Since taking up residency at the Neighbors in East End Market as part of Domu Lab's chef incubator program, Camille — chef Tung Phan's modern Vietnamese tasting-menu-only concept — has wowed the city's gastro-cognoscente with impeccably crafted dishes.
But the goal has always been to find a permanent home for the concept and, come this fall, Camille will do just that when it moves about a mile away into the Ocean Poke space in Baldwin Park.
Camille joins stellar establishments Seito Sushi, The Osprey and Taste of Chengdu in raising the neighborhood's culinary offerings.
"I'm so appreciative of the support that Audubon Park has given me," says Phan, "so I didn't want to venture too far from East End Market."
The 2,500-square-foot space at 4962 New Broad Street will seat 30 people (a significant increase from Camille's current 8-seat capacity) with two dinnertime seatings being offered (times TBA).
The tasting menu-only concept will remain, but with different priced tiers depending on the number of courses. So guests will be able to choose from, say, a five-, seven- or 10-course menu with wine, beer or sake pairings, though those specifics are still being hammered out.
No matter the number, you can bet Phan's dishes will dazzle — his duck and tapioca congee was one of the best things I shoved into my trap in 2021.
"I want guests to leave feeling like they’ve experienced Vietnamese food in a way they haven’t before," Phan told me prior to Camille's opening in October of last year, and what an experience it is.
Camille has consistently been booked two months in advance, and the restaurant will undoubtedly be one of the hottest seats to snag when it opens.
Looking into my glass ball, I see Camille being named a Top Table of 2022 and an oft-frequented spot by inspectors in the employ of a certain tire manufacturer with a tubby white mascot.
As far as the next chef to take residency at Domu Lab, a few candidates are being considered by the incubator program's Sonny Nguyen and Omei Restaurant Group's Johnny and Jimmy Tung, but an announcement isn't expected until this summer.
Follow @Camille.Orl for updates on the opening and reservations.
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