Amuse - Buckwheat Popcorn
To start off the night, we were offered some buckwheat popcorn. I like their little crunch and it's a good way to start.
Amuse - Herb Salad Tart with Pistachio and Gravy
Our second amuse is a little salad tart. It's a refreshing little bite, with a well dressed salad to go along with a crunchy skin.
Amuse - Crispy Tapioca & Parmesan
This is one surprising little cube. The skin of the tapioca is nice and crunchy, while the inside ooze of cheese.
Amuse - "Garlic Bread"
This home made garlic bread is nearly heavenly and was one of my favorite bite of the night. The toast is roasted perfectly, with savory butter and a little herb on top. I can eat a ton of these
Amuse - Mustard Cream Brulee
This is an interesting little bite as the cream brulee is entirely flavored with mustard. Creamy and savory, the custard is nicely cooked. As always, my favorite part of a cream brulee is always the sugar and it was a job well done.
Avocado, Citrus, Crab Ceviche, Buckwheat Popcorn
Our first course is a California style dish. The crab is refreshing and sweet while the avocado add a bit of creaminess to the dish. I like the little extra buckwheat popcorn for the crunch as well.
Tomato Pulp, Charred Eggplant, Jamon Iberico De Bellota, Smoked Tomato
An interesting take on eating the Ham. I wasn't particularly interested in the tomato as it was a bit blend for me, but it does balance out the ham and charred eggplant, which were quite excellent by itself.
Radish, Burnt Bread, Fromage Blanc, Furikake
I am not a huge radish person but this dish is such an interesting way of eating it. The burnt brioche sauce and the fromage blanc offers a nice earthy and cheesy flavor, which go really well with the radish.
Confit Squid, White Asparagus, Caper Puree, Mascarpone
The squid is perfectly cooked. It was juicy, flavorful and tasty. Along with the mascarpone and white asparagus, this is definitely one of the better squid preparation I've eaten.
Veal Belly, Crispy Artichoke, Parmesan
This is actually my first time eating a veal belly, so I was pretty excited. The belly itself is juicy and not as fatty compared to a pork belly but offer the same texture. The artichoke offers a nice little crunch to the dish.
Strawberry Cake, Meringue, Chantilly
Our final course is a nice little strawberry cake. It was light, and mildly sweet. I like the Chantilly as it adds that extra spike to the dish
Mignardises
Overall, I liked my meal here. Alot of original flavors and it wasn't a boring meal. Some dishes definitely stand out more than others (the crab, squid and dessert). Maybe it's just me, I feel that there's a lot of restrain in Ludo's menu. Nevertheless, since Ludo has finally settled down at a restaurant, I'm sure he can go as wild as he wanted if the wind blows the right way.
