Vespertine (To-Go): Cuba
Vespertine is one of those places that from the early marketing and hype (like that “interpretive dance / pseudo-music video” that Chef-Owner Jordan Kahn released prior to its opening), to many of the early FTC reports back on the place (especially @PorkyBelly’s excellent report, above), made us never want to go here. The thought of dropping $500 (+ tax & tip) and suffer for “art” for 4+ hours really didn’t seem all that appealing.
With COVID-19 hitting, Vespertine’s pivot to far more accessible To-Go meals with different themes made things sound far more appealing. The French Laundry tribute seemed wonderful (but we missed out on that), and then recently, Chef Kahn did a tribute to his grandparents and specifically his grandmother’s cooking (Cuba). The idea and basis of this theme was heartening, so we finally decided to give Vespertine To-Go a try.
In an interesting touch, each diner is given a QR Code to scan in, which then allows them to access a full digital pamphlet with slides talking about each dish, and heating instructions via your phone.
We really appreciated the little anecdotes and thoughts on each dish, as it gave more meaning to each course as we progressed through the evening.
A beautiful sentiment (above). We couldn’t wait to try the menu!
Croquetas de Jamon:
Not very fancy (not that it needs to be), these were quite tasty. After a brief reheating, the Croquetas de Jamon came out piping hot and with a sufficiently crispy exterior. The inside was a cheesy, melting, oozing filling of a lightly smoky Ham and Cheese.
Papas Rellenas with Picadillo:
This was fine. They were basically humble Potato Balls with some Marinated Minced Beef in the center. The Picadillo center was quite flavorful, nicely spiced, fragrant, surrounded by a lot of Potato and a lightly crisped exterior.
Ensalada de Aguacate:
Absolutely delicious! We’ve never had the Florida (or Green Skinned) Avocados that Chef Kahn uses for this dish, but they were indeed a lighter, yet still creamy, Avocado flavor, the herbal, aromatic Watercress, some Radishes and perfectly ripe Tomatoes and Vinaigrette all worked to make this the highlight of the meal!
Mariquitas Con Vinagreta:
As Chef Kahn notes, Mariquitas are thin strips of Fried Green Plantains, and traditionally tossed with some Mojo Vinaigrette (which is provided here as a Dipping Sauce instead).
They are addictive and tasty, like a lightly sweetened Potato Chip, but fruitier and the Mojo Vinaigrette adding some tart and saltiness makes it sing.
Platanos Maduros:
Definitely not the prettiest of foods, and probably the anti-thesis of what the original dine-in Vespertine was about, we appreciated it all the more because of that. This was humble, home-style cooking.
And the Maduros (Ripened Plantains) were delicious! The caramelized edges, the natural sweetness and creaminess were very appealing. However, it felt like this should’ve been an accompaniment to the main courses, not served individually as it was here. It was still quite tasty (and another highlight of the meal), but felt like it should’ve been a counterpoint to other savory items.
Yucca with Mojo:
At this point (and probably 2 courses earlier), we hit the wall: While it was nice exploring these various dishes of Cuban cuisine, the procession of dishes were simply way too many Carbs in a row. (From a Fried Starter to Potato Balls, to Avocado Salad (fat, but delicious), to Mariquitas (Fried Plantain Chips), to Fried Plantains, to now Yucca (Cassava Root), which tasted like thick, dryish Potato Wedges, it just felt like the procession of dishes was a bit off, as we were just full at this point.
The Yucca itself tasted like Potato Wedges, a bit less stodgy, but sort of dry, but the Mojo Criollo seasoning was wonderful: Sour Oranges and Garlic base, it awakened the palate a bit, but the generous portion of Yucca just overwhelmed.
Ropa Vieja:
The slow-cooked, popular Cuban dish of Shredded Beef was OK. It was on the sweeter side, the Shredded Beef was tender, but in terms of flavor, it reminded us of previous Ropa Vieja dishes we’ve tried over the years. It wasn’t bad at all, very solid, but there wasn’t anything that stood out as “next level / transformative Ropa Vieja”.
Arroz Blanco + Potaje de Frijoles Negros:
First, the Arroz Blanco (which means White Rice). The presentation on this humble staple seemed a bit excessive considering the final execution. The slide lists it as “Arroz Blanco”, which simply means “White Rice.”
Which is fine, even for this humble Carb, if it was standout in any way (and Rice can be executed to another level as seen by humble places like Wadatsumi, Kagura or Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior (all offering dishes with their phenomenally executed White Rice for $10 - $18 range). They just execute their Steamed Rice out of pride and excellence of cooking, not to show off.
For this Cuba menu at Vespertine, the White Rice was pretty average. Softish, zero distinct flavor, like an afterthought.
The Potaje de Frijoles Negros on the other hand…
Excellent!
Using freshly harvested Rancho Gordo Black Beans, Chef Kahn and his team create a toothsome, beautifully seasoned plate of slow-cooked Black Beans with Cachucha Chilies, and the end result is just a fantastic side of Black Beans.
Lechon Asado:
Based on his grandmother’s Roasted Pork recipe, the Lechon Asado was another highlight: We reheated this for about 8 - 9 minutes (the instructions said 5 minutes or until warm), and it was perfect. Crispy, sizzling Roasted Pork Skin, tender chunks of mostly lean (but juicy) meat within.
This tasted like real comfort food, and with a bit of the Black Beans and White Rice, it was satisfying. However, it tasted like a very good, familiar “Roast Pork” dish. Again, comforting, tasty, but nothing about it said, “Legendary.” Or “this is the Langer’s / Howlin’ Ray’s of Lechon Asado”.
But at this point, with all of the Carb courses earlier, we couldn’t finish this main course.
Flan de Leche:
Good, nice flavor, relatively silky and delicate. Not the best Flan we’ve ever had, but enjoyable.
Arroz con Leche:
The Rice Pudding was just OK. Not bad, but it tasted like a solidly executed Rice Pudding.
Pastelitos de Queso Y Guayaba:
The final Dessert was Chef Kahn’s Pastelitos de Queso Y Guayaba, or Guava & Cheese Pastries, which at this point one of our dear friends who joined us (socially distanced) to eat at home said, “It’s Chef Kahn’s version of Porto’s Bakery!”
Taking a bite:
It really was Upgraded Porto’s Bakery. But so much better!
These are delicate, flaky little Pastries with a beautiful Guava Jam filling and a light Cream Cheese, and we reheated these in the oven (even though the instructions said you could enjoy at room temperature). They were definitely much better than Porto’s and this is the kind of elevated / improved flavors we were hoping would be throughout the meal.
Vespertine (To-Go) Cuba Edition turned out to be a nice look at Chef Kahn’s Cuban heritage, an ode to his grandmother’s recipes. You pre-order and pay online, and drive up and open up your back window and the servers will drop off your order and you drive off (contactless).
We enjoyed reading the tasting notes and little anecdotes more than the meal itself though. The execution / elevated highlights were Avocado Salad, side of Black Beans and the Guava & Cream Cheese Pastry.
Those 3 were really executed at a better level than many places around town. The rest of the meal was solid / good, but tasted like what you’d expect Cuban cuisine to taste like (there was nothing mind-blowing about them). For ~$86 per person (including tax & automatic 20% tip), the QPR felt like it wasn’t totally there.
Still, we were glad to have tried Vespertine’s take on Cuba, and really loved the sentiment behind this tasting menu. While I want more courtroom sketches from @PorkyBelly, I also really like seeing Chef Kahn and the team making more accessible food. If there were a few more dishes that were executed to the elevated levels of the Ensalada de Aguacate and Potaje de Frijoles Negros, this would be a Must Order every time it was made available again. We’re hoping future themes turn out that way.
Vespertine
3599 Hayden Ave.
Culver City, CA 90232