Hobart, Tasmania's FICO is fabulous for fusing Australian & Italian!!(2-17-24)

 Two weeks ago as we began our 32-day cruise we stopped overnight in Hobart, the exciting capital of Tasmania where we had two brilliant days and also afforded for off-ship dining on our night in port. FICO (Italian for "fig") is an intimate setting in downtown with maybe a dozen local wood polished tables that are far apart from each other offering a very spacious feeling. The room is quiet, even when full (when did you last experience that?) and there is an open kitchen with a small bar/tasting table around it for some folks as well. The shelf around the top of the room had hundreds of empty wine bottles showing off the wonderful rare wines they offer from all over the world.

We were warmly welcomed by Mohed and after perusing the tasting menu (there is no choice here) we asked him about pairing local wines with the nine courses and he said he would be able to do that easily, but had to bring in some foreign wines for certain pairings; we agreed and at $120AUD($78US) we were thrilled, and the pours were very generous as well. 

There were some additions and we both agreed we had to add the local Pipe Clay Lagoon Oysters (from nearby southeast Tasmania) which were creamy and oh so subtle; indeed some of our favorites on the entire trip. (I have to add we have had oysters four times as well in New Zealand and they are also all excellent). Anim "Hairy McLary" Sauvignon Blanc 2022 from Coal River Valley in Tasmania was an ideal wine and it also paired with the next course of Carrot Gazpacho with orange oil, cumin and capers.

A magnificent freshly baked hot loaf of sourdough arrived with Fig leaf oil mixed with Tasmanian sea salt and Aged Balsamic which we tried to resist, but alas, it was gone very quickly.

Holymar Chardonnay 2022 from Tasmania's Tamar Valley was a wonderfully minerally chard that we loved and was paired with Bluefin Tuna (from Maria Island in eastern Tasmania) served with Horseradish, Beurre blanc and Suzi's Herbs. The herbs of tarragon, mint, flowers come from 75-year-old Suzi who supplies them from her gardens, but it was the Jogn Bignell supplied horseradish from midlands Tasmania that had to be the best horseradish we have ever had on earth. The combination was beautiful but also award-worthy.

Sea Urchin Risotto(local from Tasmania of course) was bursting with lemon and hints of Thai basil and Mohed had to bring an Italian wine for this from Friuli: 2021 Isonzo Fiore di Campo F2 from Lisneris had a wonderfully high acidity to complement the richness of the risotto.(remember all the photos are on FB!)

Our favorite dish of the night was easily the Tortellone which was one giant ravioli stuffed with Hare Bolognese sitting on a bed of Porcini Mushroom custard and Lovage Puree. Mohed offered shaved summer truffles from Tasmania and we could not resist, especially at about $10US for what would cost 3 to 5 times that in the USA!! The entire dish was heavenly indeed.  Stargazer Rada 2023 Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier from Piper River in the north and Coal River Valley near Hobart was a super wine with an intense nose and so complex we wanted to buy a case!

The main course was Venison alla Brace that was cooked superbly and deliciously peppery with Charred Eggplant Puree, Baby Zucchini with its flower and Game Jus (which sounded like "Gay Jew"!!). The locally grown venison is less gamey than ours in the US and more subtle indeed, but lovely nonetheless. The wine was a Hughes & Hughes 2022 single clone Syrah from Penna also in Coal River was very French in style(hence the use of syrah instead of shiraz).

Cheese was next and came in the form of Tongola Goat Curd "Panna Cotta" which is from Marion's Bay in the east. It was a deliciously cheesy custard that came with an onion reduction, which I thought sounded weird, but the taste flavors were perfect. We called this "goat cheese on crack!!"  Mohed paired this with a sparkling Eric Bordelet Poire, pear cider from Normandy which was simply brilliant.

Two desserts followed: "Strawberry Tart" with "Leatherboot"(local) Honeycomb Gelato was a caramelized honey/strawberry tart with creme diplomate in puff pastry with honey gelee all in a strawberry consomme. I love fruit desserts and pastries and this one was a dream. "Braida" Brachetto d'Acqui 2020 from Piemonte was a nice pairing. The final dessert was Cassis & Yogurt which was simply a super Cassis meringue macaroon-like sandwich filled with vanilla yogurt! What a great taste to take home as we headed back to the ship!

All the team at FICO made us feel so welcome and indeed everyone here Down Under (save the luggage lady for Jetstar Airlines at Melbourne Airport) are all SOOO nice.

Melbourne's CHINCHIN makes for awesome Asian (2-14-24)

 Those of us who know restaurants and fine dining always say to try and avoid eating out on New Year's Eve, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day as the menus are often inflated and not very good. We had no choice being in Melbourne for our last night before boarding a 32-day cruise to places in Australia, New Zealand and Bali. We checked with various dining establishments and when we saw the menu for ChinChin we confirmed and paid a month ahead(nonrefundable!) and it was the perfect choice indeed.

There were two menu choices, and we went for the 130AUD "Celebration Feast" which is a super reasonable $85 eight course menu (which includes tax and most folks here do not tip big--but we did!). We added Coffin Bay Oysters with Red Nam Jim to start but passed on the wagyu upgrade; they were plump and super but again we scraped off some of the spicy topping as the oyster needs to star, not the sauce! Our super server Freya turned out to be an aspiring opera singer to boot. She sent over Julian the sommelier as we told him we wanted amazing local wines and he was BRILLIANT. We talked a lot and settled on a 2023 Art Series Leewin Estate Riesling made by Paul Atwood in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, where we visit on our next trip Down Under in 2026! It was brilliant with all the spicy food as ChinChin is known for its multiple-pan Asian cuisine that kicks the spice indeed.

Course #1 was a Hervey Bay Scallop(diver) with curried corn, Thai basil and crispy shallot and we begged for more. Next was a Kingfish Sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and Thai basil that starred the fish in a ceviche way that was so simple yet simply perfect.

Tartare of Wagyu Beef was included in this menu and came with Sriracha Caramel, Soy and had these fabulous Sesame Crackers to eat it on. This dish was smokey and sinewy and indeed a truly novel tartare for us that we fell in love with immediately. We were moving on to heavier dishes and after another chat with Julian we opted for a Terlato &  Chapoutier "Malakoff Vineyard" 2016 Shiraz from the nearby Grampian Mountains in Victoria. This wine made by the famous Rhone wine grower Michele Chapoutier was so subtle and so French, smooth yet full of fruit and had aged to perfection. It was divine with the Wagyu tartare and ensuing Crispy Duck served with Chilli Jam, Pancakes and Slaw. Crispy Duck here is a super tender confit duck formed into a brick and then deep fried and was a marvelous way to prepare a meat in the most novel of ways. 

Wine #3 was Torbreck "Steading" 2018 GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre) that we had tasted a couple of days earlier at the winery in Barossa Valley and it was a dream pairing with Larb-Spiced Roasted Beetroot with Cucumber & Mint Raita which came next; a vegetarian dream indeed with the yogurt raita balancing the kick-ass spice of this "salad."

The last savoury course was Yellow Curry of Coconut-Steamed Toothfish, Zucchini, Squash and Tomato. One might think it odd to have a fish dish at the end, but this was a spicy curry indeed loaded with veggies as well and toothfish is the Australian kin of the sea bass.

Dessert was Dark Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Ice Cream, Coffee and Salted Peanut Brittle Meringue.

We went home thrilled with our brilliant dining choice for the last night on land in Australia and were so happy to meet Freya(our new FB friend) and feature her in the fotos all posted there!

If we have to admit, when we arrived the music was loud, LOUDER, LOOUSEST but it kind of mellowed as the evening went on to fun 1980's disco. It was also very cold and Freya got the a/c set better as well--they really loved us! AND my one big complaint--paper napkin. 

That said, the evening was super fun, super food and we would go back in a flash and hope to when in Melbourne again in 2026!

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IDES in Melbourne is magnificent (2/13/24)

 We had three nights in Melbourne, but the first night we drive in on the Great Ocean Road all day and had a quick Greek dinner at IPSOS in Lorne on the coast which is nothing to write about. The next night we chose IDES(pronounced as in "Ides of March"). we arrived and the small bar was in a room by itself with two couples drinking and James pioured us some Rhubarb Juice as we perused the bar menu for cocktail choices. Will decided on the Frozen Gibson which is a pre-made martini of their own make and I went for the Frozen Dirty Vodka, also pre-made with local Melbourne vodka. These are pre-mixed and bottled and kept ice cold for fun.

We were escorted through several doors into a small room next door with about 9 tables for two or 4 people and it was a very serene quiet setting with some neat art(one painting was abstract, but I saw Chasidic guys in it!). Liam was the sommelier and he said they do offer a wine pairing(alas not all Australia) so we agreed and then chose some extra options like starting with the yummy Merrimbula New South Wales Rock Oysters topped with chorizo vinaigrette. This was an interesting choice of topping and was okay, but took away from the yummy oyster, Huon Valley Tasmania Sparkling from Barrington Wood was delicious, and it was nice to have all Reidel crystal as well (just as most of the wineries in the Barossa Valley did for our multiple tastings!). 

Next came Nori (cup) with Carrott Confit which is thickened with stock and had wasabi and sesame. The next course was Creamed Corn custard smothered with Smoked Caviar from Spain with Tonburi & Rosemary Oil that was served under a dome with a smoke emerging for the reveal (all on video on FB). This was a divine creation and one of the best courses we enjoyed anywhere so far on this trip. On the side was the Parmesan Doughnut that looks like a coconut doughnut but is savory as it is made with corn and is akin to a cheesy corn fritter. We must have switched wines, but I do not seem to have it my notes.

Superb Steamed Rockling (whitefish)from Tasmania was in a Chive & Shiso Seed Sauce that had chicken infused but was more like a gel or consommé on crack; it was topped with scallop and nigella seed. Served with local Melbourne Sake called Tachiminori, it was a fun pairing. On the side was a charred zucchini flower stuffed with edamame that was amazing.

The "main" was Roast Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce and came with a row of condiments: Apple puree. Sorrel pesto with perilla(Japanese basil), Pumpkin seed, Cauliflower puree with pork crackling and while these were all fun and nice, the pork itself was unexciting and completely tasteless without the mustard sauce or condiments. Accidental Red Syrah/Merlot blend 2023 from Dhillon from Glenhope Vineyards in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria(the state Melbourne is in) had a nice acidity but was fairly light.

Duck Liver Parfait Tart was another dream dish that was gone in two or three bites and paired wonderfully with Barbeitto Madeira 10 year old made from Verdelho grapes.

Next was Perilla(Japapnese basil relation) & Plum Jelly (oops, forgot the photo), followed by a conquering Caramel Cake with Dark Chocolate & Peanut was a really wonderful dessert with the intense chocolate coming from the Daintree Rainforest where we visited the week before. Dos Maderas Triple Aged Rum made with 5-year-old Manzanilla and 5-yr-old Pedro Ximemez Sherry Casks hailed from Jamaica and was a beautiful finish to the evening.

Adelaide's BOTANIC will blow your mind, mouth and beyond impress (2-9-24)

 Our second and final night in Adelaide was at BOTANIC, aptly named as it sits in the magnificent Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and the team actually forages through the gardens for various ingredients and produces some of the most novel ingredients used for a meal that indeed impresses.  Chef Justin James, who came over and chatted with us extensively at one point during out 4-1/2 hour journey, hails from Detroit and it's indeed a long story how he ended up in Adelaide!  His team of Julius from Munich, Elle from the UK and Ruby & Chris(locals) were on top of everything for the 21+ course meal which actually included over 40 different dishes! Wine pairings were fabulous and since Will was not in the mood for booze, he chose the amazing Temperance Pairing. There is a huge open kitchen with a bar surrounding it for a view of the chefs all night. These guys often yell out like some kind of rugby team announcing something, but we never figured it out. The 15 or so tables are all surrounding the kitchen looking both ways as the entire pavilion is glass enclosed overlooking the gardens. Even the loo has bird sounds in it!

This oiled wheel works so well serving what we had to declare as the best meal indeed in Australia, and one of the top ten in the world!

I-Garden Flower and Green Ants was a bouquet of flowers with a marigold at the center over a parsley-water poached fuji apple that is fermented for 3 months with crunchy ants on top(Will, actually ate these in Queensland right from the tree and they have a very lime-y flavor indeed!). The apple had a blackened leathery flavor that was mild but unique.

II-Abalini from Port Lincoln(related to abalone), Botanic Curry Paste & leaf, Pickled Myrtle Buds had a punch and was as tender as could be--we have indeed found they know how to cook abalone here!

III-"Lick the Rock" features a rock coated with Wattle Seed & Celeriac Yogurt thst you actually lick off. It is here that the pairings also begin:  Poire Authentqiue Normandy Cider from Eric Bordelet was fruit intense but not sweet while Will had Fuji Apple tea/juice were for courses III & IV.

IV-Rock Lobster was accompanied by a corn-husked "boat" filled with Corn Puree, Tarragon & Anise Myrtle that you dipped the lobster into. YUM! 

V-Green Tomato was filled with Avocado & Tuna, Tomato gelee, Native Ginger and Atherton Almond and Mountain Pepper. For this and next course the wine was a 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Moonambel "Quartz Branco" from Latta in the Pyrenees of Victoria was an amazing wine that gets malolactic and lies treatment.

VI-Tomato & Lemon Aspen Broth was a deliciously rich unctuous soup that had toasted oak sticks in it.

VII-Raw Sharp Bay(Western Australia) Scallop covered in Salmon Roe/Foam with Seaweed & Samphire with Scallop Chips was another revelation as each dish was more impressive than the previous. This course and the next was paired with La Bastid Cosecha 2020 by Olivier Riviere, a Frenchman who makes his wine in Rioja from 70%Macabeo(Viura) and 30% Grenache Blanc with a creamy, rich mineral finish that shows off the terroir.

Will got a Shisho & Blackened Lime Kombucha!

VIII-Freshwater Northern Territory Croc Wrapped on a Branch with fermented honey garum(Tasmanian sea urchin bottarga), Geraldton Wax and Tree Green Ants(that lime!) was next was another tender novel meat served with Koshihkari super yeasty sake made in Melbourne and will got green tomato, strawberry gum, non-alcoholic sour beer!

IX-Tempura Perilla(miso-ish hibiscus) Leaves filled with Smoked Crocodile Rib & Sea Urchin was a sandwich with BBQ croc tempura and native finger lime also with the urhcin bottarga. Forget about any sandwich you have ever eaten--this WINS!

We say that alligator is like chicken, but croc is more like a meaty fish, but really has no comparison.Towels were provided after!

X-Kangaroo Chawanmushi, Native Cherry, Mango & Tarragon is the famous Korean custard on crack with flavors out of this world.  This and the next course were paired with Fleurie Origines 2021 from Gregoire Hoppenot was a brilliant Beaujolais Gamay pairing. Will had a raspberry, wattle seed coffee that was quite sweet. 

XI-Wagyu Glazed in Ants & Chilli on a hot rock was a load of fun with tender loin strips and all the condiments cooked on the rock with Japanese white oak and sorrell.

XII-School Prawns with pickled Kadaku Plum, Desert Lime, Oyster & Saltbush has us back with white wine in a Chenin Blanc 2022 old vine from Blewitt Springs in nearby Adelaide Hills/McLaren Vale. Will had apricot nectar with horseradish, pickled basil and seeds. School prawns are small shrimp that travel in giant schools, and these were served grilled in an oyster shell with a tomato/prawn hot sauce.

XIII-Marron(the local crayfish that is like a lobster) was cooked in Botanical leaves with Brown butter, Lemon Myrtle and Fermented Chilli Sauce and while Will got a Marigold Verjus that was sweet, I had the divine sparkling Deviation Road, 2018 Adelaide Hills which is 50% chard/50% pinot noir infused with botanicals from the garden and made exclusively for the restaurant and indeed this dish.

XIV-Saltbush Seed, Wattle Seed & Mountain Pepper Flatbread arrived next with 

XV-Clam butter & clam jam for the bread 

XVI-"one bite wonder" was Davidson Plum sorbet with Lemon Verbena with a casing or skin from the plum with mountain pepper that was quite leathery but fun.

XVII-was a super rich Bonito, cured Bush tomato, sunrise lime and Botanic reserve Beluga caviar that was paired with Tasmanian Freycinet 2021 sparkling while Will got Passionberry sherry that was sour, spicy and gingery!

XVIII- and 19 paired with Ngeringa 2021 Adelaide Hills "Iluma Vineyard" Syrah was smooth and delicious and with no acidity while Will had a Bunya Bloodline pine-roasted bitter orane/native thyme/beetroot drink. 

XVIIIB-Juniper Smoked Emu was with fermented Apricot & macadamia, and this was served with four surrounding dishes:

A-Warrigal Green, Kangaroo Caramel, Emu Liver & roasted kelp

C-tender Kangaroo barely cooked with Camel Hump Lardo

D-Maitake Mushroom cooked medium rare with black garlic was very soy-tasting.

E-Illawrra Plum rolled in Ants and Coriander that had an intense lime flavor from those ants!

Another multi-course arrived:

XIX-A-Mt. Gamba Muntari Sorbet & plum Granita with hint of native basil & hibiscus leaf

B-Jasmine with Strawberry Gum and a Bundle of Flowers(spoon)

C-Garden Tea and Graden Vodka drinks were paired as an herbal palate cleanser

XX-Fallen Bunya Branches were roasted with Native Thyme & Wattle Seed 

Lemaro Amare with caramelized lemon was for me and a Brulle bitter lemon for Will and I got the yummy Disznoko Takaji 2019 Late Harvest

XXI was a multitude of desserts:

A-Chocolate Covered Lemon Balm with Botanic Seed

B-Shitake Fudge with dried pickled mushroom--WAS THIS WEIRD

C-Kangaroo tendon with salted koji(caramel)

D-Quandong(local stone fruit) Brulee that was our fave dessert

E-Duck Egg & Blood Lime--a vanilla-like drink from the egg

F-the whole Finger Lime--cooked 7 hours with yogurt and quite bitter-limey

That's all folks and yes all the photos are on FB.

This definitely rates and one of the most unique and wonderful meals EVER!!

Bravo to the entire team!!

Adelaide's FISHBANK is fab for fish and more (2-8-24)

 Our next stop in Australia was Adelaide, South Australia and we chose FISHBANK, literally across the street from our hotel as the fish here is so amazing everywhere. FISHBANK is actually in an old, converted bank and has super high ceilings, creating large noise reverberation, but a fun setting with a huge open kitchen at the rear set up more like a bar and with a video screen some 30feet long above it with watery video features. There is a cute bar at the center surrounded by stools and many tables oddly some with nice white tablecloths and some without! Our table was next to a noisy woman, but she left soon, and we were fine. It is hard to avoid the noise din here. The chairs also come in two types, very comfy and horrid, the banquettes are fine though.

Will ordered a Negroni to start and I chose a carafe of Akishika Shuzo 888 Sake as I know we were ordering sashimi here for sure.

Adristi explained the menu and was most helpful and we decided to order in groups so all the food did not come out, that kind of made the meal longer and delayed as we waited a long time for her to return to take the second order because so many larger groups had arrived. 

We ordered the Kingfish Kombu Jime which is yellowtail sashimi marinated for 3 hours in seaweed and served with finger lime, Tasmanian wasabi and pickled ginger. The Fresh Tuna Loin came with the same condiments as well as soy sauce. The dishes were excellent and oh so fresh and tasty. We ordered a bottle of Yalumba 2021 "Samuel's Collection" Viognier from Eden Valley in South Australia which had some acidity and went superbly with all the fish. We moved on to oysters trying the famous briny Rock Oysters from Wapengo in New South Wales and comparing them to the local Pacific Coffin Bay from South Australia; the latter won as they were so rich and creamy! They came with a wonderful peppery mignonette as well as Nuoc Cham sauce which would have totally overpowered the yummy mollusks.

Will ordered a Sesame Prawn Toast (I tasted it) with sweet chili sauce that was delightful and very prawn tasting with lots of chunks in it. We then shared a superb novel dish called Whipped Scallop with Swordfish Biltong and Mushroom that was indeed a scallop mousse, if you will, that seemed to have no mushroom but was topped with dried swordfish slices that were amazing; someone has to package these!

We shared a superb dish called KFC-Korean Fried Cauliflower that also had pickled cauliflower and garlic butter and while a bit spicy was a perfect vegetable creation.

Will opted for a Tuna Slider with Smoked Bacon on a Toasted Brioche which I tasted and it was yummy but quite rich and I was getting full; he declared it delicious.

We shared a Citrus Tart with snap fruits and cultured cream for dessert and all the photos are on FB including those of the toilets in the vault below the bank!

Tonight is BOTANIC the dining experience considering one of the most exotic and finest in all Australia!!

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Sydney's ARIA is simply awesome (2-7-24)

 Our last night in Sydney was another elegant space opposite the opera house and appropriately called ARIA. 

There are no more than two dozen tables in this small space surrounded by circular glass and very comfy leather seats overlooking the Sydney Opera and Harbour Bridge. We settled in with hickory smoked Patron silver  madecocktails with Ferrand dry Curaçao and black salt rims which packed a punch.

It turns out the sommelier Kyle comes from the Bronx, and he gave us magnificent suggestions. Our white was a Yangarra Roux Beaute from the Claire Valley made from Rousanne and offered a creamy mineral finish. The half bottle of Ati Rangi Crimson 2022 Pinot Noir from Marlborough in New Zealand needed bit more heft for our duck course...we shall stay with Australian wines from now on.

Since we had had such a large lunch, we opted to not take the tasting menu and instead had the a la carte four course meal which was still a huge event that lasted 3-1/2 hours! Our tastes are so similar that we both chose virtually all the same courses.

Amuses arrived in the form of a gougères smothered with gruyere cheese, but they were oddly room temperature. The duck liver parfait was divine, but odd that they said it had cranberry after just asking us if we had allergies and told them we avoid grapefruit, cranberry and licorice!!

Our first course was a divine K'gari Spinner Crab with tomato, fermented chili consommé poured tableside and yummy green strawberries. The broth had a slight spice to it and the entire dish was truly wonderful. We get very spoiled with the best crab in the world from Maryland, but this was pretty damn good stuff.

Parker house rolls from Sonoma bakery(outside Sydney, not California!) arrived warm with cultured butter and a decadent kombi-chicken jus butter that I wanted to take home!

Our server Giovanni was from Napoli and he also was super helpful and Kyle kept checking in to make sure we were happy and the wine was poured.  Coral Prawn Ravioli with Tarragon, Lemon and Espalette was served by one of the chefs and will pinned his southern UK accent within miles. He poured the rich Sauce Americaine which was a decadent lobster reduction made with a hint of crime fraiche. Not only were the raviolis stuffed with huge chunks of amazingly tasty prawn but also there were five or six pieces of prawn in the dish itself around the ravioli and in the gorgeous sauce.  Luckily there was one roll left to finish off the superb sauce!

Our main course was the crispiest and most flavorful Maremma(named for the dogs that herd them) duck aged 14 days and served with Cavallo Nero or Tuscan kale, Wit-Lof, which is the local name for endive, which was  stuffed with duck confit and the dish was topped of with cherries and cherry gel. An onion purée rounded out this amazing dish that was one of the best ducks ever.

Since I wanted to try the cheese course for dessert, we decided to split that first and it came with a nutty Crunchy dry cheddar, as well as a cheese called Holy Goat LaLuna which was gooey and heavenly,  a Long Paddock blue as well as a wash rind cheese that was so fabulous I wrote the name down to try and find it again-- Woombye from South Queensland. This was our first really fabulous Australian cheese plate and it came with honeycomb, Pickled figs, Calvados infused apricots and flatbread.

 A pre-dessert arrived first in the form of strawberry sorbet olive oil coconut cream and lemon curd which was a great palate cleanser.

We split the desert as well, which was a Chocolate Mousse cake with chocolate ice cream, Caramel Passion fruit gel and Valhrona cocoa crumble.

We loved every bite of this our last meal in Sydney until we return in a month on the cruise..off to Adelaide next.

Shangri-La's ALTITUDE in Sydney will take you to new heights (2-7-24)

 Yesterday afternoon for lunch the sales manager of the Shangri-La hotel invited us to the 36th floor, the top floor of the magnificent Shangri-La Hotel where we were staying all week ,for a fabulous lunch which is served in Altitude with magnificent sweeping views over the entire City and Sydney Harbour. While our suite was 2 floors below and the views were similar, there was no way we could cook up a magnificent meal like the team at ALTITUDE did.

The lunch and dinner menu here is quite varied with many options from a la carte to tasting and set courses, so I thought I was being smart by just asking for two small dishes and started with a magnificent Wagyu Pastrami MBS 6+( which stands for the marbling level here in Australia). It was served with textures of corn, a rouille saffron crisp, orange, almond and basil oil. What a treat, and the meat was as lean as it gets with magnificent marbling, but not really fat, The wine was a 2022 Riesling from Frankland Estate in Western Australia called "Isolation Ridge" which we fell in love with up in Uluru.

My next course was a super tender Kangaroo Tatami with Cultured Yogurt and Lemon Leaf, Kutjera Bush Tomato Chutney, BBQ kohlrabi, macadamia nuts and Nasturtium leaves that just melted in my mouth. The chutney using the amazing local bush tomatoes was miraculous. A magnificent 2015 Torbreck(we shall visit the winery this weekend!) "Descendant" Shiraz from Barossa was awesome.

Will started with the Roasted Cauliflower and Turnip with Za'atar, almond, pomegranate, capers and green herb vinaigrette and finished with the same pastrami I started with. Fasi, our supreme host, had the tuna tartare and sirloin.

It was a wonderful meal but way too much food for the middle of the day and we  tried to hike it off at the Australian Museum!

Sydney's FISH at the ROCKS is a tad on the rocks (2-4-24)

 Back in Syndey after a full day hiking through and exploring the magnificent Blue Mountains to the west with our super guide Norman we were pretty hungry and headed around the corner for some fresh fish at FISH AT THE ROCKS. It's a small unassuming place with maybe twenty tables. The woman at the counter asked if we had a reservation and we did, but she could not find it. I looked at the computer and saw Will's name mispelled(Stephenson) as well as 745pm, not 7pm. They seated us and we noticed the couple behind us said they had a reservation as well and nobody could find it; they were finally seated after she produced the email confirmation. It was confusing.

We ordered a bottle of Vasse Felix Premier 2022 Chardonnay from the Margaret River region in Western Australia which we had up north and loved its nice acidity and slightly oaky flavor. We had questions on the menu, but the woman who was serving seemed confused. We finally asked where she was from, and it turned out she was French from the Alps and had only worked there for a couple of weeks. 

We got some answers from the woman who seemed to be in charge and ordered. Will did not choose as well as I did, and while the food was very good for me, his was just okay. My starter was Queensland Panko-crusted Crab Cakes with a Gochujang Mayo (more of that would have been nice) which came with a julienne salad which was basically 2 tablespoons of slaw. The crab cakes are a tad creamier here than what we like at home, but were quite tasty. Will had the Crab & Prawn Spring Rolls with Asian Slaw(same as me, but a tad more) and a Nuoc Nam(fish) dipping sauce, which again there could have been more of. we noticed the starters (called entrees here) run in the 20$AUD(about $15-18US) and mains are only a tad more at $30-45AUD($20-30US). 

Will's main was Fish & Chips made with local Flathead, beer batter chips(fries) and Lemon Tartare Sauce. He was hoping for those thick cut UK-style chips which did not come and he said the fish had too much batter and did not live up to UK standards.

My BBQ'd Moreton Bay Bugs (I had to enquire as to what these were) were fabulous. These specialties are somewhere between a giant prawn and lobster tail and came with a kick ass XO dipping sauce and a nice-sized Greek salad on the side. I would order these delicacies again anywhere, even at the $90AUD($60US) price as it is more than a full-size lobster as I got 7 of these yummy bugs! I let Will finish the Chard and had a glass of Ponting 127 Shiraz 2021 from Barossa as my dish was quite strong and these guys stood up well to a big red with that XO sauce.

We were full and exhausted so headed back to our suite with no dessert.

Sydney's QUAY comes up with views, consummate cuisine and wins (2-4-24

 Back in Sydney after our treks to the outback and rainforest, we settled into our magnificent suite overlooking the city and headed just down the block for dinner to QUAY which sits in the cruise terminal at the very end overlooking the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and Walsh Bay. We were in heaven with the view and when our server Aynsley explained the menu we locked into a tasting menu(there are two choices) that was shorter, but ended up adding the cheese course and paired Australian sommelier wines for each course. It was an amazing journey that Chef Peter Gilmore and hi team took us through touching on all local ingredients that never stopped delighting and tantalizing our tastes buds.

Amuses arrived in the form of two unique treats: A Kombu seaweed tarte with creme fraiche and caviar and a totally wild Salted Savory Whit Chocolate "snail shape" filled with Oyster Cream and caviar!! Our mouths were in heaven.

Our first wine was Western Asutralia Frankland Estate 2011 Riesling "Isolation Ridge" from the Frankland River region that we never heard of. It had intense mineral and limestone taste and was as dry as can be and paired amazingly with our first course of Wild Tasmanian Blacklip Abalone, Young Bamboo, raw Aborlhos Island(extreme western Australia NW of Perth) scallops with seaweed and aged vinegar. This dish was all about the fish and featured the abalone and scallop brilliantly (unlike the same scallop we ha the week before smothered in lamb ragu!).

Our second wine was richer, but with an acidity to cut the food that worked as well: Cirillo Semillion 2019 from Barossa (where we head this weekend!) "Ancestor Vine 1850." The second course was Smoked Eel Cream with Sea Cucumber Crackling, Murray cod roe and flowers and the richness of the dish needed the wine indeed. (all photos on FB!!)

Course #3 was a "bonus" not on the menu of gorgeous crumpets (think English muffin on crack_ with a decadent truffle butter...then towels came to wipe our fingers! It was served with a Junmai Sake Kirei 92 from Hiroshima that we loved, but could have been a tad colder.

Course #4 was Southern Squid with Pipis(a local barnacle-like animaL0, Chrysanthemum buds, Barletta onion, Hispi(cabbage) stems, boiled pin-striped peanuts(the chef brought these from Brazil and grows them here), Umami Custard (made from shitakes), Shmaltz(YES!!) and Garum(fermented anchovy). We adored the Southern Australia Sauvignon Blanc from Terre a Terre (owned by French champagne-maker Bollinger!) 2012 which may be old but drank like a dream.

Native freshwater Marron is a local shellfish akin to crayfish and came with Bone Marrow Pasta, Summer Squash and Fresh Peita, It had a great lemony flavor and was paired with Solero No. 2 Wild Savagnin(another new grape) from Yarra Valley.

Our main course(no photo) was New South Wales 7-day aged pasture raised Duck with roasted lettuce, black garlic, Agretti(an unctuous saltwort!!) and it was paired with Murry River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 from Voyager Estate.

Our cheese course was totally wild and was paired with Yangarra Shoraz 2015 from McLaren Vale, but we were totally confused by the description, taste and presentation. Very outre indeed. One was a goat with walnuts, the other a kind of cheese layered Napoleon.

Dessert was a gorgeous presentation of White Coral made from lychee, rose, vanilla and nectarine and was paired with Chalmers 2021 Moscato Giallo "Appasiamento" from Heathook in Victoria.

What a night!!

More treats came as we wobbled home up the hill to our hotel. 

LONGITUDE 131 at Uluru (Ayer's Rock), in the Australian outback is out of this world (1-30-24)

 We hauled halfway across Australia to Uluru, the famed Ayer's Rock where Luxury Lodges of Australia has one of it many ultra-luxe lodges. These magnificent, tented lodges are akin to those seen on safari in Africa, all with terraces and magnificent views of THE ROCK!

On arrival we had a spectacular lunch, but dinner was a true revelation. Lorena, who manages the restaurant, discovered we were wine fanatics and kept bringing more and more wines to taste and indeed revel in all evening. We had wine as well with canapes at the foot of Uluru after our later afternoon hike near the base,

Before dinner we enjoyed a Kangaroo Island vodka martini that was smooth and divine and when we sat down our first wine was an Adelaide Hills Gruner Veltliner called "The Pawn: that paired superbly with the amuse of South Australia Spanner Crab and Celeriac on a Crumpet with Finger Lime. The starter (called entree here) was a New South Wales Veal Tartare with Rosted pumpkin, smoked egg yolk and rosella (a dried native hibiscus) that we were in heaven with. The wine was a Rockford 2022 "Frugal Farmer" red blend of Grenache, Mataro & Alicante Bouchet, varietals that are not so common here; we are glad we have an appointment to visit this winery in the Barossa Valley in February.

The main was a Westholme Wagyu with charred onion and potato galette that was so tasty even the fat was amazing. The Bleasdale "Second Innings" Malbec from Langhorne Creek in Southern Australia was a superb pairing with nice acidity.

Dessert was a Simpson Desert (the local desert area to the south) Medjool Date Cake with Salted Territory (the Lake Amadeus salt flats are to the south as well) Honey (honey from Alice Springs) Ice Cream that had a yummy chewy tuille and was a treat served with Dandelion Vineyards Pedro Ximenez Barossa Valley Sherry.

Tonight, we eat outside (yes in the 85 degree--dry--heat) at  1-3-1, the hotel's outdoor dining located exactly on Longitude 131 facing Uluru as the sun sets!!

Sydney's NOMAD - the first dinner in Australia goes from delicious to dreamy to disappointing (1-29-31)

 Our first night in Syndey we chose NOMAD in Surrey Hills just south of downtown (CBD) since we were staying just a tad south at Coogee Beach for the night. The restaurant is large and spacious with brick walls and not overly comfy wooden chairs and leather benches. The tables are blonde wood with a huge open kitchen surrounded by a bar with seats for those who want to be close up to the action. In the back we saw their charcuterie dryer or curing chamber as it is termed with all the meats hanging.

Our server Niley was a gem and we immediately decided on the 150$AUD ($99 US!!) and then ordered a bottle of Frederick Stevenson (the last name!) Grillo 2022 from Adelaide Hills as it was a varietal we love from Sicily and had no clue it was made here. It was perfect with the Merimbula Rock Oysters that come with housemade Worcestershire sauce. The sauce was fab on the creamy but not briny mollusks. Yarra Valley Salmon rose came in a Saltbush Tart with creme fraiche and was another delight. The third item in the "first course" were huge fried Zucchini Flowers with the Zucchini plant still attached topped with Truffle Honey and Pecorino, a truly magnificent, decadent and wonderful treat.

The next set of platters were all just as fabulous: Split pea Hummus with Grilled Scallion, Sugar Snap Peas and a Peppery EVOO was served with a piping hot spiced flatbread.

Beetroot came with Buffalo Curd and Pepita Tarator a tahini-like spread made from pumpkin seeds. The NOMAD Charcuterie selection was magnificent with Salmon Bastirma (a version of Turkish pastrami, but here made with salmon), Duck Mortadella (OMG!!), Beef Pastrami, Beef Bresaola and Pork Lonza that was seasoned perfectly.

We spoke with the sommelier, Milena, at length about the wines and she suggested another Stevenson wine saying the winemaker was actually named Steve Crawford, not Stevenson! The 14.2% alcohol Montepulciano was from Eden Valley and packed a punch and was a delight.

We had told Niley we wanted to eat leisurely and while we were having the charcuterie, the next course arrived way too early; we sent it back.

It returned about 15 minutes later and was the bottom point of the meal. The Abrolhos Scallop was a diver scallop in the shell topped with "our sujuk" which Niley explained is usually a pork ragu, but here was lamb. It was very spicy and totally overpowered the scallop which did not even have a chance. 

the 400g Jacks Creek Sirloin (almost 1 pound) was on the bone and served for two, but was a huge portion and the meat was indeed superb, while the smoked bone marrow was a delight and the herb salsa nice, but again just a tad overpowering; leeks were on the side. It was served with a Baby Gem salad with Burnt Orange and Tamarind Vinaigrette that was intense and way too acidic and lemony for me.

Dessert was a delicious Dark Chocolate Delice with Smoked Duck Fat Caramel and Creme Fraiche. Very rich, but fun. We rolled home and fell asleep so fast as the waves outside rocked us to sleep. 

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another remarkable repast at Roberto's (Vienna, VA) 1-23-24

 

Before we left the USA this past weekend for 8 weeks Down Under, we returned to Vienna, VA and one of our most favorite places to dine, Roberto's. It's rally more like having a meal with family when Roberto's charming and welcoming wife, Nancy, is at the door and immediately brings over prosecco to the table to make us feel at home.

Our first wine is a standard here which we now have in our cellar at home as well-Manincor "La Manina" from the Dolomites with a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. It was super with my Cappellacci di Zucca, magnificent large "ravioli" stuffed with butternut squash in a divine sage, butter, black truffle and parmesan sauce. Insalata di Rucola was not a big hit with our friends, but they loved the Funghi al Forno with local mushrooms, spinach, pesto and polenta in a garlic sauce. The Lobster & Crab salad here is a real winner in a beautiful timbale with avocado, parmesan and cheese dressing. 

The bread is always a treat, and we were lucky enough to get a little take-away bag to enjoy those cheese rolls for breakfast the next day, not to mention the yummy peppery breadsticks.

We moved on to another yummy Dolomite wine from Alto Adige, a Falkenstein 2018 Pinot Nero and after that our wonderful server Sara suggested the fabulous "Il Bacciale" 2018 from Braida, a full bodied Monferrato Rosso that we all adored.

Main courses were Calamarata which is a wonderful seafood stew of Shrimp, Mussels, Squid, Maine lobster all poached in tomato sauce; Cinque Buchi al Ragu Siciliano is a unique 5-hole rigatoni with a Sicilian meat ragu of pork ribs, pork shoulder and sausage that will fill your up for sure. The whole roasted Branzino comes fileted with salsa verde with basil, anchovies and garlic and sauteed spinach and was a huge and my Anatra Con i Fichi was a perfectly cooked Mullard duck breast served with potato pave, spinach, carrots and a divine fig port sauce.

We were all so full we agreed to share one dessert between the four of us, but I failed to write it down. Photos as always on FB. We are in Australia now where the food is amazing!

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Falls Church new NUE Vietnamese fine dining--delicious but not cheap (1-14-24)

 We decided to try to the fine dining Vietnamese space in Falls Church that has been getting raves and no way we will head back to NUE very fast as the prices are really sky high.

It was very difficult to find the place to begin with as the only outside sign is a large "N."

Once inside the setting is spacious and cozy with beautiful wall and ceiling paintings and lots of fake hanging plants. We were escorted to a back room and placed in between two tables despite the fact that the entire other side of the room was empty; very odd, but we were fine.

Our server explained the menu which had very limited descriptions, so we had plenty of questions. We ordered a bottle of red as the cocktails looked small and were pricey too(all over $16). The wines started close to $70 and up, so we went basic with a Tesselae Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre($63) blend which was nice from Cotes de Roussillon. Starters arrived and my Seafood Chia Gio was huge and fantastic. our server said they were like spring rolls with shrimp, crab, pork, taro and carrots and these were the fried version and came with a spicy sauce as well as tons of lettuce wraps of different kinds and an assortment of herbs (basil, mint, cilantro, etc) to adorn each wrap/roll. It was fun indeed and I was very full afterwards. At $16 this is the best deal on the menu. Will has the Chili Oil Wontons with shrimp & pork which were nice, but won no prize.

For his main, Will chose the veggie Coconut Curry Risotto and added the Hokkaido diver scallops ($19 for THREE!!) which was a huge and quite rich portion. My dish was even larger and at the $38 the Bo Kho Pappardelle is too rich and too big for one person. It is a large amount of pasta with a rich braised short rib topping and ragu. Somehow it ddid not seem Vietnamese. Needless to say, we took 1/2 of each portion home for the next day!
We really wanted to try a dessert, but we were so full we asked which was the lightest. The Tropical Che is really nothing exciting: a combination of lychee, mango, pineapple and sago with some sorbet. Refreshing yes, but we just felt so full.

Many folks have asked us about Nue and while it is very elegant and very nice, we were shocked at the prices for the who crispy fluke ($67 for two people, $87 for four) and the duck to serve four was somewhere around $160!! This is not Falls Church pricing.

Casa Teresa in downtown DC is truly terrific tapas and more (1-6-24)

 We joined some friends Saturday night and gladly accepted their suggestion to try a new Catalan-cuisine restaurant called CASA TERESA. It is located on 19th Street, between "I" & K Streets, NW and even has complimentary underground parking at night! At first, we had some trouble finding the space as Waze & Google Maps take you to "I" and it is on 19th, and just a tad below street level. On the horrid rainy, wet, cold and truly disgusting night, we were thrilled to find a space across the street (not knowing there was free parking) and be truly welcomed in this very warm space by such a truly warm and wonderful staff.

I settled in with the wine list and the sommelier noted that they featured many wines(all Spanish by the way) made by women. This is part of the heritage of Teresa, the restaurant's namesake, named by her great grandson chef/owner Ruben Garcia Castilla. We ordered a rose of Syrah & Garnaxta from Arrayan called "Peluda" and it was yummy, so much so that when we switched to red we stayed with the same label and adored the full bodied 2017 Arrayan "La Suerte de Arrayan" from Castilla in La Mancha. I recognized the label when the wine came and will now remember how awesome the wines are from this winery.

We were warmly greeted by Chef Ruben himself who came back multiple times to make sure everything was okay. His entire team did the same and kudos go to Andres our excellent server as well as Fadi, the assistant manager. I felt like we had met an entire family in just one evening and we knew that we would be back before the meal even began. 
We decided to share some tapas and as soon as Andres mentioned that there was a special croqueta on the menu made with Jamon Iberico and then wrapped in a piece of that famous acorn-fed jamon, we had to try them; Chef Ruben calls them "Spanish Nigiri!" The filling was rich with bechamel, but the small piece of Iberico made it oh so special and just right and they were cooked to perfection. The Pa'amb Tomaquet or Tomato Bread is an omni present fixture in Catalunya and here it is even more fun as it comes with a small card explaining how to make the bread by shmearing the fresh tomato onto the grilled bread and then drizzling olive oil on it as well as a dash of sea salt. Magnifique and FUN! We ordered the Anchoas de Santona on the side as a treat to put on the bread and these anchovies are the best indeed.

We all ordered our own mains from cheese and jamon plates to the fish of the day to the gorgeous Pulpo a la Parilla a los Mojos which is a huge piece of octopus coiled and set in two mojo sauces: verde & rojo (green & red). Corte de Cerdo Iberico is a 7 ounce pork loin from that same famous acorn-fed pig with garlic and pa'amb tomaquet on the side, just in case you did not have enough before. It was tender and superb, but the Carne a la Brasa was even tastier with a Roseda Farm(Maryland) flat iron steak grilled and sliced with mojo verde. We decided to share the sides and that was a great idea as the Grilled Veggie platter is huge and  has everything from mushrooms to sunchokes and more. Patatas al Caliu are roasted with beef fat and then there are the regular Patatas Frittas.

Alcachofa con Romesco was a huge artichoke heart served with the spicy sauce.

A review appeared the next day(yesterday) in the Washington Post by Tom Sietsma and I must agree that Tarta del Queso here might be one of the best cheesecakes anywhere!! It is a fluffy cheese made Basque-style with goat cheese and burnt on top then laded with a "walnut" sauce that counters the sweetness of the dish and is simply perfection. Others enjoyed the Flan and while the cheese was nice, I always yearn for those stinky runny cheeses (especially the famous blue Cabarales).

As if we had not had enough, Chef Ruben returned to say his farewells but only after proffering a gorgeous freshly made Chocho for each of us. They were warm and sweet and filled with gooey custard and the "croissant" style roll was sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. The best way to describe this is a custard -filled croissant churro--hence CHUCHOS. 

I have to note that Casa Teresa does offer a tasting menu with paired wines and you can be sure we will head back here in the Spring when we return from Down Under!

Thanks to this amazing team who made our evening so special! All the phots are on FB!

Chloe in SE DC is still superb (1-2-24)

First dinner out in the New Year was at Chloe with friends who lean vegetarian and there were no disappointments at all. I figured Chef Haidar Karoum would be recovering from New Year's Eve, but his team is so amazing there was not the slightest glitch with any of the superb dishes we ordered (except that I forgot to photograph two of them for FB!)

Our server Nikina was excellent and gave us some great ideas, even on the wines that were also top notch. With the chill in the air, we started with the Torii Mor 2021 Oregon Pinot Noir and then moved on to an earthy and full-bodied Dido "La Universal" Garnaxta/Syrah blend from Monsant in Priorat, Spain, one of my favorite wine regions.

Dishes here are meant to be shared and we did exactly that with the Garbanzo Felafel with roasted Garlic Yogurt, Mint (I could not taste it at all) and Pickled Veggies. The dish is a treat on a plate and has a nice spice kick to boot. It would have been perfection with a small piece of pita! If you like salads but don't feel like Burrata, just ask for the vegan version and you will get the Winter Avocado salad with quinoa, fennel, roasted butternut, pepitas and a pomegranate vinaigrette! For us, the logical progression after felafel was the Spiced Veal Hummus which is served with Beiruti hot sauce, pickled radish, buttered almonds and comes with a snowshoe naan to wrap it all up. The hummus has ground veal on top and is so flavorful you might be tempted to ask for seconds--don't as the portions here are quite large and we all decided to share a main which was the Norwegian Salmon with marinated cucumbers, piquillo peppers, castelvetrano olives and dill yogurt for one couple, while we loved the Spice Roasted Chicken with Vietnamese style greens, sticky rice and a toasted chili-lime dipping sauce. The huge 1/2 chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection while the sides and sauces made the dish simply wonderful. We also ordered a side of Crispy Fingerling Potatoes with boardwalk malt mayo, old bay and sea salt which are surely one of the best potato dishes around that I can ever recall. Crispy, crunchy and tasty...they could make a meal! The Pan Roasted Shitake & Cremini Mushrooms with ginger, garlic, chilies, soy and toasted sesame were also a hit!

We were way over full and could not even consider dessert, but had a super time and will make sure to keep Chloe in our minds (except during baseball season as it can be havoc to park there when the Nats play!); we even found a free space 1/2 a block away!

LA's Girl and the Goat gets great points for almost everything (12-26-23)

 About to head home from LA where we had our last family dinner of 2023 last night at GIRL and THE GOAT which is a huge space east of downtown in an old warehouse (that seems to be the ting these days) with high ceilings exposed pipes and sadly some of the most uncomfortable rattan woven chairs I have ever placed my butt in. Everyone here is very nice, and the service is excellent as is the food. Allison was very helpful, although we could have easily ordered less. The only other bad thing was the tendency to loud rap-ish music from time to time, which of course, Samuel did not mind. Our table was in a recessed back corner, so thankfully the din was lower there. When I told Allison we prefer novel wines she was thrilled with my first choice, an obscure Vermentino 2022 from Carneros in Napa called HERS by Rhyme Cellars. The nose was as fruity as could be, but on the palate the wine was creamy with a hint of minerals and tartness that we loved with the food which had a nice spiciness. 

Naan and dips came first with a huge piece of naan bread with spices and more on top that we pulled(or cut) apart and then used the two spreads for: Tahini tofu was awesome, and the Carrot "hummus" was also impressive. Chickpea Fritters are soft and creamy with parmesan cheese sitting on a bed of goat yogurt with herb chutney, crispy chickpeas, tamarind and sev, which is a crunchy noodle(think those chinese noodles) also made form chickpea on top. It's got everything going for it with so many different elements.

The Spicy Fried Shishitos come with zesty sesame dust, cotija cheese and goat yogurt and are delish, but I managed to get the one fire-branded super spicy one in the entire dish!

Will and I moved on to a glass of red with mine being the Saviah Cellars Tempranillo Blend 2020 from Walla Walla, Washington and Will going for the lighter Birichino "Scylla" 2022 Carignan Blend from Central Valley, CA. They were both yummy with our monstrous Sticky Glazed Pork Shank which came with pickled cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, hoisin mayo, hot mustard, naan and lettuce wraps. You made your own "sandwich" which was fun, if messy and boy, were we glad we decided to split this as we still could not finish it. The yummy Sauteed Green Beans with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette and Cashews were a superb side and Allison even brought one small dish with no fish sauce for Sam as many of the dishes can be made vegan or veggie here. Sam loved his Grilled Corn which was two whole cobs cut in half and seasoned with spiced coconut caramel, cotija and tajin. He said they were a tad sweet, but yummy. He also enjoyed his Sunrise Spritz made from Lychee, Galangal and Hibiscus Soda.

There was no way we could even ponder dessert, so we headed home and dropped Sam off and I said my goodbyes as I head home today(Will follows Sunday).

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

LA's YANGBAN yearns for better service but offers up terrific tastes (12-24-23)

 I had read about Chefs Katianna and John Hong and their amazing Korean-American YANGBAN in LA and was thrilled to find out they were doing a small Xmas eve tasting menu and offered a veggie version to boot. The fact that John was part Jewish and had married Jewish cuisine with Korean, made it even more tempting.

The space is in a south LA warehouse that has been converted with an outdoor space in an alley and a huge indoor space with a glass enclosed kitchen on the mezzanine you can see into. We ordered some drinks and our server Naima, who was very helpful and sweet, said they were not sweet, The Society was indeed sweet as it has soju and is called a martini for the initiated with vodka, vermouth, toasted rice soju and savory brine. Sam loved the Dokkaebier rice kolsch Korean beer.

We ordered a bottle of white after the sommelier/manager said the one I was looking at was novel and dry: Savagnin Fumey(odd spelling indeed) 2021 from Chatelian in Arbois was a novel and fine wine and worked with all the spices and various flavors as well.

First came the BITES and the guy who placed them down put a plate in front of Sam and said it was vegetarian. He tasted it and was not happy as it was the added plate we had ordered: Golden Prawn Toast with ama ebi, brown butter, yangban makgeolli golden sauce, cherry tomato and cured egg yolk. We called Naima over and she was horrified. That guy never came back. Sam did get a Zucchini Latke which he loved, and we also got the regular tasty bite which was the Hot Smoked Trout Schmear on griddled potato bread with dill chive and fresh horseradish!

Next came the Amuse of Steamed Egg Custard which we all loved, and Sam's had mushrooms while our had smoked trout, warm chicken fat and gremolata.

One of the highlights was the Green Tea Leaf Salad which apparently chef got from a Southeast Asian place he knew in San Francisco. It reminded me of the same dish in Myanmar we had so often there ages ago. It had gem lettuce, green cabbage, buchu, seasoned spinach, cucumber, tomato, snap peas, edamame, herbs and seeds and a fabulous nokcha-lemon vinaigrette all topped with crispy shallots!! We all gobbled it down.

The next courses started with Banchan, a selection of five side dishes highlighting local produce: Grilled Cucumber, Carrots and Dates with Honey & Yogurt, Broccoli with Yuzu & Chicken Skin(not veggie), Kimchi with Habanero and the Avocado & Shinku Pear with Hot Mustard Vinaigrette. We loved them all and all of a sudden Sam's main appeared which was a gorgeous Black Bean Mole with Fried Tofu.  We waited, and waited and waited and our two mains arrived eventually but Sam was already finished with his main. The Gochujang Braised Black Cod with Joseon Radish, rice cake, kabocha squash and sylvette arugula was fabulous and we also tried the ($30 surplus) Grilled King's Cut Short Rib with potato puree, grilled king trumpet and shitakes, galbi jus, toasted bread crumb, horseradish and chive. It was also sublime and tasty. A Domaine Ogereau 2021 Cabernet Franc "Lenjouee" from Anjou was excellent, although it took forever to arrive. 

Everyone was apologizing for all the service failures, and they tried so hard offereing us more wine(we refused) and champagne (we refused), but we accepted a glass of Amaro, which is not our favorite, but we thought would be a good digestif. They also sent out an additional (extra charge removed of $32) Lobster Congee Pot Pie of which we had a bite each as it came after all the mains were done. They really tried!!

Dessert was fabulous and Sam loved his "The Works" Sundae with Double 8 Buffalo Milk Soft Serve, Nurungi Puffed Rice, Chocolate Injeolmi and Doenjang Caramel(all the fotos are on FB) and we adored the Yangban Cheesecake with coconut biscuit, brown butter crust, coconut cream and local strawberry jam!

Many items were removed from the check and we really appreciated the efforts and would go back, but not on a set menu holiday for sure. The food was fun, novel and extremely tasty so we know that is not where the issues were.

LA's Le COMPTOIR conquers again (12-23-23)

 When Samuel first moved to LA in March 2022, I was thrilled to find that there was a superb veggie tasting menu offered at LE COMPTOIR in Hollywood/Koreatown and thee two of us had a super time on our first visit there. The review is posted in this blog (March 2022) and you will see that this intimate storefront space in the Normandie Hotel is limited to 12 seats and only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as well. The eight course tasting plus amuse is a set price paid when booked and the experience is worth every cent.

We returned again as we wanted Will to experience this unique dining treat seated at the counter facing Michelin-starred Chef Gary Menes (and on Friday, his assistant Chef Alan) at the counter bar behind which they create this journey through local ingredients that varies by season, though retains a similar feel menu-wise, so not a place you would go every week. 

We decided to do the wine pairings which are 7 smallish pours for $105, but some are rare and quite pricey wines. There are various supplements available such as the $125(!!) pasta with white truffles which Samuel did and the cheese course ($20) instead of dessert, which one of us did. The Wagyu main course runs $35 and is also worth it(we ordered one so Will and I could have the veggie main and the Wagyu to split).

The Amuse(all photos on FB) is always Kale "Chips n DIp" and our dip was a relish like ranch. Alan poured the Pouilly Fume Vieilles Vignes 2021 from Regis Minet(the same wine I had last time--different vintage) and we polished off the pour before we realized it was for the first course not the amuse! Alan did come back with some more later on. The first course was a Mendoza Farms Asparagus Veloute with a small mound of tart Cashew Greek Yogurt(vegan) and Sourdough bread croutons for a crunch. Flowers and Nasturtium leaves are on top for decoration. The rich soup was countered by the sour tart yogurt.

The second course takes quite some time for the chefs to assemble as it is called "Vegetable & Fruit" Plate and has up to 45 different ingrendients. We had 45 and it was impressive as the chefs layered on the various ingrendients each cooked differently with different styles and seasonings. There were bok choy, pea pods, celery, beans, Japanese eggplant, beets(many kinds), carrots (many kinds), squashes, onion, radishes, mushroom, cauliflowers, Brussels sprout, peppers, persimmon, orange, almond and so much more. Some were pickled, some charred, some sauteed; every which way it is a fund and tasty treat. The wine was a Jasnieres Cuvee de Silex 2022 Sauvignon Blanc that had a hint of sweetness that is negated totally when you start to taste the veggies.

The third curse "Heirloom Farm Egg 'en cocotte" is a signature dish that does not vary and comes topped with Reggiano, lettuce from our garden(the lettuce may vary), brown butter, lemon, herbs and served with a huge piece of toasted Sourdough bread (from a 29-year old starter). The egg is cooked in a miniature cast iron pan and each one topped with the cheese, lettuces and then bathed in butter! I love this dish and am so glad that nothing ever changes. Chateau Depire 2022 Grand Cru Savonnieres is a divine paring as well.

Our fourth course was a Sprouting Cauliflower Tempura served with two sauces and a confit grape tomato topped with chervil. Turnip Green Pistou gave me a great new idea for making pesto(beet greens are apparently great as well) and a Romesco Sauce was yummy as well. St. Aubin Premier Cru "Les Cortons" from Domaine LaRue was another great treat.

For the next course there were Blue Lake Beans atop Onion Rissole and Land Race Rye(berries, like wheat berries), Grape-Pistachio Vierge, Parsley and served in a Savory Broth. On its own, the broth was not exceptional, but once combined with all the ingredients, especially the crunchy rye berries, I was thrilled. 2022 Chinon "Les Beaux Monts" from Catherine & Pierre Breton was another amazing white wine.

For the next course Sam chose the Hand Cut Pasta alla Chitarra smothered in White Truffles from Alba, Italy shaved at the counter by Chef Gary (video on FB) and while rich and creamy was alas overpowered by too much salt making the truffle falvor less intense than it should have been. Final assessment: not worth the $125 price tag!

Our sixth course was Snow Peas, Japanese Mountain Yam, red Frill(lettuce), Red Plum in a divine Sauce Vin Rouge and served with a Poderi Colla 2020 Nebbiolo!

The veggie main was Chanterelle Mushrooms, Scallion, Pencil Cob Grits, Hearts of Romaine all in a Sauce Perigourdine which was delish and served with a Cune Grand Reserva 2016 Tempranillo from Rioja. The wine paired brilliantly with the American Wagyu with Pomme Pont Neuf (a potato designed to look like the famous bridge in Paris), Pea Tendrils and a Sauce Bordelaise. This was well worth the $35 supplement and the meat was as tender as it gets cooked to perfection.

The final course again remains the same and is chef's Donut Hole served with Chocolate, Chantilly Creme and Gaviota Strawberry Preserve so you can dip in all three sauces.

The cheese (for$20) varies by season as well and ours was yummy: Mt. Tam(California) triple creme, a UK Cheddar and St. Augur Blue(France) served with the Sourdough but now with almond and cherries as well as a local honey made in Long Beach.

Le Comptoir is a haven of French cuisine in LA that is a treat and not to be missed one of a kind dining experiences.

LA's Providence is near perfection and comes with a price tag too (12-22-23)

 I have always loved Providence in LA, a beautiful setting under the Relais et Chateaux banner where elegance, service and food are all at the forefront for a fabulous evening.

Whether vegetarian or not, Providence cooks up and amazing 8 course menu for $295 and then has more options and supplements such as cheese (we could not manage it), Wagyu (not needed) and white truffles (as it is the season, but wow they are soooo expensive, I went into shock!). There are two wine pairings for $145 or $290 and we chose the lesser and it was quite good for the most part.

We started with a drink called Rabbit Season which was a tad fruity and made with Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila, Habanada(a not spicy pepper--spicy would have been better), Red Bell Pepper, Carrots and Citrus. Sam said his Catalina Garibaldi with St Agrestis phony Negroni, orange strawberry and shiso was "alright." We marveled at the hanging metal art object above us in the 2-story atrium and Will called them metallic butts, one of the servers corrected him to metallic pumpkins; they were a tad weird. 

Multiple amuses arrived(photos of both the veggie and regular menu are on Facebbook) and they were all delish. We had Hiramasa with a shiso vinegar spray (proffered in a perfume bottle), Alderwood Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel with Beet Gelee, Vegetarian Ficelles(crispy filled cigar pastries) with an intense mushroom filling. For the two fish amuses, Sam got veggie versions. Another adorable and yummy amuse arrived in the form of a Parmesan cracker(more like cookie) with A-5 wagyu beef tartare and a smoked mustard that served as a "glue" to hold the cracker perched on a wooden cube. Again, Sam had a veggie version. Our wine was a sparkling Schrambsberg Blanc de Blanc.

Course I was called "One potato, two potato" and was nothing what I expected. There was a potato mousse with crispy potato croutons inside and the whole dish was covered with a huge gob of gorgeous Golden Kaluga Caviar and Garden Herbs (flowers and herbs from the restaurant garden were used on every dish). Sam had onion soubise and white truffles on his potato instead of caviar. We got a tad more Schramsberg as well.

Course II was Tai Sashimi made from Japanese snapper with Celtuce(this was an odd cross between celery and lettuce), Jicama, Passion Fruit Vinaigrette and Pickled Ginger. Black Olive Oil from Portugal was poured over as well, and we loved the slight sweet from the fruit that had tons of tart from the ginger and vinegar. Sam had a gorgeous Hande-made Silken Tofu  with Gingko Nut & Celtuce as well. Our wine was a Chateau de Villeneuve 2021 "Les Corniers" Chenin Blanc from Saumur. This was a superb pairing, as were most, but this one excelled.

Course III for us was three parts and called Salt Spring Island Mussel featuring the mollusks from a small island in British Columbia. A shell had an aerated mussel broth foam which was novel and then next to this was a Gratine mussel chopped up and served like a farci or stuffing. There was a covered bowl of Chawanmushi or fermented custard that was divine and had kombu and other ingredients that I failed to capture. the wine was an Arbe Garbe 2020 Malvasia, Chardonnay and Tokai Friuli blend. Sam got a Cauliflower Mille Feuille with 50-year Balsamic, veggies and white truffle (again--glad we didn't pay the price tag for the a la carte truffles) which even the staff marveled at as it was not on the menu and was something completely new from the chef.

When the magnificent loaf of crusty Red Fife Sourdough Bread arrived with an explanation of the Tehachapi Grain arrived, we all went into a tizz and immediately were addicted. It takes 3 days to make this tasty treat and the Normandy butter and sea salt were the perfect touches.

Course IV was Scallop(from Hokkaido, Japan) with a black truffle roulade, cauliflower puree, Scallop XO sauce and an aerated scallop tea on the side! Sam had chanterelles tortellini with tomato and black truffle. Our wine was Alexander Zahel 2022 Gruner Veltliner. I seem to have lost track of Sam's course here!

Course V was Vermilion Rockfish from Santa Barbara with a matching Santa Barbara Rose of Grenache 2022 from Zotovich. The fish had Oregon Matsutake mushrooms and Carrots from "The garden of..." which is the name of the provider all in a white prt carrot sauce. Sam had an Artichoke dish with Scarlet Runner Bean Ragout and preserved Black Truffle.

Course VI was an option for us, and Will chose the Swordfish from Gloucester, Mass. with black coco beans, smoked swordfish belly and black winter truffle and ginger. The wine was a 2018 Gamay Beaujolais from Blain in Brouilly. Sam's main was the Sunchoke with Tetsukabuto Squash and Pear Vadouvan while I chose the meat option(there was also a wagyu option) of Liberty Farms Duck from Sonoma with Ground Cherry(Gooseberry), Vadouvan, Chidori Kale, Celery Root, Duck Sausage and Swiss Chard. It was divine and cooked to perfection and served with a 2018 L'Arge d'Or Grenache from Santa Barabara which was akin to an orange wine, and I quickly got it replaced with a El Rapolo 2020 Mencia red!

Concord Grape, Mint and Cognac Granita was fun with shards of apple cider candy.

and the yummy but simple dessert that followed was just right after the huge meal. House-Made Hawaiian Dark Chocolate was smoked in house and served with coconut and Indonesian long pepper in a chocolate mousse with coconut milk fig-leaf infused gelato that looked like a chocolate version of the winged victory of Samothrace in the Louvre!  A chocolate mint tea was on the side. The sweet dessert wine was a Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc & Moscato blend from Marche in Italy called La Montata Passito that we loved.

There were more chocolates and homemade granola to take home as we could not face another bite! What a great first dinner here over the long holiday weekend with Samuel!