Playground 2.0

Wow! What an experience. I was pleasantly surprised to fine this restaurant in Santa Ana. Went last weekend to he Trust dinner for our anniversary. The chefs didn’t disappoint! 15 – 16 great dishes with wine pairings of Rose Grenache/​Anthill Farms Pinot Noir. Definitely recommend it. We’re coming back again for sure. Only comment is that the first 5 – 7 dishes came so fast, we didn’t have time to savor the food. Maybe just slow it down a bit.

I have been there 4 times.
The dinner is a meal and entertainment with family, The chefs are awesome, they are constantly entertaining the guests, I love the dessert and meat.

I have been here twice.
Last meal was the pork night, 14 courses and 10 of them included pork. Guess what, the chef and my friend who invited me were both Jewish! Mazel tov!
Jamon Iberico de Bellota two ways: first the classic charcuterie, the thinly sliced meat on delicious crisp bread and then … salsicca cruda … raw pork you say!!! One of the tastiest dishes I have even had, in the world. Strong work Chef Jason!
At this point I have had a cocktail and a glass of wine (always included in the pre fixed price) and the pork keeps coming. The sommelier masterfully pairs wines as the meal unfolds. To be exposed 4 or 5 delicious varietals during the evening is more than enough reason to try Playground 2.0. Turns out Riesling wine goes great with spicy food.
Another reason the two hour dinner seems to fly by is that the chefs are constantly entertaining the guests. Whether they are describing the origin of the dish, telling jokes, or preparing the food in front of you, the dinner is a meal and entertainment.
Pace yourself, dessert is coming.

Another super hip spot in the OC. You have to buy presale tickets to attend the dinner event. Each night is a different special menu, the chefs will cater to all your needs since there are only 16 tickets for meal time. During the sharing courses, it’s split between 3 people so if you come with 4 people, 1 of you will have to share with another group of 2.
The chefs are awesome, as they will interact with you as they cook and prepare your food! They will also give a lovely introduction for each dish before serving it to you!
I went during the trust dinner event, which is the chefs choice of what they’d want to prepare for you, and you just trust their decision. I like this better than the steak event because you get more variety and different meat choice, instead of all 16 dishes of steak. There was bread, veggies, pastas, fish, duck, pork, beef, and desserts!
Everything was super yummy, however I am sad that they dump each dishes before they serve the next dish, I would love to take the leftovers home and enjoy it later since it is a 16 course meal. And it’s all you can drink as well!

Such a great experience. I attended on Saturday, ⁶⁄₄. My friend actually brought me for a surprise, so I had no idea what I was in for. I will definitely be back. Loved the intimate setting, and the humor of the chefs! The jamon iberico was to die for. The best piece of meat I have ever had. A few of the other courses were really impressive as well, and all were far above the average meal. The 16 course meal also came with drink pairings. We started off with a whiskey drink, drank various types of wine as the night progressed, and ended with a stout.
I also learned that they do themed nights. For example, the have sushi nights, taco Tuesday meals, and there was even a recent «Peru» night. I would definitely recommend looking into these before you make your reservation!

Best dinner experience I’ve ever had. 16 courses. Probably 7 or 8 of the best tasting dishes in my life. Totally fun and unique dining experience. Wine was insane. Variety of flavors were so incredible.
An absolute must for a date night win.
Wow. I’m still in awe.

WOW! What an experience! Playground 2.0 is up there on my list. Chef Jason and sous chef Justin are food geniuses! The innovation, dedication, and passion shines right through their food. You can tell that they love what they do and love feeding people.
Our group had the pleasure of indulging on their «Trust» menu. It’s a 17 course meal with the perfect wine pairing. Perfect pairings are rare, but they have their shit down — each wine enhanced the plate paired with it. It did not overwhelm my palates, instead made my dining experience even more enjoyable! It was perfect! I can’t wait to come back!
If you’re a foodie, you NEED to come here. It’ll blow your mind!

While Playground never disappoints, last night at Playground 2.0 they showed no mercy!
With adorable wine pairing for each course poured by the very intuitive Som Rhett, the recipe for having a whimsical evening is just right!
Chef Jason is a total «Ham» and clearly in his element commanding the attention of his party of 17 diners w stories of culinary adventures so this is definitely «Dinner & a Show» at its best!
With Chef Justin making a great side-​kick and narrator for the dishes being delivered, the magical component of getting to watch each plate as it is lovingly prepared is the cherry on the top!
The fact that each ingredient has been thought about so carefully makes it easy to put your «Trust» in this pre-​fix meal, sit back and enjoy the ride!
Thanks to the Gods that I kept notes as we went or this descriptive list would not be possible, did I mention there was wine at this dinner? ;)
Last night the culinary adventure roller coaster was this:
Homemade bread w homemade butter
Iberco Pork tar tar w Tempura Potato chips (***)
Waldorf Financier made w Stilton Batter & Green Apple matchsticks
Ahi Tuna & Pecan w crispy Amaranth Grain
Charred Asparagus atop Miso Butter w puffed Farro
Peaches two ways, w pickled watermelon rind (***)
Rice flour dusted Eggplant w Honey and Lemon (***)
Plancha roasted Manilla Clams
Pork Meatballs w slow cooked onion jam
Roasted Broccoli & 10 year aged Cheddar Cheese!
Roasted Carrots w Masago & picked red onion
Mayazaki Wagyu & Kobe Steak charred on bincho (***)
Potatoes in Parsley Chimi-​Churi! (***)
Black Garlic Ice Cream!
Olive oil & Sauternes Cake w Grapefruit candy palmetto, charred by blowtorch!!! (***)
(***) = Mind blowing good!

This place is on its own level!
Playground 2.0 is by far one of the best dining experiences we’ve had the pleasure of trying and is absolutely worth every penny!
From the moment we walked in Justin and Jason greeted us with welcoming smiles and a drink to break the ice. They were very entertaining, knowledgeable, and witty throughout the entire evening. They explained every dish they brought to us– from where the ingredients came from to what inspired them to bring the dish to life and on to our table.
The best way to explain the dining experience is like sitting at a sushi bar but it’s personalized and intimate. It’s all tapas style and you share with your neighbor (every 3 people split the dishes between them)– don’t worry there will be plenty of food so you’ll be fine! You get to watch them cook and make everything in front of you then served immediately. There’s 17 courses and they have a sommelier that keeps your cup full throughout the night. They bring out exclusive wine to pair with whatever dish you’re eating at that moment (i think we had 4 – 5 different varieties).
We had everything from bread, to wagyu beef, to clams, to tuna, to iberico ham tartar, to veggies, to a savory financier, to dessert. Oh, and Black garlic ice cream.
This place is awesome and I can’t rave enough about it! I absolutely recommend it and cannot wait to come back!

04÷26÷16 — The Ultimate Steak Dinner: Southern American Edition
Public dinner event, $ 125 per person (limited seating)
I, along with a couple friends, decided to try the dinner event from the recommendation of my friend, Stephan– who seems to be quite a veteran here (lol)! I’m really glad that Stephan put this together and invite everyone to try this dinner event out because it was simply amazing!
I took my boyfriend here since he loves meat and cool dinner events like these. It was both of our first times and we were blown away at how awesome the chefs were, the service, and the atmosphere. It was such a fun event with great food and even better vibes! Each dish was described in detail exactly what it was, how it was made, and its origin. Everything was super tasty and I was overloaded with the abundance of meats that I had to try.
The cuts came along with wine pairings as well. Great choices in wine!
I also loved the dessert as well. Brownies with a sorbet ice cream, YUM!
¹⁰⁄₁₀ I would definitely come back for another dinner event in the future. Thank you for hosting such a fabulous event, Brett.

This place blew my mind. My GF took me here for my birthday last week. As opposed to Playground, Playground 2.0 is a themed dinner. You have to purchase tickets in advance on their website and before you purchase they tell you what theme the meal will be based upon. For our meal, we had the Trust. Chef Jason (main Chef) wasn’t going to be there. So for that night, we had to «Trust» what Chef Mark Gutierrez & Chef Justin Werner served us.
We arrived on time and were immediately greeted and seated. I love the setting — 18 seats all surrounding the kitchen. You are able to watch, smell and see how the chefs prep, cook and plate your meal. For the Trust, we were served 17 courses + 5 different types of wine pairings. The meal progression was flawless and the wine complimented each dish.
I am not going to go into detail about each dish, but some of the highlights/​ingredients we had were: Wagyu Tri Tip, Octopus, Corn Bread with Lardo, Chicken, Seared Tuna, Tuna Tartare and many many more. I love how friendly the chefs are. They explain each dish but if you any further questions on the preparation or cooking method they are more than happy to chat. I really felt like I was a judge in one of them fancy cooking shows (MasterChef, Top Chef, Iron Chef).
Overall, it was an amazing experience. It was $ 150pp which seems hefty at first. But then, its $ 150 for 17 courses which is under $ 9 a plate (cheaper than most restaurants). And don’t forget, the $ 150 also includes wine pairing, tax and tip so this is definitely a good deal. You WILL get full so pace yourself.
Oh, even thought its 17 dishes per person, its kinda served to be shared. There were 18 seats, but they served the dishes in between 3 people so you have to share with your neighbors. Don’t worry, its enough. You each get an individual plate to put food from the main dish. It is a good way to chat and meet new people.
Definitely coming back!

I’ve been wanting to try The Playground for awhile so I was quite excited when we were walking towards the restaurant. Except to my surprise, we walked right up to 2.0! WOOO yeahhh!
This particular night was the Chino Farms edition. As soon as we stepped in, we were warmly greeted by Chefs Jason and Justin. It was lovely to chat with them while they told us a little about Chino Farms and how they select their vegetables. They explained that they cannot plan out their dishes until the day of because they don’t know what kind of ingredients they will get from the farm as they only pick the freshest ingredients from Chino Farms that morning. This was an all vegetarian menu for the evening, and if this is what being a vegetarian is like, then I’m all in. ;)
This particular night was Battledish Championship, which meant there were 4 Chefs (Jason, Justin, Zach, and Hector), making 4 dishes each, a total of 16 courses. Yes, 16 courses, I hope you come hungry. The 4 categories are: 1) Cold apps 2) Hot apps 3) Entrees 4) Dessert. Each Chef makes a dish per category, you then vote on each one, and the Chef that gets the most votes wins a questionable creepy Kewpie doll. All the while you sit at the counter and watch each of them preform their magic, but you won’t know who made each dish until the very end.
The entire night was so much fun! I got to try a wide variety of dishes and even vegetables I’ve never heard of. Did I mention they also serve wine? Lots of wine. The Chefs each had very unique styles and watching them work was mesmerizing. Loved the small atmosphere and how close you are to the action. It was a totally unique dining experience with lots of excitement and energy.
Check out their website for different themed evenings, plan and book ahead as they sell out pretty quickly. To make reservations, you just purchase in advance and there are no refunds. Definitely an experience worth coming back to.

Love this place and the chef to pieces!!!
We came here for fish market night for my boyfriend Will and his sister Connie’s birthday. There favorite restaurant was Playground so we had to just give playground 2.0 a try.
Each dish was executed to perfection by Chef Jason Quinn. Located next door to the original Playground and seats about 17 people around the chef’s kitchen.
The atmosphere was super fun and you can mingle with others around you and also build a connection to the chef. You pay for your meal in advance on the website when you buy the ticket and it includes gratuity.
The dishes come out one by one as soon as him and his assistants are done cooking and executing them. I think there was about 10 – 15 dishes, i lost track. Besides that, there’s also a super tasty dessert to try at the end.
Definitely a worthwhile experience and I can’t wait to go back!

This place is definitely one that is an experience mixed with quality food. Most restaurants will bend over to make you happy but this place is solid on the core values and will not budge. If you like going to McDonald’s in ordering the food your way you’re not gonna like this place and the price tag is definitely going to hurt you. I can still want to see to complain what the price stay home and eat cereal.
When I last went to the playground I had a girlfriend was extremely picky and always hard to eat anywhere because she can barely eat anything but Ryan walk through some of the menus items that won’t kill her if she eats. They have a large menu the costly changes and also all the wine spirits and craft beers that you can dream of.
He recommends please if you were going to celebrate a friends birthday, take a girl on the date, treat clients out to a special spot, or if you want to simply fill your stomach with joy!
And like any thing in life that is worth it you will have to wait… Don’t just walk into this place you have to make a reservation!

Came here for a friend’s birthday dinner, and since he was a huge meat lover, he decided to have a 15 course all meat protein dinner! 2.0 only has 18 spots per seating (similar to Jose Andre’s E), and there seems to be two seatings per night. After entering, we were immediately welcomed and I felt like I was at home. I’m going to try and keep it short as everything was amazing, but here are the dishes we had~
We started out with a monte carlo as well as beer that we passed around to share. A brazillian cheese bread ball was served with quince butter which was SO GOOD. Definitely a great start to my meal!
We then moved on to the meats– A5 Miyazaki wagyu steak tartare was first on the list, and my favorite dish of the night.
A5 Wagyu ribeye which melted in our mouths paired with green beans in hollandaise. Surprisingly a great sauce with green beans.
Hanger steak with brussel sprouts, apples, nuts was tender and flavorful. Brussel sprout seemed to be cooked in vinegar, it was a fantastic side. We also got several wine pairings around this time.
Up next– pork jowl and flank steak. The pork was medium rare, and it was more tender than I expected. Mushrooms with this course was my favorite side of the night, and the plating was beautiful.
Brazilian picana wagyu was more on the chewy side, but was bursting of flavor.
Mongolista pork collar– also medium rare, and this cut was so tender. This pork was amazing. Creamed spinach with potatoes? was the side for this dish.
Lamb shoulder was next, and even though I was not a big fan of lamb, this cut was actually not that gamey. Really good. We were getting so full at this point…
Outside skirt was next, and it was melt in our mouthes buttery like the first rib eye we had. It was a great cut to end the meal with!
For dessert, we had an inverse flan/​chocolate dish which was unique. The chocolate was more on the cake-​y side wheres the flan was more airy had a lighter texture.
Everything was divine even though I food coma’ed so hard after our meal. We actually had a person tap out halfway through the meal which was funny. I was impressed at the quality of the meat and everything that was served! Chef Jason did a fantastic job with everything, and him and his team were great to converse with! They also explained every dish and drink including the history and story behind everything which is great. I loved how I got to eat so many different cuts of meat, and we even got to see the wagyu certificate as well. I definitely want to come back for a regular dinner as I want to see what else they offer, but for $ 185 all inclusive (tax, tip, aycd), it is totally worth it!

SPECIAL REVIEW #150 on ¹⁄₁₅: ** IF YOU HAVEN’T YET TRIED PLAYGROUND 2.0, THEN YOU GOTTA GIVE THIS EXPERIENCE A TRY AT LEAST ONCE! :D **
Check out their Playground 2.0 calendar for various cooking classes, themed dinners, special «invitation only» tasting menus & private dining. You reserve & pay online. But please don’t book up all the Ultimate Steak Dinners! I’d be jelly: P
Playground 2.0 goes above & beyond a 5 star rating!!! THANK YOU Chef Jason, Sous-​Chef Mark & Sommelier Rhett!
Ooh Mah Gawd… I’ve had THE BEST «Ultimate Steak Dinner» dining experience on 12÷22÷15 & went to steak heaven! I’ve had the pleasure to do Trust & I.O. before & now I’ve got to experience a themed steak dinner. All the dishes were delectable. The ambiance & interaction with the team was so much fun! As I’m writing this review I can still reminiscence the dinner excitement experience as if it just took place yesterday: P
All my fellow Unilocalers have written/​described it all to well & very on point. So i’m keeping this review as short as I can & point out a few tips not yet mentioned (I hope).
: NOTES/​TIPS :
1. 1 unisex restroom located in the back.
2. There are purse hooks underneath dining table bar.
3. If you want a change of clean plate/​utensils in between the courses, just push it forward towards the kitchen. Chef Jason, the Sous-​chef or Rhett will accommodate ya.
4. You can request a take home box if you cant finish some of the courses. Chef Jason was so awesome w/​that!
5. All these shared courses (1 plate for each 3 ppl) seriously will fill ya up like no other. My 2 gfs couldn’t make it to the dessert round. Hence the take home box.
6. Feel free to take as much food pix or vids as you want cuz EVERYONE was doing so! Chef Jason & his team totally understands & loves that you do. So don’t feel guilty/​bad unlike some other restaurants :)
7. Do need to pay for meter parking (even weekdays after 8PM) or structure parking, unless you can find street parking!
Chef Jason even showed me about the «Slow-​Mo» video feature on my iphone for he wanted me to get the «fireworks» off the A5 Miyazaki Japanese Wagyu he took right off the grill. I never knew about this feature & learned something new! :)
«The quickest way to become an old dog is to stop learning new tricks.» — John Rooney

What can I possibly say that already hasn’t been said… I got the opportunity to dine here for 2.0’s Ultimate Steak Dinner ($ 125 per person including wine and tip) and it was an amazing foodie experience! I normally hate dinners where I can’t order and it’s a prix fixe menu (because I like choosing what I want to eat) but this place was def an exception! Jason Quinn and his team made sure we were all taken care of and it was just a fun time! Loved talking to him and hearing about his Unilocal/​food experiences. His wife even made an appearance at the end, and she is gorgeous!
Onto the food. Here’s what I had:
Fresh baked bread and homemade butter: Could. Not. Stop. Eating. This! Butter melted perfectly onto the hot, fresh bread. So simple yet so good!
Fried Brussels sprouts salad: there were so many flavors to this dish and they all complemented each other so well! Loved the cranberry dressing — perfect hint of tangy!
Flat iron steak: amazing how it’s just seasoned with kosher salt yet there is so much flavor! Don’t fill your stomach up with this cut because the meats get increasingly better throughout the meal.
Butternut squash purée with (oh so soft) broccoli stems: the colors of this dish looked weird but trust me — it was sooo delish!
Short rib: the thickest cut of the night. My least favorite but that’s because I personally like my pieces of meat thinner. I had trouble cutting the short rib with my knife!
Creamed spinach with a savory French cookie: OMG this side was to die for!!! So so tasty even though it looked like JUST typical creamed spinach.
Brazilian cut: each piece of meat had a chunk of fat on it. Just the way I like it: P This cut reminded me of Fogo de Chao.
Imperial wagyu outside skirt steak: aka Jason’s death row meat. And for good reason! This baby was so soft and so tender!
Sunchoke 3 ways: purée, roasted, and fried like a chip! Very interesting veggie — I loved it! The roasted sunchoke resembled a potato.
Japanese A5 wagyu: DROOL. Perfectly sliced, perfectly marbled. You barely have to use your knife to cut it because it is THAT soft.
Potato gratin: as the chef said, no bells and whistles — just good ol potato gratin. Very rich and hearty so this dish was barely touched since my party and I were so full by this time!
Ribeye: please don’t be fooled. This ain’t your typical ribeye. Look closely and you will see how marbled it is! In my opinion I loved it as much as the A5!
Japanese cheesecake: no crust like a normal cheesecake and way less sickening! The flavor reminded me of a very light pound cake (obviously not as dense).
Tip: you share your food in a group of 3 so there’s a chance you’ll be sharing with the person next to you even if it’s a stranger!
Tip #2: Jason goes around giving you extra pieces of meat — don’t get greedy!!! You’re gonna get really full especially when the best cuts of meat are saved for last!
Tip #3: don’t get your plate too dirty because that’s gonna be your plate for the rest of the night!

Trust.
It’s not just in the ink that adorns the arm of chef Jason Quinn.
Nor is it only in the twin tattoo on the arm of sommelier, Rhett Butler.
It’s more a feeling you give in to when you make a reservation at Playground 2.0 without the vaguest idea of what awaits. You must trust that these same folks who did so very right by you when you dined at next door neighbor, Playground, will do the same when you drop even more cash here, for a prix-​fix dinner menu about which you know nothing more than the name: «Trust — Dinner Party». I love an adventure.
A curved bar that seats only 18 awaits and is presided over by the Chef and the Sommelier. It’s their show, from start to finish, and they orchestrate it with the fanfare of ringmasters. I mean that as a compliment. Diners are engaged, by Mr. Quinn and Mr. Butler, in conversations and anecdotes about what they’re about to eat and drink, what they’re currently eating and drinking, and what they just ate and drank. Great minds think alike; this is my tribe.
I hadn’t dropped $ 150 (food, wine pairings, tax and tip included; prices vary depending on the theme of the night) knowing much but there was never any question that I’d be in good hands. If there was even a smidgen of doubt it quickly evaporated upon hearing that «tonight’s dinner will consist of 16 courses». It’s important to find your people.
Regardless of who you came to dinner with, each plated course was designed to serve 3 and Chef Quinn succinctly identified each grouping based on the seating arrangement. The gentleman beside me got a bit giddy realizing that he’d be sharing with a delicate Asian woman and me but he underestimated my power of consumption. We were warned that trying to clear every plate would likely result in an inability to clear plates 12 — 16 but we seemed to clear all plates quite adequately. And what plates they were.
Without a cohesive theme to bind the meal together it was a wild, exciting assortment of whatever great ingredients had been obtained and whatever the chefs felt like creating. The closest comparison I can offer is the experience I get when reading something like «The Best Short Stories of 2015»: All are great on their own though bound only by a thin common thread. From there, they might go anywhere. This meal did just that.
We moved from Mexican inspired offerings (Elote) to Asian (Hamachi) to Indian (Dosa which, to Chef Quinn’s amusement, was accidentally both vegan and gluten-​free, something Quinn couldn’t care less about). We were far into the meal before my plate-​mate remarked that everything so far had been free of beef and he was getting antsy for some. Soon after, red meat appeared, in two separate, small courses, each more luscious than the one that preceded it. I dream about that meat and would like to make a return visit during one of their more meat-​centric dinners.
Playground 2.0 is fun, adventurous, and approachable with food and drink that support such adjectives. The staff is passionate about their mission and their offerings and you feel it the moment you arrive. The ambiance inspires not only interactions between chef and patrons but amongst patrons themselves. On this night, I was that odd bird who dined solo, treating herself to an extravagant meal because who knows what tomorrow will bring? I could not have been more warmly welcomed by Rhett nor more included by the diners on either side of me. It’s that kind of place. I loved it.
Trust.

LA Fish Market: Fish from Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market 22 Oct 2015 Part II
(Part I #1−4a will be posted later.)
5) Tai/​Japanese red snapper: Sashimi traditionally sliced drizzled w/​concentrated smoked Katsuo/​bonito Dashi/​broth infused Sho-​yu/​soy sauce that was sweet & salty & may have over powered the delicately nuanced Tai, but was an interesting experiment.
6) Albacore Jicama Taco: The jicama served as the taco shell holding Shiro Maguro fish pieces tossed in a piquant aioli, garnished w/​edamame purée, edamame, green onions. The jicama was a bit crispy, watery, refreshing in contrast to the oily Shiro Maguro & the spicy, oily aioli.
7) Hokkaido– Scallops Tiradito: sliced aquacate, red onion, rather piquant Peruvian Rocoto Chile in blood orange providing an agrodolce/​sweet-​sour matrix. Chef Quinn related that Japanese immigrants to Peru introduced Sashimi/​raw fish which then incorporated Peruvian ingredients to create a unique native dish via cultural diffusion.
8) Spicy Yogurt Marinated Tasmanian Ocean Trout may have a touch of ginger & cumin accompanied by classic Raita/​yogurt & cucumber. Trout meat was velvety soft from the yogurt marinade. Puffed rice & quinoa was like popcorn & added a crunchy texture & toasted flavor.
5−8a) Riesling von Hoevel Oberemmeler 2013: Light diesel, white flower scent. Delicate pear, citrus flavor along w/​a light acidity. Clean finish to clear the palate. I’m wondering if a Japanese Junmai Yamahai Sake (sah keh) could have been a better fit since its more rustic bolder yet earthier profile would have fit into each of the above dishes more prominently?
9) Loup de Mer/​Branzino/​Mediterranean Seabass was slathered w/​Indian coconut milk curry somewhat like the style found in Goa, India & at Mayura in Culver City, which was creamy, smoky, sweet w/​hints of ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric.
10) Clam Chowder from concentrating the shell fish juice saved from the «conserva». Instead of cooking the potatoes in the chowder, they were double fried to a delectable crispiness & seemed brined since the salty Umami was distributed evenly. These potatoes were a meisterstuck/​masterpiece. However, the shell fish juice was reduced to the point it got too salty for me.
11) Octopus Taco: The soft lightly chewy octopus seemed brined & steamed. Orange, red pickled onions in the style of the Yucatan, spicy roasted cacahuates/​peanuts added an agrodolce nutty complexity. The tortilla de maiz seemed hecho a mano & the masa/​ground corn gave out an exquisite freshly roasted corn fragrance.
9−11a) Vesper Rose was made from Rhone Valley varietals such as Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise which usually make for a deeply purple dark red wine, but this was a faint pink. There was only a whisper of rose scent while there was a delicate buttery strawberry leaving a trace of sour mustiness.
12) Black Cod Tempura: Cold San Pellegrino Carbonated water was added to the Tempura batter to create a thin, lightly crispy batter. A Katsuo Dashi/​bonito broth inflected Sho-​yu/​soy sauce was drizzled on top. A top Tempura to compare with would be at Hironoya in Gardena which is run by a Tempura master.
13) A mélange of mushrooms were sautéed w/​Japanese Miso which added a salty, earthy, fermented Umami which may have overwhelmed the delicate flavours of the mushrooms, but they served as meat & signaled the end of the savoury portion of the multi-​course dinner.
12 – 13) Pinot Noir Narcisse, 2012 Sonoma Coast: Cherry, dark fruits, earthy-​muddy, acidic w/​dry tanins. Would a Sake like Ho-​rin Junmai Daiginjo– by Gekkeikan have also been a worthy pairing for the two Japanese style dishes?
14) S’mores: Chocolate Budino/​pudding, burnt marshmallow, chocolate graham cracker soil, Almond flour Macarons that tasted like light airy yet gooey marzipan. Very humorous dessert… kind of like gathering around a campfire toasting marshmallows, slapping on chocolate syrup, and sandwiching them between two pieces of graham crackers.
14a) An English Porter which was a darker ale that had flavours of toasty treacle, hints of chocolate, smooth sweet undertone but slightly acidic was a good play against the rich Budino although a Banyuls may also have worked providing a richer contrast.
I find that Chef Jason Quinn seems to like to contrast the food w/​agrodolce combinations as well as complex blends of spices or herbs. Also salting in various ways is a way to awaken flavours. The food here tends to be bold & assertive that parries & thrusts with a few more nuanced delicate dishes in between to balance out & add contrast. It’s food that is witty & at times whimsical & tongue-​in-​cheek w/​a touch of a feeling that it is suited for those who live La Vita Dolce. Great multi-​course w/​interesting wine pairings. 4+ Unilocal stars where two hours flew by too quickly..

3 words: Ultimate Steak Dinner!
$ 125 gets you the best cuts of meat, side dishes, wine pairings, tax, and gratuity, plus a grand view of the kitchen with Chef Jason Quinn and his talented team educating you as they prep the evening’s dinner in front of your very eyes. No menus here, think omakase (chef’s choice) but steak instead of sushi. That element of surprise adds a touch of excitement as you leave all your trust to the team. They provide counter seating in a casual, intimate, and fun environment with 17 seats available. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Starting off with the most «annoyingly» good biscuits, they served this on a wooden plate alongside their «slutty» butter which was churned with salt and infused with bay leaf. I would totally call this kicking-​off with a bang!
The night progressed nicely with a salad or starch following each cut of meat. They were all wonderful in flavor and very much needed to cut the fat and richness of the steak courses.
–Tomato Salad w/​Buttermilk Dressing. I love tomatoes and everything on this plate.
–Green Peas, Snap Peas, Pine Nuts on a bed of Tahini Dressing. The lemon was a nice touch that brightened it up.
–Best Creamed Corn, ever. Only 4 ingredients: corn, heavy cream, onions, bay leaf. Genius!
–Roasted Beets and Glazed Carrots with Chimichurri Sauce. The sauce did it for me.
–Smoked Russet Mashed Potatoes– great in theory but the hickory smoked flavor took over the entire dish.
Rhett, the sommelier, was wonderful and on point when it came to pairing the right wine with each course. He made sure our glasses were always filled, in fact, I hear for some, this was the highlight of their evening.
As for me… it was definitely the steak! Cooked on Japanese white oak wood, all the red meat was seasoned only with salt which was just appropriate as it allowed each cut to be the actual hero. I even surprised myself for thinking the HANGAR STEAK was the best I had that night. The A5 MIYAZAKI came close 2^nd even being the highest grade. The marbling was certainly impressive but that also meant it was super fatty. Serving it towards the beginning as opposed to the end when you already had enough meat would have made a huge difference. OUTSIDE SKIRT, PICANHA, and CHUCK were the other cuts, all I undoubtedly enjoyed. Meat lovers will revel knowing each of this meats were cooked to utter perfection, tender and oozing with its natural juices. Having feasted like a carnivore queen, I probably won’t be able to eat steak the same way again after my meal here.
Though the CLAFOUTIS with berries and vanilla bean ice cream was a sweet way to end the night, there’s just nothing like leaving a restaurant without having to pay a hefty price to cap off a wonderful meal. That’s the trade off for booking weeks in advance and paying the full amount to secure a spot. Check the calendar now and find a theme that best suits you. 2.0 is an experience to be reckoned with.