From Asia de Cuba to The Velvet Room at the Clift

The Clift Hotel has completed the transition from Jeffrey Chodowrow/China Grill Management’s Asia de Cuba to a new concept, VELVET ROOM, now under the management of the Morgans Hotel Group. The Philippe Starck interior has remained untouched, but the menu has gone from fusion to farm-to-table. The chef is Ewart Wardhaugh, who was previously at Sandy Lane, a luxury resort in St. James, Barbados. His new lunch menu is still being tweaked, but the dinner menu of approachable and seasonal California fare includes sweet pea soup ($8); grilled flatbread with shaved prosciutto, dried fig, cipollini onion, sheep’s milk ricotta ($15); day boat scallops with a ragout of Rancho Gordo beans, dried chorizo, upland cress, lemon oil ($27); and Pozzi Ranch loin of lamb with spring pea polenta, morel mushrooms, red wine jus ($28). Lunch is 11:30am-1:30pm daily; dinner Sun-Thu 5:30pm-10pm, and until 11pm Fri-Sat. 495 Geary St. at Taylor, 415-929-2300.