Sorry for the late reply! Didn’t realize the beef would prompt so much discussion. Chef talked about the vaca vieja a significant amount after service ended and now I understand why.
What was served was an A4 wagyu. The presentation looks very similar to the previous version. Maybe less rare in the center for mine. The crust was excellent and the sauce which had a bit of spice was a great complement. Not particularly tough/chewy at all. I don’t think I’ve had a steak type dish before that was particularly memorable, even at Somni 1.0, until this one but that’s partially a me issue (sadly guilty of just not appreciating steaks as much ). For what it’s worth, my buddy also liked it a lot.
Had some rubia gallega recently with a friend who loves steak, she hated it. Thought it was super tough & chewy and was wondering why we brought her to have this awful steak. So perhaps this type of beef doesn’t do well beyond Spain.
Vaca vieja is sometimes chewy and intensely beefy. It must be cooked in black and blue in thin slices for optimal tenderness if not serving the filet.
Somni had two things going against them on this dish
American/Chinese palates want soft beef. That’s why Japanese wagyu, filet mignon etc are so popular. Soft soft soft soft. Something like this is not going to be palatable for a lot of people. In Spain, at the top restaurants and steakhouses, you’ll find the same style beef that you had at Somni.
For it to be optimal texture - they need to cook it even rarer, but they can’t because people here don’t eat rare steak at fine dining restaurants. Medium rare is cooked too long. This is how it’s served at Bar Nestor in San Sebastian - a temple of beef. Yes the fat is very tough to chew but the beef is so delicious when served basically black and blue. I really enjoyed the beef at Somni (i ate it) but i understand why he did what he did.
I talked to Aitor for awhile on this dish cause I loved it and the intent behind it. For it to be perfect, it would have to be even more unpalatable to many of the diners in LA by basically serving it black and blue. I think he should bring it back at some point, but make tweaks to it. Explain the story behind the beef more, how the texture is different, the preparation is different.
I took some of the raw steaks home since they switched to A4 wagyu. Today it was served it to my sister in law’s uncle. He supplies most of the beef to whole foods (he’s a rancher and also processes beef). He couldn’t stop talking about how it reminded him of being at a basque countryside steakhouse when he was in Spain.
both terrific imo. Seline is more moody and substantial, definitely geared toward a eurocentric/American palate. It’s also a ton more food than Somni (and like half the price lol). You get to sit at a table or banquette instead of counter with other people (and it’s honestly way more comfortable). If you like something like Alinea/EMP (pre-vegan) or even something like Grace in Chicago, do Seline.
Somni is stellar, thoughtful, and really really good. it’s twice the price, but also more luxurious. You really can’t go wrong. If your fine dining tastes lean Spanish/modern French, you might like Somni more. I do not think that one is clearly better than the other unless you have a clear preference to one style. Even their their decor has a literal night and day difference in mood/tone, and they were — funny enough — built/designed by the same company.
for a “big celebration” the person might want something more intimate/special whereas at Somni you’re like eating with 13 other people unless you get the private dining room which costs as an arm and a leg (and might be within the person’s budget for all I know).
From another perspective, depending on how you interpret the word, Somni is very intimate and somewhat communal in the same way a sushi bar is. Few people are in the room with you and you can all see the “show” the staff is putting on, hear about the courses, and interact with the staff (or other parties). Very few places in LA do that like Somni outside of small sushi bars. To me it feels special because of that, depending on if you enjoy that dynamic or want that for your celebration.
It is not very private because you’re sitting right next to other diners and there’s always staff in front or behind you.
of course there’s the sort of communal act of watching culinary theater, in a way, but I think it’s not quite like being at a sushi bar where I think a lot of the action is literally right in front of you, which isn’t the case at Somni. Obviously it depends completely on what the poster wants from the meal. Personally, if I want to celebrate with family and friends, I’m gonna want my own table at a place like Seline (or Somni’s PDR if I won the lottery). A four-top at Seline’s gonna be… $500pp after drinks? more than twice that for Somni lol.
Thanks for the very detailed insight! Actually really appreciate it. Personally, my top meals have been Californios, Jeune et Jolie, Kato, and Commis in California. If that gives some insight. The pricing of Somni is quite eye-popping especially considering places like a Singlethread or Addison come under by around $100 per person, albeit they could easily go over depending on your inclusion of truffle courses and what not which I assume is all priced in already with Somni.
One key differentiation I would like to get some insight on is their wine pairings. Anyone think or know the details of the beverage pairings and how they might compare between the two? I know Somni has what sounds like a killer non-alc pairing, which seems fun, but this is a celebration… and my spouse and I are more of a pop the cork type.
TONS of April availability still left today. In a shaky economy, $839+ per person dinners are probably the first thing to go. It will be interesting to see if Somni decouples the beverage pairing in the near future. I think it’s scaring a lot of people off who otherwise might have considered going. While they certainly implemented the mandated beverage pairing to guarantee a higher average check, I wonder if it’s actually net negative by leading to fewer overall bookings (my guess is it’s net positive now when the restaurant is still new and shiny but could easily become net negative as the novelty wears off).
Agree with this. I am considering returning now as the menu has changed a bit. Seems like there is some concern of burnout, hoping they can overcome it
I hate wine pairings; I generally think we can drink better by ordering 2 bottles for a couple and forgoing the pairing. And until they uncouple it, I’m one of the people who won’t be eating there, as much as I’m interested in seeing this incarnation.
Reservations for 2 people at the counter are full through March & April. Oddly, there are a number of reservations for 4 still available. Given that it’s a counter and not a series of tables, and everyone pre-pays, I struggle to see why they would reserve certain counter seats for reservations of 4 only. Isn’t a bird in the hand (say a single reservation of 2, with the possibility of a second reservation for 2 later), better than risking all 4 seats ending up empty?
The private room is available practically every night they’re open in March and April. Not getting much action in there.
Chef talked about the vaca vieja a significant amount after service ended and now I understand why.
). For what it’s worth, my buddy also liked it a lot.