did the first time because ready for a shock. The magic in this kitchen is not visible and the outside is filled with strange "dashers" who look lost, keep staring at their phones, and grab a bag and go every 30 seconds. It's a confusing experience that was not designed for people who want to eat the food. But if you want to dip yourself in the futuristic experience of high tech food delivery go for it. Ambiance??? White walls, walls lined with people standing and waiting, metal shelves and people scurrying around like robots...(it used to be self-opening lockers so perhaps this is better?).
THE FUTURE
It takes an extreme effort to create a kitchen like this. It takes twice as much determination and staying power to keep it that way. People like to finish things, dust off their hands, and go onto the next thing. Time will tell if this can sustain the high level of healthy quality it has today. read more