modernist cuisine

December 27, 2021

Uchiko — Austin (7/2021)

I dined at Uchi, the sister restaurant, a few years ago.  Since then, I’ve wanted to dine at Uchiko because I thought their style (from what I read) and tasting menu would be more of the experience I wanted to have.  They offer an extensive à la carte menu as well.  The restaurant was bigger than I thought it would be (maybe about the same size as Uchi).  We arrived early and waited outdoors in a drinks area with tables.  We were offered the beverage menu as we sat.

They offer a seasonal tasting menu, as well as a shorter, “classics” tasting menu.  Both are for two people.

The menu started with a serving of Barnstable oysters, accompanied by pickled strawberries, fennel foam, and fennel pollen.  The combination of tastes was good.

The next dish was scallops served with a white ponzu sauce underneath.  On top were daikon radish, shiso oil, and candied quinoa.  This was served cold with mostly sweet flavors coming through.

The first sushi presentation was hirame (fluke/flounder), prepared with ginger and green onion.  It was slightly sweet with a touch of spiciness at the end.  The platter also had sea bass served with wasabi and a condiment paste.  The sea bass had a sweet flavor and seasoning that gave it more spiciness and saltiness.

The next dish was grilled broccolini with a coddled farm egg yolk.   Underneath was a shiso bearnaise, and the garnish on top included Thai basil, trout roe and shaved cured egg yolk.  The trout roe provided a nice saltiness.  This dish was served at room temperature.

For the full write-up, click here.

December 27, 2021

Eden Hill Restaurant 9th Visit — Seattle (6/2021)

My last visit to Eden Hill was in the fall, when there was a small window where they were allowed to reopen for indoor dining.  After the second closing, they were able to secure street space and built sheltered outdoor dining spaces, which they opened in the spring.  This was eventually followed in the spring with the reopening of indoor dining.  As of my visit, they were keeping both options operating, with dining at the bar/chef’s counter with it’s Grand Tasting menu) the only part that has not returned.  So, as with my last visit, they offer a five-course tasting menu, as well as several à la carte dishes for dinner service.

For the beverage, I chose the Achilles Riesling 2019, which was a dry one.

The first course was chicken liver mousse, served with a thyme cracker and fig mostarda.   It was creamy and mild-flavored, with the nice crunch added by the breadstick-shaped cracker.

The next course was lamb tartare, dressed lightly with a Dijon mustard and shallots sauce.  This was served in a sourdough tuille with some caramelized whey butter.  The sauce negated any strong lamb flavor which might have been there (which was good for me).  The pearl onions added a nice contrast with their slight sweetness.

The next dish was spring asparagus with sunchoke purée, shimeji mushrooms and a green garlic sauce.  This was served warm.  There was a light nuttiness to the flavor profile, which worked very well.

The next dish has appeared on the menu before.  It was the cauliflower chilaquiles with a lime crema. I think this was an extra course added to my planned menu.  It’s a nicely flavorful dish with some strong texture contrasts,  which worked nicely in the sequence of dishes.

For the full write-up, click here.

September 12, 2021

Masa — New York City (5/2021)

Masa had not been on my list of restaurants to try.  However, after watching a YouTube video of one of their home delivery packages and an interview with the chef, I decided I would try to get a reservation for my next trip to New York.  I was able to do that through Tock, where they take a deposit as partial payment when the booking is confirmed online.  They give you the option of requesting the sushi counter, which I did. Masa has 3 stars in the Michelin Guide.

The restaurant is located on the 4th floor of the 10 Columbus Circle shopping area (formerly the Time-Warner Center, the whole complex now known as the Deutche Bank Center), along with several other restaurants.  Outside the restaurant, open to the mall area, is Bar Masa.  The entrance to Masa is located directly across from Bar Masa.  Upon arrival, I was seated at the sushi counter, which faces the sushi prep area and the open kitchen. The counter was set up for six people total when I went, partitioned into pairs of seats by large clear dividers.  There were also large clear partitions suspended from the tall ceilings, separating the diners from the chefs behind the sushi counter.  From what I could see, the dining area with tables was not very big, so the overall atmosphere was fairly serene.  One unfortunate aspect of the experience (for me) was that they ask guests to refrain from taking photos.  However, I did manage to snap a few during the appetizer portion of the service.

I started out with one of their non-alcoholic beverages called Golden Pavilion.  This was a blend of yuzu, Hojicha (roasted green tea) and buckwheat tea. It was very fragrant and refreshing.

The first appetizer was stone crab with uni aioli. It was served with some greens for texture.  It was a nice warm and savory dish to open the meal.

The next dish was toro (fatty tuna) tartare served with a large helping of Osetra caviar.  This was accompanied by warm toast points.  It was not salty at all, with a very creamy feel and nice crunch contrast from the toast.

The third appetizer was Japanese sea bass (suzuki sashimi) with cubed red pepper and dressed with a tomato vinaigrette and a micro cilantro garnish.  This was a nicely savory dish, with a slight spiciness at the end that lingered a little.

The next dish was summer sweet corn tempura, summer truffles, and chrysanthemum greens, served very warm.  There was a very pleasant, sweet flavor and soft crunch to the dish.

The next appetizer was Norwegian langoustine, which was split in half, sauced, and seasoned with ginger and Riesling.  It was a little messy to eat, so a finger bath bowl was brought to help clean up.

They offer a supplemental appetizer course (for a fee).  I was asked earlier if I wanted to opt in for that, and I said yes.  This was presented next.

For the full write-up, click here.

September 12, 2021

Manresa@ Intersect by Lexus 2nd Visit — New York City (5/2021)

I had visited Intersect by Lexus once before.  At that time, they had a tasting menu from a restaurant in Chile.  For this post-peak-pandemic reopening, the dishes were from Manresa, a 3-Michelin starred restaurant in Los Gatos (which I have not been to).  I thought this would be an easy way for me to sample some of the food offered from Manresa.  My prior visit worked very well, as I was able to sit at the Chef’s Counter for the tasting menu.  I was able to do the same for this visit as well, as counter seating was limited, and the tasting menu was only being served at the counter (The Dining Room tables ordered from an à la carte menu).

I started off the evening with one of their non-alcoholic beverages called Summer Blues.  It was a huckleberry and beet shrub mixed with some sour apple, for a refreshing start.

The first presentation was a pair of small bites:  oatmeal-based, bran, and puffed rice granola chips; and  black olive madeleines and red pepper pâte de fruit. The pâte had a nice tartness to it, while everything else was sweet.

The next small bite was a coriander egg, with the yolk at the very bottom, followed by egg custard, lemon mousse, coriander honey, and coriander blossom.  The yolk was a little overcooked at the bottom as it was more on the solid side and just minimally gooey.

For the rest of the meal, I had a glass of 2016 Santa Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon.

The next course was a milk panna cotta with abalone jelly, braised abalone , braised radish, and   buckwheat leaves.  This was spritzed with some yuzu before being served.  This was served very cold, and mostly had a briny flavor profile.

The next dish was titled “Into the Vegetable Garden”.  It consisted of a pair of dishes: a plate of bitter greens cappelletti, aged Parmesan, garden herbs and flowers that had lots of different textures; and a mustard greens velouté with cream.

For the full write-up, click here.

September 12, 2021

momofuku ko 35th Visit — New York City (5/2021)

At the time that I visited Ko, they were seating people outdoors in the alley as well as inside in the Ko Bar area.  The main dining room was not open for service (the main dining room has since reopened).  Technically, my reservation was with Ko, and the service was a cross between having a tasting menu with some additional courses from the à la carte menu, as the meal included both.  The 5-course menu was a short “Classics” set of dishes, and we wove in some a la carte choices.

At the Ko Bar counter, utensils were normally offered from the built-in drawers underneath the counter.  For now, diners are presented with a box with what’s needed to start off the meal.

The first course from the tasting menu was a nigiri of puffed wild rice and Japanese sweet potato.  This classic must go way back, as I don’t ever recall having it.

The next course from the tasting menu was the Montauk Black bass crudo, which was citrus-cured and served with dashi gelée and cherry blossom. 

Along with this, we had the whole Blue prawns with broken rice and buttered cabbage off of the à la carte menu.  The prawns were seasoned with Louisiana hot sauce and black vinegar.

Also off of the à la carte menu was the Firefly squid tempura and corn tempura, topped with shaved, lightly-salted radishes on top.  While this was the second deep-fried dish in a row, its taste profile was so different than the prior dish that it didn’t matter.

The next testing menu course was the Ko egg, lightly-smoked and served with caviar, onion soubise, Japanese plum vinegar, fingerling potato chips, chervil and chives with sourdough crêpes.  I miss the sourdough bread and cultured butter than normally accompanies this dish, but the crêpes were a good accompaniment.

Next up off the à la carte menu was their cold, quadruple-fried chicken with caviar and housemade Ranch dressing.

For the full write-up, click here.

July 23, 2021

Atomix 4th Visit — New York CIty (5/2021)

It had been about 20 months since my last visit to Atomix.  Part of that was due to the pandemic, but part was due to their scheduling during my last two visits to New York, where they were closed due to out-of-town events.  So, I was more than ready to return and see what their menu had to offer (they had been reopen for just over a month).  Reservations are difficult to secure, so I was on Tock right when the reservations opened up on the first of the month for the following month.  The menu, service, and tax are prepaid upon booking.  Beverage pairing can be ordered in advance as well, or choices can be made at the restaurant.

I started off with one of their non-alcoholic beverages – a corn silk tea kombucha soda that was a refreshing palate awakener for me.

The first small bites arrived as beverages were being considered. This  one was red seabream on a crisp lemongrass meringue and seasoned with plum vinegar, spring flowers, and herbs.

The next bite was a King crab and Myeongran (pollock roe) doughnut, served with salted strawberry ketchup with fermented chili sauce and chili oil and dusted with raspberry powder.  These were served very warm and were full of flavor.  The fruit/savory dip worked nicely.

In the past, these first presentations were not described on any cards (just verbally).  These now appear as part of the Introduction narrative.  The subsequent course description cards were also a little different:  Rather than being titled by the inspiring traditional Korean dish/course, the titles and descriptions were not all structured the same.  Sometimes there was discussion of dish/ingredient history, and sometimes there was insight into the specific inspiration or approach used to create the course.  As in the past, a detailed listing of the ingredients was always provided, as well as information on the card artwork and the plates.

For the first part of the meal, I chose to have a half-glass of the Chenin Blanc, which was light and acidic.

The first course was a walnut mousse made with maple syrup and fish gelatin and mixed with green strawberries and American wagyu beef tongue. This was topped by a Littleneck clam sauce with smoked chervil oil, tapioca pearls, and Golden Kaluga caviar.  There was a soft chewiness from both the meat and the tapioca.  The flavors raged of a slight sweetness at the onset, then shifted to a slightly salty savory experience.  The mustard purée had you finish the dish with a slight spiciness that lingered for a little bit.

For the full write-up, click here.

June 20, 2021

Californios 4th Visit (5/2021) and 3rd Visit (3/2020)

Over the last year, Californios moved from its Mission District location to a bigger space in the South of Market area formerly occupied by Bar Agricole.  The good news is that they have a large outdoor space, as well as a larger indoor space than what they used to have.  The slightly bad news is that there isn’t a chef’s counter at this location (which they had at their prior location, and is my favorite way to dine).  Regardless, it was good to be able to have their food experience again after over a year.  When I went, the only option was for outdoor seating that was enclosed and heated.

As before, they started by serving a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.   For this evening it was a nice pink Crémant de Loire.  For all of my prior visits, they had served a rosé cava, so I’m not sure why they went French this time (perhaps there is a supply issue).

The opening “course” was an aqua fresca made with saffron, mint, honey, and Golden Nugget mandarins to clear and open up the palate.

To accompany the meal, I ordered a glass of the 2018 Albariño which was one of the white wines on their list.

We began with the introductory set of small bites.  From left to right, they were:  chicharrón with rainbow trout roe, shaved summer black truffle and chive emulsion; taquito made with thinly-sliced kohlrabi around Dungeness crab and dill aioli; Venezuelan Reina Pepiada arepa made with harina PAN (white corn meal) and topped with an avocado and pea mousse, and Tsar Nicoulai caviar; croqueta made with queso Oaxaca and smoked wild mushrooms and served crispy fired with an Hoja Santa emulsion; and a duck fat-confited deboned chicken wing in a chile Marita glaze and topped with Fresno chile and celery.  The range of textures and flavors of the canapés meant to acquaint us with many of the dishes to come.

The next two bites were a chilapita – an Oaxacan green masa tart filled with a smoked sturgeon mousse and topped with Kaluga caviar – and a Cónico Rojo masa tostada topped with bluefin tuna, jalapeño, and avocado mousse.  Both these bites were creamy, but in different ways, with a nice crunchy contrast.

For the full write-up, click here.

For the full write-up of the prior visit, click here.

January 25, 2021

The Clove Club — 11th Visit (9/2020)

I hadn’t been to The Clove Club in over a year.  Originally, I was going to miss them on this trip to London because they weren’t scheduled to reopen until October 1.  However, they decided they were ready to reopen earlier, so I managed to secure a lunch reservation mid-week.  I was very happy to be able to fit in a visit on this trip!

As, always, they posted the short menu outside.  I always get the longer menu.  For this meal, I ordered the soft pairings.  They also have a tea pairing, as well as a wine pairing.

We started with the familiar crab tartlet, which is always a nice first bite.

The next bite was a 30th anniversary celebratory starter for the chef.  The pollock was cooked in a rice flour-based batter and served with a dip.  This was accompanied by a warm late summer herb (chives, chervil, parsley, lovage) and chicken stock broth.

The first beverage pairing was a celery and mustard seed shrub (sweet with a savory finish).

The first dish from the menu as hot smoked Wilshire trout with crispy skin, watercress, almond milk, and almonds.  This was topped with Petrossian caviar.  The saltiness from almonds and caviar worked nicely.

The next beverage was pressed apples from Kent, filtered, pasteurized, and carbonated.  A little miso was then added that gave it a slight creaminess, making the beverage have a Champagne feel.

The dish for this course was a pig’s head croquette that was finished with late summer flowers and a very warm sardine and chrysanthemum broth.

The next dish was a sardine sashimi, seasoned and garnished with Worcestershire sauce emulsion, English mustard, and a chrysanthemum glaze.  The fish had a nice creamy texture, and there was a slight spicy kick from the mustard at the end.

Their housemade sourdough bread and butter was brought to the counter.

For the full write-up, click here.

January 7, 2021

Aulis — London (9/2020)

Even though this restaurant has been around for a few years, it somehow escaped my radar.  They have one seating a night, and it’s Simon Rogan’s (of Roganic, L’Enclume and other restaurants in the group)  test kitchen (dishes from here can end up at one or more of the group’s restaurants).  They do not seat more than six people (eight when booked for a private group).  It’s located on an alleyway  between Wardour and Dean Streets.  Reservations are prepaid upon booking online and include all beverages/pairings.  There is an option to have non-alcoholic pairings, which is what I did.

Sorry for some bad photos – after six months, I was a bit out of practice with the camera.

The view from outside shows how intimate the dining space is.  Diners are seated around a cooking/prep area.  There is no menu offered before or after the meal.

The first beverage was a blend of juices of different red grapes, mixed with elderflower juice.

A one-bite broccoli tart with smoked cod roe was offered as a tasty starter to the experience.

The next bite was roasted chicken skin, whipped chicken parfait, celery leaves, and preserved cranberry sauce.  The textures were nice, but the flavor experience was just okay.

Next was a savory bread and butter pudding made with croissants and truffle custard.  This was glazed in birch sap (similar to how we get and produce maple syrup) and topped with Berkswell feta cheese.  To the side was some sap vinegar gel.  This was served hot.  The chewy texture was very pleasing, and the flavors worked very well together.

Tableware was provided for the next few courses.  There was no specified order for spoon selection.

The first of these dishes was fermented potato and leek soup.  On the bottom was preserved and pickled onions, salted elderberries, and wild garlic cloves.  This was served at room temperature.  There was a nice tart finish on the palate.

For the full write-up and photos, click here.

December 7, 2020

The Fat Duck — Bray, England (9/2020)

The Fat Duck had been on my list of places to go for a little while, but it was very difficult to secure a reservation, especially for a solo diner.  Then, I had heard that the quality had dropped a bit, so I took it off of my list.  The restaurant closed for a bit of time for a major refurbishment, and after the reopening, I had started to hear great things again about the food experience.  But, it was still very difficult to get a table, and, as it’s not located in London (It’s about  an hour away), it wasn’t high on my list of priorities.  Several months ago, I had dinner in London next to another solo diner who was local to London, and I mentioned The Fat Duck during our conversation about English restaurants.  We both expressed an interest to try and go in the near future, and a month later, we managed to secure a booking for lunch (the menu is the same for lunch and doinner) for later in the summer.  With the virus pandemic, that reservation was pushed to September.  It was because of that reservation that I decided to make my first overseas trip in six months.  The the restaurant reopened in August, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to dine there.

Reservations are pre-paid upon booking via their website.  The prepayment  covers just  the menu cost (which is currently higher on the weekends than during weekdays).  The Fat Duck is a restaurant by Heston Blumenthal and currently holds 3 Michelin stars.  It is located inside a typical English small village building and is not prominently marked outside.

I will say up front that the experience we had was not exactly the same as what various friends had described.  Part of this is due to dealing with the virus pandemic environment.  Part of it may have had to do with the special 25th Anniversay celebratory series of menus they have planned to do, of which we had Volume 1 for our visit (I’ll discuss this more at the end).

The restaurant is not large.  Most tables were of this size.  Each table had above it a brass lighting fixture that served to spotlight the table and alter the lighting as needed at various times during the meal.  Because of the correspondence of lighting fixtures to tables, it did not look like any tables were removed to allow more space between dining parties.  There was a clear plastic partition directly behind me because there was a table that was set up aligned with a corner bend in the building wall.  We were asked to wear a mask if we left our table.  The service staff all wore clear face shields without masks.

On the table was a “guidebook” for the experience, along with a magnifying glass.  To shorten the contact time between the servers and the guests, we were to rely upon the guidebook to provide most of the background narrative for the experience that was usually provided by the server.  The anniversary celebratory menu presents several dishes from Chef Blumenthal’s history of exploration and inventiveness as a chef.  They suggested that we read the guidebook before each course.  The servers would present the dish and just tell us what the components of each course was as it was placed at the table (for the most part).  There was also an abbreviated beverage menu at the table which we could peruse prior to the start of the meal.  The full beverage menu, with descriptions of the various beverage pairings options, as well as the bottles listing, was made available to us by scanning a QR code (the restaurant has Wi-Fi service available).

For the full write-up, click here.