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Knife Pleat has finally arrived at South Coast Plaza, looking as chic as a boutique and offering plates that are just as stylish.

Background: The Penthouse on level 3 is hallowed ground for fine dining, first home to Troquet and then Marché Moderne. When Knife Pleat was announced, foodies rejoiced. Power couple Tony Esnault and his wife and business partner Yassmin Sarmadi worked together at top restaurants in Los Angeles: Church & State and Spring.

Chef Tony Esnault prepares vegetables à la grecque in the kitchen of the new French restaurant, Knife Pleat, he operates with his wife Yassmin Sarmadi at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A view of the dining room and bar at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A view of the dining room seen through the large open sliding glass doors at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza, operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The bar at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The gold colored tumblers and jiggers at the bar in Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The chandelier customized for the space by Lindsey Adelman at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A seating area offers comfort and style at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Just off the seating area, top, is a glass case containing vintage culinary tools collected over the last 20 years by chef Esnault. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A vintage pasta maker, center, is one of the many vintage culinary tools collected over the last 20 years by chef Tony Esnault on display at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A view of the dining room at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Knife Pleat logo on the door at the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A limited sculpture by Mexican Artist and sculptor Sergio Bustamante is near the entrance at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jars of herbs, spices and fruit in the kitchen at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza, operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chef Tony Esnault in the kitchen at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chef Tony Esnault in the large kitchen at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The open kitchen at Knife Pleat can be viewed from the bar at the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chef Tony Esnault takes a photo of the dining room at Knife Pleat through the large open sliding glass doors at the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza, operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A selection of spirits at the bar at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A seating area offers comfort and style at the new French restaurant in South Coast Plaza, Knife Pleat, operated by chef Tony Esnault and his wife Yassmin Sarmadi in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Just off the seating area, top, is a glass case containing vintage culinary tools collected over the last 20 years by chef Esnault. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Crudo as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa with hiramasa, plankton, asparagus, ginger, puffed quinoa and pickled mustard seed. (Photo by Anne Watson)

Morel Risotto with aged carnaroli rice, morel mushrooms, Delta asparagus and parmigiano-reggiano as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Anne Watson)

Caramel with V.S.O.P. cognac mousse, almond cake and crumble caramel cream and ice cream as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Anne Watson)

Lamb Rack with eggplant, zucchini, tomato couscous, mint, lemon and harissa as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Anne Watson)

Chocolate cremeux with cocoa nib tuile espelette and raspberry-bell pepper sorbet as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Anne Watson)

Striped Bass with olive crust, fennel, scallion, tomato confit pollen, lemon and Riviera jus as served at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Anne Watson)

The power couple: French chef Esnault came West after helping Alain Ducasse regain Michelin cred at his Manhattan restaurants. “Ducasse was aiming for two stars at Essex House and Tony got three and he was aiming for one at Adour and Tony got two,” Sarmadi says. She speaks French and Farsi, grew up in Claremont and has family in Orange County.

Why move to Costa Mesa after launching two hit restaurants in Los Angeles? Bold business moves are her forte. She founded Church & State in 2008 before L.A.’s Downtown Arts District emerged as a dining destination and saw it through a 10-year run. That restaurant filed Chapter 11 in 2017 to reorganize finances after a labor lawsuit settlement against it. But Sarmadi had already doubled down in 2016, creating Spring, another lauded restaurant. When South Coast Plaza came courting, Sarmadi negotiated, then pounced:  She closed Spring, sold Church & State and voila! — Knife Pleat.

The look: The 5,000 square-foot space with 80 seats has been completely remodeled by Johnson Fain in collaboration with Sarmadi and Esnault. The dining room appears to be set into a glass box of walls that are almost opaque, some glide open with the touch of a button. The entrance has been moved around the corner. Its tall black doors, emblazoned with a figure that looks like a designer’s sketch, open onto a salon with stunning chairs in a petite lounge, seven-seat Calacatta marble bar which faces the kitchen, and a dining room with lamps on walnut tables.

“We wanted this to feel more like a home,” says Yassmin. “So in place of banquettes, we did sofas.” She softened stark modern lines with a palate of neutrals and gentle accent colors such as dusty rose, teal and gold. Fluted columns echo the knife pleat theme. Teak tables sit on a patio with a retractable roof. It’s visible from the dining room and so is the  kitchen, actually two kitchens in one, to accommodate private parties and the work of formidable pastry chef Germain Biotteau.

The sleek kitchen is fitted with handle-less stainless steel drawers, a French flat cooktop, combi ovens, mixers and more state-of-the-art equipment, including three zones of refrigeration separating meats, dairy and veggies. There’s a small Santa Maria wood-burning grill. Yes, California has influenced this Loire Valley chef. An indoor patio will face the shopping center and more accent pieces will be added. Esnault collects antique cookware and his wife is always finding bespoke items, like a translucent screen. “That’s for somebody who wants a little privacy. You can see through it and all these little birds and butterflies and things kind of come alive,” she says.

Dinnerware and stemware: Rosenthal China and Sambonet silver mingle gracefully with Japanese dishes.  “Aren’t they fun?” Sarmadi says. “I’m crazy about Japanese China and I will buy whatever I can use.” Coffee imbibers will find fashion designers’ names printed inside Vittoria cups. Stemware is The One, a simplified system by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson with a single glass for white wines, a larger version for reds.

The cuisine: Esnault collects modern art: Los Angeles abstract expressionist painter Lisa Solberg, self-taught British painter Stephen Mackey, French painter Georges Dussau, to name a few. He shows off Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante’s brass fish sculpture at the restaurant. They inform his meticulously composed plates, some resembling fairy gardens. Prices range from bread ($2) to caviar service ($95-$125). Entrees appeal to all tastes with Lamb Rack ($46), Crescent Duck ($44), Branzino ($34) and Seasonal Vegetables ($28). Esnault’s palate is incredibly refined. He brings vivid attention to vegetables and prefers expressing the purity of ingredients rather than masking them with spices or layering flavors. The soft-spoken chef chooses words carefully. “I’m a professional and when I do something it’s the right way, not half way,” He values consistency. “Michelin always awards restaurants that are consistent.”

The wine and cocktail list: Cocktails by Victor Moreno are named for fashion designers. John Galliano ($16) blends galliano, Blinking Owl OC Orange vodka and lime. Corkage fee is $40 and the wine list presents a serious learning curve if all you drink is California; there are some on the list but most are French. Her wine list at Church & State was entirely French, Sarmadi said. “Maybe it isn’t the norm for this market, but we had great success with that at Church & State and I think it set the trend.”

The last word: Is Orange County ready for this chef’s sophisticated cuisine? Esnault says it’s OK if we don’t all get it. “But people who do will really enjoy it. Maybe because they’ve traveled to France lots of times and they’re very at ease with it,” he says. “Now they can come here, they don’t have to travel any more.”

Find it: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa,  714-852-3974, knifepleat.com.

Open: Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with last reservations scheduled at 8:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

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