this is truly art in food form. upon entering michael voltaggio’s newly opened ink in west hollywood, you’ll see a chalkboard near the bar that reads “BAR”. then, a chalkboard near the kitchen marked “ART”. one simple and understated word that defines his craft. i’m no foodie but i just had to experience it. a lot of hype went into this opening so naturally, reservations were hard to come by and were completely booked just 20 minutes after they were available. i was super stoked to land one.

there’s no doubt in my mind chef michael voltaggio put his heart and soul into this restaurant. edison bulbs, denim-upholstered seats and the staff’s pinstripe denim aprons emit an urban-ish vibe that really matches his style. somehow i felt like i knew him. like he was a homie. (fine, i wish). like most, i learned of michael voltaggio through top chef and instantly liked him for his semi hot temper, creativity, drive, and best of all, his sexy tattoos. living in la definitely has its perks. about a year ago, i found out he took up a residency as chef de cuisine at michelin star-rated the dining room in the pasadena langham huntington hotel. to this day, it is, hands down, the best meal i’ve ever had. ink is definitely up at that level too.

voltaggio uses his gastro-einstein-madscientist-onomy skills in a subtle way to transform each dish into something you’d question, how the hell did he make this?! every element on each plate worked together in a surprising way. my pallette literally bursted with delight and it was, without question, an amazing experience worth waiting for.

plates in order of photos:
stumptown coffees costa rica torres, direct trade, villalobos
dungeness crab smoked mayo, bok choy “kimchi”
hamachi parsnip-sesame cream, grapefruit, jalapeno
bay scallops cream of dehydrated potato, potato skins, buttermilk-shellfish broth
seaweed mashed potatoes sea grass, sea beans
young turnips and radishes coffee-cardamom soil, nasturtium, vadouvan, frozen yogurt
octopus buttered popcorn, piquillo pepper, spinach
spaghetti giant squid, squash, hazelnut-ink pesto, piment d’espilette
berkshire pork tenderloin charcoal crust, macaroni and cheese, leeks
quail banana polenta, beet juice, sorrel salad
sea bass lemon, caper, brown butter, romanesco, black olive oil, anchovy
apple crème caramel, burnt wood sabayon, walnut
chocolate coffee, spice