After a four-year pause, Vespertine is back, bringing curious diners an unmatched—and unforgettable—sensory experience.
From left: Artfully arranged squid is sprinkled with raw sugar and caramelized over a hot charcoal grill; smoky wild mushroom cream with Buddha’s hand, salted plum and roasted kelp shimmers atop polished obsidian; at Vespertine, the food and vessels work in harmony, as seen in this beautiful dish—de-boned quail wrapped in sacred pepper leaf, slowly grilled with smoked butter. PHOTOS COURTESY OF VESPERTINE
Located in the Hayden Tract district of Culver City, The Waffle building by Eric Owen Moss stands tall, looming over other unique structures by the innovative architect. Inside the wavy tower is Vespertine, chef Jordan Kahn’s all-encompassing tasting menu restaurant that’s much more than simply a place to have dinner.
When Vespertine first opened in 2017, it gained attention and acclaim almost immediately for its daring dishes and experiential environment—everything from the soundtrack to the decor to the staff’s interaction with diners was carefully curated to provide a symphony for the senses. After a four-year closure, the restaurant is open with a new menu, a new soundtrack and a refreshed design. “It’s the same restaurant it was when we opened in 2017, but it enters a new era of evolution, similar to how a person may grow every five or 10 years,” says Kahn, who also presides over restaurants Meteora and Destroyer. “The new iteration of Vespertine is a reaction to what humanity is looking for and craving today.”
Chef and creative director Jordan Kahn with his wife Zara Ziyaee, director of marketing for Vespertine, Meteora and Destroyer. PHOTO BY GRY SPACE
When my husband and I pull up to The Waffle, a team warmly greets us by name and park our car—no valet ticket is provided. We walk over to the outdoor sound garden, where we sit on heated concrete benches and take in the scent of burning frankincense.
Soon after, we’re led inside and take an elevator up to the kitchen, where Kahn and team are intently prepping dishes, and then to the main dining room at the center of the tower, where the meal begins. An ambient soundtrack plays—we find out later that Kahn worked with Paul Corley, Jónsi and CJ Baran to create it. But, like the restaurant itself, the score is more than meets the ear. The team did out-of-the-box things like drop a microphone in an Icelandic glacier, record the sound and mix it to create something completely unique.
Meals begin in the outdoor sound garden, where heated concrete, puzzle grass and burning frankincense set the mood. PHOTO BY CASEY ROBINSON
There’s an impressive wine pairing, but instead, we try the nonalcoholic “Vitality Pairing,” inventive pourings that get progressively less sweet throughout the meal—sparkling birch juice, rhubarb kombucha with red currant and sparkling redwood are some of the sips.
Kahn crafted the menu in one sitting, and each dish contains something deep and personal for him. “However, the through-line of our deeper connection with nature is universal,” he says.
An extensive alcohol-free pairing menu is available and includes the rhubarb kombucha with red currant seen here. PHOTO BY CASEY ROBINSON
Throughout the evening, we enjoy dishes that are so visually beautiful they could be in a gallery. Spring is composed of green flowers Kahn forages each morning, while the iridescent Obsidian Mirror—a smoked mussel cream with salted plum, water chestnut and roasted kelp oil—sits atop a polished obsidian vessel carved by an 8th generation family of obsidian artisans in Mexico. And the Cortunix Quail—de-boned quail wrapped in sacred pepper leaf, grilled with smoked butter and finished with a birch sap and myrica gale syrup—rests on a beautifully veined plate that looks exactly like a leaf. Kahn works with local artisans on many of the vessels and cutlery—he considers presentation as important as the food.
After the main courses, we move downstairs to the newly designed gallery for dessert. Warm, creamy colors and amorphously shaped furnishings welcome us comfortably as we enjoy tea served in handmade bowls and courses that slowly transition from savory to sweeter flavors. With its satisfying textures and tastes, the Layers dish, with black raspberry and tonka bean, was a standout.
Vespertine resides in Eric Owen Moss’s award-winning Waffle building in Culver City. Diners travel from one area to another throughout the meal. PHOTO COURTESY OF VESPERTINE
As we leave the restaurant with homemade dog biscuits for our pup in hand, I can’t help but feel like we were returning home after an epic adventure—one involving new flavors, presentions and environments led by a passionate chef who truly believes in what he serves. When it comes to Vespertine, Kahn says it best: “It’s a dream-like symphony where food, beverage, music and art come together to create an immersive and inspiring dining experience.”
Photography by:
