can’t wait for this to come to la
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it was an appetizer of foie gras and chicken liver parfait, the peel was mandarin jelly.
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I count ten courses, is that right? Seems more like a meal and less like the endless series of canapes I had a few years ago.
I think their prices vary depending on the ingredients.
Hi @PorkyBelly,
Thanks for the video. Wow! 
That chicken liver “orange” looks beautiful and insane! 
How was the rest of the meal? Worth going? Thanks.
Hi @robert,
Interesting observation on variable pricing depending on the ingredients, thanks! And yes, it was roughly ten courses (and we were stuffed).
Ten dishes with reasonable portions is a lot more appealing to me than >20 little bites. Maybe I’ll go back one of these days.
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I don’t think this is really true. Their pricing has changed from time to time, but not as often as ingredients have. For a while, starting in their current location in 2013, they had a $248 menu and a $398 “Discovery” menu, the latter including more luxurious ingredients. Then for a long time, it was a single, $398 menu only, with some customizability within reason. Just recently, they made the caviar optional at $88, and dropped the price to $298.
Their format has changed to a shorter tasting menu, more “family style” so to speak (in a loose sense of the term), so gone are the days of 16-24 smaller courses. One “course,” such as the diamond turbot, may include several preparations like the barbecued head. The uni toast is being served in a bigger format. Wild game has been on the menu for a couple of years now.
Those go down too easily!
I wish they would bring back some of their classic courses, like “duck liver toffee” and the “fire in the sky” bone marrow beet. Duck liver toffee being the perfect segue to dessert, and also a textural marvel. You would’ve loved those.
They used to switch this one around a bit; I’m excited to see the next evolution of this dish. The first one I tried had corn pudding, tomato water gelee, okra, and caviar with smoked salt. Texturally incredible and those were some pure flavors at their peak. But my favorite was one with a kelp gelee and sea herbs, with toasted parker rolls and melted pork fat. Actually, that’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten…
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Hi @BradFord,
Thanks for the retrospective! Those previous dishes sound amazing! I wonder if when you reserve you can “suggest” to them something you’d like to see? Perhaps it might influence their menu when you finally arrive a few months later? 
Their web site used to say that prices varied with ingredients, but I see that the Tock page says $298.
They had game at the old place. I was disappointed I didn’t happen to go when they had game birds.
Great report. The food looks fantastic, but I honestly think that having to listen to Phil Collins and tears for Fears would ruin the vibe for me.
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“… I know nobody asked if I was having a good time, because there were two long stretches when I wanted the whole thing to stop. One of them began around the second time the restaurant played Phil Collins. At Saison, if you don’t share the chef’s taste for ’80s pop, you are out of luck.”—Pete Wells, about his first visit, to the old location, in 2012
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Thanks @brisket44. During our first visit, neither of those were playing (so the chef seems to have an extensive playlist). New Order and Berlin were quite enjoyable for us as well during that other visit.
Musical great taste for food that tastes great…
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Hi @beefnoguy,
If you have any recommendations on great Sake from the current Saison list, please let me know. Thanks!
I’ve never experienced a price fluctuation due to ingredients, and the price was always the same as advertised (either $248 or $398). However, I think they were referring to supplements they sometimes had (king crab in the yogurt curry sauce, truffle rice, etc.)
Yes they’ve had game birds at almost every stage. Aged wood pigeons, squab, quail, etc. More recently they’ve had antelope and such in bigger portions - that’s what I meant to say.
Because of Saison’s use of the live fire, and barbecued items like fish head to eat with your hands or wild game with spiced complex butters (eg grilled antelope with harissa butter and served with Allemand Cornas), I feel that Saison is less “precious” and formulaic than some of its peers (maybe the soundtrack adds some levity, too) even if the execution is tops.
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Ortolans ever make an appearance on the menu?
Are you joking? Is it legal in the US?
No.
I don’t see a sake on their menu from your picture that I think would work with all the food, if that’s what you are asking but that’s just me. A few may work with some dishes, and other than that, it’s drink to enjoy rather than to make a pairing out of it. Possible they could include some sake in a beverage pairing, and that would be fun.
For a 3 Michelin star restaurant that wants to include some sake, this is really not my kind of selection. There are various reasons for why they picked what they did, but it is what it is.
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Thanks @beefnoguy. Good to know. We ended up just enjoying their excellent Cocktails and a glass of Sake with a specific courses.