Sorry every other restaurant, I think I’ve found the most beautiful in LA. It is undoubtedly Auburn, where sculpted, slanting white ceilings illuminate shades of light wood and beige for an aesthetic simultaneously classic and chic, a minimalist dream in a maximalist city.
The menu is one that is approachable, neither minimal nor max but just enough, full of familiar fine dining ingredients so it’s comfortable with creative combinations to keep it exciting.
The Amuse Bouche starts things off as a palate primer, a tartlet of gorgeous cream. It’s a clean parsnip purée, a smooth and uplifting cloud with a whisper of white carrot flowers and sorrel cream.
A Crispy Pig Ear is airy and fried, fatty yet lightened by a sprinkling of pepper and salt. You’ll never settle for just a chicharron after a bite of this.
A steaming loaf of House-made Bread is supposed to last a little longer, but spread on an herby emulsion of avocado butter, it disappears bite by crispy-crust, chewy-middle bite.
The meal officially starts with Persimmons, sweet and gooey chunks of sugary silk cut by coal-char. Creamy cheese curds offset the sugar with a pinch of salt, and oxalis adds some bitter acid to make all the flavors pop.
Where the persimmons are bold and heavy-hitting, the Japanese Sea Bream is a wet whisper. The slices are pure butter, and they melt in your mouth with a citrus breeze and a hot pinch of espelette pepper.
A block of tender Black Cod sits on a delicate plate of glass. A dark spinach releases a puff of smoke from the eel and highlights the briny clams.
Meaty Beets are bold and carry a heart-of-the-fire smoke. The sweet and salty blood-red mirrors the sweet and salted plums, and toasted seeds with red cabbage essence add an earthy quality against an uplift of shiso.
Veal Sweetbreads have the texture of almost foie gras as they give in to a brown butter base. Foldable discs of wild mushrooms draw attention with their aromatics, and a base of starchy celery root anchors an assertive trotter ragout.
A bleeding slice of Sonoma Duck floods its juices in a palatial burst. An amazing piece of meat but almost overshadowed by a boldly roasted kohlrabi with peppery seeds of mustard.
A Snake River Farms Ribeye sleeps under a cover of nori in a bed of rosy red wine. A side of oxtail is cooled by turnips, and charred grapes lend some sugary smoke.
A pungent cheese course transitions away from the mains. The Epoisses bubbles and gurgles over a nutty floor of sunchokes and seeds.
A dessert of Pichuberry sounds like something you’d catch on Pokémon Go, but rest assured, it is a catch. Seedier than a cherry tomato, more sour than a wild-bush cherry, this course finishes light and tart with a cold sorbet.
A signature dessert of Yogurt with mushroom caramel showcases the incredible talent of their pastry chef. The mushrooms climb through the caramel ooze to permeate a smooth and sour yogurt. This combination is as indescribable as the flavors are unforgettable.
The meal ends on a high note as a sandwich of instant-melt meringue refreshes the palate and signals a calm conclusion to a masterful meal.
I’ve done a lot of fine dining now, but few places have the wow factor of Auburn. Auburn has done what precious few can; they’ve mastered the subtleties of balance and harmony, and their menu reflects an understanding of flavors and their unique effects on each other. Their dishes are bold with the right application of restraint to make the flavors fly. They are creative and innovative but they don’t skew so far from the righteous path that their combinations become unclear. I barely noticed when Auburn opened, but this menu will make you look. I’ll be looking at you, Auburn, and I can’t wait to find out what else I’ll see.
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