Technique Restaurant in Pasadena

Several friends told me about this restaurant in Pasadena that is the showcase for the students of the Pasadena Cordon Bleu. Technique Restaurant, 525 E. Colorado BL Pasadena CA 91101. I ordered the crab cakes and split pea soup. The cakes were tasty with a crunchy shell. The flavor wasn't memorable but decent. The split pea was tasty with just a bit too much salt. I wonder if that was salt or salt from the bacon? It's hard to tell. The restaurant is divided in two. There's a sit down area that's allegedly more expensive and the cafe area where I was. It could be that the other half has the better food so I'd like to go back and check that out another time.