beignets – pillows the size of my hand (i’m kind of tiny though) and covered in a mountain of powered sugar; fluffy in the middle and straight out of the fryer – do not burn yourself or you will regret it; do not blow on the beignets to cool them down either – your neighbors and dining partner will not appreciate the snow drifts in their faces; quite possibly the best beignets in town
fried chicken – with pickled okra and spicy maple bourbon syrup; they said this would blow our minds, but this is a very good fried chicken; the meat inside is so flavorful, as if it has been injected with spices and the outside is double fried, so it’s extra hearty crunch, though the batter can be a bit heavy handed in places, but slather it with a bit of the dipping sauce and you won’t think twice about eating just the batter.
jalapeno hush puppy – with honey; the lone one left that I managed to get a picture of, because we devoured these as soon as they arrived; these are without a doubt, the BEST hush puppies on earth; slightly crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside with bits of corn meal coated in a hint of spice and kissed with the sweetness of honey – I’d come here just for this dish
beet salad – with endives, pomegranate, puffed rice, and blood oranges; sweet, tangy, crunchy and full of beets! this is probably one of the more original beet salads that I’ve had (note, there’s no cheese paired with the beets)
ananas – grilled pineapple with coconut meringue and rum granite, topped with puff pastry, the chef’s rendition of a pina colada as dessert; the pineapple was a little limp, but provided plenty of tartness to counteract the cloying sweetness of the coconut meringue (which was closer to nougat, or uncooked marshmallow as it was sticky and not the least bit fluffy, and there was too much of it), with a bright freshness from the granita; we liked the puff pastry, but had a hard time getting all elements into a single bite for full effect
black trumpet mushrooms – with goat cheese panna cotta, a little salty and one dimensional, it needed something stronger than goat cheese and mache to bring balance to this dish
duck breast – with blood orange and duck jus; a new take on canard a l’orange, so juicy and tender throughout, it is probably one of the best duck breasts I’ve had in recent memory
roasted carrots – sweet and steeped in rich rabbit jus, with shavings of cheese and hay crackers for dipping; this is not a vegetarian dish and the broth was so delicious that it needed to be soaked up with baguette; and while hay crackers sound interesting they are not my cup of tea, like pliable crackers made from rye with lots of fiber; kudos to the assistant wait staff who heard me talk about bread for dipping and graciously brought us a few slices without us even asking for it
smoked salmon Рperched on top of a nest of shredded phyllo dough ensconcing a pouched egg in a puddle of vodka cr̬me fraiche; when you break the nest open, rich yolk runs out mingling with the crispy noodles and enhancing the brininess of the salmon; you MUST try this dish to understand the play of textures that elevate this far beyond the lox and cream cheese on a bagel that it pays homage to
foie gras torchon – rich, mixed with pistachios and dabbed with pomegranate syrup, it had all the trappings a foie gras dish should, in the right proportions, though it probably could have used another slice of brioche. 🙂
spicy salumi pizza – flavorful with fresh ingredients, but the magic of this pizza is the crust which has a great chewy consistency throughout. The pillows of fresh mozzarella only highlight the textures of the pizza. The char bubbles on the crust are not my cup of tea, but most people says it adds the bitter dimension and increased texture.
french press – the purest method for making coffee; the flavors are brighter and the coffee really sings; I know this because we had a brew flight of 3 12oz coffees; pour over and clover brewed. The family prefers French press, I liked the clover brewed for the boldness and intensity, but it does seem a little sludgy and heavy in comparison.
prosciutto pizza – with pecorino, fried egg, and arugula; one of my favorite fancy pizzas; salt from the prosciutto, a crunch and a peppery bite from the arugula, cheese, and a runny egg for creaminess and to mellow out the pizza; again, the crusts here are hearty with a nice chew
sausage pizza – with roasted red peppers; very flavorful and fennel flavored sausage on a hearty pizza crust from the wood oven
Brussels spouts – the veggie du jour currently; with balsamic reduction and soft egg, roasted and well seasoned, but not crispy like the fried ones; probably the best way to eat a Brussels sprouts healthily
a non alcoholic digestive of sorts – 33 herbs, with an orange flavor, bitter; they have a name for this – I don’t know what it is
close up of my drink with it’s demetra sugar
espresso and orange espresso – well, that’s not actually the name of what we ordered, but I can’t find the menu on the website anymore. The drink on the left is an espresso shot the one the right, something more similar to a Valencia, which is to say it had orange flavoring and sugar in it. The shortbread cookie was a nice compliment to the bitter coffee. I’m no coffee connoisseur, so I can’t tell you much about the flavor profile of the coffee, but it was fun to try different drinks.
a tom douglas dahlia bakery scone – they also have savory ones; a little cakey for a scone
freshly roasted beans ready for grinding into your coffee
bagel spreads – a nice variety of interesting spreads of your bagel or croissant
pastry case – from kale salads to crispy croissants and pound cakes, there’s something sure to please your palette to go with your coffee
expect to wait about 45 minutes to order your coffee; skip the line if you just want to walk around the roastery, go to the store, or go to serious pie
hot pot – just a small sampling of all the items we ordered; there’s also an extra tray next to our table to fit all the dishes that we ordered for the four of us; highlights include lamb, fried tofu, and beef
soup dumplings – just a new picture for you to admire and drool over
fried buns (jian bao) – another Taiwanese specialty where a bun is steamed and then pan fried to give the outside a crispy texture; these are not it, sadly. A jian bao should have the top and bottom fried and it’s not nearly this fluffy; while these are good with a healthy amount of meat and juices inside, they lack the crunch of an authentic jian bao
meat wrap -a Taiwanese dish where cold cuts of meat are wrapped in a flakey fried tortilla-like skin; it was decent, but needed some hoisin sauce to add more dimension to the plan meat wrapped inside; the skin was well made
cold cut meat – flavorful and tender without being too salty
pickled cucumber – while the ribbon of cucumber looks very impressive, it’s lacking a bit of punch with the vinegar and chili flakes. it was mostly sweet, with only a hint of the pickling
s’mores hot chocolate – marshmallows, graham cracker crumble, smoky hot chocolate that’s thick and rich, need I say more? This is hot chocolate taken to the next level and a must try for all hot chocolate fanatics out there!
venison chili – meaty, thick, cheesy; if you like chili, but want a healthier alternative to beef, this is the dish to try. The venison isn’t as heavy as beef, and it doesn’t taste gamey.
bread pudding – with cinnamon whiskey syrup, tastes nothing like bread pudding is it is much fluffier than expected, light with a hint of smokiness from the whiskey – a nice surprise since bread pudding is usually drowning in liquid
farm house burger – juicy, great quality meat; it’s a smaller patty, maybe 8oz, topped with foie gras terrine; the foie gras flavor was faint, and felt like it was running away with the juices of the burger, which is quite delicate; the bun holds together though without getting too soggy; the French fries are on the soggier side, but I like that since the overly crispy ones tend to taste more burned when they have skins
loukoumades – fried poppy cake with a creamy lemon curd, not too sweet but a nice finish to the meal
books & bridges ginger ale – locally bottled underground, gingery and dry – not too sweet, my sister loved it (and she loves her ginger beer)
whole trout – with mushrooms, the entire reason we came here as my dad loves whole fish, well cooked and quite large for a trout, didn’t really find the mushrooms and endives added much to the fish though, the waitress will debone it for you, so no worries if you’re worried about eating a whole fish – though I will caution you on the bones
squid ink risotto with scallops – perfectly seared sweet scallops, briny risotto (I believe they use Spanish risotto not the Italian kind as the grains were larger for a better toothy bite and not undercooked or overcooked), delicious!
fried calamari and oysters – with funnel and pollen, the cornmeal breading give it an extra robust texture; the oysters and squid were both fresh and tender
grilled halloumi cheese – with arugula, cranberries, cashews; loved the combination of cheese with the tartness of cranberries, earthiness of nuts, spiciness of arugula, and tanginess of vinaigrette; you have to cut the cheese with a knife and it has a nice firm texture without being too rubbery
fried brussels sprouts – with feta and lemon; I don’t like Brussels sprouts, but I liked these; the crispy texture gives them a nice crunch and the lemon adds a refreshing pop
Westward -homage to Wes Andersen
Westward – Little Gull Oyster bar, sit here when the restaurant is full
Westward – beachfront
pork sliders – flavorful, bite sized
salmon belini -lox on some sort of soft chewy bread, with a balsamic reduction – such a huge miss on the flavors and the textures; not sure why it’s named after a drink
pappardelle with pork sugo – the dish we liked the best, lots of cheese, lots of meat, flavorful and hearty
fried chicken skins – one of their signature dishes, served with lime and chilli flakes, reminded me of pork cracklings, except a little less greasy and lighter; good, but we didn’t need a bowl this large for 3 of us
chicken fat fries – served with aioli, a fluffy fatter version of the perfect French fry – like steak fries, except fluffier on the inside with a hint of savoriness, wish we had more of these!
Pimm’s Cup – they’re known for their craft cocktails; I have no idea what makes a good cocktail, but my sister liked this one and it’s not as sweet as one’s I’ve had in the past, more of a bite
veal scallopini – extremely tender, but overly salty; the sauce didn’t seem to add much flavor
squid ink risotto – with shrimp, nice briney flavor, but the risotto wasn’t cooked al dente enough, resulting in a rather chalky texture
antipasti – prosciutto, coppa, bruschetta, pickled onions, tomato caprese; the cured meats were tasty, I liked the mozzarella the best on this dish
foccasia – a loaf for each table, hot off the infierno, served with whipped pork lardo. Yes, you heard me, bacon fat. I could have eaten at least 2 of these by myself…
infierno – the grill/forge in all of its flaming glory.
the dry aged menu – they cross off each cut once it’s sold, ours was the last one on the left hand column; they also had a chalkboard for their half duck – 10 for the night, they were down to 4 by 10pm
thyme tapioca brulee – with fresh figs, a twist on traditional brulee that is not only slightly savory flavored but also incorporate the texture of tapioca pudding, contrasted with a really hard and thick brulee shell (eat this separately, it’s a little too think and sweet); reminded me of Joule’s Jewel box dessert with grapefruit, except a million times better. Try it!
and blue cheese for good measure
31 oz. prime rib – we came for meat, and they did not disappoint in that arena. 31 oz with the bone in of meat that came on a tree trunk sectional, brown sauce are drippings from all the meats on the grill (heavenly) and green sauce was horseradish-y with truffle oil; 31 oz. is impressive – it was also the smallest rib eye steak on their dry aged menu; and because it is such a large and thick cut of meat, parts of it were more well done than medium rare, especially near the tip of the bone, the meat has a sweetness to it, but it’s not the most tender or most flavorful steak you’ll ever have, but it is by far the most impressive chunk of meat you’ll ever be served. Still, a good steak.
foie gras – with cranberries and granola, the granola pairing is genius – it adds crunch and sweetness to balance the foie, and the pumpkin provides a nice neutral middle ground and the cranberries the tartness, though you have to be careful how much cranberry you eat in a single bite or else it will overwhelm – 1/2 cranberry per small bite is a good ratio, LOVED it! such a wonderful take on an old favorite!
gyoza – lots of flavor packed into these fried pork dumplings, not too greasy either
garlic ramen – a flavorful broth without being too heavy, firm noodles, and a thin slice of cha shou make this an excellent ramen.
pumpkin spice parfait – with shaved crème fraiche, pumpkin cubes, toasts, and bourbon caramel sauce, this dessert had so much going on in it I’m not sure either of us knew what to make of it at first, mild firmness from the pumpkin, hard crunch from the toasts, melting softness from the crème fraiche shavings, and then sweetened with the caramel. Definitely worth trying!
braised duck – with pears, the combination with pear works quite well though the duck was a touch try, loved the flavor and the broth it was in
lamb pasta – with pine nuts, the sauce was delicious though minimal to let the pasta shine through, there’s a certain chew and springiness that makes the pasta so enjoyable at all of his restaurants
antipasti misto – the sampler appetizer platter, mortedella, beet and sardine on crostini – a nice balance with beets and sea foam, calamari in hummus – a nice combination reaching a little bit closer to the eastern Mediterranean
Lox eggs benedict – a different take on two of my favorite brunch foods combined, the hollandaise was a little on the tart side – maybe because of the tomatoes, but I think that helped cut some of the richness of the sauce, well poached eggs with a nice runny yolk, but very firm and thick egg whites (nit pickying – it’s diner food), and hash browns to boot!
pumpkin French toast – made of pumpkin bread served with pecans and whip cream stuffed inside, it didn’t quite have as much pumpkin flavor as I would have liked, but it still quite tastey
green scallion pancakes – pan fried layered dough with scallions, decent as they didn’t taste like yeast like they so often do, but they could have been thicker and needed a little more salt; I am spoiled by my dad who makes these at home… $2.50 – a good deal for carbs and classic Taiwanese food
soup dumplings – I loved these first of all, they had all the hallmarks of a good soup dumpling – plenty of fillings, they poured juice when you bit into them, the skin wasn’t too chewy and they had decent flavor; Din Tai Feng still holds the crown on these though – theirs are more delicate in the wrapping and have a bigger oomph on the meat flavor; however, these are only $9 vs. their $13 and doesn’t have the benefit of being a worldwide phenomenon
beef short rib – a massive bone in rib grilled, fall off the bone tender, generous portion
lamb steak – also done on the grill, not too gamey, cooked well, served with spaghetti?
pork flank + belly – this is what they used their grill for, the pork belly was delicious, flavorful; flank nice and tender
quail – stuffed with foie gras; it’s a challenge to eat quail with the bone in and the flavor of the foie gras seemed to be lost
sablefish – crispy skin, cooked well, on a bed of potatos
lamb belly pot pie – this was kind of hard to keep together and the pot pie concept was genius, but this fell short of expectations. Not quite flavorful enough, especially for a lamb belly cut.
squash salad – with radicchio, goat cheese, and hazelnuts; this is actually the first time I’ve had a squash salad and it was lovely; the sweetness of the squash paired quite well with the radicchio, smoothed out by the goat cheese.
foie gras – we came here for this dish and they did not disappoint, scattered with huckleberries and topped with a quail egg; the crust on the foie was perfect and the quail egg only served to provide more moisture and richness to the dish; there’s piece of toast hidden under here to texture too
grilled octopus – a job well done on the texture, they made good use of their grill
smoked beets – and blue cheese; the table took a few bites before they warmed up to this interesting dish, but they liked it; a little sweetness with the saltiness of the blue cheese (go light on the blue cheese or it will overwhelm the beets), needed more bread to go with this bowl; it was definitely a surprise favorite as far as intriguing dishes go
apple melt – gruyere, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and pickled apples; a great grilled cheese sandwich by any standard with lots of cheese oozing goodness, great for vegetarians and would normally be the type of sandwich I would love, but it pales in comparison to the other sandwiches we had
bone-in porkchop sandwich – the namesake of the restaurant and had to be ordered; with pickled vegetables and salsa verde; they graciously cut the sandwich into quarters for us to make it easier to split; the texture of the tender and juicy pork enrobed in its crunchy fried crust was so delicious! I’m not a huge pork person, but I was a fan of this sandwich! the pickles added a little extra crunch and the bread provided generous coverage for the sandwich.
chicken wings and cracklins – these were good to share, crispy skin and cracklings, more of a sweet honey and roasted pepper flavor
smoked trout salad – with apples and pickled red onions; I’ve had tuna salad with apples and preserved lemons and all sorts of other smoked fish salads, but this one was perfectly smoky with just the right blend of crunch and acid to balance out everything. I wish there was more of it though, as it didn’t quite cover the 4 grilled breads.
chickpea fritters – crispy on the outside with plenty of flavor on the inside (from just chickpeas!) sitting on a bed of gem lettuce with their magical tartar sauce. Someone heard egg yolk sauce, which might explain the yellow color of the sauce, but I’m inclined to think it’s curry. Either way, the dressing is sublime!
pickles & kimchi – pickles, carrots, cauliflower, kimchi; sadly the pickles were a little limp and the kimchi doesn’t have the punch of a Korean restaurants kimchi (it’s less vinegary and spicy) but is probably a good choice for people who are unfamiliar with kimchi; the cauliflowers were the standout in this starter
garlic tonkatsu ramen – it’s rich without being oily, punctuated by crunchy bamboo shoots and crisp bean sprouts; the noodles are al dente and firm to the chew – very different from what you may expect from packaged ramen; the kicker is the par boiled egg
insalada verde – our obligatory veggie of the night, though one might argue that we had plenty of vegetables in the antipasti, but we didn’t know what we were getting in the antipasti, so we ordered a boring salad. Completely boring and totally normal, also perfect for cutting the heavier dishes.
pork chop – with cherries, nuts, cherry tomatoes, and green beans; they made the pork tender and flavorful and paired it with the tart fruits and tomatoes to give it more pop
sage butter pasta – this is what they’re known for, a simple preparation of their handmade pasta that really allows the texture and taste of the pasta to shine; you’ll notice hints of the sage, but the creaminess without the presence of a real cream sauce is quite amazing
prosciutto and radish salad – part 2 of the antipasti sampler: prosciutto paired with fennel and arugula (a carnivore salad); radish salad with parmigiano and anchovy vinegrette (lots of bite with bold flavors)
proscuitto and zucchini salad – this was the first half of the antipasti sampler; prosciutto with melon, which featured a very sweet melon, in this classic pairing; and charred zucchini with cheese – like a deconstructed zucchini parmesan (fresh zucchini without a hint of bitterness plays well with the mild cheese)
chicken & waffles: Love love love the waffles, soft but so buttery! The chicken, well, probably could have used a little more seasoning, but it’s the combination of sweet and salty that we’re after here.
pork sliders – a nice combination of slaw and pulled pork on a brioche bun; I was in it for the French fries though – and that horseradish cream sauce that goes with the fries! Those are pretty good fries!!!
chocolate goat milk cremeaux – with buckwheat crumble; you won’t notice that it’s goat milk, but it’s not as oily as some ice creams are, and the buckwheat isn’t very sweet and still has that same nutty flavor of dark chocolate to add back what’s lost in milk chocolate; I finished it all even after all 10 courses
harbison cheese – with pine cone syrup, turnips, and walnut bread. Comparable to a less earthy camembert, but I enjoyed the pine cone syrup, an added sweetness with a slight bitterness
strawberry sorbet – with basil and elderflower, a nice palate cleanser, bursting with summer and a little bit of crunch, tempered by the elderflower
lamb – with fish sauce, and maple sherry vinegar caramel; well, it’s sweet, it’s a little pungent, I can’t describe it, but you should try it. The lamb is fantastic and the sauce takes it into realms where you’ve never traveled – it’s on the reasons this restaurant is so inventive!
sole – with bok choy, fresh chicpeas, and a coconut lemongrass emulsion; a tender white fish with a whisper of thai and hint of the Mediterranean (fresh chic peas offer a nice earthiness to go with the lemongrass – would have never thought of the combination, but it works well)
restaurant marron – poached egg with bone marrow bouillon; a barely cooked silky egg soaking in a savory bone marrow broth, (so rich!) topped with some crunchy bread crumbs. This was a last minute addition to the menu according to the chef, and it was amazing!
roasted wild mushroom – with garlic flan, daikon, kale; the garlic flan was the best part, a flavor enhancer with a texture that contrasted with the mushrooms; the jus it was sitting in had me wanting to lick the bowl
foie gras – with roasted meyer lemon paste, spring onions and cashews; this is a simple dish were each ingredient shines on its own; the foie is not sitting in a jus and there’s no great way to combine the ingredients. While the foie was cooked perfectly, the lemon paste was a bit heavy handed and slightly bitter.
sweetbreads – with crispy dumplings, English peas and sorrel; the sweetbreads were fried perfectly so you could still taste the flavor inside, enhanced by the fried dumplings (similar to gnocchi) and then combined with peas and sorrel to give it a refreshing flavor without resorting to acidity for balance. This dish is inventive and the best preparation of sweetbreads I’ve had in Seattle (RH in LA is first).
red beet salad – with smoke cherries and mustard green, our veggies for the night; the beets were sweet and firm pairing nicely with the crunch of the greens and light dressing
avocado & kumquat: the amuse bouche, light refreshing with just enough acidity to make you start salivating
rosemary panna cotta – with strawberry coulis, you could taste a slight hint of rosemary, but it was much too dense for a panna cotta, perhaps a touch overcooked.
espresso bread pudding – I heard this was pretty good, topped with caramel and whipped cream
salmon – notice, it’s not pink and that’s because it’s wild salmon and it swims deeper and has a different diet, according to the chef.
fried chicken burger
waygu beef burger – I wish it was juicier and the bun didn’t hold up to the burger and disintegrated, French fries are not bad
lamb kebabs
ribs
burger
fish & chips – they only serve this dish at this location, so it was a treat to try. Panko bread crumbs and miso tarter give this dish it’s fusion. The cod is fresh and the French fries are worthy of ordering.
kim chi fried rice – with kalibi beef and a fried egg; this is an explosion of strong flavors and the perfect starch to accompany your meal. It makes for great left overs the next day, but be weary of leaving it in your car for extended periods of time (prior experience). This is also one of their signature dishes that is a must try!
kalibi beef tacos – the original Asian fusion tacos, you can’t miss these! It’s a twist on the koren kalibi beef that you love delivered in a convenient taco. pulled pork slider – a nice balance of savory, smoky, acidity, crunch tucked between two pillows of sweet rolls
katsu burger – lots of crunch with a nice balance of their cabbage coleslaw
Lebanese tea – black tea infused with mint
Arabic coffee – ground coffee with cardamom and sugar; it’s not very sweet and you will find bits at the bottom, but this is nonetheless enjoyable if you like cardamom and espresso
Lebanese baklava – stuffed with pistachios, much crisper and harder than its greek cousin, the two taste nothing alike; the pistachio inside resembles brittle almost and the pastry is much crunchier and thicker as well
milk pudding – similar to a rice pudding, not nearly as dense as panna cotta, topped with pistachios and rose water honey; a nice light dessert
crescent cheese pastries – filled with melted cheese, chili, and mint; the Lebanese version of a fried cheese stick; delicious as appetizer!
lamb shank – so tender it fell off the bone, in a tomato sauce base, rather delightful
beef kabobs – a classic served with their flatbread, although a tad dry, it was nice dipped in the provided sauces
lamb turban pastries – dough stuffed with ground lamb; the pastry was a bit disappointing overall
eggplant and cheese – roasted eggplant with house made yogurt cheese in a bright tomato sauce; the eggplant was exceptionally fresh
lamb hummus – they poured the sizzling lamb with au jus into the center of the hummus, giving it a rich flavor balanced by the pine nute
Mouhallabia – milk pudding with orange gelee, pistachio, and toffee; reminiscent of a slightly firmer and less creamy panna cotta, less firm than chinese almond pudding; a nice subdued pallette of flavors with a variety of textures from crunchy, squishy, and silky.
yellowtail – glazed and looking like a grilled pineapple paired with fresh tomatoes and pickled radishes; it had the same profile of a miso cod with a sweet glaze and was steaky (that’s what happens when you don’t sear tuna I guess)
shish barak – lamb dumplings with yogart over rice; more like lamb meatballs stuffed into ravioli over an extremely buttery and creamy risotto if I had to compare; lot of yogart again and I think their rice was some of the best “risotto” I’ve had
bateresh – charred eggplant and minced lamb; i tasted charred eggplant and we spent a good deal of time puzzling over the red stuff (minced lamb) which didn’t exactly taste like lamb. Great with the bread
fatteh hummus – fresh chickpeas with yogurt and fried pita; while we were expecting green hummus, this was definitely different as I have never had fresh chickpeas. They are in my mind, like spring, what the chickpeas should taste like before they get turned into the tan garbanzo beans at the salad bar; a nice mix of textures, this is difficult to get eat with the bread as everything tends to want to escape.
sabayon and meringue – bitters flavored sabayon (think less fatty ice cream) that tastes like alcohol, and pistachio meringue to add sweetness and balance the bitterness; topped with grapefruit to make it extra bitter and sour (recommend removing the grapefruit)
bone marrow – with raisens and pickled shallot relish; there was a lot of bone marrow and it is rich; the relish on the side does help balance it, but it is also very messy
sardines on crostini – with curried tomato paste, fennel, and cilantro; like a glorified and extra fishy tuna sandwich; a great balance of flavors, but quite a disaster to eat since they had to toast thick slices of bread in order to make it hold up to the sardines and paste, which made it really hard to bite through
kale salad – kale with their 7 minute egg, potatos, cooked fennel, and aioli; it could have used a little lemon to brighten it up a bit, but overall, quite delicious for kale, which wasn’t tough or chewy at all.
cardamon panna cotta – with pomogranate foam; the thought of the combination is not something I could pass up, though it’s rather autumn-ish in theme than spring; panne cotta tasted like it was made of goat milk and a little dallop of the pomagrante foam went a long way due to the tartness. It helped take the edge off the the panna with an even bolder edge. 🙂 Vavavoom!
pear tarte – with spun sugar and buttermilk ice cream on top, quite the presentation and a nice way to finish off the meal. 🙂
charcuterie plate – my entree, rabbit rillettes, pork pate, and foie gras torchon; that’s two foie in one night and quite delicious! the mustard had a lovely zing that cut some of the richness of the pate and the rabbit rillettes were a lot lighter than your traditional duck or pork.
braised beef, served with a bone marrow demi glace, this was so tender it fell apart the moment it touched the fork. Loved it!
scallops – extremely tender, with the pairing brining out the natural flavor of the scallops against the nice crunch of cauliflower and carrots
foie gras – so I had this the last time I was here, but I can’t pass up a foie gras. Plus it was a different preparation this time, heavily savory on a raisin bread pudding, still melted in your mouth, but couldn’t taste the blood orange gastrique that would have complimented this quite well
french onion soup – I love french onion soup; this had an especially rich broth that tasted hearty, but lacked some of the sweetness that I like
beet salad – sweet and varied in texture, quite the site to behold with all the jewel tones
steak frites – rib eye with horshradish cream sauce; they know how to do steak here, and for only $36, this massive cut of meat was well worth that price. Juicey, well flavored, minimal gristle – delicious. I would come back for this dish alone.
Thanks Salumi for taking the photos!
foie gras pate – creamy and full of flavor, great with the pickled vegetables on the side which were still crispy and not over pickled!
bone marrow – full of fatty marrow, but needed some acid of sweetness to balance it out. Also, slightly burned toasts. Prefer Quinn’s bone marrow.
hot cocoa – don’t judge me for ordering this for dessert. It had a nice hint of cinnamon and a rich milk flavor with a healthy dose of chocolate. If I had to compare, this hot cocoa is much better than Loulays.
chocolate mousse – delicate and chocolatey as ever with an earl grey crumble. delicious!
octopus soup – one of their specialities; definitly worth a try with a stong dashi flavor, but they managed to still keep the octopus from overcooking, pretty amazing in a soup.
rabbit crepinette – a whole leg of rabbit is a rarity, especially one as tender and juicey as this one.
pork shoulder – the large portion of this dish needs to be shared; the pork is tender, flavorful, with a hint of sweetness from the glaze. There’s also kim chi on this dish – I only had a bite of this dish, so can’t speak to how that flavor mixed with the pork.
coconut curry scallops – I’ve never had scallops in curry; they are delicious with a hint of ginger and lime and somehow the curry didn’t overwhelm the seafood. It’s also a sweeter curry, probably due to the coconut. They did an amazing job cooking the scallops, firm and soft.
steak tartare – the japnese rice crackers are the perfect texture, crisp and airy with a hint of sweetness to contrast the steak. Our bartender was even nice enough to bring me an extra cracker when I was whining about being a texture eater and needing the balance of a toast-like substance – he knew what I needed and understood. 🙂 It is very oniony and well flavored.
buns stuffed with squash and topped with walnuts and honey – a tasty snack to pique our appetites. The buns have a firm crust that isn’t crispy with a good chew on the inside. Preparation of these buns changes often, so try them every time you go.
tempura poppy cake green tea ice cream – this was a treat! Even though we were so full, I still convinced everyone to have this dessert. I love tempura ice cream, but when you use a poppy cake batter on the outside, it makes it all the more special. Does poppy seed cake really go with the flavor profile of green tea? Well, there could be better matched cakes, but I’m not going to be picky about this because no one else does it and it’s worth a try! I will warn you about the pink whip cream in the middle – I think it’s whip cream and I also think ours had gone bad and tasted like oil, though the table next to ours was happily eating it with their ice cream…
marinated black cod – this is the dish that everyone raves about and says you must order. They are not wrong. Fleshy, moist black cod a sweet sauce packs a lot of fatty fishy flavor. Definitely would order this one again!
grilled squid – yep, that’s a whole grilled squid that’s been up cut on the plate. This is one is good – they cooked it perfectly so it wasn’t rubbery, seasoned it just enough.
beef hot pot – it looks delicious, but it needs work. While the beef is thinly sliced and looks amazing in the picture, the broth is water based. By water based, I mean it’s just there to keep the ingrediants warm. You’re supposed to scoop out the meat and veggies and dip it in a separate vinegar sauce. Not what I had imagined for hot pot. If the vinegar sauce had been less acidic, it might have worked better. As it was, we took most of it home to add some dashi to the broth.
makeral – pan fried, they did a pretty good job with this fish. It was pretty mild for a makeral; watch out for bones.
chicken karege – japanese popcorn chicken as I refer to this as. Nice chunks of tender and juicy chicken, crispily fried. Alas, it needed some sort of seasoning to help round out the dish. Dunking it in the peanut miso salad dressing didn’t quite provide the flavor I was looking for.
agedash tofu – a perennial favorite appetizer of mine. Sadly, this dish didn’t have the crunchy fried tofu skin, rather it was a little slimey. the broth it was sitting was excellent though.
takoyaki – octopus balls as I like to refer to them. These were still cold in the middle and not cooked all the way though, so a little mushy. As hard as these are to find in Seattle, pass on this dish.
If you’ve never had raw fish liver – monk fish is the one to try. Creamy and delicate, no hint of iron or fishiness.
chocolate ganache – decadent and rich
Steak trio – sirloin, filet mignon with lobster and bernaise sauce, new york peppercorn steak; all very tender and delicious, though the peppercorns made the New York steak too spicey
Apple salad – mixed greens, apples, vinegrette; a nice balance between bitter, sweet, acidic, and nutty
insane truffle soup – the gourmet version of mushroom soup, delicate and flavorfull without overwhelming
Quinn’s ultimate burger – foie gras, duck egg, mushrooms cooked in foie gras fat, swiss chard, painted hills beef, lamb, fontina cheese
Display of the impressive layering; you’ll need a fork and knife for this burger
The fancy version of poutine – with shaved foie gras on top and fontina cheese
bone marrow with parsley, rhubarb marmalade, parmesean. So rich and not for the faint of heart!
seared foie gras – had a nice crunch with the nutty granola yogart accompaniments, paired nicely with the rhubarb marmalade to cut the fattinesss