Troy Thompson out, Travis Kamiyama in as Kress executive chef

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Troy Thompson is no longer the acting executive chef at the Kress. Until sometime last month, he was in charge of the pan-Asian menu at the Hollywood restaurant and night spot, but not any more. Representatives would not say whether he was let go, or whether he left on his own accord.

One thing Kress publicists would say is that Travis Kamiyama, previously the executive sushi chef, will now assume executive chef duties. Kamiyama began learning the art of sushi at 14 and has worked at several Japanese restaurants, including Wasabi and Morisawa.

Kamiyama said via e-mail that he aims to ‘offer premium Asian cuisine in primarily sushi, grill, and wok dishes that suit the Hollywood crowd.’ He has already started to tweak the menu, including new appetizers such as his take on Mandarin orange chicken and tuna wasabi carpaccio.

While certain portions of the multi-story Kress have had busy nights since it opened (on Wednesday night, the posh rooftop deck was packed during a lavish private event paid for by the vodka company Russian Standard), it’s not clear whether the restaurant has done the kind of numbers owner Mike Viscuso hoped for so far this year.

Thompson did not reply to a request for comment sent to his personal website Thursday.

Kress, 6608 Hollywood Blvd., (323) 785-5000; www.thekress.net.

-- Charlie Amter