Septime, Paris

Septime (95€, 2/13/2020, 7- Course incl. VAT)

Chef Bertrand Grébaut started his culinary career at the three-star L’Arpège and subsequently won his own Michelin star as the opening Chef at L’Agapé. Chef Grébaut has once said “I wanted to liberate good French food from expensive hotel dining rooms”. He had his theme on making creative, plant and vegetable-focused dishes that change every two weeks. Because it is a surprise tasting menu at dinner, it is important to specify any intolerances or food allergy. English menus were not available, descriptions in parenthesis are the Google translation.

Septime is located near the Bastille area. The restaurant was decorated in a relaxed and unpretentious way, no white tablecloth, wooden tables/wooden chairs and the spiral staircase, forcing the diners to direct serious attention to the plate. It offered a tasting menu of 7 courses. I requested for an additional course toward the end of the meal. Therefore, I had an 8-course meal with extra charges.

I.Amuse Bouche

1. Bouillon de Racines (Root Bouillon) – Soup made from root vegetables including celery, parsley, nasturtium, Jerusalem artichoke. It was well-seasoned and tasty.

2. Flat Bread au Blé Ancien, Comté et Truffe (Flat Bread with Old Wheat, Comté and Truffle) – Light and crusty flat bread covered with 18-month aged Comté cheese and topped with Périgord truffles. Cheese was siphoned with air and yielded with smoother texture. It was just delicious and I wished I could have more.

II. Bouillabaisse, Seiche d’Oléron et Noisette (Bouillabaisse, Cuttlefish from Oléron and Hazelnut)

Sliced raw cuttlefish, from the island of Oléron which is the largest island on the French Atlantic coast, and al dente confit potatoes were the main ingredients. Cuttlefish, cut into ½ inch slices, was fresh and succulent and potatoes was cut in #9 spaghetti size and poached in hot water for a few second. The texture of potatoes was amazing, while it still retained its crispiness, it did not have that raw potatoes taste. Soup base was made of bouillabaisse and saffron, it was thick enough to coat the spaghetti-like potatoes. Chef also complemented the overall taste by including hazelnut oil. The superb creativity and perfectness of this dish was under estimated by its appearance.

III. Cerf de la Meuse, Chou Pontoise, Sabayon Miso (Meuse deer, Chou Pontoise, Sabayon Miso)

Venison was prepared in Gravlax style, cured with sugar and pepper then dried for 24-48 hours. Diced venison was served with miso sabayon, venison bone infused oil, and vinegar. At the very top, there was a piece of marinated Pontoise cabbage leaf covering part of venison and sprinkled with togahachi spice. Venison was tender, tasty and flavorful (probably from the extra step of using venison bone infused oil), without gamy taste. The Pontoise cabbage has been on the lands around Paris since the 16 century, and is recognizable by its curly leaves, less compact than the white cabbage and has a purplish tender center. It is particularly tender, sweet and sugary. It can be eaten raw or cooked, sold all winter long. Pontoise cabbage is also known for its therapeutic benefits, it is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and anti-oxidant.

IV. Potage Cressonnière, Pralin de Graine de Courge (Watercress Soup, Squash Praline)

It was sautéed spinach, sorrel and watercress; their flavor was rather unconventional. Upon inquiry, I found out Chef used infused nuts oil to sautée the vegetable. Nuts infused oil did produce a delicate and pleasant flavor. In addition, Chef also served thickened cream from Normandy, water cress velouté and roasted pumpkin seeds paste to complement the taste and flavor. Velouté is one of the five “mother sauces” of French cuisine. Using velouté to balance the richness of cream and still offer the levelness of fresh vegetables was an excellent practice by the Chef.

V. St. Jaques en Coquille, Lard Fumé et Burre Laurier (Scallops in Shell, Smoked Bacon and Bay Butter)

I have not had Coquille St. Jacques for a while. Loved to eat it again. Scallop, from St. Malow, was roasted half-raw and served with lardo (smoked bacon from Southern France), red fermented berries and fermented mushroom. Sauce was made of bay leaf butter and wine (Chenin Blanc wine from Anjou Mosse). My server informed that Chef was very particular about the type of wine used in the sauce. Chef was also very keen on using fermented vegetable to render a more sophisticated taste. Scallop was tender, and succulent. Lardo gave scallop more juice in the chewing process. Another dish of perfect taste and flavor.

VI. Poulette du Patis, Noix Pickles et Truffe Noire (Patis Chicken, Pickles Nuts and Black Truffle)

One piece of hen breast meat and one piece of hen thigh meat were broiled to golden brown on skin. Hen was prepared like doing Patis fried chicken. Patis fried chicken is a crispy and tasty recipe that requires chicken marinated in fish sauce and ground black pepper before coated in flour or cornstarch mixture. Chef did his best to minimize the coating while still kept the skin crispy and meat juicy. Hen was served with sauce made of meat juice and black truffle and pickled walnut, and mushroom purée. This was supposed to be the last savory dish. But I felt that I have not had enough yet. I, therefore, requested for one additional course which I would pay extra for the cost. Chef delightfully agreed to prepare for a seafood dish.

VII. Turbot, Sauce Moule Pimenton, Oseille Rouge (Turbot, Chili Mold Sauce, Red Sorrel)

The turbot is a relatively large species of flatfish found on menus in the whitest of the white-tablecloth restaurants. Like halibut, turbot is a highly prized species often regarded as the best of the flatfish with great flavor and firm, white flesh. Chef used wild-caught Atlantic turbot and a rarely used classic sauce made of Vin Jaune, pimento and mussels’ juice. In addition, red sorrel and smoked paprika was sprinkled on top. A few pieces of white flesh placed on the edge of plate were the meat from turbot fin which has different texture from the fish fillet. I also noticed that the fish fillet was only slightly browned, probably it was not boiled under the high heat.

Vin Jaune is French for “yellow wine” whose production is concentrated in the Jura region in eastern France. Even though it is yellow – more like a sweet dessert wine in its look, Vin Jaune is as dry as a wine can get. It has a complex and distinctive flavor marked by notes of pine resin, curry, citrus, nuts, salt and anis. Vin Jaune is made from grapes harvested in late October when the sugars have developed enough to have a potential alcohol level of 13-15% for the finished wine.

Fish was tender and with subtle taste-of-the-sea flavor (less browning made it less fishy), accompanied by the extraordinarily elaborate sauce. It was the perfect way of ending the savory dishes.

Palette Cleanser – Crème à la Feuille de Citronnier, Citron Caviar (Lemon Leaf Cream, Lemon Caviar)

Penna cotta with citrus jam, pepper, and lemon tree leaves infused dill oil. It was a light, delicious and refreshing.

VIII. Glace au Pain et Miel, Avoine et Lait d’Amande (Bread and Honey Ice Cream, Oats and Almond Milk)

The 1st one was Bread and Honey Ice Cream with finely toasted oats crumble on the side and pollen and almond milk on top. It was not overwhelmingly rich in substance, but rich in flavor.

The 2nd one was petit puff. Its outside texture was a bit crunchier than puff. Inside was filled with yummy custard, dough was made of flour and ground nuts.

Chef Grébaut’s cooking style is produce-centric and “naïve, spontaneous, balanced” as described by himself. Tastes and textures are amazingly and intriguingly playing off to a perfect way with genuine creativity. It is notoriously difficult and frustrating to get a reservation at Septime. We had to get up at 4 am Eastern time to make a trans-Atlantic phone call. We were lucky enough to get a reservation to experience such an extraordinary gastronomic satisfaction. Was it worth the hassle? The answer is a definite “yes”. Septime’s current Tasting menu priced at €95 is a true steal for a one Michelin Star restaurant in Paris.

Pujol, Mexico City

Pujol, Mexico City (MXN 2554, 1/25/2020, 7- Course incl. VAT)

The foodie scene in Mexico and in South America has exploded in the past few years. Look at San Pellegrino top 50 restaurants and you will see the big three in Mexico: Biko, Quintonil and Pujol (currently ranks #3 on the top 50 list). However, there are no Michelin-starred Restaurants in Mexico because there is no Michelin guide published for Mexico. Even though Pujol was not awarded with a Michelin star, its chef/owner Enrique Olvera owns Cosme, a one Michelin-starred restaurant in NYC. Chef Olvera, a native of Mexico, graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 1997, has brought fame by his reinterpretation of Mexico’s traditional and popular recipes as well as his experimentation with contemporary and old culinary techniques. The name of the restaurant is a slurring of Pozole, Chef’s nickname in high school.

The traffic in Mexico is notorious because of the frequency and extent of protests allowed by the current leftist president. In the afternoon of January 25, there was a protest which almost paralyzed the cross-town traffic. To make the matter worse, our taxi driver has mistakenly taken us to the old location of Pujol. We had to walk from Pujol’s old location to the current location in Polanco neighborhood. Thru continuous texting, I was able to convince them that I was on my way to make the appointment and they were kind enough to hold my reservation despite I made it there with a 45-minute late arrival.

Chef Olvera acknowledged that the experiences in running Cosme in NYC has helped him to plan the relocated new Pujol with a more casual setting (no white tablecloth, tables are moderately close of each other), and a Mexico-themed interior design based on modern wood/stone, plants and water. He has said “We want to be the favorite restaurant of people, not the best restaurant.” The name “Pujol” is a slurring of Pozole, Chef’s nickname in high school.

There were two sets of tasting menus – vegetarian menu and regular menu, both 7- course. I chose the regular menu. It started with Amuse Bouche.

I.Amuse Bouche – Street Snacks. They were a small barrage of dishes playing on the traditional Mexican streets. Each snack was well-executed.

1.Sopecito – Also known as picadita, is a traditional Mexican dish originating in the central and southern part of Mexico. It looks like an unusually thick tortilla, made of corn dough, vegetables, meat, fried beans, cheese, lettuce, onion, red or green sauce (salsa). In this course, the shell was topped with avocado slice, serrano pepper and cilantro topping. Mexican cuisine was never my most favorite. But I had to admit this delicacy was quite pleasant.

2.Grilled Carrot – This was served in a gourd with smoking corn husks inside, contributing to the sensation that the vegetable was hot off the grill. The carrots themselves were coated with a chile mayonnaise and sprinkled with powdered spices. These two carrots were partially wrapped by corn husks, their taste and flavor were amazing. Upon inquiry, I was informed the black powder coating was Chicatana ants. It has a very sophisticated flavor, a combination of slightly smoked aged beef, shell fish and truffle.

Chicatana is a giant flying ant that emerges once a year during the first major rain of the season when they are trying to escape their flooded nests to search for food. The local indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Guerrero and Chiapas regions have been collecting and consuming these insects since pre-Hispanic times. Nowadays, they are considered a delicacy item since their price is relatively high, they are hard to catch, very aggressive, found only once a year. But these insects are also nutritious, very tasty and a great source of sustainable protein. An elaborate dish “salsa de chicatana”, which is a smoky sauce ground in a “molcajete” with garlic, salt and chilies is considered a great companion to Mezcal.

Incidentally, I found a pack of Chicatana at the museum shop of Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. I shall experiment with it one day.

II. Chayote Squash, Scallop Pico

This is the season of chayote squash which was one of the several foods introduced to the old world during the Columbian exchange. Cooked chayote squash has a firmer texture than cucumber or zucchini. In this course, cooked chayote was thinly sliced and topped by even more thinly sliced raw scallop (almost like a sheet of paper). It was a true practice of cutting technique. Chef used the same ingredients but different way of preparation. In addition to the sliced chayote squash, Chef also pickled chayote and cut them into small dice to bring out a more sophisticated flavor.

The inclusion of Manzano pepper was another kicker. Manzano ripen to a brilliant yellow-orange color ball-sized apple upon maturity. They are hot and spicy, with a refreshing citrus flavor.

Mexican like to eat chayote seed. In this course, it was placed on top and adorned with fresh fennels. To make this course more balanced, Chef used habanero oil with lemon juice for the sauce. Habanero pepper packed quite a punch for heat and flavor, moderate use was ideal for an otherwise less stimulating dish. Overall, this course was so delicate and well-balanced, yet flavorful and tasty.

III. Kampachi Ceviche, Cacahuazintle Juice, Celery, Yuzu

Kamapachi is a delicious, premium sashimi-grade yellowtail fish, has a distinctively fresh, sweet flavor and firm texture. Fish was marinated in cacahuazintle sauce (corn + ginger + yuzu) and jalapeno pepper. Cacahuazintle is an old heirloom variety corn of white dent maize originating in Mexico. Yellowtail, cut in 1 x 1-inch cubes, were served with sea asparagus, onion, criollo avocado, diced cucumber, celery, chives and nasturtium leaves. Fish was with very high quality (melt in your mouth) and perfectly flavored with the sauce. The greens vegetables were fresh and delicious. It was one of the best ceviche that I have ever had.

Criollo avocado is one of the smaller types of avocado, the size of a small egg, with an edible black skin and a large pit, has a creamy-nutty-oily flesh.

IV. Octopus, Chintextle, Pickled Carrot

Octopus was cooked until soft, then grilled with excellent taste and texture. It was served with sliced pickled carrot, carrot green and lemon verbena leaves. In addition, a variation of carrot in carrot purée was served. Sauce was made of dry chili, pumpkin seeds, chili costeño (moderately hot and fruity from Oaxaco), cilantro criollo (It tastes like cilantro, only stronger) and balsamic vinegar. My server told me this dish has been her favorite. But I prefer Kampachi because the flavor and taste of Kampachi was just perfect.

V. Striped Bass, Mole Verde, Fava Bean, Kosho

A thick fillet was grilled to perfection, the crispy skin looked quite interesting. Upon inquiry, I was informed by the server, fish skin was brushed with habanero pepper oil while being grilled under the high heat. Pea and fava bean purée was served on the side along with parsley and kosho sauce made with fermented serrano pepper and guajillo (a dry form of mirasol chili, a mild dried chile with a complex fruity flavor). The fermented pepper sauce made the overall taste and flavor distinctive.

VI. Mole Madre 2099 days, Mole Nuevo

The pre-dessert course, “mole madre” was a change of pace, and the course was very unique and special. The dish was presented with a dark outer circle of mole that had been aged for “2099 days,” while the inner portion was a brighter, newly-prepared mole on the then current day. Every other day, Chef would save close to one-third of the aged mole to mix with the nuevo portion and save this combined mole for the following day. This refill process would keep going on every day. The aged mole, as you could expect, had a smooth, rich flavor. The new mole was more salsa-like in texture, having a bit more acidity and punch to it. When you tasted both versions, you would definitely notice the difference. Mole was made of 100+ ingredients ranging from varieties of nuts, chocolate, spices, chilies, fruits, chicken broth or turkey broth. It required a lot of ingredients and took a lot of work. Our server recommended to eat the mole with corn tortillas. It was a bit too spicy and heavy for me. Someone who liked Mexican cuisine probably could enjoy it better. 

Palette Cleanser – Tangerine Sorbet with Yuzu

A scoop of lovely and refreshing tangerine and yuzu flavored sorbet. I would not mind to have another serving.

VII. Matcha Nicoatole, Soursop, Shiso, Basil

It included soursop ice cream with truffle oil at bottom. Soursop is native to tropical regions of the Americas. This prickly green fruit has a creamy texture and a strong flavor that is often compared to pineapple or strawberry. The flavor and taste of ice cream was also enhanced by shiso and basil, and the lemon infused oil at the bottom.

Ice cream was accompanied by the beautiful green corn cake flavored with Japanese matcha tea powder. Very refreshing.

The 2nd plate was the pinwheel-shaped churros with nuts and dusted brown sugar. Churros probably is one of the most popular dessert in Mexico. It was presented more esthetically in this course. In addition, the kneading, frying process and the type of oil used were better executed to produce a less greasy and longer churros.

I am grateful to the kindness of Pujol’s reservation office to hold my appointment beyond ordinary tolerance of lateness. My first Mexican gourmet meal was a delightful and a quasi-Michelin Star experience. Service was professional and in orderly manner. Chef has got an incredible sense of flavor amalgamation that enable him to explore of Mexico’s universe of ingredients, and gastronomic techniques and traditions, and to achieve the well-balanced flavor and taste while still being creative. Nevertheless, other Michelin-star restaurants offering equivalent quality with more affordability are available.

The Ledbury, London

The Ledbury, London, 9/9/2017 (8-Course, £145 incl. VAT & Gratuity), French, Michelin 2-Star

The Ledbury is located in the trendy Notting Hill section of London. Its chef Brett Graham has been one of London’s most celebrated chefs. Its cuisine is considered vibrant, inspirational and seasonal.

I chose the 8-Course Tasting menu and started with Amuse Bouche.

Amuse Bouche

a). Mussel Mousse with Seaweed Cracker

At the bottom, there were some Kumbu dry seaweed for display only because they were not cooked yet. On top of it, there was a piece of fried seaweed cracker made of meshed rice and seaweed. On top of cracker, some mussel mousse with many tiny transparent balls. These were made by melting agar (unflavored gelatin) in hot apple juice and then drop it into cold olive oil. It was an alternative to dipping sodium alginate into calcium lactate. To boost the seafood flavor, some seaweed sprinkles were speckled on the mussel mousse. It was a light and flavorful appetizer.

Sourdough bread was served with cultured butter made by separating butter milk and fact during the whipping process and then adding ½ of butter milk back to the fat part. Butter made this way would be more flavorful and soft. What Ledbury practiced in making butter resembles what MAAEMO does.

b). Parmigiano Puff with Fowl Mousse

At the bottom, a biscuit made of puffed Parmigiano, not in pâte à choux style, which was topped by fowl mousse and fermented honey jell, an imported cooking method from Nordic. Parmigiano was medium flavored to make an overall balanced taste.

c). Muntjac Dumpling with Fruit Jelly

My server informed me there are 8 different types of deer in UK. This dish used Muntjac deer’s meat which is available all year around. Muntjac deer can be trained to be excellent pets, love affection and may become attached to the owner. Its meat is not too gamy, tasted almost like beef. Kind of feeling bad to eat them. Fig, apple and mustard were served on top of the dumpling to add depth and sharpness to the dish.

1^st Course -  Chantilly of Oyster, Tartare of Sea Bream and Frozen English Wasabi

Oyster Chantilly was in cream sauce, with tartare of sea bream underneath. On the side, there were diced celery and caviar and freshly grated wasabi roots. Fresh wasabi gave a real punch to this course, bringing out the full taste of oyster, sea bream and caviar.

2^nd Course -  Fresh Hazelnuts, Green Beans, Peach and Grated Foie Gras

At the bottom, there were sautéed baby string beans covered by shaved frozen foie gras and julienned peach slices. Foie gras was topped by sliced fresh almond, fresh hazelnut and roasted hazelnut. Peach added freshness and acidity to the mild-taste shaved foie gras.

3^rd Course - Warm Bantam’s Egg, Celeriac, Arbois, Dried Ham and Truffle

Bantam (one type of chicken) chicken egg offered rich egg yolk. Poached egg yolk, in soft condition, was covered by celeriac, toasted bread, button mushroom, toasted crispy Serrano ham and Australian truffles. The type of Australian truffles used in this dish was different from what I had in Sketch, the day before, in appearance as well as in taste. The type that I had in Sketch was darker and with milder taste, and the one that I had in the Ledbury looked more like the French/Italian type with more mature taste. This dish, a perfectly balanced dish with the right amount of richness and acidity, was certainly my favorite course for the evening at the Ledbury.

4^th Course -  Roast Scallop, Fennel and Elderflower Wine

Fresh and creamy Scottish scallop, with a licorice root kebab, was roasted to perfection. It was served along with diced fennel, raw sliced fennel, fennel purée, elder flower wine sauce and cep mushroom for the season. A little dill leave was adorned on the top. Licorice root gave depth and sweetness to the dish.

5^th Course -  Hen of the Woods, Potato Emulsion and Rosemary

This was a vegetarian dish. A good size of Hen of the Woods mushroom (had a firmer texture) was soaked and cooked in Kumbu (the same type of seaweed served in the Amuse Bouche for display only) soy sauce and barbecue sauce. It was served on top of potato purée with rosemary emulsion and porcini powder sprinkled on top. This was my 2^nd favorite dish for the evening.

6^th Course - Sika Deer, Smoked Bone Marrow, Prune Juice and Roscoff Onion

The Sika deer also known as the spotted deer or Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of the East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Sika deer can either be small or medium, depending the area it happens to live. Autumn is the season for hunting Sika deer. It feeds on many different plants, grasses, herbs and fruits. The importance of good tasting deer meat lies more with the meat preparation. Venison is the meat of any species of deer. Sika meat, lean, has a slighter darker color resembling elk meat, but is less gamy than elk.

In this dish, Sika was roasted to rare-medium, served with Roscoff onion, date stuffed with truffled potato, truffled potato, venison sausage, smoked bone marrow and venison stew under the onion. Smoky flavor was subtle and delightful. Sauce was made of prune and meat juice.

7^th Course -  Meadowsweet Cream, Plum and Timur Pepper

This was a pre-dessert. Meadowsweet herb cream was served with plum juice Granité and meringue with Timur pepper sprinkled on top. Plum juice Granité was very refreshing. There was also a small bite-size donut with plum powder. This was the palette cleanser before the major dessert.

8^th Course -  Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Chantilly and Mint

It was comprised of mild-flavored mint ice cream, chocolate Chantilly, warm chocolate cake, vanilla Chantilly and frozen chocolate crumb. Mint provided the balance to the sweetness of chocolate.

Petit Fours

1).Juniper Berry – Caramel Stick

This is another import from the Nordic region. Although they look like berries, they are a type of conifer cone. Because of the presence of pinene, juniper berries have a mild pine-like scent and flavor with a light note of citrus. The berries are green when young, and mature to a purple-black color (look almost like blue berry) over about 18 months in most species. They are used both fresh and dried, but their flavor and odor are at their strongest immediately after harvest and decline during drying and storage. Native Americans as well as Europeans have used it not just as a seasoning but also as a nutrient. It tastes green-fresh, sweet, with citrus notes and resinous.  

2).Dark Chocolate Ball

A dark chocolate mousse ball coated with cocoa powder.

The night before my appointment at the Ledbury, I had a gorgeous dinner at Sketch. My experience at Sketch was so overwhelming in many aspects, it was my 2^nd fine dining experience in Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant group. Without of doubt, quality, taste, flavor, creativity and presentation of food at the Ledbury were all up to Michelin 2-Star standard. However, quality of services at Sketch was absolutely impeccable, at least a notch better than what the Ledbury delivered.

At Sketch and Pierre Gagnaire (in Paris), whenever a guest (especially a female guest) showed movement of getting up from the chair, staff would fly to him/her to facilitate the process. When the guest was returning, staff would fly to move the chair to facilitate the guest get seated. I used the word “fly” because the staff were so swift in movement. However, at the Ledbury, staff would just stay aside and watch you when you were on your way back to your seat. They would not even attempt to move your chair.

The Tasting menu was well constructed at the Ledbury, its choices between light and more sumptuous dishes were well considered to provide different levels of taste and horizon. However, the dessert perhaps could provide a bit more complexity and attention, especially when my memory of Sketch was still fresh.

Amber at Asiate, Mandarin Oriental, NYC

Amber at Asiate, Mandarin Oriental, NYC, 6/10/2016 (4-Course, $125 excl. taxes & gratuity)

 Amber, a Michelin two-starred restaurant, is the main restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong. Asiate, the main restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC has invited Amber’s culinary director Richard Ekkebus to host a 4-day event of special 4-course lunches and 6-course dinners from 6/8/16 to 6/11/16. I chose to have lunch.

It started with two courses of Amuse Bouche:

I. Cleanser – Ratatouille bouillon infused with oolong tea. The first process was making ratatouille using bell pepper, zucchini, egg plants, onion, tomato, and add basil at the end. Approximately, the preparation started with 10 kg of ingredients and water and reduced to half of the volume. Then the whole pot of ratatouille was frozen before it was defrosted. To collect the soup, let the frozen sauce drip while it was being defrosted. This is similar to ice-wine making. Sauce collected using the defrosting process is more concentrated and condensed, therefore, more flavorful. On the side, oolong (highly fermented tea) was brewed by boiled hot water. When the course was ready to be served at the customer’s table, pour some virgin olive oil at the bottom of cup, then soup and infused oolong tea. It was a very finely balanced soup even though oolong was a strong-flavored tea. The making of this dish is also very time-consuming.

II. Mise en Bouches – two items

a).Buckwheat toast with fennel, avocado and wild flowers

Avocado salsa was spread on toast, topped with fennel and a lot of cute tiny wild flowers for decoration as well as for eating.

 b).Virgin “Bloody Mary” tartlet with fennel pollen

Circle of Blood Mary shaped like an egg yolk created by dipping sodium alginate into calcium lactate. In many ways sodium alginate has become the poster child for modernist cooking (molecular gastronomy) due to its use in spherification. Inside this egg yolk looking ball, there was “Bloody Mary”. Ideally, you should eat it with one bite. This item reminded me of another creative work, Bloody Mary sorbet in soup, that I had a few years ago at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris. 

                                    

1^st Course: Sea Urchin – in a lobster jello-O with cauliflower. Caviar & crispy seaweed waffles

Cauliflower panna cotta was at the bottom of bowl. Sea urchin was placed on top of panna cotta and covered by lobster jello-O. Because lobster consommé was reduced during the cooking process, it yielded brown color. I read chef Ekkebus liked to use the sea urchin from Hakaido when he prepared this dish in Amber, Hong Kong. I later found out that chef Ekkebus ordered sea urchin for this lunch from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. Certainly, what he used was the supreme quality, very fresh and flavorful. On the very top of the bowl, there was Osetra caviar.  It was juicy, sweet and fresh. Reasonably, I could not expect any better caviar because Beluga is still banned in US. To make the appearance appealing, chef Ekkibus placed a piece of gold leaf on top of caviar.The crispy waffle , sittinf on the side of the bowl, was made of rice flour and coated with powdery seaweed to be consistent with the seafood themed sea urchin and lobster. This thin waffle was very light and crispy, not greasy at all. This was a real sumptuous dish.

2^nd Course: Abalone –Black pepper & vinegar seasoned tomato compote, braised then crisped oxtail & its juice

Chef Ekkebus liked to use abalone from Australia because its quality. What served in this course was green abalone from Jade Tiger farm for its minerality, nuttiness, tenderness and flavor. Tomato compote in devil sauce was served at the bottom of the bowl. It was made of tomato, onion, bell pepper, hint of sugar, fresh pepper and salt; reduced and added with a little French white vinegar at the end. Abalone was sliced and placed on top of tomato compote and topped with crisped oxtail and its jus, garlic and parsley. A few baby spinach leaves (with red veins) were on top for decoration. Abalone was delicious and virtually melted in your mouth. Abalone was traditionally considered a classic delicacy in Asia, especially in Hong Kong which is famous for its foodies’ fondness for seafood. It was a “must have” dish in the high end of gourmet meal. Chef Ekkebus probably has tried his best to refine his signature dish to entertain his loyal followers in Amber, claimed being the best French restaurant in Hong Kong.

3^rd Course: Wagyu Beef – Strip loin; barbecued with dulse seaweed and red cabbage slaw, oxalis, horseradish and pepper berry emulsion

I requested my steak French blue (rare). Steak was wrapped around by nori which reminded me of the signature dish of “Baby Lamb with Nori Crust” at L’Epicure. The purpose of using seaweed was to enhance the flavor by utilizing the salt content and the extra taste in seaweed instead of salt alone. On the side, red cabbage was served in three styles – cole slaw, braised and chip. Tiny oxalis flower was place on top of cole slaw for the visual presentation. Sauce was made of Béarnaise sauce with grounded Australian pink pepper berry. The Assistant Manager of Amber was so kind to bring a little dish of grounded Australian berry so that I can have a taste as well as the look of it. It is brought to NYC from Hong Kong, in burgundy color, taste milder and sweeter than paprika. When the grounded Australian berry was mixed with Bérnaise sauce, it yield a pleasant and slightly spicy kick in the flavor. I enjoyed it very much.

4^th Course: Dulcey chocolate – spheres coated in Manjari 64% chocolate, with salted & caramelized macadamia nuts & cocoa sorbet

The first thing that I noticed in the plate was the dark brown color of cocoa sorbet, I have never seen such a dark color of cocoa sorbet. It was full of flavor. I later found out that all chocolate used in this course was Manjari brand which is not available in NYC. There were two chocolate spheres coated in dark chocolate, adorned with gold leaf, with white chocolate dulcey inside. The texture of white chocolate dulcey was so delicate and smooth, it was almost like a creamy version of Crème brûlée. I can’t help to ask Amber’s manager what kind of processes required. It required some very demanding processes, started with taking approximately 50 minutes to make white chocolate caramel. It was one of chef Ekkebus’s special creation. In between chocolate spheres and sorbet, there were some milk chocolate ganache. It was a very gratifying chocolate-themed desert. I would not mind to have two more of these exquisite chocolate bonbons.

5^th Course: Amber petite fours

Cannelé - A cannelé is a small French pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. It takes the shape of small, striated cylinder approximately five centimeters in height and is a specialty of the Bordeaux region of France. It tasted especially good when fresh while outside is crusty and inside is 80% done. It is more sophisticated than madeleine.

Raspberry Tart – A bite-size tart filled with mascarpone cheese. The special feature about this tart was the aged balsamic vinegar filled raspberry. It had a very refreshing taste.

Coconut Eskimo – Coconut lollipop with milk chocolate and nut coating.

I had a wonderful meal at Amber/Asiate. The Dutch born Chef Ekkebus brought his team, special ingredients, equipment as well as his signature dishes to ensure all guests had a memorable and gratified experience. Chef Ekkebus incorporated his Dutch refined techniques with skills honed from three French masters Alain Passard, Guy Savoy, and Pierre Gagnaire. Staying in Hong Kong, a place where East meet West, Chef Ekkebus has been custom to fully utilizing all the resources and created his own fine contemporary French cuisine with fusion style.