Vespertine, Los Angeles CA

Vespertine

Americano Bianco, Passion Flower

Ice Plant, Lime

Kelp, Yuzu, Wild Fennel

Burnt Onion, Wild Currant Cookie

Mango, Sunflower, Spruce (Not Photographed)

Smoked Hazelnut, Prune Leather, Anise Hyssop

Hirame, Salted Plum, Smoked Onion, Squid Ink, Yogurt, Teff, Chervil

White Asparagus, Onion, Buttermilk, Squid, Oats, Macadamia Nut, Macadamia Milk

Lovage, Sunchoke, Radish, Egg Yolk, Onion

Trout Roe, Cream Cheese, Endive, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Geranium Ice

Red Spinach, Onion, Tapioca, Quince, Lobster, Beet, Brioche, Sorghum

Turkey, Amaranth, Rhubarb, Currant, Yarrow

Blackberry, Mulberry

Green Pea, Kiwi, Sunflower, Spruce Tips

Dungeness Crab, Sweet Clover, White Mushroom, Beer, Honey

Fennel Fronds, Avocado, Chicken Mousse, Confit Apples, Mochi Rice

Sea Urchin, Preserved Black Walnut, Dates, Lemongrass, Pedro Ximenez (Not Photographed)

Short Rib, Plantain, Black Garlic, Leaves

Lamb Heart, Malt, Rice, Mulberry, Sheep’s Cheese

Mulberry, Vinegar

Clove, Santa Rosa Plum, Butterfly Pea Berry Meringue, Mozzarella Milk

Rambutan, Celtuce, Cucumber, White Chocolate

Digestifs – Strawberry, Plum, Herb

Imagine a restaurant that operates largely without the purpose of making money, the funding for both location and talent supplied by a source to which such things are far less relevant than creating an experience…a “reverie designed as an ephemeral art installation, based on meditation and portrayed through the act of eating.” Sound a bit self-indulgent? A bit heavy? Still interested? If so, then please sit down to five hours at Vespertine.

Opened in early-July 2017, the reason behind Jordan Kahn’s choice to locate Destroyer in a soulless section of Culver City suddenly making much more sense when it was announced that the Eric Owen Moss designed building across the street would play host to the Chef’s 20+ course tasting menu, it was with four friends divided across two tables that ~$350.00 per person was paid up-front by Tock for a 9pm reservation during week three of service, the car’s arrival greeted by a cloaked man coaxing it forward with one hand and doors opening to the drone of a soundtrack with no discernible beginning or ending.

Described as a “place of shadows and whispers” and “a spirit between two worlds” in marketing materials, or as “Intentionally joyless” in a controversial review by The Hollywood Reporter, diners visiting Vespertine are quickly cognizant of the fact that this is not a typical meal from the moment they set foot on ground and through a system of short, forced phrases each guest is instructed to ascend an elevator to floor two where Chef Kahn offers a brief greeting and ‘rules’ undisclosed in the terms of sale, one of these a suggestion that photography is discouraged.

Ever the artist, an e-mail after the experience claiming the photo policy exists because “it is critical that each future guest who comes in has the same opportunity that you and your guests had, and to expose them to parts of the experience in advance would be unfair,” but quickly debunking such claims by releasing several photos to Eater Los Angeles just days later, it is after the welcome that guests again ascend two stories to an open foyer looking out on city lights and a suspended Cactus Garden where courses one through six are served, vessels from ceramicist Ryota Aoki presenting everything from an alcoholic beverage built around a blooming Flower to a sizable Cookie of Burnt Onion and Wild Currants and a spearhead served with no explanation that tastes mostly like soot and Licorice.

About one hour in at this point, the beanbag chairs and lighted pegs of the lounge soon giving way to sliding acrylic tables arranged in an awkward manner with all guests looking inward save for a those seated centrally and closest to the window, it was as the doom and gloom soundtrack continued to play that larger plates began with a dish that at first appeared to be nothing but ash before revealing itself as thin slices of ‘Bastard Flounder’ alongside salted Plum with a Yogurt base and more smoked Onion, the flavors pleasant and balanced like that of the Cookie but far too large in portion and followed by an awkward white vessel filled with White Asparagus, Buttermilk and Oats plus…Onion.

Claiming later that “each night we have been open, we have seen guests become emotional during their meal, as the experience amplifies the energy and feeling a guest carries with them” it was here at course nine that the first true ‘emotion’ was shared by all at the table, a nearly-impossible to navigate slotted sphere universally painful thanks to the bitter blend of Radishes, Sunchokes and even more Onion slicked by Egg Yolk while the follow-up of Fish Eggs and Cream Cheese stuck to a mossy mortar offered another overly-large portion with a flavor something like Lox on an Everything Bagel.

Frequently showing his roots in Pastry by using manipulated ingredients and concealed textures, the ‘Red Spinach’ dish one of the night’s best with folds of fuchsia hiding a Sorghum sweetened Pudding of Tapioca, Lobster and Beets with an astringent finish, it was as hour three approached that the first ‘formed’ protein of the meal arrived, a rare appearance for Turkey in fine dining finding the Bird juicy and moist amidst Ancient Grains, acid and a hint of Tarragon.

Expecting the meal to have neared its finish with the Poutry, a black tin-foil package of Berries arriving as if to cleanse the palate, Jordan instead followed with an inverted frozen-Pea diamond filled with Kiwi, Sunflower and Spruce, the ‘show’ clearly getting in the way of the game as the experience was akin to eating a vegetal Fla-Vor-Ice, though the back-to-back duo of Dungeness Crab beneath White Mushrooms and Chicken Mousse amidst confit Apples and Mochi showed a lot of promise with appropriate portions and sweet positioned next to savory in careful balance.

Having already seen the table to the right finish, though a duo to the left and two friends both threw in the towel early thanks to liberal pours, too much food and the time now well-past midnight, it was with three remaining that Uni was offered along with Black Walnuts and Dates soaked in P.X. followed by braised Short Ribs atop an overripe Plantain, the use of Black Garlic as a Beef-substitute for Vegetarians an odd choice before the night’s “Cheese Course” placed Ewe’s Milk beneath Rice Crackers, Mulberry and a Tartare of Lamb’s Heart.

At this point barely awake, the day having begun nearly 23-hours prior with a drive from Las Vegas, Dessert entailed three courses including sheets of Mulberry atop unnamed acidic ingredients followed by a brilliant amethyst display of Santa Rosa Plums and Pea Berry embedded in sticky Meringue, the Alien looking donut arriving just prior to 2:00am wrapping things up with a dehydrated ribbon of Celtuce Stem that started fruity before dissipating with refreshing hint of Cucumber and smooth White Chocolate.

Offered ‘gifts’ before departing, a vial of grassy Cologne (or is it a spritzer of seasoning?) left on the ground floor, it was largely due to pre-paying $30 that the quintet decided to gather in the garden for approximately ten minutes, a few housemade digestifs far too potent to be enjoyed by most offered in unlimited portions along with Coffee or Tea while one is encouraged to prolong “an energy exchange and flow in and out of [their] consciousness.”

http://vespertine.la/