food comas

TUNA
Smoked Yellowfin Tuna “Prosciutto”; Japanese Pickled Vegetables and Crispy Kombu
Chablis, “Vieilles Vignes”, Domaine Savary, Burgundy 2007
The “prosciutto” style of curing the tuna made the fish taste almost lox-like, which I am usually a huge fan of… but this is tuna.  I prefer tuna sashimi-style, and so I would leave curing to salmon and keep my tuna pure.

EGG – CAVIAR
Poached Pastured Egg; Osetra Caviar; Mariniere Broth and English Muffin
Krug, Grande Cuvee
Probably my favorite dish and slightly reminiscent of Pearls and Oysters at per se. The salty caviar drops were a perfect complement to the smooth, rich poached egg and the savory, crispy English Muffin. Loved the pairing with the champagne, which added another dimension to the texture.

LANGOUSTINE
Seared Langoustine, Mache, Wild Mushroom Salad; White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Riesling Feinherb, Karthäuserhof, Mosel, Germany 2008
The texture of this dish was heavenly — it was like eating a delicious cloud. The langoustine was topped with a thin slice of foie gras, which enriched the crustacean’s flavor without overpowering it.

MONKFISH
Pan Roasted Monkfish; Hon Shimeji Mushrooms; Turnip – Ginger Emulsion; Sake Broth
Meursault, Les Charrons, J. M. Boillot 2007
The monkfish was a disappointing as it was a bit tough. Maybe I am spoiled and used to fish just melting in my mouth, but this dish did not even come close to that level of juicy tenderness. I did love the Asian-inspired flavors and the tiny Shimeji Mushrooms were deceptively full of flavor.

LOBSTER
Baked Lobster; Pickled Golden Beet, Fennel and Citrus “a la Nage”
Sauvignon Blanc, Klausen, Neumeister, Austria 2008
This was the best lobster I’ve ever tasted— soft and savory, but not chewy. The wine pairing was also my favorite of all the courses’ — the Citrus “a la Nage” was immaculately complemented by the grapefruit notes of the Sauvingnon Blanc.

BLACK BASS
Crispy Black Bass, Lup Cheong and Beansprout “Risotto”, Mini Steamed Buns, Hoisin-Plum Jus
Barbaresco, Valeirano, Ada Nada, Piedmont, Italy 2005
Once again, the texture of the fish was slightly disappointing, but maybe I am just expecting cod’s buttery consistency from bass and I shouldn’t. The fish itself was delicious and I liked the mini bun on the side.

APRICOT
Apricot Sphere, Fig, Sour Cherry Pearl, Candied Angelica
Malaga Seleccion Especial No. 1 – Jorge Ordonez, Spain 2006
Light and slightly tart, great pairing with the dessert wine.

PLUM
Roasted Santa Rosa Plum, Spiced Dried Fruit, Pistachio Ice Cream
Zweigelt Trockenbeerenauslese No. 1 – Alois Kracher, Austria 2006
Also very pleased with the dessert as it was not too sweet or too rich; a very nice way to cap off the meal.

MIGNARDISES
Pistachio tart, brownie, cream puff, marmalade cube on white chocolate
So tiny, and so tasty!

TEA
Tea Master
Smoky Blend Of Rolled Silvery Tea Pearls, Citrus And Spice, Wild Harvested Califronia Native Bittersweet Herb
I loved it — could smell the aroma before the teapot even got to the table; probably one of my favorite teas now.