French Laundry Friday night reservation are know to be impossible to get....Challenged Accepted! After about 1000+ times of calling, I finally got it. No big deal.
Thomas Keller's French Laundry is known to be one of the best restaurants in the US and the world, due to it's food and the ability for one to make a reservation.
The Rustic look outside the French Laundry is definitely fascinating. Honestly, you can simply missed it as another house if you didn't know better. No one would've guessed that it has with one of the finest food in the world.
One can't come to the French Laundry and not check out their garden. A good portion of the kitchen's vegetable are farmed here. Well, you've got to appreciate the saying in ratatouille, "if you want the best vegetable, you either bribe the farmers or grow your own"
Gougere: Pate-a-choux pastry filled with sauce mornay and gruyere cheese
The infamous amuse bouche at French Laundry. The soft, slightly salted bread puffs filled with a mild cheese definitely provides a nice stimulus to your appetite.
Cornet: Scottish Salmon Tartare with red onion creme - fraiche and black sesame tuile
Another infamous amuse bouche. The salmon tartar provides a mild sweetness combined with a nice crunch from the cone. The black sesame tuile provides a nice little nutty flavor to the finish.
1a) "Oysters and Pearls" - "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar
Another signature stable of the French Laundry. This dish has been around for more than 15+ years and it's still the same formula (Caviar with Oysters). This exceptional dish draws in the mildly salty and brine of the caviar with the light brine from the oysters. Admiralty, the custard helps bringing the dish together to highlight both ingredients. Definitely a fitting start.
1b) "Hangtown Fry" Jidori Hen Egg Omelette, Bayonne Ham, Fried Oysters and Royal Ossetra Caviar
This exceptionally Omelette is a substitution of the oysters and caviar dish.The omelette is done to a perfection of smooth and a tiny bit of creamy texture. With the addition of the Ham which provides a nice sweetness to the omelette while the caviar provides the mild saltiness. The fried oysters was fried to a perfection as well, a little crunch to the skin of the fried oyster adds a different dimension to this dish.
2a) Jacobsen's Farm Apple Salad - Baby Beets, Red Walnuts and Dijon Mustard
The apple caviar provides a nice sweet crunch of the apple, while the fresh baby beets provides a nice little beet flavor just to "beet" you up a bit.
2b) Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Mille - Crepe" - Sea Urchin, Pickled Cherries, Sorrel and Black Truffle Coulis
Foie Gras and Uni..hm...this is the first time I've ever had this combo and, frankly, it works extraordinary well. The fresh Uni brings in a subtle brine while the foie brings in the nice smooth buttery, and a little bit of chocolate flavor. While the truffle coulis brings the earthiness to the foie, the cherries provides a nice sweetness to the foie. It's definitely a haunting dish as the ingredients combined so nicely together.
We were provided with a nice dinner roll from Bouchon.
3a) Sashimi of Geoduck Clam - Heart of Palm, Fennel Bulb, Tarragon and Orange - Espelette "Gelee"
The Geoduck is provides a nice chew, combined with the mildy sweet orange flavor creates a well balanced dish. Although, I had the luck of biting into a blob of fennel and paralyzed my taste bud for a second, it's still a great dish.
3b) Sauteed Fillet of Atlantic Cod - Summer Squash Artichokes, Toybox Tomatoes, Arugula and Spanish Saffron
This piece of fish is probably the best I've had this year. This perfectly cooked fished has a nice crunchy skin while the center is cooked to a nice medium rare with a little of translucent. Though seasoned, the flavor of the fish is greatly drawn out and combined really well with the light saffron. The natural sweetness of the tomato has also added a nice finish to this course.
4) Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Tail - Black Mission Fig, Piedmont Hazelnuts, Scallion Salad and Coffee-Chocolate Emulsion
This poached lobster tail is probably the best of its finest. Its natural sweetness combined with its nice meaty texture gives you a really great bite to it. I actually thought the chocolate would take away the lobster's sweetness, not the case here as the chocolate is mildly sweet. The caramelized figs added in a nice touch to this dish as it's mild sweetness combines really well with the chocolate.
5a) Devil's Gulch Ranch Rabbit Sirloin - Medjool Dates, nantes Carrots, Marcona Almonds, Cilantro Shoots and Madras Curry
This nice rabbit was quite tender, and especially the rib, is rather flavorful. It also combines well with the sweetness of the dates. Though I thought the sirloin was a little drier for a rabbit , however, it's still an amazing dish.
5b) "Ris De Veau" - Pine Nut "Risotto", Spigarello, Radish and Picholine Olives
This tender piece of sweetbread is cooked to a perfect tender, it's got this nice soft texture but firmness as you bite into it while simultaneously drawing out a nice beefy flavor. The most amazing part about this dish though, is the Pine Nut "Risotto"; it's cooked to a near perfection and gives off a nice crunch in the end.
6) Snake River Farms "Calotte De Boeuf Grillee" - Bone Marrow Pudding, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Marble Potatoes, Tokyo Turnips and "Mignonette Bordelaise"
This kobe-style beef is cooked to a near perfection. It's tenderness and juiciness captivate your very attention. The Mushroom, potatoes and especially the turnip provides a very great complementary to this dish. The turnip is especially sweet, which wraps up this course very nicely.
7) "Fourme D'Ambert" - Baby Corn, Jingle Bell Peppers, Romaine Lettuce and Hobbs' Bacon Vinaigrette
The blue cheese here is definitely the star of this dish. I appreciates the addition of lettuce and the bacon vinaigrette, which is a little sweet to balance to cheese. Though I'm not a blue cheese fan, I can still appreciate the creativity and the balance of flavor used in this dish.
8) Yellow Watermelon Sorbet - Basil - Honey and Saba Vinegar
The mildly sweet sorbet is served with a little melon caviar to create a mild and refreshing sweetness. The vinegar combined with watermelon also bring forth a mildly sweetness of the watermelon from a different angle. The basil puree, although faint, also helps to showcase this pallet cleanser.
9a) "Peach Melba" - Sicilian Pistachio "Pain de Genes," Andandte Diary Yogurt, "Biscotti" and Raspberry Sorbet
The peach Melba here highlights the creativity of the FL. The peach is slight sweet compare to the yogurt, which complemented well by the pistachio. The strawberry sorbet acts as a nice pellet cleanser after each bite of the yogurt.
9b) Caramelia Chocolate "cremeux" - Gros Michel Banana, Georgia Peanuts, "Dentelle" and Salted Popcorn Ice Cream
The chocolate is silky smooth while mildly sweet, the caramel helps to create that little crunch, combined with a nice salted popcorn ice cream. This creates a perfect end to the night.
"Coffee & Doughnut" & Chocolate Macadamia nut
These little donuts are perfectly crisp and soft, giving off a nice little sponginess and mild sweetness. The coffee is actually more of an moose/ice cream texture than an actual liquid coffee. The chocolate macadamia is also a nice little gifts which I had no problem finishing.
A little departing gift from the restaurant
Overall, this is what I expected from French Laundry and I totally understand why most people consider a dinner here magical. Every dish is creative, yet, a lot of restrain, which I appreciate alot. All the dishes really highlights its main ingredients and definitely make eating here a true world class experience. I'll be looking forward in my many next meals here, as I know this will not be my last.
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