San Francisco Snapshot: Auberge du Soleil + Benu

This is extremely delayed, but.... visited San Francisco for the first time (that I can remember) this past Labor Day weekend! All I can say is, super jealous of the amazing weather all year round, but we're having a pretty warm winter season here in NYC this year so thanks El Niño! Anyway, a brief photo summary of this past vacation:

Auberge Du Soleil

I can't imagine a more perfect way to end a day of wine tasting in Napa Valley than dinner with a few of your closest friends on the terrace of Auberge Du Soleil, overlooking an amazing view as the sun sets. The service and food was decent, though I feel a large contributor to their one-Michelin star award would probably be its location / view.

Amuse + Palette cleanser:Tomato + Ricotta, Corn soup (I think) and
Appetizer: Sauteed Foie Gras
Second Course: Seared Ahi Tuna
Main: Prime Beef Pave
Dessert: Chocolate Devil's Food Cake, Mint Ice Cream

If only every day could end like this...

Benu

No words (that I could come up with, at least) could ever perfectly describe just how good Benu is. It has been called Asian fusion, but comparing it to those "Fusion"-style restaurants so many of us are familiar with is like saying Babbo, Batali's pasta haven in New York's West Village, tastes just like Olive Garden. I know, blasphemy, right? Having been awarded its third Michelin star only a year ago, Corey Lee's Benu is both classic and innovative. Being Asian, our group was very familiar with many of the flavors and concepts presented to us, but each dish still managed to surprise and impress us with its execution. That being said, culinary perfection does not come cheap - tasting menu without wine, tip or tax is currently priced at $248 per person.

Farewell to Sugiyama

It's been over 15 years since Sugiyama was first given three stars by Ruth Reichl during her last year as a food critic for the New York Times. Since then, countless restaurants have come and go, but Sugiyama has remained a stationary institution, continuously opening the eyes of weary, critical New Yorkers to the traditional kaiseki cuisine of Japan.

All good things must come to an end, and it was a bittersweet dinner as we visited the restaurant before its closing at the end of May.

We trusted our waiter with a sake recommendation and he did not fail us!
Sakizuke: Seasonal appetizer (monkfish liver)
Zensai: Delicate arrangement of seasonal Japanese fish and vegetable

Tukuri: Assorted sashimi
Suimono: Seasonal clear soup
Nimono: Seasonal vegetables cooked in light sauce

Ishiyaki: Tenderloin served on hot stone
Oshinogi: Oshisushi

Shokuji: Home made rice with various vegetables, miso soup, and Japanese pickles
Dessert: Grape fruit wine jelly with cream

If you have the chance, visit soon and say your own goodbyes!

Lucky Peach

Ever since watching The Mind of a Chef, I've been dying to try David Chang's Momofuku Ko, his chef's table, tasting menu-format restaurant in the East Village. Thanks to the best boyfriend, I had the opportunity to finally try it out during my birthday weekend. What followed was three hours of culinary innovation and an open-kitchen experience.

lobster paloise, tartlet

vegetable roll 

millefeuille

madal - consomme, shiso

razor clam - pineapple, basil

sunchoke - dry aged beef, tarragon

uni - chickpea, hozon

Skewers + Plates

Slowly making my way through my most recent food experiences... Had the extreme luxury of dining at a few more Michelin-starred restaurants over the past few months. From Japanese to French to Modern American, the prix-fixe / tasting menu format really allowed us to experience the most of what the places had to offer.

Torishin

Torishin offers probably one of the best tasting menus for the value - $65 per person for an appetizer, a few small plates, 8 skewers (6 meat, 2 vegetable), a rice dish and dessert. I'm usually not a huge fan of chicken (which this place specializes in), but every skewer I tried was different in texture and taste, while still bursting with flavor. I was unbelievably stuffed by the end and would probably opt for a la carte next time I visit, but for those who have a big appetite, this is the perfect dinner spot.

A few skewers (I think these two are chicken thigh and heart), grated daikon and an appetizer of grilled uni that we ordered on the side

Yam, radish, tobiko, quail egg and seaweed; chicken breast with plum and shiso; chicken meatball; chicken oysters; shishito peppers; chicken cartilage

Potatoes; another appetizer ordered on the side (scallops and mushrooms); oyako don (chicken and egg over rice); green tea ice cream

Dovetail

At $88 a person, the four-course menu at Dovetail is not a bad deal and the portions are definitely sufficient. For an even more affordable multi-course meal, I would recommend going on Sunday nights for their "Sunday Suppa" menu, which offers an appetizer, entree and ice cream sundae dessert for under $60. Overall, the food and presentation was executed very well, but there was nothing extremely special about the cuisine that would bring me back anytime soon. However, definitely a solid option for those looking for a fancy / romantic date night or dinner out with the parents!

Great bread selection (truffle arancini, cornbread and multigrain cracker); Potato soup (I think) and a tiny lettuce wrap; Steak tartare, chayote, pumpkin seeds, masa

Venison, saucisson poivre, salsify, trumpet mushrooms; Tuna crudo, baby beets, watercress, pumpernickel; Baked cauliflower, caramelized onion quinoa, dandelions 

Popcorn sorbet; Mignardises; Bittersweet chocolate souffle, cardamom, earl grey ice cream; Brie creme brulee, pecan financier, pineapple, sherbet

The Modern at MoMA

My friend was super excited about visiting The Modern, mainly because it was located in the Museum of Modern Art, and was known for its supposedly artful presentation and ambience. The dining room itself is beautiful with floor to ceiling glass windows that showcase the outdoor sculpture garden (unfortunately we had a later dinner so were unable to enjoy the views outside). Right outside is the Bar Room, an open area with a more casual dining atmosphere with smaller tables and a bar.

Going Global: California to Stockholm

Sharing a few more of my recent restaurant visits...

Upland

Upland is honestly one of my favorite places I've been to over the past few months. The layout of the venue is open and casual and the vibe was very lively and energetic the night we went. I usually don't comment on the service (prefer to focus on the food...) but our waiter was extremely personable and engaging throughout our entire meal without approaching the line of being too overbearing. The food and wine was also on point - not sure what all this "California-inspired" cuisine really means, but it was a great balance between "the classics" and innovation. Best part of the night? The bread. May or may not have polished off two whole loaves...

Unfortunately this was one of those prototypical NYC restaurants that loves dim / candle-lit lighting..
Warm and crusty potato bread; Beef Tartare, black trumpet mushroom, puffed farro, anchovy + egg yolk

Roasted Short Rib (for two), castelvetrano olives, walnuts, celery + horseradish
Whole Crispy Mushroom; Estrella pasta, chicken liver, sherry, rosemary + sage; Chocolate tart

Aquavit

I also had the opportunity to visit Aquavit, the modern Nordic establishment that just earned its second Michelin star this year. Good food, good wine and good conversation made it the perfect reunion for the Senior Eating Club. It was my first experience with the suddenly popular "New Nordic" cuisine, and I found that it involved a lot of smoke and seafood, which was more or less what I expected but was still executed very well. We opted for the Chef's Tasting to get a true experience of what Aquavit had to offer, and though I have to honestly say that it wasn't exciting enough to warrant a return visit anytime soon, the food was all very good and the dessert was definitely something to remember (and the only thing that I would strongly consider going back for).

Family Feast: Altura

Christmas Dinner at Altura

After so many years of Christmas surprises, presents and delicious meals, my brother and I decided to turn the tables and treat our parents to a nice meal. Altura has been named "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation and has appeared in countless reviews and articles for its locally sourced, open-kitchen concept. Its affordable wine pairing option also made it the perfect choice for a fun family outing post-Christmas. I think we found a new fav in Seattle!

Amuse Bouche: Fermented potatoes with arugula/pesto puree, house-cured ham, Japanese parsley, Italian olives

First course: Foie Gras seared and chilled

First Course: Wagyu beef crudo 

Course 1: Spicy grilled octopus

Course 2: Gnocchi with lamb and wagyu beef ragu

Course 2: Wild Boar Tajarin

Course 2: Pappardelle with spicy ragu of braised tripe and oxtail

Course 3: Wagyu steak with toasted farro and hedgehog mushrooms

Love in the Language of Food

Happy Valentine's / Presidents' Weekend! My feelings about the holiday:

And I did! Had an amazing home-cooked dinner with the roommate and boyfriend - so much better than spending a crazy night in one of the many overcrowded and underlit restaurants serving overpriced tasting menus. Instead, I ate until I was about to burst and spent the rest of the night nursing a rather painful food baby...

Look at that marbling... Excuse me while I have some alone time with these beauties. Is that weird?
Washyu NY Strip (left) and Flat Iron (right)

Anniversary Celebration New Zealand-Style

As a way to celebrate Valentine's Day and our 3-year anniversary (killing two birds in one stone, yeah!), David and I decided to visit The Musket Room tonight. I haven't had much Australian or New Zealand cuisine before, and I can't say I found it to be much different than food served in New American-style restaurants, but I loved our experience. The ambience was extremely unpretentious for a one Michelin starred establishment and the service was consistently warm and friendly. They even made the effort to make our anniversary dinner special with a personalized dessert presentation and menus / mignardises to take home at the end of the night (though I just opened the menu and found that half of the courses were incorrectly documented... oh well, guess it's the thought that counts. They probably didn't expect people to actually open the lovely wax-sealed paper). 

11 Madison

It's been four months now since I settled into the city and two months since I started real work and wrote my last post. Tried some new places and re-visited some old favorites, but nothing so far has compared to my experience at Eleven Madison Park.

To set the scene, it was my friend's last weekend in New York before he left to start his new life in San Francisco (RIP Senior Eating Club). Our group had originally planned to celebrate at Daniel, but in the end, decided to just "go big". What resulted was four hours of amazing food, entertainment and friendship. The cost for an unforgettable night? Priceless. Not really, it was ridiculously pricey but you get what I mean.

CHEDDAR black and white cookies; TOMATO salad with strawberries and basil; CORN custard with tuna and caviar

BEEF pastrami with peppers, rye, mustard and cherry; TOMATO tea with lemon thyme; CUCUMBER marinated with lemon and melon

EMP used to be famous for their grid-like menu, where guests would be given a 4 x 4 menu board of different ingredients and asked to choose four of the flavors they'd like to see in their meal. Just recently, genius Daniel Humm decided to do away with this structure and instead implement a longer 14-course meal with each plate playfully showcasing one key flavor/ingredient dependent on seasonal produce. The environment was also more playful than most other Michelin-starred restaurants, highlighting many culturally "New York" styles in either the preparation or the presentation of our dishes. Our visit fell towards the end of summer, so we experienced items such as strawberry salad, lobster and seafood boil, braised sunflower, grilled apricots and even a mini picnic at the table, complete with freshly made cheese and EMP-branded beer.