MAAEMO, Oslo

MAAEMO, Oslo, 9/6/2017 (17-Course, 2600 Kroner incl. VAT), Nordic, Michelin 3-Star

MAA (earth), EMO (mother) are old Finn language words, meaning “Mother Earth”. The correct pronunciation requires two syllables, confimed by the guests at the next table. It is the most northerly restaurant with Michelin 3-Star in the world. Its chef and co-owner Esben Holmboe Bang focused on building cuisine by using local produces, reflecting changing seasons and the raw nature of Norway.

Its decoration is very Nordic style, mainly black, white, beige and grey colors of furnishings. Current dining room arrangements can accommodate up to 35 guests. Half of the premises has high ceiling and the other half is divided into two floors. Its open kitchen is on the 2^nd floor, with spiral staircase leading from dining room to the 2^nd floor. Staff are trained in military style, all team member had to be ready with plate being held by both hands and aligned, probably based on course/table, before they started marching downstairs to serve customers. 

The Tasting menu comprised of 17 courses, no Amuse Bouche.

1st Course - Chicken Feet Cooked with Grains, Chicken Liver and Fermented Lingonberry Juice

This is the 1^st time that I saw chicken feet on the menu of a Michelin 3-Star restaurant. Chicken feet have been a delicacy item in Dim Sum category of Chines cuisine for a long time. But, this chicken feet MAAEMO style is quite a creativity. Chicken feet was cooked, deboned, coated with flour and infused koji (fermented buck wheat) and then deep fried to crispy condition. Using koji enhanced the flavoring as well as the crispiness. On top of fried chicken feet was a layer of chicken liver parfait and wood sorrel which was topped by the cute oxalis leaves. Chef usually gathered the freshest wood sorrels from the forest across the bridge by MAAEMO. Above the oxalis leaves, there were drops of lingonberry juice. It was a true visual pleasure just to look at it. It had a sophisticated taste. No guest would be able to tell this is chicken feet without being informed of.

2nd Course - A Savoury Tart Made from Caramelized Onions with Aged Goat Cheese and Lemon Thyme 

Pie crust was made of caramelized onion juice which was dehydrated on silicon mat for 48 hours before mode into pie/tart shell. After pie shell was formed, it was filled with pickled lemon thyme jell and finely shredded 18-month goat cheese. At the very top, it was adorned with fresh thyme for decoration and taste. This was my favorite course in this dinner. Flavor and taste were all perfect.

3rd Course - Cornet with Smoked Vendance Row

A small brass instrument shaped roll was filled with cream of roasted yeast and smoked Vendance row (løyrom), from Kalix, Sweden. Cornet roll was the pastry shell with very delicate taste and Vendance row was not the heavy salty type. It was well balanced.

4th Course - Razor Clam with Green Strawberries and Blackcurrant Leaves

Razor clam looked smaller than the conventional ones because it was from Nordskot in the Arctic Circle region. Since water temperature is colder in Arctic, shell fish in general grow slower and require more fat content to shield from the coldness. Because of these environmental impact, shell fish from the Arctic are more tender and clean.

About 10 years ago, in the icy waters of Norway one intrepid Scot, Roderic Sloan, dived deep to satisfy the latest fjord-to-table craze at Europe’s fine-dining restaurants. He has been MAAEMO’s preferred supplier because his experience in catching only the finest quality of shell fish.

Razor clam in this course was served with green strawberry juice (dotted in green color) and blackcurrant leaves. Clam was juicy and very tender, the best quality I have ever had.

5th Course - “Lompe” with Fermented Trout and Horseradish

At the bottom, there was a piece of Norwegian pancake made of flour and potato and topped with a layer of rakfisk. Rakfisk are Norwegian fish dish made from trout or char salted and fermented for 2-3 months the n eaten without cooking. In addition to the layer of rakfisk there was a layer of sour cream, cured chicken egg yolks, pickled red onion, fresh horseradish and fresh dill. It did not taste fishy because red onion and horseradish provide the balance.

                            

6th Course -  Fresh Cheese Made 1 Hour Ago from Raw Milk from Our Very Own Cow Wood Sorrel and Summer Cucumber 

Most of the dairy products are made from pool of many cow’s milk. But, this fresh cheese was made from only one cow’s milk 1 hour ago. It looked and tasted like custard. It was served with summer cucumber juice and fresh wood sorrel (green color) which contributed to the acidic taste. This course was almost like a palette cleanser.

7th Course - Emulsion of Raw Norwegian Oysters from Bømlo Warm Sauce Made from Mussels and Dill 

Flat oysters are available from Bømlo, Norway in all seasons. Oysters and mussels were made into a layer of jell (in transparent color) sitting on top of mussel broth. In addition, cream sauce and dill oil were floating on the top. No solid piece of oyster or mussel was present in the dish, it was the flavor through different way of preparation made the taste stand out.

8th Course - Scallop from Above Arctic Circle Fermented White Asparagus and Seasonal Flowers 

Scallop was from the Arctic Circle, caught by the best fisherman Roderic Sloan. It was served in fermented white asparagus juice by fermenting white asparagus in whey for a year. Scallop was seared in organic butter and brushed with another layer of butter while resting. Scallop has a slightly firmer texture (still tender) than the conventional ones, I am not sure it was due to its origin in Arctic or the cooking method. This is the 1^st time that I have fermented white asparagus juice. Even though I don’t like whey’s taste, whey-fermented asparagus juice was delicious.

9th Course -  Skate Cooked in Salted Butter and Aromatics Chanterelles and Unripe White Currants 

Skate was cooked in salted butter and deboned. Chanterelle cream was served at the bottom of the plate. In addition, unripe white currant, fresh Chanterelle mushrooms and butter sauce were served on the top. Butter sauce was used to smooth taste of fish flecks because skate doesn’t have much fish fat.

10th Course -  Our Bread and Butter – Freshly Milled Norwegian Heritage Wheat and Our Very Own Butter

Bread was made from spelt wheat from Oland, Sweden. Spelt wheat provides higher protein content and more nutrients. Bread dough was rested overnight to provide more acidity. Butter was house made with slightly different processes. Ordinarily, during the process of whipping butter, butter milk was whipped out. But, MAAEMO added part of secreted butter milk back to make the butter more flavorful and a bit softer.

11th Course - “Rommegrot” – A Porridge of Very Sour Cream Smoked Reindeer Heart and Salted Butter with Plum Vinegar

This course involved a lot of molecular gastronomy. It started with reducing sour cream until it cleared away, separated the fat. Then, added flour and house-made Balsamic vinegar to thicken it. This layer was at the bottom of the dish.

Separately, to cure and smoke the reindeer heart. Dried it and grated it finely.

Lastly, pour the fermented plum juice in brown butter over the dried reindeer heart before serving.

With all the state of the art molecular gastronomy, no clue indicated this was reindeer heart.

12th Course - Quail Egg Gently Cooked in Roasted Bone Marrow, Cured Mutton and Charred Onions 

Quail eggs were half-cooked, prepared in roasted bone marrow, hidden at the bottom. Then, there was a layer of transparent jell made of pickled charred onions. At the top, there were Fenalaar (lamb leg part) and tapioca soup.

Fenalaar is one of the Norwegian’s favorite dish, also a traditional X’mas dish in the western part of Norway. Fenalaar means lamb leg, you will become a fan if you are a dry cured meat lover.

13th Course - Grilled Beef Aged 40 Days, Cep Mushroons, Feermented Garlic and Greens from Bergsmyrene Farm 

Beef, aged 40 days, was acquired from a special butcher Daniel Bergsmyrene. After grilling, beef was brushed with miso butter and served with reduced bone marrow soup. Since this is the season of cep mushrooms, sautéed cep, was added into the condensed bone soup. Lastly, purée made of Chanterelle and garlic were also incorporated into the bone soup.

Although aged 40 days seemed to be a long time, beef did not have a strong aged flavor. There could be a few reasons such as the breed, climate and method used. I was expecting a thick piece of steak, but what served in the plate was just a piece of filet.

14th Course - Frozen Blue Cheese with Pickled Black Trumpet Mushroom

This is the palette cleanse. Blue cheese was frozen in liquid nitrogen before blended into powder. Then, trumpet mushroom was frozen and grounded into powder which was sprinkled on top of blue cheese powder. It had a very pleasant taste even though blue cheese is usually considered a strong-taste cheese.

15th Course - Raw Milk from a Single Cow, Rhubarb, Flowers and Fragrant Rhubard Hazelnuts

Raw milk sorbet (without egg) made from milk produced by a single cow, was served with honey crumb, rhubarb juice, rhubarb root oil and lovely violet and barrage flowers.

16th Course - Brown Butter Ice Cream with Molasses and Roasted Hazelnuts

Caramelized butter was cooled down and mixed with raw milk to make ice cream which was served with brown butter sauce on top. There was hidden treasure “molasses” in the middle of ice cream. In addition, a piece of crumbled toasted hazelnut cook was at the bottom.

17th Course - Warm Norwegian Waffles made with Beef Fat and Koji Grains Brown Cheese, Preserved Berries and Whipped Romme 

This is considered an authentic Norwegian desert, mainly based on Norwegian waffles. They were made of flour and Koji grain for the flavoring and taste. There were 4 varieties of accompaniments – cloudberry jam (from 1 year ago), blueberry jam, brown butter and whipped sour cream. At present, it was the season of cloudberry (in yellow color). I have never had cloudberry before. It had a very mild taste, not too sweet, not too sour. It is definitely not the tastiest berry type.

This was the 1^st time that I started understanding the meaning of “using local products”. I was not too interested in having Norwegian waffles as the main desert and inquired of the possibility of have an alternative such as chocolate based desert. I was informed the restaurant doesn’t provide any chocolate based desert because Norway does not produce cocoa beans locally.

Although portion of serving was moderate, MAAEMO procured only high quality local products, accomplished by sophisticated preparation and creative cooking. It was a pleasant fine dining experience. Since MAAEMO only used the local products, don’t forget to wish the preferred fisherman luck on catching quality shell fish from the Arctic around the time of your scheduled visit.

Tru, Chicago

Tru, Chicago, 5/13/2017 (8-Course, $158 excl. Taxes & Grat.), French, Michelin 2-Star

Chef Anthony Martin offers Progressive French cuisine, at Tru, showcasing the most pristine ingredients with creativity and presentation. With an elegant ambiance of white draperies punctuated by a museum-quality contemporary arts collection including Gerhard Richter and Andy Warhol. Tru has a dressing code policy: jackets are required for gentlemen and elegant-casual attire is required for ladies. It is located one block east of the Magnificent Mile in a prime location of Chicago. Known for its signature offering, coral caviar, a selection of up to ten types of caviar sitting on coral-like tray. The coral-caviar tray reminded me of the Beluga caviar that I had at Da Vittoria in Milan. No other caviar in the world can beat the taste and flavor of Beluga.

There are two types menu, the abbreviated menu ($125) and expanded menu ($158) which includes two additional dishes - scallop and pastry. I chose the 8-course tasting menu with scallop and pastry and started with Amuse Bouche.

1). Comté Gougère – Comté (Greyère de Comté) is a French cheese made from the unpasteurized cow milk in Franche-Comté region of eastern France. Its aging time ranges from 8 to 36 months. I had 36-month old Comté in France twice, but only the less aged are available in US. Its texture is hard and flexible and taste is strong and slightly sweet. It is ideal to use it for soufflé, quiche and gougère. Gougère, in French cuisine, is a baked savory made of Pâte à choux (egg, flour and cheese.) I can easily eat ½ a dozen if served warm.

2). Cookie – A roasted pine nut cookie with apricot jam, mildly sweet and crunchy.

1^st Course – Mache, Celery, Summer Truffle, Green Curry

It was a salad with quite a few ingredients, including Mache (French name of the edible salad green), celery in three forms (raw, blanched and purèe). What was special in this salad was the truffle vinaigrette and the summer truffle (in lighter color with dark-brown edges). Summer truffle was from Burgundy, France and tasted lighter than the ordinary dark color truffle. But, it was still quite delicious.

2^nd Course – Chanterelle Mussel Velouté, Green Curry

A bowl was placed on a wooden board with an empty mussel shell on the side for decoration, Inside the bowl, soup was slightly thicker than broth and thinner than bisque. Soup was cooked with green curry (sweet green curry, a central Thai variety of curry.) Chef used Thai curry because its less pungent and spicy taste complement better with mussel’s seafood flavor. In the soup, there were also beach mushroom, chervil and shredded baby ginger. Even though soup was sumptuous, mussels were still tender, Chef probably used other shell fish for the soup base.

Bread – Sun Flower Seeds Bread and Sourdough Bread Served with Butter and Goat Butter

This was the 1^st time that I saw a real bread basket after a week’s fine dining in Chicago. Being a New Yorker, I am more used to the New York style of re-filled bread basket.

3^rd Course – Diver Scallop, Lily Bulb, Yuzu Koshu Sauce

A large size of scallop from the East coast, topped with lily bulb which is the root part of lily flower. It is considered a very healthy type of vegetable, tasted a bit like sliced watercrss. Yuzu koshu sauce (mixture of lemon zest, grapefruit zest, lime zest and related citrus juice, Thai chili, salt and pepper) was served to balance scallop’s seafood taste and flavor. Scallop was juicy, a bit crispy outside and tender in the center.

4^th Course – Roasted Halibut, Barigoule Sauce, Parsley

Barigoule sauce is a traditional Provençal dish of artichokes braised with onions, garlic and carrots in a seasoned broth of wine and water. In addition, artichoke was also included in blanched and fried forms along with celery, parsley and sun-dried tomatoes.

5^th Course – Veal Tournedo, Chanterelle Mushroom, Black Garlic, Mustard Blossom

Two pieces of veal were roasted to medium-well done, served along with chanterelle mushroom, black garlic, mustard blossom and potato purèe. Sauce was made of wild mushroom reduced, cooked tapioca, and rosemary. The veal was tough and chewy, it was overcooked regardless my specific request for rare-medium. I signaled my server and he took it back to the kitchen.

A little while later, the replacement dish was brought back to me. Its kitchen has replaced one small piece of flank steak for 2 pieces of veal. I did question my server why the replacement did not come in two pieces.

6^th Course – Green Asparagus + Morels in Pastry

This item is only available if you order the expanded menu. After I had the truffle croissant at Acadia, I was sort of expecting something similar.

This dish came with a puff pastry with sautéed asparagus and morels on the side. Sauce was made of cream, sherry and chive). It was not as spectacular as what I expected, although it was still delicious.

My server offered me a cheese course as a complimentary. I had 5 varieties ranging from mild to strong, my favorite was goat cheese with rosemary. I chose honey instead of jam. Oddly, the cheese selection did not have Comté which one of the most popular cheese selection in French restaurant.

7^th Course – Ruby Grapefruit, Fennel Consommé, Aged Balsamic

This is the palette cleanser. Ruby grapefruit sorbet was served with fennel leave and aged balsamic balls made with the molecular gastronomy technique of dipping sodium alginate into calcium lactate. Sorbet was quite good and refreshing.

In addition, there were a few orange-flavored Madeleine. Chef made extra efforts to bring up the taste and flavor by sprinkling powder sugar and orange peel on top of them. The texture of Madeleine was excellent. 

8^th Course – Dulce de Leche, Banana, Dark Chocolate

Banana purée was at the bottom, dulce de leche mousse was served in frozen condition, covered by dark chocolate. Vanilla powder was dusted all over the plate. It was a rich in flavor and light in texture desert.

Petit Fours – Black Cherry Soft Candy, Cannelé and Chocolate Candy

1). Black cherry jelly candy was full of flavor.

2). 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 requires more technique and labor to make than madeleine. I had it once in NYC two years ago, this was the 2^nd time that I had in US.

3). Chocolate sheet was rolled and filled with bourbon infused sugar, ginger, black currant and lemon grass. It rendered a very sophisticated flavor.

4). House made sumptuous chocolate truffle.

 Petit Fours was my favorite course for the evening, especially the chocolate candy.

I started my fine dining week in Chicago at Boka and liked its savory dishes more than its desert. I ended my fine dining week at Tru and liked its desert more than its savory dishes. At present, in Chicago there are more fine dining restaurants focusing on American Progressive style instead of French (Progressive) style. I wish there would be more restaurants focusing on French Progressive style in the future in Chicago.

  

Oriole, Chicago

Oriole, Chicago, 5/10/2017 (17-Course, $190 excl. Taxes & Grat.), American Progressive, Michelin 2-Star

When I made the reservation, the receptionist alerted me the unusual appearance of the entrance, but I was still lost until a delivery men pointed out. The restaurant is located in premise which was probably a warehouse, its entrance doors are comprised of two pieces separated horizontally instead of the conventional way of separated vertically. When the door was being opened, upper piece would move upward and the lower piece would move downward. After the guest walk into the restaurant, the door would close. Inside the restaurant, it was decorated with many Japanese-Korean style white lamps. It can accommodate approximately 20 guests, with an open kitchen. The restaurant offers only one set of menu. Chef Noah Sandoval opened this restaurant only slightly more than a year ago in the interesting Fulton Street Market section of Chicago.

Bread and butter were served – seaweed bread, cream cheese with Myer lemon and peel, and ramp flower and ramp jells

1^st Course – Golden Osetra Caviar, Coconut Dashi, Lychee and Sea Grape

At the very bottom, there was pickled apple with lychee sorbet on top of it. Then, a layer of shiso (belonging to mint family in red-leaved or green-leaved forms) and chive were topped with Osetra caviar, coconut-dashi gelate and sea grape (light green balls). Using sea grape and coconut dashi was the most interesting method of enhancing caviar’s taste and in the meantime to make it tasted sweeter.

2^nd Course – Fraises Des Bois, Foie Gras Mousse, Pistachio and Ras El Hanout

Ras el Hanout is Arabic for “Head of the Shop” and implies the best of mixture of spices that the seller has to offer. There is not definitive composition of the spices that make up ras el hanout, usually includes cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and coriander, etc. At the very bottom, there was a piece of crisp made of flour and ras el hanout with a bit spicy taste. The crisp was topped with foie gras mousse and pistachio pesto, wild strawberry and anise hyssop. Anise hyssop has the smell and taste of anise, although it is a member of the mint family. Using wild strawberry and pistachio pesto greatly improve the overall balance of taste.

3^rd Course – Scottish Langoustine, Spring Roll with Shio Kombu, Rhubarb and Mint

Scottish cold-water langoustine with shredded radish were wrapped in rice paper. On top of this roll, there were shredded shio kombu (seaweed) and mint. On the side, there were rhubarb cream with red powder made of Korean chili gochujgang pepper. My taste bud was very happy with the luscious and stimulating combination of ingredients.

4^th Course – Kampachi, Nigiri with Yuzu Kosho, Rhubarb and Genmai

Raw Nigiri fish filet was coated in yuzu kosho (made of yuzu peel and pepper paste), then coated by nori powder. On top, there were some puffed Japanese brown rice(genmai.) This is a variation of Japanese sashimi. The kosho paste was truly wonderful and sophisticated, it gave you taste bud a little kick from the chili pepper and still let you taste the luscious taste of fish. This was my 2^nd favorite course for the evening.

5^th Course – Bone Broth, Vietnamese coriander, Cinnamon and lemongrass 

In the vegetable pot, there was beef bone broth with carrot, lemongrass, Vietnamese coriander. In addition, there was an empty bowl, at the bottom of bowl there was some red chili oil to be infused by the beef broth served at the table.

6^th Course – Beef Tandon, Puffed with Wagyu Tartare and XO

Courses # 5 and # 6 were supposed to be eaten together. While you ate soup, you could also enjoy the classic A5 Wagyu beef tartare. A5, considered the best quality of Wagyu beef was prepared with chopped Vietnamese coriander and was place in the middle of a piece of puffy fried tendon in the same plate. The server also told me that I would be getting a course with A5 steak later. I was thrilled that I had another A5 two days ago in Grace and would be getting it again for the 2^nd time in a week.

7^th Course – Beausoleil, Mangolica Consomme, Finger Lime and Borage

I knew this course would be another wonder, mangolica to other breeds of pig is like A5 to other breeds of cattle. Beausoleil oysters are farmed in floating trays in Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick. Because of their carefully controlled, rocking, uncrowded environment, Beausoleil oysters are always perfect. It takes about 4 years to mature at 2 ½ inches. Oyster was served in mangolica’s broth and served with finger lime cells (seeds.) Finger lime had such a unique taste, it was an ideal accompany of shellfish.

8^th Courses – Hamon Mangolica, Black Walnut, Egg Yolk and Quince

On the side, there was a thin almond crisp, with mangolica ham, egg drop, kumquart drop, blue cheese drop, and some dill sitting on top of the crisp.

9^th Course – Iceland Steelhead Trout, Smoked Roe, Spring Onion and Fresh Herbs

Iceland trout’s flesh looks almost like Arctic char, in pale pink. It was served with Applewood smoked trout roe, and micro-greens with green goddess’ sauce (with varieties of herbs.) Trout skin was crispy and medium and tender in the center.

10^th Course – Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Hudson Canyon Scallop, Dried Wild Blueberry and Oxalis

Both scallop and foie gras were from Hudson Valley, and seared. Scallop was crispy outside and very tender in the center. They were served with duck jus, candied onion, pickled mustard (small yellow balls), and oxalis which had acidic taste reminiscent of sorrel. Chef used oxalis instead of fruit to provide a balanced taste with foie gras.

11^th Course – Sourdough, with Cultured Butter and Puffed Grains

A slice of toasted sourdough with cultured butter and puffed grains and chive to serve as a mild palette cleanser.

12^th Course – Capellini, Italian Summer Truffle, Rye Berry and Yeast

Capellini, not too thin, not too thick, served with summer truffle. Chef Sandoval came to the table to shave truffle onto the plate. It was also served with parmigiano cheese, rye berry and yeast. I asked chef why yeast was used as an ingredient in this course, he said the slight sour taste of yeast provide a more overall balanced taste. It was delicious.

13^th Course – Japanese A5 Wagyu, Charred Little Gem, Furikake and Sesame Loaf 

There are some grades for WAGYU beef, and A5 is the highest grade given only to the finest beef. It is famous for its smooth velvety texture, juicy flavor, delicate but rich taste. Its appearance looks marbling, tiny pieces of fat finely distributed. Marbling is never too rich, it almost melts in your mouth. The marbling is also the evidence that cattle have been specially raised in the vast lush wilderness using carefully selected feed (corn and rice straw), pure water and clean air.

Beef is classified into four categories, Japanese black cattle comprised the largest number of 4 breeds. Its deliciousness consists of the following factors: the taste and flavor that spread out in the mouth, and the smooth texture. The standards of grading beef consist of yield grade and quality grade. “A” of “A5” means the yield grade and “5” of “A5” means quality grade.

This melts in your mouth steak was served with charred little gem (1/2 baby lettuce), sprinkled with lemon juice and toasted sesame seeds. It was unconventional that chef used furikake to sprinkle on everything, except A5, in the plate. Traditionally, furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning meant to be sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetable and fish. It typically consists of dried and ground fish, sesame, chopped seaweeds, sugar, salt, shiso, and dried miso, etc. Chef used it for a dish of A5 wagyu, but did not sprinkle any furikake on top of A5 steak. Chef also made a rather unconventional inclusion, he used triple-grounded roasted onion instead of potato purée (it almost looked like potato purée in photo.) Just the sheer thought of succulent A5 could make my taste bud happy.

14^th Course – Cucumber, Sorbet with Basil, Champagne and Tonka

I guess Tonka is a very popular and fashionable spice these days, many chefs at the restaurant that I visited recently used it.

Cucumber sorbet was served with champagne, basil and tonka bean for its nice aroma. 

15^th Course – Croissant, Raclette and Rosemary Apple Butter

A flaky croissant was filled with soft raclette cheese and rosemary apple butter. Although I was overwhelmed with many dishes at Oriole, I dearly missed the truffle croissant at Acadia.

16^th Course – Gianduja, Gelato with Mascarpone, Preserved Cherries and Sakura Tea

Pickled cherries were at the bottom, topped with mascarpone and fermented cherry gelato. Since cherry was not very sweet most of the time, chef used Giandujo which is a sweet chocolate spread containing about 30% of hazelnut to provide sweetness and decoration.

17^th Course – Mignardises, Black Currant, Salted Caramel, and Fernet

A wooden tray filled with three items. These were the equivalent of lovely petit fours – ice cream sandwiA wooden tray filled with three items. These were the equivalent of lovely petit fours – ice cream sandwich with black currant, salted caramel chocolate and fernet (a bitter and aromatic sprit) and soda bon bon.

Oriole’s pastry chef delivered a goodie box to each customer upon departure. Inside the box, it was a rhubarb tart, the most delicious rhubarb desert that I have ever had during this week of fine dining in Chicago. Oriole has provided with impeccable services and extraordinary cuisine in terms of taste, flavoring and presentation beyond what I normally can expect from a Michelin 2-Star restaurant. Chef was very creative and made many dishes to perfection. It would be the 1^st restaurant that I think of whenever I visit Chicago again.