Gordon Ramsay Steak – Las Vegas

When we planned our trip to Las Vegas last month, a group of us were eager to dine at Gordon Ramsay Steak in the Paris hotel. We were desperate to go for one thing and one thing only – the signature dish of Roasted Beef Wellington. Even though we phoned in advance, we still had a few difficulties getting a table so if you are going to Vegas, plan ahead and make your reservation as soon as you can.

The restaurant was quite modern and “flashy” – very Vegas. Perhaps I’m just a little critical but I did find it a little cheesy when the hostess told us that we had just come from “Paris” (the hotel) to “London” (Gordon’s restaurant) via “the Chunnel” (a tunnel from the entrance). I had to chuckle at this, and again, when she directed our attention to a light art fixture in the middle of the dining room that was meant to emulate the movement that Gordon’s hands make when he makes the Beef Wellington. Hmmm…OK…Thankfully the food made up for this.

If you are unsure of what a Beef Wellington is, watch this video. If you want the spoiler, it is seared filet mignon, wrapped in parma ham, mushroom pate mix, and enveloped in puff pastry. The picture below doesn’t do the dish justice, but there is a reason why people rave about this dish. It was absolutely delicious. Yes, the steak is quite pink but the server told us it is always cooked quite rare/medium, otherwise the pastry burns. I was a bit miffed that we each paid $54 for the dish and then still had to pay extra for sides (just my frugal side speaking). The sides that we did order were quite good. My favourite was the mac & cheese, which was covered in cheesy goodness and finished with truffle, but you can choose from lighter dishes such as sautéed asparagus, or fire-roasted corn.

Roasted Beef Wellington - $54

Even though I was completed stuffed from the incredible bread basket and the Beef Wellington, I still ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Brown Butter Ice Cream. Holy crap. This dessert blew my mind and I highly recommend it if you can fit it in. Honestly, the Brown Butter Ice Cream stole the show and I could have just sat with a tub of that all night.

If you love meat and are looking to splurge (it is not cheap) whilst in Vegas, then book yourself a table at Gordon Ramsay Steak. It took me about two days to digest all of that heavy food but it was worth it.

Jaleo – Las Vegas

To round out an epic travel year, I spent a few days in early December celebrating my sister’s 30th birthday in Las Vegas. As the token foodie for the group that we travelled with I had suggested dinner at Jaleo, which is a Spanish tapas restaurant brought to us by José Andrés Puerta. José is well-known for his Spanish cooking and tapas. I am personally in awe of him as he spent part of his early career at El Bulli, working under Ferran Adria.

Jaleo is a fun, modern, loud, vibrant restaurant, located in The Cosmopolitan. It is not stuffy and this suited our rowdy group of 10 perfectly. The best thing to do, as with any tapas restaurant, is to order multiple plates and share them. Plates get served as they get cooked, so it is very informal, and the only complaint that I heard all night was that the daily special lamb paella wasn’t on par with the quality of the rest of the dishes.

I personally enjoyed everything that I tasted, but particularly the black noodle paella with squid and shrimp, and the traditional chicken fritters (although I really didn’t like that they were served in a sneaker – there is just something gross about that). Although I didn’t personally try it, a friend who loves seafood highly recommends the butter and sea urchin topped bread (so much so that she wanted me to call it out to you all!).

As I look back over the menu, I am filled with regret that I was unable to sample more of the menu than what I did (albeit it is a huge menu). I realize that I missed out on trying some really interesting sounding dishes, including the famous liquid olives. Gah! Although I’m not planning to return to Vegas any time soon, when I do return I will definitely be returning to Jaleo for another feast.

Foie Gras Toasts

 Pressed sandwich of ibérico ham, manchego cheese, and truffle

 Traditional Chicken Fritters (served in a sneaker…hmmm)

 Batter Fried Shrimp with Caper Mayonnaise and Black Olive Salt

 Seared scallops with romesco sauce

 Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in crispy potato

 Black noodle paella with squid and shrimp

Le Chateaubriand – Paris

129, Avenue de Parmentier
75011, Paris
France

+33 1 43 57 45 95
www.lechateaubriand.net

When the company that I work for decided to send me to the UK for 10 days, I made the decision to also visit Paris for the weekend. I haven’t travelled solo in a number of years, so I was admittedly a little nervous. Even though I was travelling by myself I am still a dedicated foodie and so whilst the scared part of me was in favour of staying in the hotel for my only dinner in Paris, the majority of me was like “Are you CRAZY?! Get out there, girl!” So get out there, I did. I had my heart set on visiting Le Chateaubriand because:

1/ It is #15 on the San Pellegrino “Best Restaurants in the World” list.
2/ It was listed as being quite casual, rather than high-end.
3/ It was quite affordable at €60 for the set menu (wine pairings make it €120).

As I didn’t have much time to pre-plan or book ahead, I was thankful that the restaurant has a “no reservations required” policy after 9.30pm. I ended up getting there incredibly early and hung around the doorway for about an hour and a half, waiting for a table. Luckily, I was third in line and ended up with a seat at the bar. Perched at the bar, I got to watch all of the comings and goings.

What struck me as interesting was that the restaurant is very casual, which was not at all what I was expecting from what has been deemed one of the best restaurants in the world. The waiters weren’t in fancy suits and conversations weren’t stuffy (I even saw many of the waiters taking shots of booze at the bar). The decor was very simple in its approach; cream walls, warm lighting, and bare-bones furniture, but it still had a feeling of warmth and comfort without the formalities.

You will have to excuse my very limited knowledge about what I ate that night. Firstly, the menu doesn’t include the names or descriptions of the amuses bouche, my French is non-existent, and whilst they tried to tell me the dishes in English, the accents were incredibly strong so I couldn’t always understand what I was eating. It made for a very unusual meal as I’m used to knowing what I’m putting in my mouth, however, it was enjoyable.

Fried shrimp, sprinkled with raspberry dust.

Foie gras

Saint jacques, moules (mussles), verdure (greens)

Barbue (a type of fish), champignons (mushrooms), agrumes (citrus)

Bouef (beef), racines (roots), raifort (horseradish)

 Coing (quince), topinambour (artichoke), amande (almond)

Tocino del cielo.

This was probably the most unusual dessert I’ve ever eaten. I think the waiter said the yellow thing on top was a yolk and when it burst in my mouth, it was an incredibly unusual sensation.

I’m definitely glad that I made the effort to visit Le Chateaubriand, even if some of the dishes were lost on me. How would I rate it against the likes of other “best restaurants in the world” such as The French Laundry, Per Se, or Eleven Madison Park? Well, those restaurants are quite different so it is a little unfair to judge them side-by-side, however, I didn’t think that Le Chateaubriand was at the same scale as the aforementioned restaurants. Yet, I can admire how innovative the dishes are, and I think the value for money was certainly there.

Habit Coffee, Victoria

552 Pandora Avenue
Victoria, BC
V8W 1N7

P: 250 294 1127
www.habitcoffee.com

With the holidays coming up, a lot of people will be travelling (lucky you!). If your travels happen to take you to Victoria, BC, I have a recommendation for you!

If you find you need a break from the family and are looking to escape to a cozy café for a warm, strong coffee – look no further. After two recent visits to our fair provincial capital, I highly recommend (and encourage) a visit to Habit Coffee. The lattes are so good that I’ve found myself ordering two on one visit. Snacks are decent and they have some interesting magazines to read (and buy!) whilst you are sipping on your morning brew. It’s a shame that there isn’t a location in Vancouver!

Paris – the city of the expanding waistline

What do you do when you have only 30 hours to spend in Paris? If you are like me then you make an itinerary of must-see food places and spend your time sniffing them out and gorging on the bounty that you manage to acquire.

I was recently in London for work and, as a treat to myself, I jumped on the Eurostar and found myself in Paris for a 30 hour jaunt. Having been to Paris numerous times before, this trip was completely and utterly about over-indulging.

In preparation for the trip, I recently read “Paris, my Sweet” by Amy Thomas, and used the suggestions in the book to plan my itinerary. I based myself close to Notre Dame so that I could walk to most places (a small gesture to burn off some of the calories I would be consuming).

It was only seconds after stepping out of the Metro that I found myself surrounded by a small farmers market, and as a result, completely captivated by the food. Jars of foie gras, poultry birds with their heads and feathers still on, sausages, and cheese – everywhere I looked there was food! This was my kinda city!

The one thing that I noticed this time around more so than on previous trips, was the aroma of food. I know that it is a cliché to talk about the smells of the city, but in Paris you truly do notice hunger-inducing scents as you walk through the city. On more than one occasion I was guided by the smell of warm baked bread wafting down the street, and fromageries were just as enticing, with their pungent smells creeping out to greet you.

Here is a list of places that I visited on my short trip. Please note that I have not included my dinner at Le Chateaubriand (post coming soon!).

Eric Kayser – I definitely recommend a visit to Eric Kayser. I was lucky enough to be staying around the corner from one and there was constant queue throughout the day – folks hoping to snag fresh, warm bread. I wasted no time jumping in the line myself and sat on a park bench beside Notre Dame and stuffed myself with the still-warm, crunchy baguette, salty French butter, and some cheese. And I finished it all off with a framboise tarte. Yum! I’m not ashamed to admit that I returned the next day – twice – once for a butter croissant, and another time for a baguette and some madelines for the train ride home.

Gerard Mulor – If you are pressed for time, then I’d recommend a visit to this store more than all of the others that I visited. The Gerard Mulor store that I visited was everything a quintessential viennoiserie store should be. Beautiful towers of macarons in the windows, delicate pastries and cakes tantalizing from glass cabinets, and the air was filled with the smell of a mix of buttery pastries and yeasty baked bread. The croissant was crunchy, with a darker bottom than others that I’d tried, and was more chewy than flaky. The café crème that I ordered was robust but milky and the berry pastry (I didn’t catch the French name) was delectable. Everything was picture perfect.

Regis Chocolates – I had three croissants in one morning and one was from Regis. It was very good – this is Paris, of course it’s going to be good – but I preferred the croissants from Eric Kayser and Gerard Mulor more.

Angelina – I had to visit Angelina for one of their famous chocolat chaud. Unfortunately, it was far too rich and chocolate-y for me. I barely finished even a quarter of it and at €4.90 for a small cup, I wanted to! Here’s a tip, there is a huge line-up but that is for the tea-rooms. If you want your hot chocolate to go, then skip past the line (I didn’t know this until I reached the end of the queue – doh!).

Jean-Paul Hevin – I was overwhelmed walking into the beautiful (and slightly posh) Jean-Paul store. There were beautiful, elegant chocolates all over the store and I wanted them all! However, I am just one person with one stomach, so I ended up ordering the mousse chocolat traditionnelle for €4.70 and it was exquisite. I believe there are tea-rooms upstairs, so I’d recommend sitting in to eat. Not cheap, but absolutely worth it for the chocolate lovers.

Pierre Hermé – The Parisians take their macarons seriously. So seriously, in fact, that you aren’t allowed to take photos inside their stores. I felt like I spent a lot of my trip lining up for delectable treats and Pierre Hermé was no exception. These were my favourite macarons that I tried whilst in Paris. My favourite was the white truffle with hazelnut (such an interesting flavour) and the crème brulee was good too. Not badly priced at €1.95 each.

Ladurée – Even though I was completely disappointed with the macarons from Ladurée in London, I had to try them again. Unfortunately, they didn’t gain back any ground and I was left completely disappointed with the macarons at Ladurée. They seemed flat to me – less airy than the ones from Pierre Hermé. Also, the flavours were very standard and not very interesting. I’m still scratching my head, wondering what all the fuss is about.

Even though I was alone in the “City of Love”, I was with one of my loves the whole time – food. I can’t think of a more suitable city for someone who loves baked goods of all types. It was a blessing in disguise that I was only able spend a limited time in Paris or I would have come back the size of a (happy) house.

London

As I write this, I am feeling (dare I say) that I need a break from food. Yes, you read that correctly. I, Greedy Guts, have over-indulged one too many times recently and am in serious need of a healthy eating binge.

I am currently visiting London for work and, when I’ve not been working, I’ve been squeezing in as much sight-seeing and food discoveries as I can, which is to say that I’ve been over-indulging. I’ve not had time to leave Central London so my discoveries have been confined to that area. London has so many options that I am over-whelmed with narrowing down my selections but here are some of the places that I’ve visited over the past week:

Flat White Coffee Shop (Soho):

I can’t rave about this place enough. Flat White refers to a type of coffee that you can get Down Under and this place really excels in producing fine cups of java, served alongside golden, flaky pastries, or hearty, affordable breakfasts. Flat White reminds me of the Melbourne coffee shops that we visited in Australia. The café is quite grungy and the staff are super-chilled as they deliver your coffee to the table. They also have a sister café called Milk Bar, not far from this Soho location.

Simple, but delightful, scrambled eggs with toast from Flat White.

Jamie’s Italian (Covent Garden):

Everyone reading this blog knows by now that I love Jamie Oliver, but even I was a little hesitant to try this place as I usually don’t have a lot of hope for chain restaurants (there are 30 “Jamie’s Italian” in the UK alone). But being such a fan, I had to go, and it was everything I thought it would be: mediocre-to-good food in a busy, rushed space. Although the pasta was decent and the risotto consistency was bang-on, I couldn’t help but feel that the liberal splashes of truffle oil were masking a lack-lustre end product. Ah well, not badly priced at only about £7 each. And yes, I still love my man Jamie.

Wild mushroom cilindretti pasta pillows from Jamie’s Italian.

Wild truffle risotto from Jamie’s Italian.

Gail’s Artisan Bakery (Soho):

You can ignore what I just said about not liking chains when I talk about Gail’s. Gail’s is an artisan bakery chain that I stumbled upon during my walks around Soho and was immediately attracted by the cupcake display in the window. As I walked through the door, I was immediately surrounded by loaves of crusty bread, colourful quiches, golden pastries, and of course, those incredible cupcakes. I’m really excited by this place! It’s the type of bakery I’d love to see back in Vancouver.

Vanilla and raspberry cupcake from Gail’s – amazing!

Burger and Lobster (Mayfair):

When a place has a queue and an almost 2 hour wait on a Tuesday night, you know it must be good. Thankfully, by being solo, I was able to squeeze in at the bar and was seated almost immediately. This place does only three things; a burger, lobster (done two ways), and a brioche sandwich stuffed with lobster and Japanese mayo. Every dish is the same price, £20. I couldn’t pass up an order of the lobster sandwich. It was decadent and rich and worth every pound (money-wise, and weight-wise). The space is hella noisy and extremely busy. Plan ahead.

Lobster sandwich from Burger and Lobster.

Busaba Eathai (Soho):

This mod-Thai restaurant is part of a chain (what is it about chains?!) but one I’ve been back to three times now. I got lured in the first time by their creamy, aromatic red lamb curry. Since then I’ve returned and have been slightly disappointed by each subsequent dish since that original curry. I’ve only had curries there (red lamb, green chicken, and jungle curry) so I’d like to try some of the noodle or rice dishes. Prices are pretty good, with almost all dishes under £10. Very chic interior and the communal tables are very “Wagamama”. Too dark inside for good photos.

Laduree (Covent Garden):

OK, seriously, I don’t see the big deal about these macarons. I was ecstatic to find the store in Covent Garden and got my sought-after macarons. As I bit into them…disappointment reigned down. I even attempted to love them again in Paris, the home of the famous store, but nope. I’m not converted. In fact, I’m kinda over macarons.

Nopi (Soho):

On my first night in fair London, I visited Nopi on a recommendation. Nopi is apparently pretty popular right now so, perhaps it was the jet-lag, but I didn’t find myself that impressed. I ordered the whole twice-cooked baby chicken that you sprinkle yourself with lemon myrtle salt and chilli sauce, and a side of the mixed heritage tomato and basil salad, both dishes that were recommended to me by the server but both fell short of my (possibly too high?) expectations.

One thing is for certain, London has certainly shaken off its old label as a city full of bland British food (yes, I realize that stereotype died years ago). I, for one, am truly impressed (and as I mentioned earlier, slightly over-whelmed) at the amount of options. London, you have, yet again, won my heart.

Cornucopia 2012 – Big Guns Dinner

It’s baaaaack! Since Wednesday food and wine lovers have been flocking to Whistler to enjoy Cornucopia 2012. Some travelled for the wine events and parties, and others (like myself) travelled for the food. We decided to focus on just one event this year and we chose Araxi’s Big Guns Dinner as we had such a memorable experience last year. We were not disappointed that this was the only event we attended, as Araxi did what it does best, and wined and dined us with carefully selected wines and a well-executed menu.

The reception began at 6pm and we were treated to flutes of Billecart-Salmon “Brut” Champagne and an array of hors d’oeuvre. I was glad to see that Araxi had changed up their selection of hors d’oeuvre as we were quite familiar with them after attending a number of events at Araxi over the past year or so. In constant circulation were cups of sunchoke and potato veloute, Hollie Wood’s Zen oysters with cucumber pearls, octopus takoyaki with yuzu mayonnaise, and my personal favourite, the duck liver parfait on brioche.

Once we were seated, the next few hours went by in a dizzying state of plate after plate of gratifying dishes, paired with glasses of phenomenal wines.

Course 1: Trio of Chilled Seafood. Tofino dungeness crab in egg crab with salsa verde, battera sushi of BC albacore tuna with yellowtail, and red tuna tataki with pearls of ponzu. Wine pairing: Casa main “Cipresses Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc 2011, San Antonio Valley, Chile.

Thoughts: The crab and egg crepe was wonderfully light and delicate, and the ponzu pearls added a depth of flavour to the tuna tataki. The wine had a strong bouquet and was a light start to the meal.

Course 2: House Hot Smoked Salmon and Wild Shellfish Soup. Served with Root Down fall vegetables and salmon cavair, fennel pollen, and lemon thyme. Wine pairing: Gaja “Gaia & Rey’ Chardonnay 2009, Langhe, Italy.

Thoughts: The shellfish soup was absolutely divine and the salmon was perfectly cooked throughout. I heard a lot of people talking about how much they enjoyed the Chardonnay, however, I found it was my least favourite wine of the evening.

Course 3: Roasted Saddle of Rabbit and Alba Truffles. Finished with shaved white and black truffles with house made bacon, and Across the Creek farm pomme puree. Wine pairing: Louis Jadot “Corton-Pougets” Grand Cru 1999, Burgundy, France.

Thoughts: Although there were many wonderful dishes throughout the night, this course was my favourite dish of the night. The earthiness of the truffle shaving paired very well with the tender rabbit.

Course 4: Waygu Beef Cheek. Served with North Arm Farm butternut squash and assorted beets and topped with grilled chimichurri sauce. Wine pairing: Kosta Browne Pinot Noir 2010, Russian River Valley, USA.

Thoughts: I was in heaven – beef that falls apart on touch and melts in your mouth, paired with a fresh, robust red. What more could you ask for?

Course 5: Moonstruck White Grace Cheese Souffle. Topped with arugula, rosemary, and shallot cream. Wine pairing: Antinori “Pian delle Vigne’ 2006, Brunello di Montalcino, Italy.

Thoughts: It’s hard to get a souffle right, but Araxi did. It was probably the least memorable dish however, just because the dishes before it were so much stronger. The Brunello wine and the wine served with the beef, were my two favourites (along with the Champagne).

Course 6: Valrhona Manjari Chocolate. Dark chocolate mousse with hazelnut and chocolate crust, raspberry gel, and mint syrup. Wine pairing: Fonseca “Vintage Port” 1985, Portugal.

Thoughts: It has been my experience that Araxi excels at desserts. My regret was being so full by this point that I couldn’t finish this delicate mousse. Damn it! It could have also had something to do with shoving many of the petit fours in my mouth. I can’t help myself!!

If you are someone that enjoys food and wine, you really should try to make the effort to get to Whistler next year for Cornucopia. Yes, some of the events will break your budget (Big Guns was $250 before taxes), but Cornucopia also has events for all budgets, including free events. If you do have a bit of extra money to splurge, I would highly recommend Big Guns. Both times that we have been we have been so impressed with the level of service and the quality of the food and wine. Paying for it all beforehand and knowing that you don’t have to worry about it on the night, also adds to the enjoyment. Big Guns is truly the time to kick back and prepare to be spoiled.

Things to do this Fall: Cornucopia!

It’s almost the middle of October and here on the West Coast of Canada the grey clouds and cooler weather have rolled in. It’s hard not to get a little down about the change in the weather but, on the bright side, we did have a great run of sunshine! In an effort to avoid getting blue, I’m going to focus on the good things that are coming up over the next few months; Halloween, Christmas, a trip to Las Vegas, and Cornucopia!

You might remember that November is the month that Whistler celebrates its food and wine festival, Cornucopia. This year is no different and from November 7 until November 11, Whistler will be buzzing with the hum of excited foodies and wine connoisseurs. Last year was my first year at the event and we had a blast attending two events, Araxi’s Bubbles and Oceans, and Araxi’s Big Guns Dinner. Big Guns was an epic feast with wine pairings that was easily one of the best meals that I had last year. It did take some convincing, especially as we just returned from New York, but we just booked our tickets to the Big Guns Dinner again this year!

Here are some pictures from last year’s event to tempt you…

Spice roasted yarrow meadow duck breast served with a pheasant and duck boudin blanc (sausage).

Stuffed truffle gnocchi with house made ricotta cheese, potato foam, and a quail egg.

Valrhona nyangbo chocolate with vanilla bean ice-cream.

Considering what a great evening we had last year, I am really looking forward to it again this year. If you find yourself looking to kill some time (and money) before the snow season starts, plan a trip to Whistler. Cornucopia has a huge variety of events, including wine seminars, gala events, farm trips, night markets, artisan markets, and chef dinners, so there is something for everyone, and every budget.

Get your tickets here!

Eleven Madison Park – New York

11 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
10010
USA

When I was planning our trip to New York, I was pretty confident that during the trip we would be indulging in the best meal of our lives and, thankfully, I wasn’t wrong. However, I had assumed that Per Se would deliver the most memorable meal. I was pleasantly surprised when, in fact, it was Eleven Madison Park that surpassed all of our expectations.

Firstly, if you are planning a trip to Eleven Madison Park in the next few months, stop reading NOW. Do not flick through the pictures. Do not try to get a glimpse of how spoiled you will be. Get outta here! I say that as a friend and as someone who doesn’t want to ruin the experience for you.

…OK…so if you are still reading, I’m assuming that you aren’t going to New York anytime soon. Try to bear with me as I struggle to capture in words four hours of an incredible experience. To me, it was more than a dinner. It was almost a performance, a dinner complete with a rotating cast of seamless performers, mystery, and intrigue. This is not an exaggeration.

If you are going to visit Eleven Madison Park jump in, feet first, and prepare to pay for the experience. The tasting menu of fourteen (yes, fourteen!) courses is $195 per person, and drinks pairing is an extra $145. I was hesitant to pay for the pairings but in the end, I decided to splurge and was very glad I did. They certainly didn’t skimp on the booze and after the ten or so drinks that we had, we were extremely happy wobbling out of there. The interesting thing with their pairings was that it wasn’t just limited to wine, there was also beer, Sauternes, sherry, and apple brandy. When it came to the menu, you were able to select four courses out of the fourteen courses but the rest were a surprise. The beauty of their menu is that you don’t know exactly what you are getting as you are only selecting the main ingredient for each course. For example, for one of my courses I selected the element “foie gras” but how that would be served, or with what, I didn’t know. I only knew I was getting foie gras. Personally, I love this concept as I’m not that adventurous when it comes to ordering food.

We were told that we were among some of the first diners to experience this new tasting menu and the theme of the menu was “New York”. Quite simply, dishes were meant to showcase either produce from the region of New York, or stories and dishes traditionally associated with the area. It goes without saying that I found all of the food amazing, incredible, outstanding! There were courses that were more memorable than others and, for me, they were the Black and White cookies, the Sturgeon sabayon, the carrot tartare, the carved-at-the-table duck, the picnic basket, and the sleight of hand card game that introduced us to our dessert course (I told you there was intrigue). I get giddy just thinking about this dinner! So, let me introduce you to the best meal of my life!

Black Truffle and Parmesan – Savory Black & White Cookie.

These are the restaurant’s savoury take on the famous Black and White Cookies. They were melt in your mouth, earthy, truffle cookies. Absolutely decadent.

Apple – Smoked Tea with Celery Root and Apple Chips.

Drink Pairing: Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blancs, Cramant, Champagne, France.

The story goes that potato chips were first created in New York. In the packet were four chips and each one was prepared differently.

Tomato – Gelée with Gooseberries and Tarragon.

Cucumber – Snow with Lapsang Souchong and Grape.

Sturgeon – Sabayon with Chives.

One of my favourite dishes! The sabayon was creamy, foamy, dense, all at once. It was really hard to pick the sturgeon flavour as there was no fishy flavour at all. The only problem was that I wanted more!

What is under the dome??  (The mystery I was talking about earlier!)

Smoked Sturgeon!

Sturgeon – Smoked with Everything Bagel Crumble, Pickles, and Caviar.

Drink Pairing: El Maestro Sierra, Fino, Jerez, Spain.

First Selected Course: Foie Gras – Seared with Water Chestnuts, Dates, and Sunchokes.

Drink Pairing: Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, France 1998

Carrot – Tartare with Rye Bread and Condiments

Drink Pairing: Hermann Wiemer Riesling, Magdalena, Seneca Lake, New York, 2010.

This dish is a tribute to the steakhouses of New York. A chef came out to our table with a meat-grinder and made “tartare” at the table. This dish, even in its simplicity, blew my mind!

Second Selected Course: Lobster – Poached with Escarole and Almond.

Drinking Pairing: Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco, Vorberg, Alto-Adige, Italy, 2009.

The Long Island Clambake.

 Clam – Clambake with Tomato, Corn, and Zucchini

Drink Pairing: Southhampton Brewery, Saison Deluxe, Long Island, New  York.

Third Selected Course: Duck – Roasted with Lavender and Honey, Apple and Quinoa.

Drink Pairing: Domaine Bois de Boursan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France, 2009.

We opted to share the duck and, when I talk about how strong the service was, this was particularly evident when we were served this dish. The whole duck was served on a carving table that was wheeled to our table. Our server then sliced the duck – infront of us – and served it on plates that were warming on the side. Impeccible.

A picnic!!

Greensward – Pretzel, Mustard, and Beer.

Drink Pairing: Ithaca Beer Company, Picnic Basket Ale, Ithaca, New York.

The picnic basket was such a fun course. We got to create our own picnic at the table from New York state produce, and of course, there was a pretzel. The beer was specifically brewed for Eleven Madison Park.

Malt – Egg Cream with Vanilla and Seltzer

I’d never heard of Egg Creams before, but once again, it is a tribute to New York, in particular Brooklyn. It was created in front of us at the table.

Chocolate – Ganache with Caramel, Apricot, and Cocoa Nibs

Drink Pairing: Heidi Schroeck, On the Wings of Dawn, Ruster Ausbruch, Burgenland, Austria, 2009.

Fig – Glazed with Orange, Sage, and Tapioca

Drink Pairing: Donnafugata, Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy, 2009.

Huckleberry – Soy Cheesecake and Lime

So, the intrigue that I mentioned earlier came with the final dish, dessert. I’m not going to give away the trick but the course involved a card game, Three Card Monte, with cards made especially for Eleven Madison Park. We had to choose a card that helped select our next dessert course, the chocolate that you see in the picture. We were not expecting what happened next and we both sat at our table for the next 10 minutes speculating how this trick was done. An excellent end to the meal!

And finally, we were served chocolate covered pretzels, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt, and a bottle of apple brandy. We were sent away that night with house-made granola (for breakfast, they told us), a box of the beautiful designer playing cards, a booklet of all of the stories, as well as menus for each person.

Service throughout the whole meal was impeccable and the servers at Eleven Madison Park know their stuff. They oozed passion. It felt as though they were truly thrilled to have us there. They seemed genuinely excited to show off their tricks and treat us to their menu. This is what I felt was lacking from our meal at Per Se.

Eleven Madison Park has set a high bar. This was the most memorable meal of my life. I would not hestiate to return to Eleven Madison Park, nor would I hestiate to recommend it to anyone travelling to New York. Save your pennies, because it ain’t cheap, but for the foodies amongst us it will absolutely be worth it.

Per Se – New York

10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY
10019
USA

B and I are big believers in the term “You only live once”. Hence why we didn’t hesitate to book Per Se when we went to New York, even though we had only been at The French Laundry back in March. We could not visit New York and not check this bucket-list item off.

Per Se is The French Laundry’s sister restaurant, located in the hustle and bustle of New York City. The restaurant looks directly out over Columbus Circle and has spectacular views over Central Park. The restaurant is more modern, so less cozy than The French Laundry. If I had to chose which ambiance I preferred, I’d have to say I preferred the “feel” of The French Laundry as it was more intimate and the vibe was much more relaxed.

The food at Per Se was as superb as the food that we received at The French Laundry and there were some familiar dishes on the menu, starting with the canapés of salmon tartare coronets (cones filled with red onion creme fraiche and topped with salmon tartare) and gruyere gougères (French cheese puffs). The “Oysters and Pearls”, the foie gras, baskets of tempting freshly baked breads with paired butters, and “coffee and donuts”, were also dishes that we had been served at The French Laundry. Once again, my favourite dish on the menu (available as a supplement) was the silky foie gras. It is so rich and decadent!

With any high-end fine-dining restaurant, it was more than a meal. It was a three hour experience of indulgence. Our nine-course set menu consisted of:

Course 1: Thomas Keller’s signature dish – “Oysters and Pearls” – “Sabayon” of pearl tabioca with Island Creek oysters and sterling white sturgeon caviar.

Course 2 (supplement): Slow Poached Élevages Périgord Moulard Duck Foie Gras with pluot glaze, young radishes, pea tendrils and Riesling gelée with toasted brioche. This was served with seven (!!) different types of salt.

Course 3: Pan Roasted Chatham Bay Cod “Billi Bi”, Yukon gold potato “rissolé”, green beans and demi-sec Juliette tomatoes.

Course 4: Charcoal-grilled Langoustines “Curry” with basmati rice, toasted almonds, coconut cream, “herb salad” and chickpea “pappadam”.

Course 4 (supplement): Butter Poached Scottish Blue Lobster with matsutake mushrooms “Cuit et Cru,” compressed d’Anjou pear, mizuna leaves and “Mousseline de Crustacés”.

Course 5: “Ballottine De Suprème De Pintade” (Guinea Fowl) served with sweet corn, chanterelle mushrooms, swiss chard “Ribs” and California Syrah “Gastrique”.

Course 6: Elysian Fields Farm’s “Carré D’Agneau” (lamb) with patty pan squash, globe artichokes, marinated eggplant, Meyer lemon “Suprémes”, arugula and “Sauce Gremolata”.

Course 7: Spring Brook Farm’s “Tarentaise”(a type of cheese) served with summer melons, pickled Ají dulce peppers, garden mâche, Tellicherry pepper melba and hazelnut-brown butter vinaigrette.

Course 8: “Rainbow Sherbet” with “Biscuit Dacquoise”, whipped orange cream and Garden State raspberry sorbet.

Course 9: “Junior Mint” of chocolate “bavarois”, juniper “ganache” and peppermint ice cream.

Course 9: Unknown dessert – it was ordered off the vegetarian menu so it wasn’t included on our printed menu.

Popcorn Ice Cream

Donuts

As was the case at The French Laundry, Per Se finished strong when the mignardises just kept coming! We had warm donuts, popcorn ice cream balls (very good), espresso semi-freddo, cappuccinos, and then a three-tiered selection of caramels, nougat, and chocolate truffles, was left on the table. One thing that Per Se did differently from French Laundry was, in addition to the rest of the desserts, they also offered us a selection of 24 house-made chocolates that were presented to us in a large wooden box. The best part was that we could select as many of them as we wanted! After all of the desserts, I must admit that I could barely think about eating them, but got three anyway. As seems to be customary with Thomas Keller, we also received a bag of goodies to take with us.

I had been looking forward to Per Se SO MUCH that my expectations were set skyhigh. The reason for this, as I mentioned in an earlier post, was mostly due to its #6 placement on the “World’s Best Restaurants” list. I thought, wow, if it is #6 and French Laundry is #43, then Per Se is going to knock it out of the park! Well, to be completely honest, I was more impressed with our experience at The French Laundry than I was with Per Se. I felt that the service at French Laundry was much more personal and more attentive than what we received at Per Se.

At times, it almost felt like we were forgotten, or at least not a priority, and we weren’t engaged by the servers in friendly queries, like we were at French Laundry (although I heard them asking other diners questions about their visit to New York, where they were from, etc.). As much as this might make me sound high-maintanence, I didn’t feel special. At The French Laundry I felt so special because they took such great care of us.

Normally, I wouldn’t feel entitled to “feel special” but at $300 per person for just the set menu (not including supplements or drinks) and at one of the best restaurants in the world, you are damn right that I wanted to feel special. Simple things, like extra brioche with the foie gras or being handed the menu in a folder without asking, were all things taken care of at The French Laundry but Per Se neglected to do. It’s not to say it was a bad experience, it was still incredible, however when I compare our two experiences, French Laundry was well ahead.