La Maison 1888 in Danang
January 4 2018
what an amazing dining experience, one that i will never forget. thank you to Pierre Gagnaire for creating such DELICIOUS and beautifully crafted dishes that showcased the tastes and ingredients of vietnam. i hope to be back someday.
as we wanted the full experience, we arrived a bit early so that we could have an APERITIF at the Buffalo Bar before our dinner. that also included a few snacks to start off our night.
as this might be a once in a lifetime occasion to dine at a 3 michelin star RESTAURANT, we decided to splurge and do the 6 course tasting menu. as we both have a few food allergies, we discussed with our server and the chef and team were able to ACCOMMODATE us.
first course: Lobster- lobster carpaccio smoked with vanilla pod/ avocado dices, creme fraiche with passion fruit, grated lime zest
first course: Foie gras- terrine of duck foie gras, dulcey chocolate, diced yellow mango flavored with mango vinegar/ red cabbage cubes, cremona mustard
as i have an allergy to lobster they were able to SUBSTITUTED it for foie gras which i thought was a really good SUBSTITUTE. the thin layer of chocolate on top was a brilliant idea as it just added enough sweetness and richness to the dish. but i was actually surprised at how large the piece of foie gras was as i still had five courses to go. the cubes of mango and red cabbage added a small touch of sour and FRUITiness to cut through the richness of the foie gras and chocolate. as from my previous posts, i do enjoy my foie gras and this ranks pretty high on the list.
second course: saveurs du vietnam- crispy quail egg on tomato otti/ ignam herisson, chestnut, ginger and lemongrass sorbet with bell pepper syrup, roasted pumpkin caramelized with dalat honey, almond turmeric cream, watercress salad/ citrus salad, pumpkin ice cream, popcorn, and orange caramel
the second course had to be one of my favorites of the night, the list of ingredients seemed like it would be a mess, too many things going on the plate, but somehow it all worked together. with each bite you tasted something slightly different and you were craving for more . it had the flavors of vietnam but with some ingredients that you wouldn't think to be in vietnamese cuisine. i don't really know all of what i was eating but i really liked it, i hope this dish stays on the menu because it is really that good that everyone should try it.
third course: sorbet- orange and Thai grapefruit salad/ pumpkin ice cream, lemongrass and ginger sorbet
the third course was a very nice and refreshing palette cleanser.
fourth course: salmon- grilled salmon coated with caramelised soya, nuoc mam and champagne, sorrel fondue with raspberry
the salmon was cooked perfectly. the dish tasted very familiar with asian flavors however with a slight twist. we thought the sauce could have been slightly more sweet, as the dish was a bit too sour and salty as there were also RASPBERRIES and sorrel. the sauce could have been caramelised just slightly more. but a great dish combining both asian and western flavors and ingredients.
fifth course: beef- black Angus tenderloin spiced with black pepper from les cimes onions marmalade flavoured with juniper berries/ foie gras velour, purée de pommes de Terre with local herbs
this had to be my second favorite dish of the night. the beef was absolutely delicious, it was cooked perfectly, the sauce was finger licking good, and the potatoes so buttery and soft. a simple dish that just let the INGREDIENTS be as they should be.
sixth course: the Pierre gagnaire grand dessert- dried plums ravioli with black tea, fresh tamarind from da nang/ Napoleon dulcet chocolate, caramelised pistachios/ milk mousse, salted caramel, caraibes ganache, guanaja ice cream/ pomme d'amour tandoori/ Venetian meringue tart/ chestnut ice cream, blackcurrant declination
so many desserts! my favorite would have had to be the milk mousse. it was like eating a huge bowl of soft caramel stracciatella ice cream, i could eat that everyday and be happy with life. the other desserts were also good, all different in tastes and textures. it was definitely a grand dessert, there should have been a FOREWARNING to save enough room for dessert as they are not KIDDING about the selection. and if we weren't already stuffed, they SURPRISED us with an additional dessert for our honeymoon.
Gluten Free and Lactose Free Desserts