This was one of the best food experiences I've ever had.
The decor is quite simple although elegant. The staff were friendly and service relatively quick.
We came here for an early dinner and got the 5 course tasting menu. The two appetizers were two of the best dishes I've had recently in fine dining establishments, including many Michelin meals.
1. Kampachi with poblano, asian pear, daikon: I like to have a little taste of the ingredients separately before combine them into a cohesive bite. I was a little hesitant because the foam was quite spicy and the fish wasn't very exciting. When I combined all the ingredients I was blown away. The sweetness from the pear and the heat from the poblano melded together. It was all at once intriguing and pulling you back for another bite, while also being soothing in flavor.
2. Beef tartare with almonds and zataar (cherry omitted due to food allergy). Again I tried all the ingredients separately. I wasn't sure how to approach this dish due to the large chip on top with zataar and sauce. I'm also not a huge fan of beef so I was a little skeptical. The chip with zataar itself has very little flavor but when I combined it with the beef underneath, it felt like something was unlocked. The textures - soft and crunchy. It was fruity and savory with an additional layer of flavor from the zataar chip that I haven't worked out how to describe. Again, it was surprising and kept me watching to go back for more to figure out exactly what I was experiencing, but also comforting and familiar.
3. Linguine with shrimp, truffle, green peas. This was seasoned a little heavier than the previous 2. Portions were also a little bigger then I expected for a 5 course meal. The flavors were clean and savory, rich but not heavy, fresh but not bright. It paired nicely with the fresh greens. The shrimp were small but impossibly tender. The croutons were a decadent touch.
4. Veal with maple, hazelnuts, and celery root. This was the main protein course. It featured a perfectly cooked cut of tender veal meat alongside a breaded and fried piece of sweetbread. Accompanying the protein was a thick and rice maple sauce. The heavy and very indulgent really benefitted from the sauces and pickles on the side. Not my favorite course but it was still a fascinating experience.
5. Strawberry with basil, coconut, and ginger. This was a strawberry sorbet with a rich basil sauce, dollops of coconut sauce, strands of meringue, and with some ginger sorbet on top as well. The flavor of the strawberry was so strong. I was able to enjoy the flavors of all the elements separately, but because the strawberry was so strong, only the basil was able to stand up as a complement to it. The coconut and ginger a bit lost.
The first and second course were the favorites, probably some of the best dishes I've ever had. I'm not a huge fan of dark/heavy meats, but still found the veal to be interesting. Not sure I would be excited to eat it again like the first 3. The dessert could use some tweaking as well to get a better balance of flavors.
All in all though, one of my top dining experiences this year and I will be coming back given the opportunity. read more