Saison

 Thinking back, it all seems so surreal. Much like waking up after a vivid dream only to be left with wispy images no matter how hard you squeeze your eyes shut. Saison did this.

 This event happened exactly 9 days ago. I had ample time to blog and recount my experience at Saison. But, frankly, I couldn't even muster a few phrases that would aptly depict the happenings and emotions of the night. What entails hereafter is a blur of color, taste, and textures that takes too much energy to recall.

But it went something like this....

Yet another obscure entrance -easily mistaken for an alley- leads the way, the only visage of Saison being a brightly lit "S" that initially seems mismatched against the provincial shrub and perennials.

A doll size dining area sits in the courtyard facing the open kitchen.  Only a moment goes by before the server beckons for us to sit and two flutes of amber bubbly magically appear!

.... a foliage with rabbit, foi gras and textures of crunchy grit- the essence of forest in each bite.

An assortment of toasted greens it seems. However, as the server pours a thimble size bonito broth into the plate, the once brittle leaves near the bottom of the bowl transforms into a soup. A soup with a myriad of textures dancing on the tongue.

 A single Santa Barbara prawn dusted with shrimp roe salt partners with one filament of sea urchin. Simple ingredients without razzle dazzle, allowing our amped up taste buds to settle down and pick up the clean notes of sweet and briny.

 

Squid done risotto style enveloped by its ink, Nuvola di pecora; Italian cheese tucked in a brioche ball sitting underneath a wild honeycomb,

and Meyer Lemon custard. I hate all things tart. I should hate the Meyer Lemon. Yet this is a slap in the face. It is almost as if Chef Joshua Skeenes is mocking me, you think you know..but do you?
Basically, it's effin' good. I can try to describe how good. But like squinting through fog:

 hazy.


Ta-Da~ last but not least, we have your Grade-A slab of meat- our star Chef.
Saison
2124 Folsom Street

San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 828-7990

Manresa - a hidden gem

Nestled in the "forests" of Los Gatos is a hidden gem. One can drive by without even a glance at this unpretentious and very approachable establishment. But of course, being the diligent food voyeur that I am, not only did I glance, I studied. After gawking at the menu for months, I've developed a systematic method of restaurants to go through before I move back to LA. And Manresa was next in line to FL. I recently had a chance meeting with a pastry chef and the question came up, "Does the bay area trump LA in terms of dining?"

She replied without hesitation, "Yes, SF does have more of a curve when it comes to dining" and she proceeded to list all her favorites with shining eyes. I'm starting to believe her.

Some of my favorites:

Naked beauty - a single oyster poached in its own succulent essence with yuzu jelly. 

Sexy beyond words.

                          A velvety Dungeness crab salad with mandarin oranges, chicken broth jelly and a hint of cumin. (I've somehow managed to make this beautiful dish look like an orange blob. Much apologies =/ )

                                Crispy mussel with Japanese cucumbers and sprinkling of fresh dill.

 Monterey Bay abalone

Confit of trout and a dollop of some amazing cream

 Confit of duck with a Japanese plum sauce

 Wagyu sirloin with a dashi broth..

 lift her skirts ..

and a perfectly poached egg.

What added more appeal to this meal was that each dish came as a total surprise. There is no menu, not even a list of ingredients to go by. You entrust your senses to Chef David Kinch to toy and fondle with. And fondle he does. The point of no return for me was the Wagyu Sirloin with Poached Egg - so tender, flavorful, the perfect piece of meat. Be prepared for a 14 course food porn bonanza that will leave you hot and sweaty.

Fifth Floor, on the fifth floor

Molecular gastronomy has become the weapon of celebrity chefs and almost a requisite label if one wants to make a name amongst the ever more competitive culinary world. It has almost become a battle of who can make spaghetti out of ice cream, without tampering with its texture. Really? I'm timid about the unknown, especially when food is tortured into something it was never meant to become. But with the limited knowledge I have for molecular gastronomy (having only dined at XIV and Bazaar), I'm not about to write it off as something nefarious and science fiction.

That said, this post obviously will not be raves about a mind blowing experience at a venue that is a disciple of molecular gastronomy. Fifth Floor, one of the bay area's collection of Michelin-starred restaurants is located (naturally) on the fifth floor of the Palomar Hotel. Simple? Not so much.
An eyebrow was raised when my dining companion so ingenuously asked the doorman, "What floor is the Fifth Floor on?"

An interesting note about Fifth Floor is that the executive chef is Jennie Lorenzo, being female and Filipino and having never attended any culinary school, makes her a bit of a rarity amongst the almost predominately Caucasian-male, CIA trained chefs. Her dishes seem to border on pushing boundaries, yet retaining the original nature of the ingredient. Therefore you won't find foams and emulsions tampered with liquid nitrogen. But boring it isn't.

The crudo consists of sashimi with agave nectar, lime and olive oil. The tartness of the lime and subtle hints of agave nectar really wakes up the palate. By far, one of my favorites of the night.

“Hot Spring” Egg: poached jidori egg, truffled potato.
Egg? I'm sold.

Ahhh.. foi gras atop brioche and almond paste. Now this sucker you either love or hate. For me, it is the latter. Well, hate is such a strong word. Let me rephrase, it simply does not sit well with me. This is too avante-garde  for my liking. The brioche and sweet almond paste reminded me of  a foi- gras cupcake.  On a side note, the considerate chef did include a dash of salt and pepper on the side for ones accustomed to the more savory version. But the burst of flavors from foi gras to sweet almond paste, then sweet brioche, then salt and pepper -- sadly -- did not do it for me.

The smoked duck breast: a tender mouthful of perfectly executed duck, with just the right amount of crisp to the skin.

Pork belly with white asparagus and lavender cream sauce. Pork belly always gets me hot and bothered, but this one falls short.
 

Wine infused strawberry sorbet with tapioca and banana chips. At first glance of this techni-colored creation, I am slightly appalled. I try hard brushing away the image of Chesire Cat lapping at my neon green dessert. Diving in, I remember not to dissect its parts, but to include everything in one mouthful (rest assured that Jennie Lorenzo knows something I don't). This is an experience of an unexpected taste explosion; an in- describable orgy of flavors. 

 I give props to Jennie Lorenzo for being innovative while still staying in the realms of simplicity. Her bold dishes such as the foi gras with brioche will always be remembered, if not loved. Also, the amazing goat milk butter that came with the bread was simply to die for, the culprit of me eating a sinful amount of bread. I highly recommend the tasting menu, as it is reasonably priced and reasonably portioned. Albeit, a few hiccups here and there, Fifth Floor pulls everything together nicely and ends with a beautiful note.

Gordon Ramsay At The London

Cooking is the most massive rush. It's like having the most amazing hard on, with Viagra sprinkled on top of it, and it's still there twelve hours later. -

Gordon Ramsay, 2003

Gordon Ramsay @ The London website

There have many been many times in my so-far-short-spanned life where I have tried hard to scrutinize and find flaws in something only to be left a little perplexed. One instance was that beautiful blue-eyed flaxen cheerleader in high schoool. Perfect curves, perfect grades and a syrupy smile to match. An evil bitch in disguise? No such luck. The angel just so happened to be a Special Ed TA.

Tonight is another one of those instances. The day starts as a typical FML day, where basically everything that can go wrong does go wrong. The much anticipated Bistro LQ dinner reservation was dropped last minute due to reasons too graphic to be disclosed on a food blog. After much dismal meandering about on Sunset Blvd, we stumbled upon Gordon Ramsay At The London. Well, "stumbled" is hardly the word. One can not really stumble  upon a secluded restaurant in an ivy-cloaked hotel without doing some last minute Yelping. Alas, I was less than enthusiastic about this place. Firstly, I have no idea of who Ramsay is besides being the foul tempered chef on a show called Hell's Kitchen. Secondly, I am dubious of chefs who run competitions in a studio. Last but not least, restaurants in hotels? Maybe not.

The establishment is divided in to two areas; the front being a more casual cafe, and the back for formal dining. The ambiance is swanky, chic and gold tinged.

A feast for the eyes, but not the stomach?

And then two amuse bouches are served. Not your run-of-the-mill amuse bouches, but a decadent foi gras pate sprinkled with black truffles and crispy parmeseans with red peppercorns!

Ok..bluffing I see. It can't get any better than this?

Foi gras pate

                                  

Pureed Spinach amuse bouche

Confit rabbit leg agnolotti with marinated cherry tomatoes, Shiitake caps, grain mustard emulsion

                                     

                           Sonoma Lamb duo, sweet onion compote, cherry blossom, creamy polenta, jus

              

             Nebraska beef tenderloin with braised escarole, short rib jam, Carrot vichy and bone marrow sauce

Pineapple soufflé with Thai curry ice cream, toasted coconut

As the dishes slowly but surely roll out, I start to fold and the cynicism melts away like hot wax. All the entrées show Ramsay's impeccable standards and done with such flourish. The only dissapoint is the dessert. The pairing of curry icecream seems like a bold statement, but only  leads to a perfunctory "ok.." Other than that, I love Ramsay's twist to each dish. Subtle as they are, but yet also very deliberate. 

*Thank you J for a wonderful night*

The London West Hollywood

1020 N San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-7788

Acquerello, one michelin star

What does a Michelin Star truly represent? Who decides which establishment receives a star? These burning questions have never crossed my mind until my recent visit to Acquerello.

 Yes, the Michelin brothers who  made that eerie tireman, are the same people who established the Michelin Guide in the 1920's. I've probably strolled into many restaurants and never detected  that shiny plate of a star hung conspicuously on the front door. Notable service and outstanding quality is requisite of receiving such a title, and of which Acquerello maintains effortlessly. To celebrate a special occasion, we do the four course tasting menu. Each dish is stellar, the kobe beef short rib an unctuous morsel, and the staff so attentive it leaves me a bit intimidated. Although a sucker for good food, the fine dining scene is not my niche. Hushed voices and servers towering over you to pamper at your beck and call makes me nervous.

The star of the night, a simple rigatoni with pureed foi gras and black truffle dish. There are no distracting sides and garnish, just pasta and a creamy sauce with specks of black goodness. The sauce is heavenly, lingering on the palate, daring you to lick the plate in this austere setting.

Leaving Acqerello proves a bit arduous, with stomachs a little too full and not being much of an Italian food lover, feeling a little over-saturated by the rich dishes and pungent cheese.
As I roll out the front door, I notice for the first time, a shiny plate with a lone star and wonder..