Page 39 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2024

filled with purple sweet potato and topped with caviar that was nicely paired with a type of sweet fermented rice drink and a small crepe-style pancake topped with truffles and cheese. A seasonal soup followed as an ode to Chef Perry’s coastal roots featuring fresh Gulf shrimp, sushi rice, and a type of black sesame tofu. Poached salmon was up next and came topped with the best hollandaise-style sauce. A bread course showcasing house breads and a Mississippi blueberry butter prepared the way for the main course of Guinea hen, pumpkin, chanterelle mushrooms and truffles. Lastly,
a small genoise sponge cake served as the dessert, topped with pear, candied ginger, almonds and a crowning touch of local honey. Does this sound intimidating to you? Because it should. But that is what makes Vestige so incredibly special. As a diner, you are forced to feel some kind of new way about your experience as you open yourself up to something new, something interesting, something magical.
My main take away from my Vestige experience is that food is so much more than what we see and eat every day. Tiny, minute elements make up every bit of what we taste and savor. Layers upon layers build upon each other, giving rise to one amazing, delicate bite. When you have someone like Chef Perry bringing these mediums together you know that you are about to partake in something special. He takes great pride in every element of his food and it shows.
A vestige is a trace of something that no longer exists, and Vestige is a perfect symbolism for the memories you take with you after a spectacular meal. Chef Perry and his wife, Kumi Omori, come together for the perfect amalgamation of Japanese flavor, Southern cuisine, and world-class flair. It’s an encounter that you have to experience for yourself, and you’ll definitely leave a little more worldly, a little wiser and with a newfound courage to branch out and try more new things.
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