The thon et tomate at Santa Monica’s Pasjoli exemplifies chef-owner Dave Beran’s unique approach to his menu.

OUR SERVER at Pasjoli drops off a plate holding a whole tomato. It has been blanched and peeled, as if readied for a canning project. I cut the fruit in two, revealing its surprise viscera of tuna tartare. The fish is cut so finely and precisely that the filigrees suggest grains of basmati on the tongue. That’s intentional; the dish is chef-owner Dave Beran’s remake of a Provençal recipe of tomato stuffed with rice and canned tuna. He adds tomato water gelée to his version to reinforce flavors and textures, and yogurt cream with a vinaigrette made from fermented tomatoes to keep the brain busy. “Thon et tomate” has appeared every year since Pasjoli opened in 2019, and the elements always strike me as the embodiment of Beran’s approach to his profession: part cook, part history buff, part physicist. The names of the dishes are in French, but the cooking can more accurately be called “Beranaise.” A costly temple of high gastronomy in the guise of a design-forward bistro, it serves its audience for a special-occasion date night, a power dinner summit … or even for a bar snack of chicken liver mousse in brioche and an Armagnac-fueled cocktail that’s as erudite and delicious as the food.

• 2732 Main St., Santa Monica, (424) 330-0020, pasjoli.com