Next Restaurant - Vegan

As you know, I'm a next follower. The Vegan menu at Grant Achatz's next is definitely a nice follow-up to "The Hunt", as there's no meat in the Vegan. Obviously, raving review from Phil Vettel of the Chicago Tribune helps to solidify the opinion of this meal. However, I always like to make judgement of my own. Nevertheless, I feel fortunate and excited to check out this meal.

The center piece is definitely interesting. Fitting for the theme of the meal.

Frozen baked potato - purple potato mouse, chives

One of the first small bite is a little potato. The potato carried a nice seasoning, with crispy skin along with soft potato center. It reminds me of a mini potato skin. 

Starter and Burnt Avocado" - Mousse of avocado, togarashi, crispy kale bouquets

This is one of my favorite starter. The mousse is nicely flavored but leans more on the hearty side. I especially like the crispy kale, which I initially thought was seaweed as it offers a seaweed consistency of crunchiness but with bolder flavor.

Baby Artichoke - artichoke mousse

Another small bites comes in the form of mousse. The artichoke mousse is hiding in the heart. With a gentle scoop, you can get everything out. The mousse itself is surprisingly creamy but light. However, I don't taste too much of the artichoke itself.

1) Miso Sprouted tempeh - Sprouted tempeh, soy sauce, sprouting basil -
2) Early Grey Rambutan - "Gelee"
3) Spinach Nori "Dumpling"

A trio of appetizer, I started with the Miso tempeh, which tasted rather fishy. The brininess combined with the saltiness of miso and soy sauce becomes quite a nasty bite. The texture is a bit of a mush also. However, the failed tempeh bite is redeemed by a sweet rambutan jelly. It was mild, not overly sweet and light. The spinach Nori was my favorite in this trio. It was nicely seasoned, fluffy and has a nice fish flakes flavor to it. However, no where do I detect spinach flavor. But I still liked the bite.

Fermented apples and Lichen - apple sorbet, rose petals, cashew, reindeer lichen, apple gel.

Our first course is an apple sorbet with cashew. The sorbet carries a nice, mildly sour but sweet flavor. Along with the crushed and powdered cashew, this becomes a really nice starter. I especially like the cold, salty and sour combo of this dish.

3-ways Lily Pond with celery leaf and sorrel

I've had lily pond before, however, this is my first time eating 3 different ways together. The different ways were charred, raw and glazed. The result? A nice combo of texture as the mushy texture is balanced by a more solid/raw texture. Surprisingly, the dish carries a nice hearty texture to it. Just to note, the celery leaf and sorrel used here are actually in the center piece of the table. Pretty cool aye?

Rice Yogurt and Purple Asparagus 3-ways - White aspragus, rice yogurt, rice crackers, tarragon

One of my favorite courses of the night, the rice yogurt shines and, at times, over shadow the Asparagus. It carries a mild sweetness with a rich but not heavy texture, makes me want to lick the plate clean! The asparagus was served in 3 ways: vinaigrette, braised and with pear. I actually like the pear combination the most, as the sweetness of the pair balanced a somewhat blend flavor of the asparagus.

3-ways Salsifies with oyster leaf and dandelion - crispy, charred, boiled, arugular

The Salsifies are nicely cooked and done perfectly to their individual preparation. The boiled salsify is obviously what you expect it to be. However, the brininess from the oyster does a great job in complimenting the salsify. The charred version is nicely flavored and carried a little crunch. The coolest way to eat a salsify is the crispy version. It was practically fried, leaving the skin crispy and I thought I was eating a potato chips at times. An excellent dish and highlighted the different use of it

Swiss Chard leaf and douchi seitan - battered leaf, pepper jelly, Bean curd, onion

I must say, I've never had a Seitan before and I don't think this will be my last. The seitan carries a nice "meaty" flavor, which sort of resembles meat to me. Along with the spices that goes along with the mix, the seitan was a bit tangy too. The swiss leaf is nicely fried and crispy, which provides a nice complement to the seitan.

kombu atoll (tofu skin) - Yuzu

The tofu skin carried a nice yuzu flavor but still has a nice tofu flavor. It's very light, but carries a hearty "umami" tone to it. 

"Mushroom cart" - sunflower seed "risotto", sunflower pedal, maitake, king trumpet, morel and oyster mushroom

I'm a sucker for sunflower seed and this is absolutely my other favorite of the night. It's definitely a heavier dish. With the sunflower seeds providing that risotto crunchiness, the flavor itself is a classic mushroom puree. However, one of my biggest concern is that I can't tell which mushroom am I eating as it's all mushed in together. But the dish tasted great and I believe that's the single most important thing.

red onion - inspired by Stupak - avocado puree, brussel sprouts, serrano pepper, quinoa wire, micro-cilantro

I thoroughly enjoyed the Brussels sprouts leaf in this dish as it carries a nice, heart and crunchy texture. 

Harissa curry roasted cauliflower - tunisian spices

This is one of the most interesting dish. The curry carries a pungent spice to it, which offer a heavy spice flavor. Combined with the roasted cauliflower, making this dish quite the treasure. 

Szechuan Berry & "olive oil jam" and bitter chocolate - chocolate cake, freeze dried strawberry, olive oil

We are instructed to eat the Szechuan Berry first, which numb my taste bud and I really dislike it. However, I guess that's the point of a pallet cleanser, since it wasn't alot of heat, my taste bud is able to come back and taste the chocolate cake, which is mildly sweet. Combined with the freeze dried strawberry, this is a very creative way to restarting your taste bud to transition from main course to dessert.

Hibiscus and Pistachio - Hibiscus cake, vanilla syrup, pistachio.

The hibiscus cake is actually raspberry flavor, while it offers a nice cake consistency. Along with the cake is a nice little capsule of vanilla syrup which is encased by a caramel case. Upon breaking, a coconut flavored liquid comes out, adding sweetness to the cake. 

steamed crepes (kinda like mini pancake really) - vanilla & maple, chocolate, passion fruit

The crepes are all a bit spongy while carrying a mild sweetness of different flavors: vanilla, chocolate and passion fruit. I especially like the passion fruit one, as it carries a citrus sweetness to it. 

This meal initially comes off as a bit blend and I didn't quite understand why am I eating so much spice. But after thinking about it, it hits me with its creativeness: using different spice and flavor to draw out the vegetable. Surprisingly, I did not miss the protein in this course and that's my biggest surprise. Such creativeness between using texture and flavor really lives up to my expectation of next, and I guess being a Vegan isn't all that bad, albeit all the restrictions.   

Elizabeth Restaurant

Elizabeth, helmed by Alinea alum, Iliana Regan, has been on my radar since October last year when it opened. The curiosity has gone up further after the restaurant receives raves of review. Some went further to call it an "Alice in wonderland" experience. After a few months since it opened, I finally made a reservation to check out her food.

English Pea and Trout Roe

To start off the evening, we were served a pea custard. The custard has a creamy texture and a light pea flavor while the trout roe balances the plate via its saltiness. The potato also provided a nice textural and rustic flavor to a rather light dish  

Borscht Experiment - Beet gel, smoked tea, creme fresh, dill, crunchy beet

This beet dish takes me back to chemistry class with the syringe and plate. The tea provides a nice smokiness to go along with the mildly sweet beet gel. The combination extenuates the sweetness of the beet and makes it less "beety", making the dish more friendly to non-beet lover. The nice part about this dish is the crunchy beet, which gives the gel dish a little more texture and a tad of saltiness.

Salad Sponge - Argular sponge, hazelnut creame, honey

This is one of Ilana's famous dish. The fluffy sponge carries a light arugula flavor. Combined with the honey and hazelnut, it becomes quite a delightful dish in the sense that it feels as I'm eating a candied salad. 

Pierogi - Mascarpone cheese

This is definitely one of the highlight of the night. The mascarpone cheese is wrapped inside a crunchy, yet slight chewy, skin which delivers a nice, warming and rustic flavor. The best part is, contrary to most Pierogi, this one is very light and you wouldn't feel too cheesy afterward.

Shrimp Noodles - Parmesan Cheese, Kale

The shrimp noodle has a nice chew to it while it carries the sweet natural shrimp flavor. This bite is heightened further by the well seasoned crunchy kale, which provides a textural difference to the bite.

Fava Beans, Asparagus, Cous Cous and Octopus

Per Ilana, the Octopus was braised then charred before serving, leaving the octopus nice and crispy on the outside with a hint of smoky flavor, while the meat itself is moist and juicy. I actually enjoyed the cous cous here, as it provides a tapioca-like texture to this course.

Terrarium - Ramps from where they came - Grams, Early Grey Tea, Seaweed, Pickled Olives

These bad boys were hanging right next to us prior to the course was served. The gram provides a nice earthy tone to the entire dish, combined with the seaweed and pickled olives, creates an umami flavor that's hard for you to let even one gram left on the dish. 

Shoots and Tubers - Artichoke, Halibut, Dry Grapefruit and Woodland Aroma

The butter poached halibut is perfectly cooked, moist and tasty. The dry grapefruit, when eaten together with the fish, offers a sweet but citrus crunch to the fish. Making this a very nice bite. 

Hand Course - Prosciutto wrapped Langoustine

We were asked to form a fist by our server, then we were presented this nicely wrapped Langoustine. The Langoustine was nicely poached and paired well with the Proscuitto, offering a nice combination of sweet and saltiness.

Rabbit Featuring leg and foie gras - ketchup, pickled radish

The tender Rabbit leg terrain is nicely flavored and complimented by a savory foie gras, which makes the dish a little heavier than it looks. The picked radish offers a refreshing crunch to wrap up the dish.  

Hen and Egg - Poached Quail Egg, Chicken Skin, Polenta, Shaved Truffle

The hen is offered in two ways, as a sausage and itself. The sausage is nicely flavored and has a chew to it, while the normal version is nicely flavored. The quail egg is nicely cooked and served along with a smooth polenta. 

1 Pill makes you Larger - Maitake mushroom consume, coconap

I've had a version of this at Next. However, this version of the soup is less intense and has edible coconap. It actually works quite well as the chocolate flavor gets drawn out further by the saltiness of the soup.

Acorn, Deer Heart, Morels and Wild Berries

This is actually my first time having deer heart and I won't make it my last. It's got a chewy texture that offers a lush flavor, complimented by a chewy, yet meaty, acorn and the sweet berry sauce, turning this into a great first impression of deer heart.

Round Pancake - Goat Cheese, Dry Cherries

The soft pancake with goat cheese definitely makes me rethink what pancake is. It's soft but spongy, along with the sugar powder and mild cheese, makes me want a giant plate of them.

Rabbit and Nettles - Bacon, Broccoli crown, Bacon Powder

The rabbit loin is nicely cooked: it's juicy, has a great meaty texture. It's further highlighted by the bacon wrapped around it. The broccoli that compliments this is well seasoned and provides that nice, refreshing little crunch to pair with a rather heavy course. 

Lamb Loin with Carrots and Cardamom - Tapioca, Broccoli, Egg Custard, Walnut Puree

The lamb is nicely cooked, complimented by a sou vide carrot which later is coated with "ash". The carrot puree is the highlight here, as it adds that sweet savoriness to the dish. However, personally, I didn't quite get the tapioca and egg custard.

Carrot Dashi

As we were consuming our previous course, a carrot dashi is made right in front of us. I've seen this preparation at the Aviary, which is always cool to look at. This carrot soup has a nice rustic sweetness that a concentrated but only light carrot soup can provide. This nicely wrap up the meaty courses from earlier.

Garden Ice - Arugula Granita

The sorbet provides a refreshing tone for the meal. It was light, mildly sweet. It reminds me a little bit of grass juice at times. 

Rhubarb and Goat Milk - Goat Cheese Cake, Goat Cheese & Stinky Tofu Ice Cream, Gram Cracker, Dehydrated Strawberry

The mildly sweet cheese cake is complimented by a very "blue cheesey" ice cream, which paired really well with the gram cracker. I was surprised by how "stinky" the ice cream is when consumed. However, the sweet gram cracker offsets the stinkiness. The rhubarb adds a little crunch to the dish, however, its light flavor is simply over powered by the cheesecake. 

Bites - Chocolate cookies, Almond Custard & Candied Elderberry

As we wrap up the evening, we were offered chocolate cookies, which is more like a brownie as it nicely crumbled when I bite into it. The elderberry is an interesting bite as it's a bite chewy. Reminds me of soft juicy stinky candy.

All in all, Elizabeth provides a nice dining experience. I really appreciate Ilana's use of produce and how she can extenuate and highlight their flavor. Some courses such as the sponge, the pea puree, pierogi, the shrimp noodles and the grams are all exceptional. The restaurant is still new and I envision Ilana will do great things in the future. Hence, I look forward to my return.

Grace Restaurant

Chef Curtis Duffy's Grace, one of the most anticipated restaurants opening in Chicago in 2012, finally opened late last year after delays. Located in the ever expanding culinary district in west loop of Chicago, you can easily pass the restaurant if you walk/drive by. Nevertheless, the restaurant has already garnered a few recognition from the press and it was named as one of the best restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.

I was so psyched about this restaurant when I heard it finally opens and I gladly grabbed a reservation a few weeks after it opened.

Amuse Bouche

Osetra Caviar - Meyer Lemon, Kumquat Jam, Chive

To start off the night, I've been offered a caviar course. The saltiness of the caviar is paired with a creamy custard that's mildly sweet. Along with the kumquat jam which provides a citrus sweetness makes this a great start for the evening.

Nairagi - Golden Trout Roe, Pomelo, Thai Basil

For our second course, we are served with the Nairagi (Marlin). It is placed inside a cylindrical ice and we literally break the ice to get to our food, which is always fun to do. The fish itself is very light, and has a smooth texture. The highlight of this course is the coconut pudding that compliment the fish. It's light, refreshing and consist of a moderate Thai basil flavor.

Warm Cucumber - Burnt orange, Idiazabal, Peruvian Oxalis

Our next course is a cucumber course. The cucumber is crunchy and light, goes along with a burnt orange flavored broth. However, I find the broth by itself is a bit too bitter for me.

Scottish Salmon - crispy red cabbage, Citrus Pudding, Marigold, Potato

The Salmon in this dish is superbly cooked. It was moist, light and smooth. The citrus foam added an extra element to the fish as it provides citrus to it. The potato that's wrapped in the cabbage is creamy but consist of a nice chunkiness that I can eat a bowl of.



Grilled Matsusaka Beef - King Trumpet, Salsify, Mashua Leaf

The nicely grilled Matsusaka beef is the way I like it: juicy, tender and nicely flavored. The mushroom is juicy and provides a nice earthiness which pairs nicely to the beef.



Veal Cheek - Red wine braised endive, sunflower seed, black mint

The Veal cheek is extremely tender, which provides a nice heartiness to the evening. The sunflower seed provides that crunch to go with the cheek as soft and crunchy goes together. The endive also provides a nice contrast to the tender veal cheek.



Poached Pear - Elderflower, tamarind juice, bronze fennel 

Caramelized Sudachi - toasted cashew, asian pear, Nasturtium

Think of this course as a very light creame brulee. The sudachi is encased by a crystallized ginger on the top. The sudachi brulee is creamy, yet light and not overwhelmingly sweet. The crunch of the cashew, along with the mild sweetness of the pear make this course a pleasant dessert treat.

Dark Chocolate - raw chesnut, persimmon, lemon mint

Our last course is a dark chocolate course. I've never been a big fan of dark chocolate, but this dark chocolate is actually not too bad since it's not bitter. It's complimented by a mildly sweet persimmon puree and a dense chocolate waffle which make the course a pretty nice bite.

mignardises - dark chocolate & caramel chocolate shell

As the evening end, we are given a little treat before we leave. The caramel chocolate shell is really fun as some light caramel liquid is held inside the thin chocolate shell, one bite and the liquid burst into your mouth. I guess you can say we ended the night with a burst.

The food at Grace is absolutely delightful to have. It's very light, thoughtful and creative. I do at times crave for big flavor through the meal. However, Chef Duffy mentions that he wants to keep his food light but flavorful, which I can understand as not all great food has to be saturated with butter and cream. I would want to return in the summer as I believe the summer season would provide a much better ingredient for Chef Duffy's style of food.