Love@First Taste..Love@First Sight
[Disclaimer: There's a first time for everything, humans make mistakes, and technology fails; HARD! At tonight's dinner I took a wonderful "mouthdrooling' set of food porn only to come home to a broken memory card. I couldn't unload those pictures it was ALL LOST. My camera has the luxury of holding two memory cards and usually I'll set the second card to save a duplicate of whatever I take and save as a backup. Being my idiot self, I omitted my other card at home intentionally. WTF moment!! after I realize my card isn't reading. I tried..re-tried and still it wont register on any computer or camera. I have no backups, my heart sank, and I had a sick feeling in my stomach. The next day I ran to several professional camera stores asking them to retrieve the data..NO luck :( The results, regrettably, were of course suboptimal, but given the occasion and strength of the meal, I felt that I should give this a write up.]
**PROFESSIONAL advice: never delete images on your camera directly. Always unload everything onto a external memory source whenever possible and reformat in your camera before shooting your next set of images.
A very special night indeed.. this was me and my special someones six month anniversary. "Time flies when your having fun." Being the food lover we are we decided to treat ourselves to a special Sunday dinner.
Chef Laurent Quenioux just happens to be doing a pop-up at his own dig, Vertical Wine Bistro, in old town Pasadena. From the street (Raymond) a flight of stairs that led us to the restaurant acts as a time warp that teleported us to a urban oasis. Chef Quenioux's "fooding" events combine unique culinary offerings and refined seasonal ingredients. Its magical the way he composes the menu and creates a one-of-a-kind event each time. With no limitations the Chef cooks what ever he damn pleases, each location provides an atmosphere, service and soundtrack(french jazz?) to elevate every bit of the dining experience. We were lucky to have the time and opportunity to try this memorable tasting.
Another reason for me personally is the offal heavy menu. I <3 offal, just saying, and adventurous as always I dived head in for this meal with no hesitation.
Mise en Bouche:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Lamb Heart Tartare, fresh Wasabi, charred Uni, Brioche FG, Apple Butter, smoked Eel.
Beverage Pairing: NV Pinon Vouvray Brut Non Dose Oliver
At first impression, looking at the combination of the ingredients, it was a hearty amuse to start off the meal but yet it seemed light and airy when the two bites of heavenly treat went inside my mouth. I started with the lamb tartare, it was my first time having a lamb version. No gaminess present here but I would like a bigger bite. Moving on, F.G.?!! could it be.. eat and don't tell ;) I love the French's don't give a F*** attitude when it comes to food restriction.
The sparkler pairing adds a lively-ness to the dense and earthy tone of the dish..parfait!
1st Course:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Black Mussels & Belize Shrimp Spring Roll, Smoked Dashi Gelee, clementine Miso Curd, Pickled celtuce, Sweet Potato, Aji Chilies, Tobiko oil.
2009 Pepiere Muscadet Chateau Thebaud Clos Morines
This happen to be the night's favorite for the both of us. This was an underdog dish that stole our hearts and made us believe in the magic of Chef Quenioux's cooking. A riff on Vietnamese spring roll; the fusion was perfect from the smoke glee to the sweet potato spread underneath.
This dish was further highlighted by a choice of excellent pairing. I can seriously drink this wine all day. Light, super dry still maintaining great structure in the mouth. Riper acidity and otherworldly grip and texture on the palate. Basically, a fruit forward mineral water spiked with booze. This would be a crowd pleaser at any spring/summer party, guaranteed.
2nd Course:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
"galintte", Fava bean vanilla smear, Lobster Broth, Fennel jam, Anchovy Garlic Toast
2011 Grange Tiphanie Rose Rage Tournant
Not sure what kind of fish this is? 'Galintte' in french means a kind of fish used in Provençal cuisine. So I guess here it means whatever fresh fish was available at the time was used for the dish. Fish was well cooked and the lobster broth gave it ample flavor without killing the fish's taste and delicacy. The toast added a really nice textural dimension. The bean swear on the side of the plate got me mistaken for something made out of pistachio, it was a lovely compliment to the fish though.
The Rose wine was more on the unique side. Giving lots of intrusting earthy tone on the attack and subtle ripe fruit that lingers in the aftertaste. Interesting pairing.
3rd Course:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Chinese lion peppers, Duck leg confit, Duck gizzards, Duck tongues, Duck hearts, -8, Apricot seed dust
2011 Puzelat TelQuel Gamay
This is a well executed dish. The oriental flavor just screams at you from beginning to end. The lion pepper really gave it a nice heat kick and brought me to memories of some really homey Szechuan stir fry dishes I had in the pass. Another interesting element I should mention is the '-8'. A fancy light vinaigrette made at an ultra low temperature. (correct me if i'm wrong). For a non offal fan I can see why this dish can be overwhelming. Everything to me was cooked perfectly here.
The Gamay was a pretty straightforward example of the varietal bursting with the pure red cherry and raspberry fruit. I see why the wine was paired to a dish like this but I was not to fond of the wine itself. A bit one dimension and not as aromatic on the nose.
4th Course:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Trotters and tails pot pier, truffles, Porcinis, salsify
2011 Ulivi "Cascina Degli" Semplic
Hate it or love it kind of dish. The classic French preparation is seen at its purest here. This dish in two words would be bland and gelatinous. I would like some additional flavor and texture for sure but I still think this is a really great way to showcase a seasonal dish for the winter. Although a little disappointing for the main protein entree the meal was still well composed as a whole.
The wine on the other hand was a gem. A 'Italian Pinot Noir' described by our wine server. Indeed I can taste the pinot noir varietal with some lovely added weight to the palate with an amazing mouthfeel. Sante.
Dessert:
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Coconut Clove Bay Leaf ice cream, Chocolate Coffee Cardamom crumb, Candied Kumquats, white chocolate coconut mousse, Cocoa nib Dacquoise
For some reason the dessert went right along with this protein focused meal. Maybe it was because the Clove Leaf i.c.? The C.C.C. crumb was the perfect anchor for this finisher A great way to end this superbe repas.
Cheese Cart:
40
different variety of cheeses makes a cheese cart virgin like moi
despair at make a good selection tempted by the whole cart option ($120)
we ask the cheese server for recommendations.
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| Photo courtesy of Laurent Quenioux/Bisto LQ Facebook. |
Our Selection:
1. Délice de Pommard- Mild in flavor. Originated from France its a cow's milk triple creme cheese blended with brown mustard seeds.
2. Mothais-sur-Feuille- Strong in flavor. Goat cheese delicate smoky wood, earth and mold flavors.
3. Sadly, I forgot the name of the last one.
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| Cheese Condiments. Truffle Honey is amazing. |
Vertical Wine Bistro
70 N Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 795-3999
Ending Notes~
Chef,
Your warming personality is so addictive. Your cooking is creative and
on point. Our favorite chef to date! We'll be good to each other, and
see you at your next fooding event.
P.S. joyeux anniversaire mon amour <3
Dining date: Feb 24, 2013; 9:10pm-10:50pm
