LACMA Ray’s and Stark Bar Present ‘Samurai: Japanese Armor’

Foodies and art lovers can rejoice! Ray’s and Stark Bar will present a specially crafted dinner series at the LACMA on November 11. As part of the Cur-ate series, five food/art events will be held with different themes in the coming months. The theme for November’s dinner series is “Samurai: Japanese Armor,” for which LACMA partners and Artbites will create a four-course dinner with a focus on samurai culture.

This event will be hosted and guided by Artbites Founder Maite Gomez-Rejon, who has expert knowledge of art’s relationship with food. As a leader in studying food and art as a wholesome concept, Gomez-Rejon launched Artbites in 2007 to unite art and culinary history. She has taught at museums across the country and will now provide guests with in-depth knowledge of Japanese samurai culture.

The event kicks off with a tour of the Pavilion for Japanese Art, where attendees can study traditional Japanese objects ranging from samurai swords to battle screens and weapons. There will also be a comprehensive gallery tour of “Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection.” One of the most comprehensive collections in the world, the exhibit consists of original battle gear made for high-ranking warriors and provincial governors of the 14th through 19th centuries. More than 140 objects of war memorabilia will be on display, including full suits of armor, helmets, face guards and trappings, and Gomez-Rejon will explain the role of food in early Japanese culture, such as how the samurai and military nobility influenced the types of foods eaten during their rise to power in the seventh century.

The four-course meal that follows the intimate gallery tour stays within the food themes directed by the Japanese samurai. The first course includes tea smoked tuna, miso eggplant, daikon and scallion; and the second course is okonomiyaki, seafood pancake, nori, bonito flakes and sweet glaze; while the third is house-made ramen, pork broth, noodles and egg. The final fourth course consists of red bean, condensed milk and green tea. Traditional sake will accompany the meal, though additional drinks are available upon request. “Samurai: Japanese Armor” is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from an expert about Japanese food and art while gaining a firsthand, in-depth experience of the culture.

“Samurai: Japanese Armor” is the second event in the Ray’s and Stark Bar Cur-ate series, held on November 11. Tickets are $90 for LACMA members and $100 for non-members. Reservations can be made by calling (323) 857-6010. See the menu here.