Update: With Joseh Mahon, until recently the executive chef at Bastide, popping up at Biergarten with David Haskell next week (see the original post, published December 7th, on the next page), it seemed a good time to check in again with the chef. Of the two nights at Biergarten, Mahon told us, “it's a natural evolution of how chefs try to do something within their own means and show some control.”

As to why he's pairing up with Haskell, Mahon says that the two have been talking about projects for some time now, and are planning to do more dinners or other things (“stuff”) together in the future. The two men both have families from Pittsburgh and hang out, Mahon says, in Koreatown a lot. Hence Biergarten as the site for the dinners. As for the situation at Bastide, Mahon declined to comment, saying only that he's currently “hanging out, recharging the batteries.” Whipping up wild mushrooms with white soy and sesame rice paper being, it seems, Mahon's idea of R & R.

Ah, the pop-up. It's the perfect mashup of chef and restaurant, kind of like Garanimals for the kitchen crowd. The latest is a two-night dinner by chef Joseph Mahon, recently executive chef number somethingorother of Bastide and David Haskell (BIN 8945, Vertical Wine Bistro) at Biergarten, of all places, on December 13th and 14th. Think five courses with various pairings of wine, sake, beer and soju. The dinner goes for $56 per person; the wine, etc. pairing for $54.

Since Bastide is operating like a pop-up these days anyway, there's a certain symmetry, if not logic, to the event. On the menu? Carrot curry pudding; coconut soup with mussels, tapioca, cilantro, basil and pistou; wild mushrooms with white soy and sesame rice paper; fried chicken with bacon, radish, arugula, celery and buttermilk dressing; confit pork cheeks with béarnaise mouse [sic]; and waffle surprise (no idea). For reservations, call the restaurant.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.