Tag Archives: restaurants with tasting menus los angeles

August 7, 2018 · 2:59 pm

Something to Talk About

Hidden behind a door marked only with the letter “K” on the second level of the Third Street Promenade food court, an exciting adventure is being had by foodies. One of Chicago’s top chefs, Dave Beran, has relocated to LA and opened an intimate restaurant that serves only a tasting menu of approximately 18 course of New American cuisine with French and Japanese influences. The menu completely changes every three months with only a single dish linking each quarterly menu to the next.

The experience each night is akin to storytelling as Beran weaves an epic culinary tale that progresses through the seasons of the year with many surprises along the way. The attention to detail at Dialogue is staggering and while not every dish is a standout, many are excellent and all are interesting and thoughtful. This is a meal best appreciated by thinking about it as a whole rather than focusing too much on any of its many small parts.

You will need to purchase a ticket for this adventure rather than secure a traditional reservation. Gastronomic excellence of this nature never comes cheap and this experience will cost you between $175 and $200 plus tax (all service charges are included in the ticket price), but not including optional wine pairing for an additional $125-175 plus tax. Although there are a few tables in the restaurant, my recommendation is to go with just one other person and sit at the bar where you can converse with Beran as he and his staff compose each dish right in front of you. This kind of experience makes it well worth the splurge.

Dialogue is located at 1315 Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Oyster Leaf with Lychee Mignonette

Spring Lamb, Green Blueberry, Nasfurtium

Frosted Geranium Leaf

Hamachi in Monochrome

Perilla, Fermented Cauliflower, Comma Song

Earl Grey, Pine Nut, Rose

Strawberry Sphere

Golden Osetra Caviar, Leek Fondue, Smoke

Sea Kelp, braised and fried

Sour Cherry Surprise

Fermented Black Bean, Watermelon Radish, Cocoa Nib

Spot Prawn, Long Bean, Chocolate Mint

Sun Gold Tomato and Pork Belly

Thirty Day Dry-aged Ribeye and Charred Watermelon

Foie Gras Acorn and Barrel-aged Quine Soda

Parsnip-Chai Pie

Chestnut, Malt, Honeycrisp

Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwich

Located in a secret room…

…in the Third Street Promenade food court.

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January 22, 2015 · 11:45 am

I Came, Orsa, I Conquered.

There’s a state of consciousness that I refer to as “aesthetic bliss.” It’s when one or more of your senses is completely enraptured as a result of a highbrow pursuit. It’s the feeling you get while listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, taking in the Bolshoi Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, or viewing a Kandinsky exhibit at LACMA. The food version of this is Orsa & Winston, the dining experience from local superstar chef Josef Centeno.

Centeno is the creative talent behind awesome hipster eateries BÃ¤co Mercat and Bar Ama, as well as the former chef of Lazy Ox Canteen. With Orsa & Winston, Centeno now has a more sophisticated environment to show off his mad skills. The menu has you select from either a five or eight course seasonal tasting menu (or with a 72 hour advance reservation, you can truly indulge and opt for the “Super-Omakase” of more than 20 courses). All come with optional wine pairings, as well as optional supplemental dishes. Each tasting menu is a procession of beautiful, delectable and perfectly executed small plates to experience and savor.

Needless to say, such aesthetic bliss is not inexpensive. But for a special occasion or when you just want to treat yourself to an evening of exceptional food and wine, Orsa & Winston is worth the splurge.

Orsa & Winston is located at 122 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Buttermilk and Summer Corn Soup

Smoked Sockeye Salmon Crudo

“Breakfast in a Shell” (Coddled Egg, Maple Syrup, Pancetta, Semolina and Balsamic Whipped Cream)

Milk Bread Focaccia with Parsley, Parmigiano and Speck

Braised Lamb Belly with Cranberry Beans, Hericot Vert and Nectarine Bustarda

Melon Granita topped with Huckleberry and Lavender Mint

Chocolate Caramel Crostada with Candied Banana, served with Banana Rum Ice Cream and Peanut Toffee

Shortbread Cookies

Modern and minimalist decor

In the Old Bank District downtown

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Filed under Downtown

Tagged as best downtown restaurants los angeles, dtla restaurants, josef centeno, Joseph Centeno, Orsa & Winston, Orsa & Winston Menu, Orsa and Winston, restaurants with tasting menus los angeles, tasting menus los angeles, Winston & Orsa, Winston and Orsa

January 10, 2013 · 12:05 pm

Farewell to Fine Dining

Nothing lasts forever and restaurants are certainly no exception. The first major restaurant casualty of the year is The Royce at The Langham Hotel in Pasadena, which will close its doors on January 26th. The sad thing about this shuttering is that The Royce is one of only four restaurants in the city that I would consider true fine dining establishments. The other three are Providence, Melisse and Saam at the Bazaar. While The Royce is my least favorite of this group, it has a lot of things going for it: a beautiful dining room in an elegant and romantic hotel, an amazing wine list (with a world-class sommelier and two wine rooms, one for red and one for white), and, most importantly, a tasting menu featuring truly excellent New American cuisine. It is currently helmed by talented French chef David Feau, and Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio of Ink was the chef in a previous incarnation of the restaurant a few years ago.

While Pasadena is beautiful and certainly a very wealthy area, I was always surprised that The Royce, with its cutting-edge cuisine, could sustain enough business in such an old-school part of town. Also, with traffic in this city, most Angelenos do not like to drive too far for dinner and Pasadena is a major schlep from many of the other affluent parts of LA, especially the Westside. Below are photos from my last meal at The Royce. If you want to dine there before it closes on January 26th, I suggest you make a reservation as soon as possible. The Royce at The Langham is located at 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena.

Trio of Amuse Bouches: White Strawberry Espuma with Tatragon Spinach, Shaved White Strawberry & Bacon, Cherry Tomoato with Caramel, Salt & Pepper, and Butter Lettuce Cups, Tofu, Yuzu Ponzu, Garlic Chives

$"Yagara Fish \ Anise" -- Japanese imported Flute Fish, Heirloom Fennel, Black Rice Pickled Froth and Cucumber Flower$

“Yagara Fish \ Anise” — Japanese imported Flute Fish, Heirloom Fennel, Black Rice Pickled Froth and Cucumber Flower

$"White Asparagus \ Apricot" -- Chilled Asparagus Soup, Pickled Apricot, Arugula$

“White Asparagus \ Apricot” — Chilled Asparagus Soup, Pickled Apricot, Arugula

$"Ratatouille \ Tomato" -- Dehydrated Vegetable Ratatouille, Japanese Tomato, Lemon Basil, Squash Broth$

“Ratatouille \ Tomato” — Dehydrated Vegetable Ratatouille, Japanese Tomato, Lemon Basil, Squash Broth

$"Foie Gras \ Tarragon" -- Dry-Aged Beef "Bouillon," Foui Gras Fondue, Tarragon Printed Pasta, Crimini Mushroom$

“Foie Gras \ Tarragon” — Dry-Aged Beef “Bouillon,” Foui Gras Fondue, Tarragon Printed Pasta, Crimini Mushroom

“Cepes / Chamomile” — Porcini Filled Agnolotti, Curly Mustard Greens, Chamomile Jus

“Halibut / French Leeks” — “MR” Seared Halibut Filet, Ajo Dungeness Crab, Charred French Leeks

“Guinea Egg / Zucchini Blossom” — Poached Guinea Hen Egg, Zucchini Blossom, English Pea Puree

“Wagyu / Mulberry” — Wagyu Rib Eye Cut Double Seared, Swiss Chard Chorizo “Noodles,” Bone Marrow Tempura, Mulberry Sauce

“Fromage Frais / Herbes” — Raw Cow’s Milk Fresh Cheese “De Faiselle,” Garlic Herbs, Sourdough Toast

“Cherries / Sorrel” — Sorrel Sorbet and Marinated Black Cherries, Mint – Vanilla

“Fraises des Bois / Ginkgo Nut” — Fraises des Bois “Salad,” Frozen Yogurt, Caramelized Ginkgo Nut

“Chocolate / Cafe” — Cocoa Minute Cake, Cajeta-Caramel, Warm Chocolate Curd, Cafe Glace

Milk Chocolate with Ground Espresso Beans, Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, and White Chocolate with Espelete Pepper

A beautiful, elegant room

Saam I Aam

Located in a clandestine room behind an unmarked door at the rear of The Bazaar in the SLS Hotel, Saam offers one of the best and most exciting dining experiences in the city. Here, super-star chef José Andrés has crafted a tasting menu of approximately 22 small plates of whimsy and gastronomical delight, almost all of which do not appear on the menu at The Bazaar. With so many courses, the meal takes around 3 1/2 hours to complete. Service is top-notch; among the best I’ve ever experienced. Of course Saam is not inexpensive. The cost is $120 per person plus tax, tip, optional wine pairing ($100) and optional shaved truffles ($35-$50 per course). But as with The French Laundry, this is not just a meal. It’s an evening of entertainment; a special and unique experience.

Chef Andrés, who trained at the legendary El Bulli in Barcelona, is incredibly creative and utilizes molecular gastronomy and other playful techniques to surprise and wow his diners. There are scallops masquerading as carrots, spherified mozzerella balls which instantly liquify in your mouth, a Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich which has been elevated both literally and figuratively, and a Spanish street food favorite that has been turned inside-out. It’s all really delicious too. One of the high points of the meal is “Dragon’s Breath Popcorn,” a puffed corn cake that is immersed in liquid nitrogen at your table, causing smoke to come out of your nose and mouth when you eat it. The desserts are excellent also, especially the frozen Apricot Timbale with Amaretto, and there is a gift of chocolates to take home.

Saam is located in the SLS Hotel at 465 S. La Cienega, Los Aneles (Mid-City near Beverly Hills and West Hollywood). If you enjoy Consuming LA, please subscribe, like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter at the top right of this page. And please forward to your friends!