I found a new appreciation for martinis after trying Aphotic’s signature seaweed martini with house gin. Helmed by chef Peter Hemsley (Palette, Quince), Aphotic impressively earned a Michelin Star and a Green Star less than six months after opening in 2023, and their sustainability efforts extend to their distillate program. Bar director Trevin Hutchins also recently snagged the 2024 Michelin California Exceptional Cocktails Award.
Needless to say, this was one standout martini, caviar-stuffed olive and all. And after trying it at Tsar Nicoulai’s birthday event earlier this summer, I rallied some friends to try Aphotic’s bar menu. Unfortunately they were booked already on the Saturday we could all go, so we pivoted to the full tasting menu. Can I just say, I’m very appreciative of having girlfriends that are down to splurge on fine dining!
The 11-course seafood-focused tasting menu also served as a birthday month kick-off of sorts. Why not. Overall, I enjoyed the experience – there were standout dishes, but also a few misses. My favorite courses were the uni panna cotta with Tsar Nicoulai caviar, a razor clam broth with clam chowder rangoon, and the radiatori pasta with foraged mushrooms.
A solid bread and butter course will win me over without fail, and pastry chef Deidre Balao Rieutort-Louis delivered with a stunning sea lettuce croissant that was on the verge of being almost too buttery. Nonsense, is there even such a thing?
The main savory course was a bluefin tuna loin with ratatouille, and this was the consensus weakest link at our table. It felt like too much tuna, both in texture and flavor, and the ratatouille wasn’t compelling enough to contrast the hefty cut of tuna.
As for dessert, I liked the idea behind the deconstructed sesame tang yuan dessert, a nod to the Chinese/Taiwanese glutinous rice ball dish I loved growing up. And I’m all for elevated versions of comfort food, but this particular interpretation stripped away what makes the dish comforting for me, which is enjoying the balls in a warm broth.
I liked the Maine scallop crème brûlée, which resembled a scallop as well in presentation. The birthday tayaki was very kind of them to give, candle and all, but it was sadly very dry and flavorless. The meal did conclude with strong mignardises of peach madeleine and candied chocolate trout skin. I love a risky sweet-savory dessert that incorporates seafood.
Service was lovely, and I’m a fan of the dimly-lit, sexy space which is a nod to the name Aphotic, meaning “without light.” Cocktails were solid, and I enjoyed the “heirloom old-fashioned” with pox, mezcal, and rum. I would definitely return to try their à la carte bar menu.
