Spago

»Spago Tasting Menu (5 course) Great food but Lacking Service

I had been to Spago once before during Dine LA but wanted to try it the "right way" with their signature tasting menu.

As our waiter handed us menus, I said "Oh, we were going to do the tasting menu..." and he snatched away our menus and said "Well, then you won't be needing these". And then he abruptly left without confirming anything about the tasting menu or asking us any further questions....+READ I had been to Spago once before during Dine LA but wanted to try it the "right way" with their signature tasting menu.

As our waiter handed us menus, I said "Oh, we were going to do the tasting menu..." and he snatched away our menus and said "Well, then you won't be needing these". And then he abruptly left without confirming anything about the tasting menu or asking us any further questions.

Now, I had been studying up the tasting menu situation here on CH and read that there was a 5 course and 10 course. I was a little bit undecided going into the restaurant and thought discussing with the server would answer the question, but he didn't give the chance. Amuses just started coming. First a tuna tartar in a cone. Crazy delicious. Then a spoon of burrata with a jam of rhubarb. Also crazy delicious. Then a salmon blini with caviar-wow wow wow wow- so incredibly delectable. Probably the tastiest amuses I've ever had. Not super creative, but just close-your-eyes yummy. The only problem was they were coming too fast , overlapping even, and our first cocktail hadn't even arrived from the bar. We were a little rushed.

I finally see our waiter and say "Excuse me, has our tasting started?" And he said "Yes". I said "Oh, so there are no choices?" And he spoke in a pretty patronizing tone about "well, that's what a chef's tasting is, it's letting the chef decide what you eat". I didn't really let on that I was annoyed with this, or let him know that I've been to the French Laundry and done dozens of tastings all over the country. I just asked him "So it's a set number of courses?" and he said "Yes, it's five. The ones you got already were not courses" (here he condescended again and preceded to explain to me what an amuse bouche was, awesome!) We also missed any chance to get a supplement, etc, that I had read about.

So I guess there was no decision to be made about how many courses we were doing. Then I said "Do you know if the chef is cooking rabbit or veal tonight? I don't eat those" and he seemed pretty annoyed and said "You prefer not to eat rabbit or veal? I can find out" and then he left. He did not return to "answer" this question. He did not follow up either on whether we wanted to do the wine pairing (we ordered a cocktail to start but told him we were considering the wine pairing with the tasting). Food just kept coming out.

Another amazing amuse, a little pastry puff ball filled with a thick chunk of bacon. Heavenly. Seriously, those amuses I would be thrilled to have as the hour d'ourves at my wedding. I told my boyfriend I wanted to go to an event that had them going around on trays and gobble up as many as I could collect.

Our first course was an octopus 'ceviche' (looked like carpaccio) with mandarin oranges and radishes. Crisp, great flavors, a light but flavorful start to the meal.

At some point there was an intermezzo rhubarb sorbet with daikon radish in a broth. It was quite interesting and did in fact do its palate cleansing job, nothing I would crave to try again.

2nd course was a john dory encrusted in sesame seeds with a sweet pea emulsion on the plate and a purple sauce that I'm afraid I can't remember what it was. (The descriptions were blurted out in rapid fire by runners, and there was never a menu that we could reference the way you usually get at a fine dining tasting.) My first thought was that the sesame was overpowering, but the fish was cooked so nicely and the accompanying sauces really created a great balance of flavor. It was a dish that grew on us as we ate it.

We were also greatly enjoying the bread, the bread server recommended the "country" bread as his favorite, and we agreed.

3rd course was pea ravioli in a thin marscapone parmeggiano sauce with peas. I kind fell into a personal food reverie, this dish really brought me back to eating my mom's tortellini alla panna with peas as a kid. The flavors of pasta, peas, cream, and cheese bring me there, and this was an intense version of that flavor profile.

4th course was a braised short rib with a shallot puree (very small smear of it on plate) and a bone marrow with foam and fancy mushrooms. It was rich, hearty, decadent. The bone marrow with mushrooms was a delightful combination. I usually don't like to see short rib (easy to do, cheap protein) on an expensive tasting, but it was so delicious I can't complain.

5th course was dessert- a Neapolitan style (chocolate/strawberry/vanilla rather than the pastry) mouse/cake/ice cream dish with brandied cherries and some raspberry sorbet on top of crunchy chocolate bits. When it arrived, I felt disappointed, but when I tasted it I was happy again. But, why did it have to be so small? It was just a few bites and I wanted more.

The plain brewed coffee was delicious, but was not included in the price of the tasting, which I always find silly. When someone orders a gourmet tasting and spends a lot of money, let them have coffee for free which costs almost nothing. Call me crazy.

There was no take home menu or take home treat (like wrapped homemade cookies, etc) the way fine restaurants usually provide. This is another touch that is just missing and makes Spago feel a little cold or . When you do the tasting menu, they automatically charge you 20% for service. That may have something to do with our server's lackadaisical attitude towards us, but of course does not forgive it in the least.

Now, the back server (I believe he is called), the one that fills our water, brings us bread, clears our plates, etc, was great. He was very attentive, polite, and chatted with us about this or that, took our picture, etc

Luckily, I care much more about food than service, I didn't let the waiter's attitude effect my enjoyment of the meal, but Spago certainly missed the opportunity to enhance our experience by having a better dialogue about what we are eating, perhaps order some supplements, bring a copy of the menu home with us to reflect upon, etc.

The bill was $322 for two tastings, 2 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, and 2 coffees. Service included at 20% and as you can imagine, I did not give any extra gratuity. We arrived at 6:45 and left at 8:30

The food was five stars, the waiter was one star, the back waiter was five stars, the value was three stars. I averaged all that to 4 star overall.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (15 Replies) (by sarahbeths, created April 4, 2011)

»23 course tasting menu at Spago

Write-up with pictures: http://darindines.com/2011/02/28/spago/

Spago used to be one of my favorite restaurants when I first moved to LA; there was something about the upscale Asian-inspired dishes that captured my attention. However, when the first Michelin Guide in LA came out and awarded Spago two stars, I was perplexed. I enjoyed the food, sure, but the cuisine wasn’t as refined and...+READ Write-up with pictures: http://darindines.com/2011/02/28/spago/

Spago used to be one of my favorite restaurants when I first moved to LA; there was something about the upscale Asian-inspired dishes that captured my attention. However, when the first Michelin Guide in LA came out and awarded Spago two stars, I was perplexed. I enjoyed the food, sure, but the cuisine wasn’t as refined and innovative as other two-star restaurants I’d been to.

Enter the tasting menu. I’ve always ordered a la carte in previous visits – when I heard the tasting menu was a very different meal altogether, I knew I had to visit again. What resulted was a 23-course meal with 15 wines to match..which I know sounds kind of ridiculous.

Spicy Tuna Tartare in Sesame-Miso Cone
Smoked Salmon with lemon-herb blini, salmon eggs
Hamachi Ceviche
Toad in a Hole with black truffle
Oyster Gratin with caviar
Pastrami-Cured Duck Liver Mousse with rye crisp and apple puree
Bacon Confit en Croute with black truffle
Pear-Rhubarb Sorbet with jasmine tea
Crispy Phyllo-Wrapped Santa Barbara Spot Prawns with black bean vinaigrette & Asian slaw
Sauteed Veal Sweetbreads with onion-mushroom “pastille,” maitake mushrooms, confit bacon, orange-kohlrabi puree
Fromage de Tete with truffled red wine sauce & truffle salad
Seafood-stuffed Sepia with fried calamari
Rye-Crusted Loup de Mer with littleneck clams & lemon butter meuniere
Hand-rolled Garganelli with Maine lobster & spring rapini
Handmade Agnolotti with celery root & French black truffles
Duo of Rabbit: Bacon-wrapped Loin and Rack of Rabbit
Sonoma Lamb Loin with fennel puree and brussels sprouts and black olives
Slow Braised Short Ribs with Baked Bone Marrow
Selection of Artisanal Cheeses
Lemon Souffle and blackberry sorbet
Kaiserschmarrn
Dobos Torte
Chocolate Pot Pie

This meal was the strongest I’ve had here, and I quickly understood the Michelin stars…well, at least one of them. With 23 courses presented, I expected some to be very good and some to perhaps be duds. I wouldn’t call any of the dishes bad, though I found the desserts a little disappointing. My favorite courses were the toad in a hole, spot prawn, sepia, agnolotti and rabbit. Consider my opinion of Spago changed; while I’ve enjoyed my a la carte experience each time, the tasting menu presents a more refined meal worthy of Michelin recognition. Next time, though, I don’t think I need to try as many courses!-COLLAPSE / REPLY (4 Replies) (by DarinDines, created February 28, 2011)

»My first trip to Spago, A tasting menu Review.

So I finally made it out to try the famous Spago and under recommendation from fellow chowhounders I went for the 10 course tasting menu with wine pairings. I took a booth right by the kitchen and the meal began. Here is a breakdown of all the dishes

Food:

Amuse Bouche:

Spicy Tuna Tartar with sesame cracker - This is a staple dish at Spago and for good reason, the spicyness was very mild...+READ So I finally made it out to try the famous Spago and under recommendation from fellow chowhounders I went for the 10 course tasting menu with wine pairings. I took a booth right by the kitchen and the meal began. Here is a breakdown of all the dishes

Food:

Amuse Bouche:

Spicy Tuna Tartar with sesame cracker - This is a staple dish at Spago and for good reason, the spicyness was very mild and didnt overpower the fish, the sesame complimented the fish perfectly.

Smoked Salmon with Dill Creme Fraiche and Salmon Roe on a Brioche/Crisp - Fantastic smoked salmon on creme fraiche, pretty strait forward. Nothing spectacular but delicious nonetheless. The roe added a little crunch/pop to the bite

Black Truffle and Chantrelle Cream Brioche - One of the best bites of the whole meal. My dining companions all loved this one. Creamy, Earthey, and slightly crunchy.

Duck Liver Pastrami with Rye Crisps and Apple Puree - A great bite, like a pastrami sandwich, familiar tastes with a buttery texture. The apple puree cut through the saltiness of the pastrimi and the rye crisps imparted the classic rye bread flavor

Cucumber Sorbet with Japanese Cucumber and Orchid Oolong tea - Not my favorite course, but this was just really meant to cleanse the palate for the fish courses. The Flowery tea sauce really made for a clean flavor and cleansed the taste buds.

Fish Course:

Scallop 2 ways, Asian Salad with baby greens and Cilantro Vinaigrette and a Ceviche Style with Grapefruit flesh - The woman of the table really loved the salad, the flavors were very intricate and decidedly Asian. The acid from the grapefruit flesh really complimented the scallops in the ceviche.

Pan Fried Rouget with Chantrelle Sauce - There was a puree which I dont recall, and I might have my sauces mixed up. The fish was perfectly cooked, the skin was so crispy and the sauce really went well with the fish. Light uncomplicated flavors, the mild flavored fish was really able to shine

Santa Monica Spot Prawn With Lentill Puree and Deep Fried Heads - One of my personal favorites, spot prawns are one of foods greatest tastes. The sauces/purees in this dish had an almost Indian flavor to them just delicious. The heads were perfectly cooked and made for a treat after consuming the prawns

Pasta Course:

Small French Cheese Raviolis in a brown butter sauce topped with Black Truffle - Just awesome melt in your mouth. Extremely rich and creamy. You could taste every element in this dish perfectly, a favorite among our group. Can't complain when you're getting a generous shaving of black truffle!

Meat Course:

Breast of Squab with Shitake Ponzu sauce and Chinese Green Bean - A simple and delicious dish. The squab was masterfully prepared, the sauce gave an Asian flair. A perfect homage to an ingredient popular in Chinese cooking.

Loin of Kobe Beef with Leek Puree and Mascarpone Cheese Foam - My favorite dish of the night, just amazing. The beef was perfectly rare and pan fried crispy on both sides. The puree complimented the meat perfectly and the foam gave an extra richness to the already rich meat.

Cheese Course:

French Sheeps Cheese and Spanish Goats cheese served with French Country bread and Raisin Bread - I was so full by now I couldnt fully enjoy this course, the Sheeps cheese was to die for, the goats cheese was too sharp for my taste unfortunately.

Dessert Course:

Date Cake with Butter Pecan Gelato - Extremely rich. THe flavors were very pronounced, if you like dates you would love this dish. The gelato was amazing, the flavor was unlike any butter pecan ice cream I've had.

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Chocolate Ganoush and White Chocolate Ice Cream - My favorite dessert, so rich. A chocolate lovers dream.

Assortment of Cookies - Pretty standard stuff, they were good though.


The wines chosen went perfect with each course and a pretty good value at $80 for the whole meal. The Ruinart Brut Rosé, Champagne NV and Pinot Noir, Brewer-Clifton, Sta. Rita Hills 2008 were exceptional.

Overall:
Food: A+
Service: A
Wine: A
Price: B
Ambiance: A

The whole meal came out to $308 with tax + tip. That also included a pre-dinner cocktail and post dinner cocktail/coffee. So it wasn't cheap, but I think it was well worth it. I recommend the booths by the kitchen if you are a foodie. I can't wait to try some more tastings around LA, next up is Saam at The Bazaar.

Tips:
-Spago almost feels casual, you can come in jeans if you like. However I would recommend dressing to impress. If you're paying $300 for meal dress like it IMO
-The booths are the best seats in the house. The patio is nice, but I hate heaters.
-Make sure the tasting is available before you make the reservation, it is not always available.
-Book no later than 7:30 for a 10 course and 8:00 for a 5 course tasting
-The whole table must all do the tasting menu
-20% service charge is added to all tasting menu orders-COLLAPSE / REPLY (6 Replies) (by P3R3, created March 1, 2010)

I must woefully disagree - not with the contention that you are getting a bargain price on a Spago meal, but that it is actually worth it to dine at Spago, one of the most overrated eateries in Beverly Hills. Even at $44 per person, the menu offerings have zero wow factor in taste or creative preparation. It is always a travesty to me when one peaks at the appetizer course, as was the case here....+READ I must woefully disagree - not with the contention that you are getting a bargain price on a Spago meal, but that it is actually worth it to dine at Spago, one of the most overrated eateries in Beverly Hills. Even at $44 per person, the menu offerings have zero wow factor in taste or creative preparation. It is always a travesty to me when one peaks at the appetizer course, as was the case here. Despite enjoying the fig salad described above, I felt each of the main courses offered was only "okay," as with the desserts. In fact, I actually felt bad for my dining companion, whose chicken was dry and tasteless. Thank goodness for the wine.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (10 Replies) (by schmamo, created October 19, 2009)

Color me disappointed. I went to Spago on Friday evening for the dineLA menu (and also to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday). It's not the first time we've been to a dineLA restaurant, and in general we have had quite good experiences. I feel like we're also quite familiar with top-notch service and food that we have come to expect from a restaurant of Spago's quality. While we didn't expect the...+READ Color me disappointed. I went to Spago on Friday evening for the dineLA menu (and also to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday). It's not the first time we've been to a dineLA restaurant, and in general we have had quite good experiences. I feel like we're also quite familiar with top-notch service and food that we have come to expect from a restaurant of Spago's quality. While we didn't expect the same level experience we have received at restaurants such as Le Bernardin or Providence, I was sorely disappointed.

Let me start by saying that the both of us (and our guests) were very impressed with the service when we arrived. Everything from the valet, to the host, to the bartender was excellent. Unfortunately, eventually we had to head to our table and meet our server, Jason. Jason was... abrupt to say the very least. When we requested the dineLA menus (something I had mentioned when we made the reservation prior), he replied "fine" and left to get the menus. Upon returning to the table proceeded to collect the normal menu. We asked if we would be able to keep the regular menu, since we were interested in potentially adding a couple courses to the meal, since it was a celebration.

Jason left, only to come back a few minutes later and inform us that the chef would not allow us to add any additional courses. Of course I'm skeptical (perhaps only a very slight notch below calling him an outright liar), but fine. Suffice it to say at that point we were already disappointed. When we subsequently asked if we could at least add the corn agnolotti, he hesitated before finally saying that we could indeed have one plate of that to share amongst the four of us (no more... apparently). He also mentioned that the agnolotti would have to come out at the same time as the appetizers. Of course, we all had appetizers, so this made things a bit awkward. While we ate our appetizers, the pasta sat in the middle of the table getting cold. Hardly what I'd imagine any chef would want for his or her food.

As a capper to the evening, since it was my girlfriend's birthday, and we'd come to Spago since she had wanted to visit for years, I made a specific point of confirming with the restaurant that it was noted. They informed me that they would happily provide a candle for her dessert. A small, but in my mind classy touch. I reconfirmed with the host upon checking in, and still dessert came and went with no acknowledgment whatsoever. No candle, no birthday wishes, nothing. It was disappointing.

The food was fine. It was not knock your socks off brilliant, and somewhat below what I would have hoped for a restaurant with such acclaim. That being said, if the service hadn't been perhaps the worst service I've had since TGI Fridays, I believe we all would have enjoyed the meal. As it was, we left with a poor taste in our mouth. After we left, we contacted the restaurant and spoke to a manager, who informed us that he would look into the situation and give us a call to follow up. During the call to management, they confirmed that in their system it was noted that we were celebrating a birthday, so it's clear somebody dropped the ball. To his credit, he was very pleasant and generally apologetic, if non-committal, across the board. Three days later, still no word. I'm holding out hope we'll hear something, but I'm growing skeptical. In all, I can't recommend the restaurant unless you can be sure to avoid Jason...-COLLAPSE / REPLY (80 Replies) (by Gavin499, created October 12, 2009)