I booked this restaurant for my birthday! I’m so excited to try. What are your thoughts??? Tell me all I need to know! 
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Be open minded. Don’t look for instant gratification.
Go in hoping to have an awesome birthday and I think you’ll have a pretty unique and wonderful birthday dinner. I’d say the less you read about it the better.
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https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/vespertine-jordan-kahn-interview
I hope the public statements about the working environment are actually the reality for the folks behind the scenes.
Looks like it’s a reversal of eras, now looking to “origins” rather than the future in Vespertine 1.0. I like the change in direction to the dining experience… I would characterize my only visit as minimalist and … severe 
Maybe a bit like food as meditation. It was absolutely an intentional and curated experience. Sometimes I think there’s a perception that the experience needs to be like that to operate at the highest level, in my experience it’s not necessary and I’ve had a lot more fun and a better meal in a more interactive and relaxed setting.
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This dude is so far beyond he’s like a parody of a parody.
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Uncertain about which statements you’re referring to, but I met a guy on the golf course of all places who was at vespertine from when they opened until the pandemic and he really liked Kahn! And basically described him as a goofy nerd.
This question from the article:
Last question. It seems to me that the last couple of years made you rethink a lot of your work/life balance. You seem to be less focused on perfection and more on experience. How much self-reflection have you done since the allegations by former employees came out against you?
I think I was so focused on the guest experience being perfect and didn’t fully take into account the staff’s role in that. Because to have the best experience, it has to come from the staff. And I didn’t prioritize the staff in that way. The kitchen is our dojo. It’s our space to feel energized. Before, I was so focused only on the guest and I was depleted and not feeling great after a shift. Now that I’ve shifted my thinking, I feel nourished by the work and balanced. And I think that’s the biggest difference. And I think that will be reflected in the experience with the guests when we reopen.
In response to this article from Eater: Former Workers at LA’s Vespertine Say Chef Jordan Kahn Pushed Them Too Far - Eater LA
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Just spit-taked my coffee all over my computer screen.
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Well, being a likable goofy nerd is not completely incompatible w/ nerding out so far that you turn into a parody of a parody, yes? 
fucking christ, i was hoping Vespertine wouldn’t reopen so i could stop thinking about how upsetting every experience i had there was, how it reflects on the idea of “fine dining” (particularly in LA where we we have so much good food we don’t have to do this theatrical bullshit), and just Kahn in general.
one of the guys i know who works for Michelin had a preview meal there yesterday. i’d post pictures but 1) i don’t want to totally out him 2) the photos were all in broad daylight on a single floor, so it’s maybe not representative of the insane multi-story, sensory-abusive experience they were doing before quarantine… where “food” is meant to confuse you and not necessarily be delicious.
(to be fair, i don’t know if they’re adjusting that part of it; but they did add an interior tea room in addition to the exterior tea garden)
menu looks halfway between the silliness of Meteora and the insanity of the previous iteration of Vespertine. for the initial menu, he seems to be departing from alien food and leaning heavily into pacific island flavors:
pancake with lamb lardo
Stonington scallops and passionfruit
“spring in a bowl” (very similar to the seasonal veg plate at meteora)
hawaiian deep sea prawns
“obsidian mirror mussels” 
gindai, papaya, rose
Wolfe Ranch quail breast buried deep in a forest of pink peppercorns
charred pumpkin with dehydrated strawberry
‘dairy calf’ tenderloin(?) with lettuce and a lot of foam
if i were a betting man, which i am:
- the overall experience, service, and attention to detail will continue to be unbelievable
- the food itself will not at all justify the cost of the bill
- vespertine will regain its two stars
i try not to wish ill upon chefs in general, and i would love to be proven wrong about this specifically—but i will be sitting this one out until peer-pressured. there are many other proven places i would rather spend that amount of money.
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Saw some pics too. Def looked more appetizing than the previous iteration but then the tenderloin dish and everything just seem like an obligatory big protein. All in all doesn’t look like a 400$ pre tax tip meal…
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Man this press tour is hammering the ‘kinder gentler chef’ talking points. I’m assuming that’s probably because the writers don’t seem to have eaten there yet, just strolled the grounds and chatted for background.
I’m a big Meteora fan and I loved my one visit to full Vespertine (the one takeout I did was a fun but mixed bag novelty - which is fitting I guess) so I’ll pretend it’s Monopoly money, close my eyes and hit reserve eventually. Curious to hear about the actual dinner tho.
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Warrior: Best restaurant in LA. Not the tastiest, that goes to Hayato, but the unparalleled level of creativity and innovation pushes Vespertine over the top. I find the dishes way tastier and more approachable than those of the old Vespertine. Ingredient quality is extremely high. Hard to pick a best dish because there were no misses, but I probably liked the Laphroiag whipped cream more than anything! There won’t be many naysayers this time around. It’s approaching three stars.
Peony: Great to see the chef had evolved. The meal this time is much more elevated than in our pre-Covid visits. I like the new flavors so much more!
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Thanks for the report. This may have been the best food I have seen reported from Vespertine. Still reluctant to go given his… “artistic” inconsistency, one never knows what they are going to get. Glad to see him use proper stemware though…
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Thanks for the pictures and review. Do you mind sharing what your bill was at the end of the night?
It was hella expensive, in part because we got all the supplements (amounting to $900). I think it was ~$2,500 with tip for two people with no wine (non-alcoholic pairings)–including the $100 per person deposit. But you can pay less than half of that if you just drink water and don’t get supplements.
I also want to say: when I listened to the ingredient sourcing, I didn’t feel bad about the price. Like – when fishermen in Hawaii accidentally catch certain rare deep fish they text the chef and he orders them and they’re flown in overnight. and the prawns are collected by Hawaiian free divers. and the botanicals came from foraging redwood forests.
Peony: According to my memory, it’s $395 per person without the add ons.
Warrior: there was a $100 per person deposit on top of that.
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If you go now I’m pretty sure you’ll like it. Some dishes will be liked by nearly everyone. E.g.: quail with butter dip, fried sourdough roll with quail liver, A5 wagyu with sea salt, fried pancake with Laphroaig whipped cream. Others are more edgy (e.g., the “red earth” dish with sweet potatoes and “stuff”).
Ouch. Thanks for sharing.
I didn’t think I’d want to go, but I’m intrigued after your review and photos even at that price point.
well please wait to hear some others’ reviews LOL.
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