Lolol her insta frustrates me. Was hoping for some more insider knowledge
it’s interesting that they didn’t even bother changing the Resy URL for the site as it still says “Nightshade LA”…woof
also more info on the concept here: Nightshade’s Formal Closure Gives Way to New French-Indian Bistro in Arts District - Eater LA
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Changing the URL might require creating a new account, and it was faster and easier just to update the one they bought from the Nightshade LLC.
I wonder if Mei Lin’s not happy to be out of the fine dining / chef grind. She ought to open a congee shop next.
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congee shop would be awesome lol. so good!
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If Trois Mec can be Raffaello’s Pizza and maintain the façade for the entirety of its run…
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Live blogging night one…
(7:27) Chef’s counter, bumping elbows with the illustrious @PorkyBelly who already has the recs.
(7:31) Champs-Elysse cocktail arrives, it’s rum and fruit and damn tasty. 
(7:33) @PorkyBelly paid for bread so I didn’t have to 
the butter has cheese
(7:37) amouse of chickpea mousse and lentil shell—super vegan and super herby
(7:38) the second the amouse is in my mouth the shrimp gets dropped. Not what I expected but JFC it’s like what you actually wished shrimp chips were when you buy a bag
(7:46) clams get dropped, topped with a nice pesto that goes well on top of the not-free bread
(7:55) Mackerel drops and wow these are the tiniest slices. Each bite packs a punch of mustard, but definitely needs 2+ slices per bite
(8:09) asparagus with bearnaise arrives as we shift into the main course. It’s perfectly cooked and makes me feel good to eat something green. Yes, I know the sauce is a bit heavy, but overall everything else has been fairly light, so this strikes that same balance
(8:10) the chicken follows quickly after. This might be one of the best bites of the night—it’s half a chicken, with the dark meat turned into a mousse that wraps around the outside of what appears to be a perfectly cooked breast that is of course sauced tableside with a rich jus
(8:24) then I find nirvana
(8:35) and then Kiwi and then parinirvana +
I’m not afraid to say that Camphor will claim the dessert championship belt.
I didn’t do nearly as much as @PorkyBelly who will no doubt have way better pictures, but don’t feel the need for a bang bang. Each dish is on the small side, but stacked correctly I’m not leaving hungry and waddle home super impressed. While Camphor deserves to be recognized in its own right, the spirit that Nightshade had is still in the room. I’ll be back.
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Is it tasting menu only at the chef’s counter or did you order a la carte?
A la carte. They made some good recommendations though. The best part of sitting at the counter is getting to watch the pastry chef work their station right in front of you.
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Did you ask them to get your dishes this fast ? Whole dinner took about an hour - that is very rushed.
Top notch peacocking
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Camphor? I’m lost in the name.
I’m opening a restaurant called Liniment.
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Lol
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i learned some new words today
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There were maybe 20 other people in the restaurant at the time, so no I didn’t ask them to bring the dishes out that fast, but suspect that they did because it was light in the kitchen.
I sat down around 7:15 and can eat fast, so while it did get a little crowded in front of me at times, I didn’t necessarily feel rushed because they did make an effort to clearly course out the starters versus the entree.
@moonboy403 
no caviar on the menu (but I would have), the beef seemed priced for two, and I got a glimpse of the vegetable dish that had truffles and decided to pass.
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Year of the Tiger (Balm)… #AncientChineseSecret
#SpottedAnotherLARestaurantNameOnThatList
#WaitingForPetrolatumBistroToOpen
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Looks almost as French as Pasjoli. Where there any Indian flavors as per the hype in Eater?
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From what I had, there was absolutely Indian influence in the amuse—the lentil shell was filled with a not-quite-creamy-but-not-liquid cilantro chutney.
And then the shrimp was packed with umami that you expect from Southeast Asian dishes.
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same ownership as nightshade, even recognized a couple faces from the previous restaurant. makes me wonder why mei didn’t want to come back.
lots of table side peacocking, with most of the dishes presented with a pour of sauce.
note, portions are pretty small and this glutton needed 3 mains.
the following dishes will be scored by peacocks, sponsored by @rlw
chickpea mousse, lentil shell
bread, epoisses butter
I believe they use bub and grandma’s
baby shrimp, “gunpowder”
bowl of crispy umami
mackerel, mustard dressing
clams, garlic parsley butter
thanks for sharing @rlw
barbajuan, dungeness crab
black cod, basmati rice, saffron jus
lobster, coral bisque
sergios
chicken, thyme, chicken jus
glazed vegetables with truffles
focus
chocolate, hazelnut
marzipan, meyer lemon ice
toto
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