Review: Fleur de Lys, San Francisco

When you're living on a different continent to your partner you want the times that you get together to be special.  What could be more special for two foodies than a degustation at one of San Francisco's most famous restaurants?

Fleur de Lys is Hubert Keller's delightful formal dining offering which offers some novel dishes and interesting taste and texture explorations. 

As it was a special date night we opted for the luxurious 5 course menu $98USD plus matching wine tastings for $75USD each. The wine tastings were a little overly generous in my mind, our formal dining manners went out the window somewhere around course 4 and lead to us raucously giggling throughout the final dishes. 

Fig and walnut bread to start

Amuse bouche of pesto volute and miniature pickles

"Symphony of" Toasted duck ham and mozzarella slider, French potato salad with white anchovy, "Faux gras" mousse and piquillo gazpacho 

You just know that I'm going to order any dish with liver mousse but the slider and the gazpacho (complete with straw!) really take the cake. 

"Colourful" vegetable ragout served with poached egg, truffles and truffle port wine sauce. 

Honestly poached egg dishes are one of my favourite things to order in formal restaurants as they really elevate a wonderful texture out of the breakfast plate. 

Muscovy duck breast with Eggplant, Olive Salad, purple olive jus and duck confit "cigar"

Cigars of rich meat are one of my favourite things of all time and even though I had duck in my apetizer this was delicious. The spiced pudding side dish was another textural deviation that surprised and delighted. 

Bacon crusted sea scallops with black beluga lentils, pork belly, pickled shallots and harissa

Pork belly topped with scallop *and* bacon? It's rather like he listed all the decadent ingredients he could and then played darts and added whatever he hit. 

Coffee rubbed buffalo steak with pickled figs caramelised leeks, espresso and fig red wine sauce and cornbread Madeleine

One of the most excellent signs of good service is when the waiter will let me make substitutions. In this case I asked for an additional meat course rather than the seafood course and was obliged without issue. 

Oven roasted venison loin with truffled baby bok choy accented with a rich cocoa nib red wine reduction, Spanish chorizo and a cocoa tuile

This dish just oozes with dark decadence. All it needs is a side of tobacco jus and the sticky rich combination is complete.

Fleurburger - lightly spiced dark chocolate ganache, home made Beignet Banana flavoured milk shake and frozen fennel ice cream "Pommes Frites"

The most famous (and most novel!) dish on the menu, a confusing delight of sweets made to look like a classic American takeout meal. 

Alsation pain d'epices mousse bar - Mango and raspberry flavoured ice cream on lime meringue Esprite gateau "Black Forest", cherry compote flavoured with Balsamic and fleur de sel

Another dish with so many tastes and textures, each a little morsel of wonder. 

Petit fours

But wait there's more! Coffee and cognac and another flight of taste adventures. 

What can you say? Hubert Keller is a celebrated chef for good reason and a celebrity chef that deserves his fame. The variation in textures and tastes and the decadent ingredients that formal dining affords (including so many of my favourite foods) are just wonderful. Added to this the price difference between food of this quality between the US and Australia means that I would have been fairly happy at twice the price. Hardly an every week outing but a very reasonable sum for such excellent food when out for a special date night. 

Fleur de Lys

http://www.hubertkeller.com/restaurants/fleur-de-lys.html

Formal dining degustation
Book well in advance and be on time for your seating


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Review: Bel Mondo, The Rocks

December is simply filled to the brim with events and I had the good fortune of heading to Bel Mondo with a group of female engineers for a business lunch. Unfortunately I was too engaged in conversation to remember to take a picture of the dining room, a dark wood affair encased in a traditional Sydney stone building.

The meal we chose was a 5 Course Degustation, though being a work lunch we opted to order minimal wine rather than drink with every course - I had meetings to go back to after all!

They're currently doing a special that makes business lunches very affordable for a much higher class of food than the usual "red wine and steak" affairs one generally eats with clients. 2 courses $55, 3 courses $72, 5 course degustation $95 (with wines $145). I would definitely recommend this as a place to take your valued clients at the end of the year.



Amuse bouche: Basil Veloute



Tomato and basil consomme with Alaskan King crab, sweet corn and asparagus



Carpaccio of beef with saute mushrooms, wild rocket and shaved pecorino



Fillet of Cone Bay Barramundi with vanilla pomme puree, shaved fennel salad and sauce vierge



Slow cooked lamb shoulder with pea and mint risotto, caramelised garlic and honey puree.



Palate cleanser: Ruby grapefruit granita



Coconut and lychee panna cotta with macerated strawberries and freeze dried mandarin 



A nod to the staff for handling dietary requirements very well. Also a nod to my new phone the HTC Evo 3D which I am now using for food photographs as it now comes with dual 5MP high quality lenses and the added bonus of auto upload to Picasa via Google+

Bel Mondo

http://www.belmondo.com.au/

Formal dining, modern Australian
Book ahead

Gloucester Walk
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone +61 2 9241 3700 ‎


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Review: Craft, Uptown, New York City, USA

As a foodie it's hard not to get sucked into watching Top Chef. The judges are well versed in the food world, the contests are well constructed and the calibre of contestants higher than any other food related show on television.

Which is why when we were in New York it was absolutely imperative that we stop at Craft Tom Colicchio's signature restaurant. It's worth noting that we had also been interested in booking for Craft Steak however it was booked for a month solid!



We booked rather late and on a cold night and so the warm and understated interior was very warm and welcoming. For a well known eatery it lacked the sort of snobbish over done interior design that can come with it.

The staff are excellent and the service unparalleled. There are meals that you spend money on and feel duped, this is not to be that meal. The entire time we are waited on with graciousness and attentiveness. Our questions are answered, our additional requests responded to and the sommelier takes to ensuring I am given time to photograph all the wines. Later they even give me a copy of the menu to take home as a souvenir and a small spice cake to take home and eat the next day.

What better way to sample a chef's palette than with a tasting menu? The degustation here is $110USD for 7 courses plus petits four and $75USD for matching wines.



Bread and butter - complimentary with service

Good quality heavy artisan sour dough bread is served with room temperature French butter and olive oil for the lactose free. They're on to a good start.




Raw Big Eye Tuna served with horseradish and lemon

I often joke about the obsession with raw food that seems to strike America frequently but this is nonetheless wonderful, and my passion for raw tuna is well documented. Despite my preference for fatty belly style tuna this meaty cut is excellent and shines on the plate.



Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas 2008

Only in America huh? A very unique blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc; I mean I like varietals but Tablas Creek really seem to believe that if one varietal is good then four must be excellent! Drinkable but I think an interesting idea gone wrong.




Liver parfait

I am unable to stop myself, there is a liver parfait on the menu and I insist that they alter the tasting menu to accomodate. Terrible I know, but liver, she is my mistress. Besides the alternative dish was snails and turbot, neither of which I am inclined to. The texture on this parfait is amazing, I am still unable to place the fat that they've to get it to this consistency very thick and creamy at room temperature. I suspect a combination of duck and pig, but will settle for a bit of mystery so long as my taste buds are sated.



Armand Reisling Kabinett 2008

I am not particularly inclined to Reisling but it goes well with the pear paste and I grumblingly accept the pairing. At least it's actually German and lacks the pow! of Australian Reisling which leaves me sour faced.



Pumpkin agnolotti with guanciale

There doesn't seem to be large amounts of the guanciale in the dish but it is smoked and flavoured with it in the oil and the pasta is divine, a real win.



Josef Ehmoser Aurum 2008

Another unusual Germanic varietal this is an Austrian Gruner Veltliner it is more subtle than the Riesling and has a freshness that suits the oily pasta.



Blue foot chicken and truffle

I am generally one to discourage the use of truffle in dishes because it is a luxury that is lost on me, like serving fine champagne to a beer drinker. This dish however is the exception the broth is heavenly and I chase the spoon around my bowl when I am done. The truffle compliments without overpowering and genuinely enhances the whole dish rather than being a standout flavour as is so often the case with truffles. Particularly noteworthy is the cabbage roll in the dish.



Rully Premier Cru Pinot Noir 2006

If you served anything but a French wine with a Bresse chicken I would have had a little foodie tantrum. While the choice of a Pinot from Burgandy leaves me a little perplexed nonetheless a Pinot with Poulet de Bresse and Truffles will always ring true on the tongue and the age is just perfect for drinking.



American Wagyu braised beef cheeks with grits and Tabacco sauce

While I'm still very staunch on the comparative quality of wagyu in America and at home nonetheless this dish is a delight and a true American classic. The tabacco sauce goes perfectly with the slow braised beef, the grits are a comfort food classic and the texture of the entire dish is warm, smooth and sexy.



Corison Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Such a strong dish as beef cheeks and tabacco sauce requires a wine with a lot of punch and a long nose. I would of course always gravitate towards an Australian Shiraz but this Napa classic is just as good! 10 years of cellaring have been kind to the stronger soil and the chocolate flavours combine well with the tabacco.



Cream cheese semi freddo with cumquat, pomegranate and blood orange sorbet

The semi freddo is deliciously rich and the citrus sorbet cuts down on the fat and leaves just the right balance of flavours.



Chateau La Clotte Cazalis Sauternes 2005

Given the other Germanic wines I was expecting an eiswein but instead this is another French this time from Bordeaux. This is a traditional Sauternes - which is a Semillon botrytis dessert wine, far less syrupy than the Australian counterparts.





Warm chocolate tart with buttermilk ice cream and cashews

Chocolate is not my vice however this buttermilk ice cream is definitely stroking my buttons. As a "down" note at the end of the meal it is an excellent end on the nut and chocolate flavours.

And this is me after all, what degustation could be complete without a coffee and a digestive?



Good quality espresso (which you beg for in America let me tell you) served with your choice of raw sugars.



Without prompting we are also brought petits fours of salted caramel popcorn and mini lemon mirangue. So heavenly we fit it in despite being gluttonously full.



El Maestro Sierra Amontillado Sherry NV 12 Years Blend

I grew up in a Spanish family, every meal should end with a good sherry or a cognac (preferably both). I am glad to see this Spanish Sherry on the menu, I was fearing for hispanic new world digestives I would not like. A good quality standard Palamino amontillado.

Craft

www.craftrestaurant.com

43 East 19th St
New York City, NY
USA
Phone: 212.780.0880

Formal dining
Fully licenced

Review: Becasse, Sydney CBD

Who doesn't love a degustation? It had been a while since The Boy and I had done a proper date night and so we headed to Becasse as we had never been though I had been impressed with their food at various food events (not to mention somewhat in lust with the Plan B Wagyu burger).

Overall impressions are quite good, I believe it truly deserves the number of hats that it has won and the Chef of the Year to Justin North. I will say though that some of the items in the menu ran a little flat, but were off set by some wonderful highlights that pushed the entire meal into an upper echelon. The wine matching was well done for the food, though a little impersonal compared to some tasting menus where the wine is matched to taste. Unfortunately in our case we didn't have a sommelier on the floor and so it was wait staff that only know the items they are presented with on the menu.



The service was attentive but not top class; we were served by a large number of staff, most of whom only served two dishes, without the continuity of service this caused some problems. For one thing it took 90 minutes to receive the first three dishes and we were left waiting for long periods between courses, this didn't improve until the majority of the restaurant had finished and left. The boy didn't get a steak knife to go with his beef dish and this made it difficult to eat when the beef was so rare, additionally no one noticed when I dropped a knife nor did they offer to replace it. They missed an entire wine from the list however as this was the Gerwurtztraminer I wasn't too upset, and we were going to ask for it to be replaced with an additional glass of the Tokaji which they gave us due to enthusiasm about the wine regardless, but in other circumstances this would have left me raw when we paid additional for a sparkling at the beginning of the meal.

Additionally the atmosphere was a little stifled, on first arrival I felt a little unwilling to speak at my normal volume, it felt like being in a food library. Thankfully this dissipated as the matched wines were brought out, but there's something about the beige interior and relative openness of the tables that makes you feel like you shouldn't speak up. Mind you we did spend half the night giggling at the conversations next to us so I guess it's with reason.



The table next to us (sadly not in frame) did a dish substitution on the Jewfish which I wish I'd had the knowledge of their menu to complete as they were presented with a Rabbit and Duck dish that sounded absolutely to die for not to mention completely matched to my tastes. Otherwise they kept us entertained for much of the evening as the female partner did not seem to be comfortable in such a calibre of restaurants making regular comments about the size of the dishes, her unwillingness to eat parts of the food and her feeling remarkably overdressed for the occasion. Mark my words people; the wealthy don't feel the need to dress up for such a dinner. The partner ended up looking on jealously as we were discussing the wine with the wait staff, either that girl had better learn her food or they're in for a rocky future methinks.

But enough dissection of the restaurant, on to the food!



Springfield bottled water - Sparkling and Still $10 a bottle.

If it's not obvious you should *always* get water with such a meal, the volume of the wine and the need to cleanse between dishes makes this vital. If you're unwilling to pay for water ask for regular servings of tap water.



N.V. Chandon Blanc de Blanc $14

Not a truly great sparkling, but being a pure Chardonnay sparkling lends a little difference to my usual line up and the only other sparkling by the glass was the Roederer at $28 which I find far too full a palette for before a large meal.



Dry vodka martini with both twist and olive $16

Having shared one too many Vesper Martinis with a work friend earlier in the week I really wasn't up to the punch of the boyfriend's vodka martini, but it was a well done impression nonetheless and obviously used a grain vodka of some quality.



Canape - Mascarpone, lemon and herb mousse on a buttery parmesan round - Complimentary

Apperitifs were served with a complimentary canape while we decided what to order. There is an alternative wonderful Black Truffle degustation menu on at Becasse at the moment however much less of it was to my taste and it seemed difficult to match to another tasting menu when there was an unmatched number of dishes in each. Thankfully the boy decided to have the standard dinner degustaton with me!

The following dishes are all included in the degustation at a cost of $130 for food or $190 with matched wines.



Sourdough, pumpkin and rosemary breads served with olive oil emulsion and smoked pure butter.



Amuse bouche - Celeriac and potato veloute

I admit I do like the trend of putting small veloutes and soups in espresso cups, I find it's an elegant method of service and forgoes the need for a soup spoon. The tangy creme fraiche went perfectly with the sparkling wine.



Salad: Salad of heirloom tomato basil with golden tomato and olive oil sorbet - matched with 2007 Caves de Pouilly-Sur-Loire, Coteaux du Giennois, Loire Valley

I admit I don't think this dish was necessary given the existence of the canape and amuse bouche and it felt a little... unexciting. The olive oil sorbet was marvellous rather like a chilled virgin olive oil mayonessa, however it would have fared much better for a lashing of balsamic.



Appetiser: Carpaccio of John Dory with Thai flavours - Should have been served with 2008 Leabrook Gewurtztraminer, Adelaide Hills, however I didn't receive it :|

After my usual complaint that you can't seem to get a high class meal without a ceviche or carpaccio included this dish really blew me away and was one of the highlights of the meal; the meaty fish was lightened by a soft thai dressing, shavings or chilli and crisp bean shoots. Highly recommended; I cannot stop thinking of the mouth feel of the fish.



Fish Course: Seared swordfish and config squid in a citrus sauce vierge and squid ink noodles - matched with the 2008 Tscharke, Girl Talk Albarino, Barossa Valley

I can't think for the life of me why I forgot to get pictures of all of the wines however this Tscharke was wonderful and will be making it into my drinking rounds in the near future.

The swordfish was good but not outstanding, however the squid ink noodles were dark, delicious and chewy in a way that reminded me of konnyaku jelly.



Fish Course 2: Roast fillet of jewfish potato gnocchi and saute of mushrooms - Matched with 2006 Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir, Central Otago

The crisp skin of the jewfish was an amazing counterpart to the juicy flesh however the highlight of this dish was the creamy pan friend gnocchi that melted in the mouth in an eye rolling manner; such a delightful texture is rarely found in any food.



I just love Pinot Noir with a strong fish, the pairing with the jewfish was well thought out and just heavenly. Unfortunately the wine servings were a little generous and I was finding myself juggling glasses by the end of the meal. At the front of this photo is the Blaufrankisch, the middle is the Syrah and the back is the Pinot.



Poultry course: Mosaic of smoked ham and confit chicken salad of baby turnip and apple, mulled cider gel - Matched with 2006 Nittnaus Blaufrankisch, Burgenland

I probably would have preferred this dish after the salad and it seemed odd to have a cold dish at this point of the meal; even if formal dish orders were being maintained. The mosaic was excellent, fresh, cool and just perfectly seasoned. I thought the cider gel was unnecessary and a cloying texture with the cold meat.

The Blaufrankisch was franky very disappointing; the rich raspberry colour of the wine was enticing but left dead with an almost non existant nose, flat dull peak and extremely short impression; With the cold saltiness of the dish this was a total disaster.



Meat course: Slow cooked suckling pig with peas, pancetta, cos lettuce, potato puree and sage jus - Matched with 2005 Stags Leap Petite Syrah, Napa Valley

For me this was the true pinnacle of the meal and the sort of dish that makes this restaurant such a winner. Slow roasted suckling pig roasted to a creamy fat perfection that melted in the mouth, offset with a rich reduction and sage jus and just the right amount of fresh vegetables and top shelf potato puree. Backed up and rounded in aftertaste by the strong hearty Californian Syrah I have only the highest praise for the construction of this entire course.



Meat course: Roast rib and braise of Gundooee organic wagyu saute of chestnuts and sprouts and celeriac puree

My partner's main was frankly disappointing for what was an amazing array of ingredients; chefs seem almost afraid to cook wagyu properly these days and while we both like our meat rare this was blue to the detriment of the meat being the wrong temperature and texture, particularly when paired with the celeriac puree. The brussel sprouts were tangy and balanced the richness of the dish - or would have if only my boyfriend ate them, I did so thankfully on his behalf.



Pre-dessert: Yoghurt pannacotta, pineapple gratin and pain d'epice

All was forgiven with this amazing pre dessert palette cleanser, the gratin was evidently made from the freshest pineapple and was sweet without being cloying; it completely flushed the mouth after the rich fattiness of the meat course. The sweet creamy pannacotta contrasted wonderfully and mixed well with the coriander jelly; the mix of tastes and textures in the mouth was truly unique and superbly balanced. Another unfaultable item.



Dessert: Banana crème brulée salted peanut brittle and milk coffee sorbet

I am usually uninspired by banana however I cannot pass a salted toffee or peanut brittle and I was not disappointed here. The crisp shell cracked into many pieces and revealed a creamy dairy pudding laced with slices of soft fresh banana and covering a layer salted peanut brittle pieces that induced me to unintelligible noises with every bite. The kind of dessert I dream about.



Dessert: Rhubarb and mandarin goats’ cheesecake burnt butter ice cream, lemon balm and honey crumble

I feel as though the goats cheese used in this dessert was too strong and perhaps included only for sake of exoticness however otherwise enjoyed all elements of the dish, the boy who had actually ordered this for himself was underwhelmed and shockingly left half of it behind. If I hadn't been so full from the rest of the meal I'd have tried to finish it myself.



2003 Chateau Dereszla, Tokaji "Furmint", Tokaj

Remarkably the dessert wine is the one we were holding out the most for. My partner having not grown up in the somewhat wine flushed household I did doesn't have the palette for wine and is being introduced as best I know how - through the fortifieds and back down (watching him foolishy try to take on the unsubtle Syrah was a delight!). One of my most celebrated maneuvres to date has been to introduce him to Tokay. In Australia this is a sweet syruppy muscadelle wine that has the mouth feel of mead but a taste akin to a lighter port. In Hungary this is a different affair and we were keen to try the Dereszla after so many winter tipples of Buller's Tokay. This is a very different wine indeed, lighter and less sweet more like a Semillon dessert wine than an Australian Tokay; good and a fine accompaniment to the dessert but not inducing the kind of hungry eyed eagerness in my wine-destitute partner that I am so trying to encourage.

There was a cheese plate on offer that I was intending to order however I hit the wall somewhere around dish 6 and there was no space for either cheese or coffee, despite the amazing petit fours I spyed about the room and the fact that I had skipped lunch in favour of the grand meal.

All in all a high class meal at a pure pinnacle in some areas and very flat in others. While I am sometimes overly critical of high class food, and possibly overly complimentary of homely cooking executed well, I expect that a meal that costs $370 lives up to its princely price tag. North's food is excellent however some of it is a little unexciting for those who eat good food regularly; often dishes are elevated purely by a single excellent item. If he managed to make more of his dishes match those elements perfectly, or bring all the items to the same standard he would be truly world class rather than just one of Sydney's finest.

After the disappointing service at Balzac Becasse definitely had a leg up, the staff knew the wines, announced each dish with refined formality and interacted well however there were still elements drawing criticism and I would possibly advise that a mid week attendance or a la carte meal would probably be preferred to the Friday night degustation we attended.

Becasse
http://www.becasse.com.au/
204 Clarence Street
Sydney 2000

Fully licenced
Reservations imperative
Formal dining environment