This is the story of Vespertine, a polarizing, mesmerizing, and fantastic meal of intrigue hidden in the heart of a lesser known corner of Los Angeles.
This is also the story of one of my most treasured evenings in no small part due to my fantastic company, the kind and beautiful Nicki.
The setting was as much as a character as the meal itself, and we began our adventure in awe as we pulled up to our destination.
Set in the Waffle Building in Culver City, the entire space is devoted to Vespertine, and our evening's ups and downs where just as much metaphorical as they were physical as we changed floors and settings throughout our meal.
Despite the urban, office-park coordinates, the obligatory Fine Dining Garden still had a presence, though one well in line with its industrial surroundings. Florals later debuted in our meal were inlaid in concrete; bamboo curtains darted across brutalist structures; babbling creeks subbed with puddles jutting through white limestone. This is herb sanctuary a la Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi.
Reception, Seating and Welcome
The team had accommodated our demanding work schedules, and they had even sat us a few moments early when we arrived in advance of our 8pm seating. The waiting area is on the ground floor, and there seemed to be exactly enough seats for the parties currently queued. We would have three different seats throughout this evening, none of which were uncomfortable, but all of which were distinctively 'weird' or unexpected in some way.
We were shortly recruited into the a paradoxically claustrophobic yet large elevator (given the unfriendliness of the otherwise metal stairs to heels often worn to fine dining, our hostess commented on her surprise that so many people decline this option...), after which we exited to the top public floor, the kitchen.
Catching no sight of his signature hairstyle in the open floorplan, I'd later confirm ours was only the second dinner since reopening without Chef Jordan present. This means I'll have tentative descriptions of the three courses in which Nicki's pescatarian menu diverged from mine, until my (soon to be signed) menu finds its way back to me.
This building has the privilege of being uniquely tall vs. its surroundings, and the panoramic views of the city were breathtaking at the cusp of sunset. After a brief kitchen tour (and photo), we descended aforementioned metal stairs to the Mezzanine, where our first seating took place.
I can't say I've ever been seated at a gliding acrylic plane before, but Nicki and I shared the first of many laughs when they tucked us in for the ride ahead. While every seat had a light-filled view, I cannot feign envy for any of those seated in the middle.
As the sun set, ambient lighting created shadow puppets on the ceiling, which added an extra visual enhancement to the impassioned course announcements.
Our main server was Brian, who was by all means, an entertaining and attentive host. Our speakers painted visual storytelling on our plates with spoken histories that imbued upon lived memories; at a certain point, I felt I was paging through a scrapbook filled with treats and fondness experienced throughout the chef's life. It is a testament to the clear admiration and commitment to vision by the entire team that no part of this or the intense atmospheric tones (that were not overpowering - looking at you, Avengers Campus) came across corny, or condescending, as could be easy to occur. All this is to say that the servers were excellent, when it comes to food, inquiries, and helpfulness. We felt welcomed, respected, and enjoyed our interactions.
That being said, for a $400/plate meal, I do think it should not have been necessary for my friend to have to ask for a (filtered) water refill, much less the subsequent two times. What the team is trying to accomplish is very deserving of its Michelin accolades--the creativity in the meal was evident--but I could see some small misses in hospitality* causing disproportionate challenges in their pursuit of a third star; food notwithstanding.
(*not offering by default the elevator to ladies wearing heels and dresses vs. the see-through glass / metal staircase, not scoping for empty glasses proactively and filling them without being asked, the bathroom soap situation... more on that one later)
Nicki opted for the Dynamic pairing, which included a mix of unique spirits, wines, and zero-proof pairings throughout the meal. These were all fantastic selections, and the most interesting and thoughtful beverage pairing I have ever had the joy to taste throughout a meal. As a non-drinker I was a bit disappointed that no soft drinks were available for purchase (I'm not a big juice person outside of brunch, and learned my lesson from overdoing liquid calories at Melisse), and opted out of a ceremonial tasting bubbly (they do not provide a beverage list to choose from, but the verbal report marked the cheapest by-the-glass beverage starting at ~$70, which is more than I am willing to invest in something I would not have opted for). That being said, having tried tastes of all 10 of Nicki's curated pairings (2 of which were served to us both and integrated in the base meal), I have a great deal of deference and encourage entrusting the team via a pairing (though I still think all juice will be Too Sweet for a 12 course meal).
As a side note: I can understand not providing a written menu at the start of a meal to keep the surprises ahead--but if you are going to preface the meal with written supplements, this becomes a tacky practice. Diners (at least me) will feel much better reviewing the long list of everything they are getting, rather than immediately being confronted with what they will not, lest they opt to heavily enrich their entry fee.
While the above may be the longest preamble to the dining experience itself yet in this blog, it serves to show just how much of the Vepsertine experiences transcends the food alone to a whole body experiential album. You are visualizing; smelling; hiking; seeing; thinking; being asked to go on a journey and soon, initiating one. We are in the Waffle House; and the storm is just beginning.
Be warned the menu descriptions are minimalist ("they didn’t list out all the ingredients or anything. It’s more vibes" - N), and thus many descriptions are things I either tasted or vaguely remember being rattled.
“passionfruit, aji amarillo”
This is the first of many plates that opened with us being presented a bowl of flowers. Still traumatized from the Alinea vase, I was pleasantly surprised to learn all flowers were edible and the meal began with one of the greatest fruity concoctions I could not begin to tell you the ingredients for. The flowers were soft and supple; the horseradish below. The cold stoneware was perched in what felt like wet, white kinetic sand perched on top of another plate, and the concoction paired perfectly with the light champagne presented to Nicki.
Pairing: CHAMPAGNE AUBRY
'a jouy-les-reims’ brut, premier cru, champagne, French nv
These hipsters, I'm telling you. Nicknamed 'Chef Jordan's Flower Pot,' he forages all of the florals himself, which have been painted on the walls of the stoneware with almond paste. The center base holds kiwi, crunchy 'puffs, 'or texture,' and green jelly made of reduced pea pod exterior to help everything stick together on the spoon. This one was just fun, and I enjoyed every bite of it.
Pairing: KIWI WITH OXALIS AND VERBENA
[NA; that's it, no description]
Yes, this was served in a hand-relieved ice block with a wreath that would make even a Christmas door jealous. The shrimp in these are apparently from a very very deep trench, so deep that you don't need a permit to fish there, and just one father-and-son boat even dare to try. The visual was beautiful. The flavors, tart, sweet and tangy. The fish was cold and raw. This was the first plate that perhaps wasn't quite there in its harmony, but I enjoyed it nontheless.
Pairing: KUHEIJI
‘kyou den’ junta daiginjo, okayama, japan 2022
Course 4: OBSIDIAN MIRROR
They said when the Mayans discovered obsidian, it was the first time they had seen their own reflection, and believed they were looking into the eyes of the gods (or perhaps their ancestors). I am willing to overlook the existence of fresh water for this storytelling, and chose to look unto myself in the void.
This dish was made sparkling by crushed iridescent kelp, and the oil slick broke like wet volcanic sand as we were invited to breach the surface with the provided polished muscle shells.
There is something very carnal about eating an animal with its skeleton made pretty, an oxymoron glamorizing the violent nature of our place in the food chain. As I broke into the surface of mussel whipped into panna cotta to eat, I carved, breaking into my image of my self.
Pairing: WENZEL
‘alte Reben’ furmint, Burgenland, austria 2021
"red papaya, indian mallow"
The shell was a transition to even stranger utensils; our hands. The story of this fish is that it is a rare fish, a very fatty fish, fatty to the point that it inevitably catches fire in the process of cooking and rare in the sense that they definitely definitely weren't trying to catch this fish intentionally and just one or two get caught in the traps when fishing other fish and we just happened to get to eat some as it's almost never for sale. Sure.
The akamatsu was indeed the closest thing to what I can call the wagyu of fish so while I hope my conscience can survive, 10/10, would eat again.
Pairing: RHUBARB KOMBUCHA WITH RED CURRANT
Course 6: COTURNIX QUAIL (for N: CABBAGE*)
This was a breast of quail, served on a bed of herbs, cooked excellently and meant to be eaten as tiny cutlets dipped in an emulsion featuring the quail egg. It was soon to be followed by a quail dolmeh, with leaves revealing a mixture inclusive of the rest of the quails less supple meat. Sustainably, even the au jus produced in cooking would be used to flavor the following course. This was delicious.
Pairing: COMTE ABBATUCCI
‘ministre imperial’ corsica, France 2020
Course 7: PORRIDGE BREAD (for N: OAT PORRIDGE BREAD*)
"heirloom peel corn oats" (for me: quail fat-fried crust*)
What can't I say about how much I love bread? This was delicious. Classically, made with ancient grains, but they did not tell us which. A bit rich and I wish I had had the option of butter and no meat fat as a palette cleaner, but this was more a fritter than a bread course. A crispy, meaty donut if you will. Delicious, spongy and crisp, I still missed a true-neutral bread course but wouldn't trade this one.
Pairing: BRASSERIE CANTILLON
gueze 100% lambic anderlecht, france 2020
Course 8: PINE FED LAMB (for N: MOREL MUSHROOM*)
“yeast fudge, magnolia” (for me: lamb, cherry, emulsion*)
This was an exceptionally sweet cut of lamb, but one of my three bites was so tough no amount of chewing would rescue me from my suffering and it finished its evening gently tucked into my napkin. It was tasty, but the chewiness took me out of the meal and I think was the only 4/10 dish as a result. Nicki's mushrooms looked excellent.
Pairing: HEIWA SHUZOU
‘Aka kid’ wakayama, japan
At this point we were whisked to settle in one floor deeper, and descended from the mezzanine to the ground floor once again, this time enshrouded in velvety benches and spinning coupe chairs. From this point on, we would experience the sweet back-end of our tasting menu, warm in a setting evocative of 'dark and sexy gala,' and 'night at the Natural History museum' with sweeping ceiling elements that sang an ode to paleontology. All pairings from here forth were shared with all diners. (be proud, I resisted a dino-rs pun)
“heirloom corn, strawberry, temescal”
This was earthy, smoky, spicy, flowers, berries? I gazed into the void once again, to meet my own eyes.
Pairing: DOUGLAS FIR TEA INFUSION
[NA, no description, served throughout dessert] Mine: fantastic natural non-caffeinated tea refined as Christmas Tree in a Cup. Authentic in the way of Persian preparations of mint tea, with fresh mint. No springs in site. We drank many, many cups of these]
Course 10: CARAMELIZED PANCAKE
Sourdough pancake cooked in lamb fat (for Nicki: browned butter) served with fresh whipped cream, a pool of unfiltered maple syrup, and pink raspberries, which had all been painstakingly separated without managing to get crushed.
I loved eating this, but I'm not sure I loved eating this right here. It's everything I could want at brunch, but it was a bit heavy and incongruous with the rest of the meal, which had otherwise so thoughtfully dialed the intensity in proportion to the weight of the courses. I liked this one the most of all the deserts, but I do think no individual desert was a home run on its own. Without the tea it could be obtrusive and heavy.
Despite its appearance, this time the bowl was not ice, though the hat topping the bites were. Frozen aloe vera invited you in to crack the glass ceiling and drop into a rich, gelatinous jam with nutty flavor. The texture of this cream, panna-cotta, what-have-you was distinct in American dining in its nod to bastani, and Nicki and I both had a laugh upon discovering the name the next day and now insist on calling it "Chef Jordan's Ex."
I hope you are happier now, Chef.
Pairing: SPARKLING REDWOOD
[NA, cold, 'redwood shoots?' - another delicious juice drink]
“black currant, sheep’s milk”
You didn't think you would get out of this meal without yet another reflection into the void, did you? The final course was yet another spectacular display of culinary engineering albeit at the slight expense of mouthfeel and taste. Despite the descriptor, many flavors adorned the wall of this stoneware, from almond butter to Tonka bean (think vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel in flavor), all of which generally worked together but could be overwhelming. One ring had the texture of fresh coconut but was frozen to a degree that both our teeth hurt with a small bite; going from frozen ice to 'peanut and jelly swimming pool' with the recommended all-layer eating style was a bit jarring and this may have worked better had I waited a bit longer.
The purple coloration was butterfly pea tea reduced and powdered along each layer as it was built. It was stunning, but I can't say I enjoyed eating it (even if it was not a negative experience!).
They served the above before asking if we needed anything else and dropping the check, after which there was no further standard interactions. I did pop to the ladies room to discover some extreme nonsense in terms of hand hygiene (there was a powdered mix next to the sink, which I thought may have been dehydrated soap, but upon closer inspection seemed to be salt...), and thankfully the staff were happy to oblige when I requested their health-code-compliant kitchen soap instead (there was no natural place to comment on this, but I think there's a boundary between provocative and weird, which should firmly err conservative when it comes to a bathroom much less a restaurant that encourages eating with your hands).
I also reached out asking if I could come back later to get my menu signed, which the team could accommodate but only by mailing me my menu some time later. I hope it finds its way to me.
This was, all said and done, a spectacular meal. It was one of the most memorable dining experiences I've had in my life, and showed solid potential to grow into an even tighter experience with even greater acclaim.
Would this be a meal I would suggest to an entry-level patron looking for a superb food experience? No. The interesting concept and structural creativity asks for a lot of audience participation, and that can be a lot for first-time diners. Would I encourage any fine dining enthusiast who has done standard fare and wants cutting edge and evocative in the vein of Chef Achatz but a younger, modern twist? Yes, without hesitation. This is not the crowdpleaser meal I could find at JR or TFL that strays safe but impeccable with their menu. Vespertine asks you to stray from that comfort with avant-garde, bold, and innovative decision making, at the start of what I hope will be a standout run in the SoCal dining scene.
At $400 per person, I'm not even sure it yet offers comparable value in terms of dining experience relative to more established peers, though it makes a solid case as a total package.
With some refinement of the savory / dessert cohesion, and some strides in the good-but-not-exceptional service, I can see myself smiling fondly as I spot Vespertine on future Michelin lists.
Overall 8/10, would return in a few years as they continue to grow but still enjoyed the amazing experience we had last night.
