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Artfully plated food takes on a new meaning at Playa. Chef John Sedlar serves up delicious mixed media art installations, cleverly utilizing art under glass to recontextualize the food on the plate and change the story it tells.
I am a firm believer in the simple fact that food is more than food. For me food is science, food is politics, food is design. Food is a wonderful curry of history, anthropology, chemistry, biology, and aesthetics... that you can eat. After talking with Chef John Sedlar I am now also in awe of food's tremendous capacity for narrative. Simply put food tells stories. To foreground this aspect he has started pairing foods not just with wine, but with images under glass. The plate becomes a character, or a setting, in the narrative of the dish... often forming a counter point or engaging in a sort of dialogue with the food.
While I was at Playa for the preview of the Baja Culinary Fest, the chef brought me back into the kitchen to show me some of the plates that they'd been using as part of their Reflecciones series. I was intrigued and we soon found a time for me to see those plates in action.
The first thing you notice upon entering Playa are the sea urchin inspired chandeliers... a fun play on the beachy name of the restaurant.
The second thing you notice is that Sedlar's influence is everywhere. From the interpretations of Latin cuisine, to the eclectic menu... his name is even on one of the tequilas at the bar.
Alone these Papas Salsa Verde are a well executed potato chip. They are fresh, delicious, and simply dressed with avocado and micro cilantro.
But here they also form part of a larger composition. With the image of workers in hazmat suits they are a somber reminder of the nuclear disaster in Japan. These work not only as conversation pieces, but also redirect our attention to the world outside the restaurant. As a restauranteur Sedlar is often asked to support causes be they philanthropic or political. The mere presence of his name or food carries with it a certain endorsement. He sees these Reflecciones as an opportunity to express his interests beyond those organizations which come to him.
The different cycles, or collections of images, allow Sedlar to tell stories that go beyond the food. They are currently experimenting with something to commemorate the Day of the Dead, a tradition important not only to himself but also to the regions that originated the food. The tamale especially when paired with the image it rests upon becomes an exploration of both the chef's and the restaurant's identity. It is from this grounded position that they can then experiment with an infusion of Thai flavors. This dish does something rare for fusion food. It clearly exhibits both sides. It is recognizably Thai in its flavors and most definitely true to his New Mexican roots as a tamale. In developing this dish the chef kept increasing the spice until it achieved this perfect balance.
Recently Playa ran a series for the memorial of September eleventh. Eschewing the now familiar images of smoke and flames, this background captures the spectacular view from Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the north tower. It is a calm somber connection to a restaurant that is no longer with us. After tasting these Vieiras Cubanas, with their twice fried plantain discs acting as mini tostadas and their nuanced smoky flavor of sea scallops, I now have a powerful new associated sense memory that I can hold on to.
The art of the plates gives one time to pause. Unlike other artful platings which one is reluctant to take apart to eat... they remain, safely pinned under the glass. Witnessing urban violence was the sad inspiration behind the Clockwork Orange cycle and it gives you something to ruminate on while enjoying this Tamale Chipotle with its great earthy pairing of wild mushrooms and filet mignon.
These Arepas Caracas, corn cakes stuffed with Mexican shrimp, mango, and cotija cheese, rest upon an image of the kitchen the chef learned to cook in. His mother, 2nd from the right, and aunts and family members literally stand behind his food on your plate. It shares a memory almost like Harry Potter's Pensieve... the scene which informs his cooking is now available for you as a guest in his restaurant. John Sedlar's innovative Reflecciones at Playa tell a story of the strong personal connection we have with our food. Eating not only sustains our bodies but our memories as well.
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