Yeah, I don’t understand all the hatred either. Sure, Vespertine will be remarkably ambitious and it will be different, but I’m not sure how that’s a bad thing? Hopefully this becomes an iconic LA spot, the type of restaurant that will shine on an international stage.
Despite Kahn’s past transgressions/reputation, I’m rooting for him. Sure, he’s out there, but so many great works of art exude their own gravity. Not sure he should be criticized for aiming for the spectacular.
i dunno, man, im not sure a chef at a restaurant can commit a transgression. outside of cheating his staff/customers or deliberately poisoning someone.
I’m already making arrangements to go.
Me too. I am a friend of a friend.
I think it’s more than fair to poke fun at Kahn a bit.
That said, Red Medicine and Destroyer have both served me some really exceptional food.
I’m really just waiting for the sequel to Destroyer video @PorkyBelly posted. http://foodtalkcentral.com/t/destroyer-a-pictorial-essay/4311/129?u=aaqjr
I was only poking fun at your poker display.
Don’t yuck my yum.
I see judgment and opinion about the concept but not the food itself… And I think that’s why people have judgment and opinion; b/c the chef himself has said that food is secondary.
No one here seems to be denying that the chef is very talented. And art will be polarizing. I think he’d probably get a kick out of it. ::shrug::
If red medicine was any indication of what’s to come; expect style over substance. All the media coverage and his personal comments for Vespertine seem to support this bias.
As does the artsy “trailer”, [cough, cough, perfume commercial]. It’s almost a parody.
Agreed. I have had nothing but less than stellar food from Chef Kahn.
Three trips to Red Medicine, all with brooding service staff. A bahn-mi on dried out bread with un-chopped, fibrous cilantro stems that must have made me look like a cow that was chewing its cud. A server who sighed and grunted after it became clear that she encouraged me to over-order on the front end. Aggressively flavored, one-note bowl of Brussels sprouts, alternatively burnt and soggy. A terrarium filled with what tasted like soap bubbles. Flaccid scallops served on what looked like supplies from a hot stone massage treatment.
One trip to Destroyer. A half of an unripe avocado in a pool of unremarkable broth, sprinkled with something that was akin to Grape Nuts…with a side of dry bread in which to attempt to awkwardly spread said unripe avocado.
At least Destroyer had enough light to see how IG ready the food was. Red Medicine has the strange notion to stylize their food to the max, but to dim the lights so low that the dishes appeared monochromatic.
To me, the quality and flavor of the food has always been secondary to the artifice. This new venture just seems like a logical scaling-up of what has already been on offer.
Reservations live but they aren’t exactly flying off the shelves.
At around 320 PP excluding alcohol, I doubt anyone will have trouble getting one
For what it’s worth, it was hands down and by far the best service experience I’ve had in LA… its easy to hate on this from afar, and I know not everyone is into his food, but he’s created something special and worthwhile in my book. Keep in mind, I really enjoyed the food at Red Medicine, so that probably speaks to my taste a bit too.
Nice! Did you go to a soft opening? How was the food??
And most importantly, what/when does it feel like to dine in a time that is yet to be?
I’m not sure I want to comment on everything since it was a friends and family thing, as they are still making adjustments, but I really enjoyed myself there and found the whole experience to be engaging and fun. I think a lot of people take Jordan’s word to literally and that gets in the way of understanding what he’s trying to say. On the food, he’s got a really cool style going on with it (not just look, but also taste).
For $600++++++, service better damn well be impeccable.
i’ve had meals at that price point here in LA where it wasnt, so while it should be, it isnt always the case. Also, I dont see how this is really an more expensive than so many other places one can eat in LA. I’ve spent this without drinks at sushi a number of times before. Heck, i’ve even spent this a la carte at new american places before.
But even beyond that, the level of service here was truly something special. The closest counterpart i can think of is EMP, which of course makes my statement ironic 
WTF? Do you dine exclusively on an expense account or something.
It’s a full 25% more expensive than Melisse’s 10 course tasting.