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Ascending multiple staircases to the restaurant's third-story perch atop La Plaza La Jolla feels like leaving everyday life behind to partake in an all-encapsulating gastronomic experience in a culinary wonderland. Guests' intro to that Edenic netherworld is an open-air courtyard complete with a focal fruit tree, but the calamansi hanging from its branches are far from forbidden. Rather, that Southeast Asian citrus fruit's tart juice is served as a palate-awakener along with a trio of amuses. A recent visit turned up a Charentais melon granita with fennel crème and Chartreuse gelée that tasted like a cantaloupe-anise creamsicle, a nori-wrapped cylinder of Masani Ranch ribeye tartare, and an avocado tartlet with a Mezcal-like smokiness topped with tart finger limes and N25 Oscietra Caviar. e above would not be the last encounter with the ribeye (an American wagyu-angus hybrid hailing from Northern California) or caviar, both of which showed up later in the meal, thankfully unaccompanied by the word "supplement" and an additional fee. Hung does not believe guests should only get a restaurant's full experience if they are willing to be upcharged. e printed menu is the full menu at one cost for all (save for an optional beverage pairing made up primarily of selections from Meringer's Californian and European list, the volume, thoughtfulness, and harmony of which make it worth the splurge) so that every patron can enjoy the full range of what Arizmendi and his brigade have to offer. And they will enjoy plenty. Hung has consumed too many scant Michelin-starred meals requiring a "supplement" in the form of a trip through a McDonald's drive-thru. As such, Lucien's 12-course tasting menu is sating and bolstered by treats such as the amuses and mignardises (small confectionary endnotes). With early temptations consumed, guests are ushered from the shade of the calamansi tree, beyond a heavy bronze door, and into Lucien's dining room. at 30-seat shotgun space features sea-blue walls and a trio of banquettes set into cave-like recesses evocative of La Jolla Cove which face the open kitchen with its custom, L-shaped Molteni stove. Imported from France and abutting a hearth fueled by almond wood and binchotan charcoal, that multi-ton behemoth had to be craned in, but given the deft cookery taking place at Lucien — especially this early on — it would appear it was worth the effort and expense. Lucien's menu progression is logical — seafood and delicate flavors first, with backloaded red meat and desserts — but not necessarily predictable. Some courses are two-parters. e best of those is a charred banana buckwheat toast served beside an edible ode to ova, egg dashi topped with caviar. As delicate as the eggshell it's served in, the custard has a maple sweetness that works well with the salinity of the caviar à la syrup and bacon, while the accompanying toast is full-on banana bread, making for a heightened breakfast-for-dinner combo. Another impressive one-two punch comes mid-meal with a velouté of red kuri squash topped with an intense Madras curry foam sidled by Santa Barbara uni on top of toasted pain de mie. Like the egg dish, alternating bites between the two components enhances each of them. On the sea fare front, medallions of spiny lobster delivered to the restaurant 20 minutes before service are arranged in a passionfruit froth with rainbow beets, thornyhead (AKA: kinki fish or channel rockfish) is served with a rich, butter-mounted fumé made with smoked fish bones and topped with (yes, more) caviar, and an uni ice cream melts along with a purple Japanese sweet potato foam and mushroom gelée to form what looks and tastes like an earthily sweet and umami Jackson Pollock work. Indulge dining INTERIOR: PHOTO BY JENNIFER SIEGWART FOOD: PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS << ranchandcoast.com 58 NOVEMBER 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE