My first trip to Spago, A tasting menu Review.

[P3R3]

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

[mc michael]

So just the food was about $135 pp?

[P3R3]

The 5 course and 10 course are $90/140 respectively. The wine pairing is $60/$80 I believe.

[Jack Flash]

To be clear, that was $308 per person?

[P3R3]

That is correct. After tax+tip.

[Jwsel]

I'm confused by this. The base price of the 5-course dinner with wine pairings should have been about $150 per person. Even with cocktail/coffee. I still don't see the total being that much above $200 per person after tax and tip? Was there a huge supplement for the kobe beef? Or did someone purchase some exceptionally expensive cocktail/dessert liquer?

[Servorg]

The OP said they did the 10 course tasting menu however.