Foodie Adventure, New York: Per Se

Having planned this trip to New York last minute, I was not too optimistic about landing a reservation at Per Se. Known to be one of the toughest restaurants to land a reservation at in New York City, Per Se does not accept reservations within 30 days of the requested date. So, you can imagine the excitement when I found out they take walk in diners in their lounge seating. It was like Christmas morning had come.

Not knowing how busy the restaurant would be for lunch, we made our way to the restaurant early on Saturday at noon in order to guarantee a seat in the lounge. Arriving on the 4^th floor of Columbus Circle, I immediately spot the unmistakable blue doors. Fortunately for me, Per Se lounge seating is not a first choice Saturday brunch or lunch option for most New Yorkers. Table for 3 please!

As much as a 10 course tasting menu is tough to turn down, it was just slightly early in the day for that, my stomach had yet to fully wake from slumber. Instead, I quickly skimmed through the a la carte menu, ordered a few menu items that I was interested in seeing for the table, and we were soon sitting in anticipation.

Soon enough, the signature Thomas Keller canapés began to emerge at our table. First, the small golden pearls of goodness, Gourgeres filled with Mornay.

Now, who doesn’t like a waffle cone? Even better when it comes in the form of Thomas Keller’s delicious Black Sesame Cornets filled with Salmon Tartare and Red Onion Crème Fraiche. These visually ice cream like cones were just small enough to leave me craving for more.

Soon after, the irresistible scent of warm bread drifted over as the basket of bread followed closely in the footsteps of its scent. Inside, sat neatly arranged warm pretzels, sour dough and French baguette. 

Accompanying the bread was 2 different butters (salted and slightly sweet organic butter from Straus Family Creamery, and hand made Animal Farm butter which is produced from grass-fed Jersey cows), and 2 different salts (Jurassic pink salt from a Montana copper mine, and Sel Gris from the shores of Brittany, France)

Failure to resist the temptation of filling up on bread was a result of the first bite into the warm pretzels smothered in organic butter. The arrival of warm brioche made that an even further lost cause. Luckily for me, the Foie Gras Torchon (Persimmon and Vanilla Glaze w/ Saffron Emulsion) arrived with the warm buttery buns. The warmth of the bread with the richness of the foie, balanced with a touch of sweetness and acidity. Having always enjoyed a good slice of foie gras torchon or terrine, this was no exception. Perfection. Had to consciously stop my eyes from rolling to the back of my head in pleasure. 

Butter Poached Lobster Tail w/ Pea Shoot Veloute, Radishes and New Potatoes. Personally, I like my lobster tail poached just slightly under, so to me, this was just the slightest bit over cooked. Although, definitely nowhere near a rubbery, chewy overcooked texture, I still had the texture of the Eleven Madison Park lobster tail engrained in my mind.

Culotte of Beef, Artichoke Stuffed with Beef Short Rib, Carrots and Bordelaise. Tender cuts of beef paired with a rich, glossy bordelaise sauce is nearly impossible to dislike. Had one bite and instantaneously wished that I had enough room in my stomach for my own main course, and an order of beef.

Squab Breast w/ Marcona Almond Jus, Cilantro Puree and Turnips. Perfectly medium rare, the squab had the characteristics of game bird that I love, while some may dislike. If you like duck though, you can’t go wrong with this option. Texturally, the tenderness of the squab breast was perfectly paired with the crunch of the almonds, the crispness of turnips, and the creamy puree of cilantro. Did not regret ordering squab over either of the other two dishes for even a second.

Yuzu, Chocolate, Pomegranate and Grapefruit Sorbets were a perfect way to end the meal with a light, smooth, melt on your tongue goodness. Each was balanced texturally with different elements.

Just when you think the meal is over, they send out a tower of petit fours to finish off with my coffee. At this point, I was thankful that I opted out of the tasting menu for lunch. Food coma was setting in, and I was ready to roll back into bed.

As if there weren’t enough surprises already, with the bill, came perfectly wrapped packages of short bread cookies for each of us to take home for good measures. Thomas Keller definitely stops at nothing to ensure your palette is completely satisfied and then some.

Last words:

Salon seating is definitely a great option. If you’re not hungry enough to enjoy the tasting menu, or wasn’t able to make reservations a month ahead, yet still don’t want to miss out on the Per Se experience, the salon is a choice to consider. On a side note, it seems as if you’ll experience more privacy in the salon then in the main dining room. We were the only table seated for brunch that day in the salon.  

My only slight complaint about the dining experience was that I sensed the slightest of pretentiousness each time one particular server approached the table. Aside from that, all the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Would definitely return given the opportunity (or enough ahead of time planning) to try the tasting menu. 

Foodie Adventure, New York: Eleven Madison Park... For the Love of Duck

After my visit to New York earlier in the month, the taste of those white truffles still lingered on my tongue and the fleeting image of the whole roasted duck that had passed us by was still fresh in my mind. Hence, there was no question about returning to Eleven Madison Park. Menu. Although there had been slight changes to the menu since my last visit, the menu had remained the same for the most part.

To start, quail eggs sunny side on toasted brioche. Brioche is great on it’s own, but when you add a runny yolk and bacon bits, it’s just that much more satisfying.

Smoked apple and celery tea. Sweetness and acidity, infused with a hint of thyme was an interesting play on the combination of apple and celery that works quite well.

Again, we were presented with fresh baked warm bread and smoked sturgeon sabayon. Both just as satisfying the second time as the first time around.

Ordering foie gras once again as my appetizer, I mentioned that I had visited the restaurant just weeks earlier, and asked if the dish had changed at all. The server kindly stated that she would mention that to the chef and see what they could come up with. They soon presented me with this: Seared foie gras with apples and oats. The acidity of the apples balanced out the fattiness of the foie gras. As for texture, Chef Humm’s love for granola gave the dish texture in a delicious breakfast manner.

Onward and forward to our second dishes.
Lobster poached in meyer lemon beurre blanc, burnt leek, potato puree with a bay leaf and black shellfish bisque. Again, a contrast of flavours and textures that I would have never imagined were tingling my taste buds. Ordinarily, “burnt” is associated with the flavour of bitterness, but this burnt leek had a crisp (crouton like) texture that complemented the dish perfectly.

Snapper poached in benito slurry with baby octopus, fennel and seaweed with winter citrus and blood orange glaze. Yet another beautifully plated dish with contrasting colours and flavours. The acidity from the citrus brings out the flavours of the seafood perfectly.

Cauliflower roasted and pureed with madras curry, paired with couscous, marcona almonds and rehydrated raisins. Although I didn’t taste this dish, the scent of the curry lightly drifted across the table and tickled my senses.

Now, the Duck. The duck is what I came for. My last visit, the duck seemed to ever so slowly pass by our table, giving off just enough of its scent for us to all turn our heads in a jaw dropping “Oooo” and “Ahhhh”. and all instantaneously regret not having ordered the duck. I was definitely not about to let that happen a second time.

The duck arrived tableside with all it’s glory, the sunlight from the large windows reflecting off its coat of lavender honey. As they cut through the roasted bird, the scent of roasted muscovy duck seems like such a tease.

When the plate was finally presented in front of us, it was no disappointment. The crisp layer of skin covered in spices, achieved only by aging the duck, perfectly rendered layer of fat, and juicy tender duck breast. It was all that I had imagined and more.

As we were indulging on the roasted duck breast, they took away the remainder of the duck. They soon returned with bowls of duck confit with steaming potato mousseline. As full as I was, it was hard to resist this hearty dish.

Once again, as a pre-dessert course, we were presented with vanilla malt egg cream and a deconstructed strawberry goat’s cheese cheesecake.

Pear, much like the quince dessert that I had my previous visit. Difference was, it was pear instead of quince. Still delicious, although nothing surprising.

Coconut and pineapple sorbets melted deliciously on your tongue leaving you craving for more. Bits of toasted coconut slivers added a but of nuttiness as well as texture to the dish. Not generally the biggest fan of pineapple, this was definitely a hit for me.

Last but not least, white and black truffles. The absolute perfect way to end a meal, just as before. It will definitely be a sad day when they replace these petits fours that pack an element of surprise to them. At the end of the day, I again left feeling like I could pass up dinner that day. Yet, I still look forward to my next visit. Second time was just as good as the last. Completely and utterly satisfied.

Foodie Adventure, New York: Annisa

Not that going to one Michelin rated restaurant in a day wasn’t enough, but I had to make the most out of my extra 24 hrs in New York. Friends of ours had visited Annisa the previous day while we were chowing down on the fluffy buns of love from Ippudo, and came back raving about the Foie Gras Dumplings. We couldn’t resist the temptation, and with my few hours left, we set out on a mission to try Foie Gras Dumplings.



Arriving at Annisa, we had not made dinner reservations and were offered seats at the bar, which worked out perfectly since we were still stuffed from lunch that we had just finished barely 2 hours ago. So why pay a visit to Annisa if we were still so full? For the sole purpose of trying the Foie Gras Dumplings. After looking over the menu briefly, I ended up with two appetizers instead of one to top off my already full belly.

Before we could get to the soup dumplings, a plate of Duck Roulade. Tender duck confit paired with grainy mustard, contrasted by a crispy tart shell. It’s hard to go wrong with duck, and this definitely was bite-sized deliciousness.




Bay Scallop Crudo with Crispy Caviar, Bottarga and Uni
I am an absolute sucker for shellfish and uni, which meant there was no saying no to this combination. Lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon, the natural sweetness of fresh shellfish, the creaminess of the uni, and one of the few times I have had Bottarga outside of Asia. As full as I was, there was definitely no regrets here.



Foie Gras Dumpling
Few can resist the temptation of foie gras, and with friends raving about these I had to try for myself. Seared foie gras topped these dumplings when they arrived at the table. After consuming these much anticipated dumplings, I can’t say that I was blown away. Maybe it’s because I had expected too much because they had been hyped up, or maybe it’s because I’ve had one too many dumplings in my days, but the dough was a little thicker then I had expected, which flavour wise and texturally took a little away from what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, they were still great, but not as mind blowing as I had expected.



At the end of the day, I still look forward to returning to Annisa on an empty stomach to try a full three course meal.

Foodie Adventure, New York: Eleven Madison Park

Sometimes the best things in life present itself when you don’t follow a plan. You don’t choose the experience, it chooses you. When those opportunities present itself, you can decide to go along for the ride, or opt out and continue life in an ignorant bliss, not knowing the amazing opportunity that you have just foregone. Well, apparently since I’d already said to hell with plans on New Years Eve this year, I might as well break my new years resolution a second time within a week span. Woke up early, changed my flight, and enjoyed every extra minute that I had to spend in New York City. As a result of another spontaneous decision, I stumbled upon what is not my favorite restaurant in New York City.

Eleven Madison Park



This restaurant can do absolutely no wrong. From service, to ambiance, to food, everything was spot on. Understated modern simplicity, with a touch of elegance. Let’s start with the food. We’ll let the photos tell the story.

Menu. Simple and straight forward, it states only the main ingredient presented on each dish. You choose one item from each column, and leave the rest up to the chef.



Amuse 1: Gougere
Cheese battered profiteroles. Not something that I was unfamiliar with from making it at work on a weekly basis. Great way to start a meal with cheesy goodness.



Amuse 2: Chicken Veloute with Chive Oil
They first bring you a teacup with a small amount of chive oil on the bottom, which leaves you wondering how this dish is consumed. Then teapots arrive at your side, and steaming chicken veloute is poured into the cup, with the scent of thick, creamy chicken broth tingling your senses. The scent alone, guaranteed a flavour that would not disappoint.







Amuse 3: Chicken Liver Mousse on Brioche
This bite sized mousse, perfectly spread on brioche, was light, flavourful, and just enough to leave your palate craving more.



Amuse 4: Smoked Sturgeon Sabayon
Light and foamy egg filled a perfectly topped eggshell, the scent of smoked fish emulating from it. Who can say no to smoky goodness, fluffy goodness.



At this point, you wonder if you’ll still have room for the meal by the time they actually start serving you the dishes that you ordered. But who doesn’t like freebies, especially when they are presented so tastefully and with such elegance? And then came… the bread.



Fresh out of the oven, the bread is indescribable with it’s light flaky crust, and fluffy interior. Almost resembling a croissant, but not quite as buttery. It came with a pairing of goats butter and cows butter, along with Maldon salt.



First Course

Crab:
Rolled in avocado, lightly glazed, micro greens and edible flowers.



Scallop:
Ceviche and salad, lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon.



Foie Gras:
Terrine w/ black truffle paste, purple carrots and brioche tuilles.



Second Course

Lobster:
Sherry butter poached lobster tail w/ mixed mushrooms and sherry sabayon. Absolutely most perfectly cooked lobster I’ve ever tasted. Border lining rare and cooked.



Chestnut:
Fontina Val D’aosta tortelli w/ chestnut puree.


Turbot: Poached w/ celery and truffles in tapioca celery nage.



Third Course

Squab:
Breast and leg, roasted beets, bitter chocolate and squab jus.



Veal:
Roasted with porcini mushrooms celery, served w/ boudin blanc and veal jus.



Guinea fowl:
Beast and leg, seared foie gras, salsafy and suckle berry.



Now, before we could get around to dessert, the Maitre De had put together an amazing surprise for us. I’ve been on numerous kitchen tours before, but definitely nothing like this.

Kitchen table set up in the corner, white linens and polished silver spoons, waiting for us. We had no idea what to expect.



As we stood there taking it all in, liquid nitrogen was poured into a bowl with apple compote.



Then pomegranate foam was dipped into a bucket of liquid nitrogen.



This resulted in an apple brandy, liquid nitrogen pomegranate foam cocktail. Quite unexpected and jaw dropping to have a kitchen table set up for you for cocktail service in a 3 Michelin star rated restaurant.



We were then instructed to take the spoons and crack open the frozen foam and enjoy bites of that with the apple compote brandy in the bottom of the glass. Speechless.



We couldn’t help but also notice the spotlessly clean kitchen, where everyone seemed to be smiling, laid back and not the least bit stressed.





Back at the table (and more freebies), we were served the Eleven Madison Park version of egg cream with orange syrup, cocoa nib, citrus olive oil and topped with soda water.







Deconstructed cheesecake



Triple Crème:
An assortment of cheeses that they bring to you table side as a whole prior to bringing you your cheese plate.



Quince:
Quince sorbet, poached quince, quince puree and nuts.



Chestnut:
Chestnut sorbet, puree, meringue and grapes.



And because none of us had ordered the chocolate dessert, they sent out 2 differing plates of chocolate desserts, complements of the kitchen.





Last but not least, came the (excuse my choice in vocabulary for describing this next item) orgasmic black and white truffles. Not the least bit close to what I expected, this white truffle literally made my eyes roll to the back of my head. An explosion of cool, liquid white chocolate infused with black (mushroom) truffle. Imagine that! Need I say more?



Whether you’re looking for a restaurant with great ambiance, service, inspiring plating and food, or value for money, Eleven Madison Park is the place to go. It is definitely more than just a meal. It’s an experience that’s worth every penny.