Los Angeles｜This Restaurant Is So Artistic

My encounter with Seline was pure chance — stumbled upon a video and realized its name was almost identical to mine. Looked it up and found the chef also runs two other well-known spots. Since it just opened a year ago and hasn’t been starred yet, I decided to play undercover Michelin inspector and quietly pay a visit.👌😁 The restaurant is hidden behind an iron door labeled “seline.” No one greeted us at first — we walked into a small courtyard with delicate lighting and rustling plants. Just as I began wondering, a smiling server appeared from a door at the far end… suddenly it felt like arriving at a friend’s home.😍🙌 The first thing inside was the open kitchen, with a bookshelf nearby — like stepping into a warm, storybook home. On the table: candles, a little rabbit holding a cinnamon stick, and a card that read: “If you are a dreamer, come in” — setting the tone for the whole meal. The napkin even held a letter from the chef explaining the name: seline means “heaven and moon” in Latin, is his daughter’s name, and symbolizes viewing the world with curiosity. The autumn menu began. First course: scallop — light, slightly tangy, a pleasant but safe start. Second: leek — grilled leek with banana purée and eucalyptus sauce, surprisingly smooth. Third: crab with pork broth jelly and pine nuts — the pine nuts were an unexpected highlight. My favorite of the night was the cod — cooked flawlessly, no fibrous texture, laid over cubed sunchoke. When the server poured the broth tableside, the aromas of butter, sauce, and earthy sweetness rushed up at once… I literally smelled it for half a minute before taking a bite. Celeriac root was the dark horse — white + celeriac sounded like a bland + strong double risk, but it was stunning. Thinly sliced celeriac retained only a mild vegetal note, hiding a seasoned meat tartare underneath. Just as I took a bite, the restaurant’s music swelled — felt like that moment in The Solitary Gourmet when the food hits your soul 🥹. Then the server brought celeriac ice cream — who doesn’t love ice cream mid-meal? Next came three small bites served on moss and bark — beautiful but looks > taste. More fun: we were invited into the kitchen to watch mustard leaves dipped in passionfruit sauce, flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen into golden crisps — like autumn leaves changing seasons in seconds.🙌💕 What moved me most wasn’t one single dish, but how the whole menu felt like a fluid, poetic story — from leaves and roots to garden and forest motifs, the chef wove the autumn theme seamlessly. The vibe was perfect: fine-dining polish mixed with the comfort of dining at a friend’s house. As a self-appointed Michelin inspector in disguise — I wouldn’t be surprised at all when they get their star. ✨ #LADining #ArtisticDining #TastingMenu #MichelinVibes #HiddenGemLA #StorytellingFood