Standing sentry on a busy corner, Stubborn Seed is sexy and sleek with an industrial chic décor and glass-fronted display kitchen. Whether you’re posted at the bar or in the main dining room, Chef Jeremy Ford brings the heat with an ambitious and brashly creative tasting menu. For sure, this is a kitchen that likes to take risks, weaving in Latin and Asian influences in a manner that is both bold and busy. Dinner begins with a series of small bites—like celery root croquette with beef bacon jam or beef tartare with black truffle, pine nuts, and Japanese milk bread—and escalates with pastas like ricotta gnudi with Manchego foam. Sourcing is a point of pride here too, as many ingredients come straight from the team’s organic five-acre farm in Redland.