Yesterday, World renowned Chef Ludo Lefebvre made his mark on Universal Studios Hollywood by bringing his famous buttermilk Provençal Fried Chicken-inspired menu to CityWalk. Located just outside the entrance to Universal Hollywood LudoBird™, opened in a celebratory fanfare complete with confetti cannons and words from the chef himself. The new location is serving up a vibrant and flavorful take on the American classic fried chicken sandwich along with some tasty sides. Let us assure you that this food is so good, it’s downright scary.
“We are thrilled to welcome celebrated Chef Ludo Lefebvre to Universal CityWalk as we begin to phase in the next evolution of our dynamic CityWalk entertainment complex,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “LudoBird’s landing coincides with Universal Studios Hollywood’s much anticipated opening of ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,’ and we look forward to entertaining guests with everything that’s exceptional, from attractions to food.”
Celebrating 20 years in Los Angeles in 2016, Chef Lefebvre has helped shape many culinary trends on both a local and global level and has gained notoriety as a culinary leader in the Los Angeles dining scene.
The menu is as simple as In-N-Out Burger, offering just the essentials and nothing but. There is the classic buttermilk Provençal Fried Chicken sandwich that has made the chef so popular along with limited variations on the idea. The simplicity is key as Chef Lefebvre prepares his food to order insisting on using only fresh ingredients.
We tried the original style sandwich and were simply blown away at how good it was. The batter on the chicken was thick and crunchy, with flavorful herbs and a savory crunch. The sale on the sandwich too was surprisingly tasty, with the fresh taste of cabbage and cilantro and little bits of sliced jalapeño. The Ludo Fries are thick rods of fried potato that have a crisp shell outside and warm inside. We have to demand that you order the Honey Lavender Biscuit. Drizzled in honey, infused with lavender, the sugar coated biscuit is like a dumpling brûlée. Heaven.
Hailing from Burgundy, France, Chef Ludo Lefebvre trained with the great masters of French Cuisine before moving to Los Angeles in 1996. has redefined fine dining at his acclaimed Los Angeles restaurant, Trois Mec, has given Angelenos a taste of a true Parisian Bistro at Petit Trois, and uniquely combined French and Mexican cuisine for the most exciting brunch spot in town at Trois Familia.
Of course we were curious about how his talents in the kitchen have been applied to our favorite holiday, Halloween. We asked Chef Ludo Lefebvre if he has ever presented any Halloween-themed dinners. “There’s a thing I did a while ago,” Lefebvre answered, ” I did a grilled cheese sandwich, I used a squid ink bread so the bread was black and then I used American cheese that was orange, you know, grilled cheese sandwich for the kids? Then I made this soup, a tomato soup with this little witch cooking so it was fun you know?” Continuing, Chef Ludo Lefebvre mused on his love of cooking for Americans. “I like to cook like this! I love cooking for American people, I love Americans. You know why? They are like big kids. French people are way too stuffy. That’s why I love this country.”
Of course we asked him what his favorite scary movie was and he took a big sigh, his eyes widened, recalling a frightening memory. “So one was very scary when I was a kid was a, um, Freddy Krueger? “Nightmare on Elm Street?” I remember I would have these dreams where I was living in a house, in the top of the house, the top floor and I was alone and I would be hearing that scarping noise from his glove. It was very scary.”
Halloween is a huge thing here at Universal Studios Hollywood with the annual Halloween Horror Nights event. We inquired, since he was so fond of cooking themed items for his guests if he had any special edibles planned for the run of that event. “Yes! I’d love to!” He said happily, “Maybe I will bring back my grilled cheese sandwich!”
