Ruxbin Switches To Shared Menu To Present a 'Cohesive Narrative'

After celebrating Ruxbin's fifth anniversary in June, chef/owner Edward Kim has decided to ditch the restaurant's a la carte menu in favor of a new, five-course shared menu that he feels will give diners a "cohesive narrative." Kim is comparing his new format to a classical symphony, though the menu has five parts instead of a symphony's customary four. The change is something that he feels "will allow us a fair chance to properly showcase what we've got."

While he calls the past five years a storybook ride, Kim admitted that he felt limited by the going a la carte. The new menu sheds that security blanket, giving him freedom, allowing him to "subversively (feed) people more veggies." Some of those veggie highlights include kabocha squash and an heirloom sweet potato. Kim's also excited that guests will share in a more communal atmosphere, adding that "this new format will foster a greater sense of a shared experience." The menu costs $65 per person, and extra dishes cost $12 a pop.

Ruxbin's shaved vegetables

Discussing Ruxbin's milestone back in June, Kim relayed his reluctance to go to a tasting-menu format in the restaurant's beginning days: "We didn't even think people wanted to have reservations with us at the beginning so why would they want a tasting menu?" To honor the anniversary, he experimented with a menu format similar to the one in place now, one that highlighted the restaurant's "greatest hits" up to that point.

The menu changes are already in place and you can view a sample of what to expect from the new Ruxbin below.