CoryStyle.com

*Cowee & Petah Five Year Anniversary Dinner @ Menton Boston*

 

This past December 2011, Peter and I celebrated our FIVE YEAR Anniversary with a delicious dinner at Menton in Boston!

It really is amazing how fast time flies (the more I say this, the more I feel like an old person on a rocking chair telling her Grandchild this or something haha)...but it really is an amazing feeling to have shared the adventures of traveling, eating, shopping, TV & Movie watching together with my best friend Petahpoo :)

Here are some piccies of our Menton Tasting Dinner!

 

Candlelight Dinner...awww, so romantic...okay, just kidding, for those of you who know us, you'd know we're not the super "romantic gentleman and lady" persona but we DO love our food and cherish all the hours spent at tasting dinners like this heehee

 

 

Peter with one of his Anniversary pressies!

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat and Brioni Pink Striped Dress Shirt

 

 

Don't you just love the way I wrap pressies hehe, I don't give away anything at all ;)

 

 

 

Peter giddy with anticipation, unwrapping his first pressie...

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat, Brioni Pink Striped Dress Shirt

 

 

Hermes Men's Brown Navy Woven Belt--perfect for casual wear or paired with shorts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our delicious mocktails :)

 

 

 

Oh and what is this small little package...any guesses who wrapped this one? LOL

 

 

 

It's Snoopy!!! THE 18K White Gold Snoopy pendant from TSL Hong Kong that we saw last summer and I loved so much--had NO IDEA that Petah snuck away one day during that trip to pick it up for me!

 

 

If you have not been to Menton, one thing to stuff yourself with is the buttered mini croissants, they are simply AMAZING!!!  Peter kept trying, to no avail, to keep me from eating so many of them haha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is us SUPER STUFFED, and nope, I did not regret eating all those extra mini buttered croissants either haha

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat, Brioni Pink Striped Dress Shirt

Me--Marc Jacobs Mint Green Black Bow Silk Shirt, Prada Bright Gold Metallic Bolero Jacket with Black Silk Ties

 

 

Some parting gifts of assorted macaroons...

 

 

 

Petah inside SFP Garage :)

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat (view from the backside hehe)

 

 

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat, Brioni Pink Striped Dress Shirt, Salvatore Ferragamo Double Giancini Belt

 

 

 

PZ--Zegna Sports Coat, Brioni Pink Striped Dress Shirt

 

 

 

Shoe to shoe heehee

PZ--Salvatore Ferragamo Black Leather Parigi Loafers

Me--Rene Caovilla Gold Silver Sequined Pointy Toe Flats

 

 

Me--Marc Jacobs Mint Green Black Bow Silk Shirt, Prada Bright Gold Metallic Bolero Jacket with Black Silk Ties, Chloe Black Leather Shorts (love love these, so comfy and cool), and Louis Vuitton Limelight GM Gold Clutch

 

 

Me--Marc Jacobs Mint Green Black Bow Silk Shirt, Chloe Black Leather Shorts (love love these, so comfy and cool), Rene Caovilla Gold Silver Sequins Pointy Toe Flats and Louis Vuitton Limelight GM Gold Clutch

 

 

 

Providence Tasting in L.A.!!

 

 

Another tasting was scheduled during our short stay over in L.A.--this time, we headed off in the direction of West Hollywood to check out Providence.

I had read and researched around online, Chowhounds being one of my favorite forums to go to for local foodie's feedback, and Providence seemed to continuously receive high marks and praise, PLUS, they are very seafoody-based, which is perfect for me (I can't ever seem to do more than 1 or 2 meat courses during tasting dinners, plus many a times, the meat course will include Lamb or Venison or something far too "gamey tasting" for me).

 

 

 

The location is a bit odd, it's all by itself off Melrose Avenue, but on a very quiet, residential part of Melrose...

 

 

 

 

Bryan, Peter and I all decided to try out their "Mocktails," I always love it when restaurants have creative drinks made for those of us who do not "drink" :)

 

 

 

Amuse Bouche--Mojito Iced Gelee & Screwdriver Glob

 

 

 

Amuse Bouche #2--Carrot Soup Shot, Cheese Puff & Prawn (loved the miniature bites and creative sets!)

 

 

 

 

Japanese Kampachi--with red shiso pearl tapioca, cucumber and enoki mushrooms (YUMM, love Kampachi anything haha)

 

 

 

Santa Barbara Sea Urchin in a Farm Fresh Egg--this was beyond amazing, Peter and I don't even love Uni but we loved this course, so rich and velvety!

 

 

 

Hokkaido Sea Scallop--with beets, almonts and nori

 

 

 

Wild Pacific Halibut--with sesame seed crust topping, asparagus and a lemon creme puree (not my favorite since I don't usually love the lemon taste with fish and we're not fans of asparagus at all, but the fish was cooked perfectly and was very tender!)

 

 

 

 

We added a truffle pasta supplement to our tasting...here is the famous box of truffles!!  Ahh, the fragrance!

 

 

 

Pasta with Truffles--so simple yet so delicious!

 

 

 

 

This was my Salmon substitute instead of Veal...

 

 

 

Veal Tenderloin--with spring onions, crushed butterball potatoes and a garlic confit

 

 

 

Hello Mrs. Cheesecart again!! 

PZ--Burberry Vintage Turquoise Blue Short Sleeve Polo, Cartier Santos 100 watch

 

 

 

 

I can't even recall which cheeses we selected but the fruit preserves at Providence are second to none, seriously, I think next time we go back, I'm going to have to ask them to bring a huge bowl of the fruit preserves for us...we loved it so much, I think I'd eat just that instead of the desserts haha

 

 

 

We asked for a non-Chocolate dessert as P and I are not huge Chocolate fans...this Apple Panna Cotta with slices of cucumber and apple and sorbet was delish!  So refreshing and light but tasty!!

 

 

 

Some kind of fruit cake with blackberries and ice cream :)

 

 

 

Peter, Me and Bryan :) (Bryan actually looks super sleepy and food coma-ish in this pic haha)

Me--Louis Vuitton Blue Silk Printed Top

 

 

 

Our parting gift desserts from Providence, though at this point, we were so full, we barely made it out the door and home to sleep LOL

 

 

 

 

Off to L.A. We Go!!! Melisse Carte Blanche Tasting :)

 

 

 

As sad as we were to leave Hong Kong and Japan, after being on the road for a few weeks, we were super happy to make a stop over in L.A.

After being in the east coast for so many years now, I never pass up an opportunity to fly home to the land of 75 degree weather, sunshine, amazing food, shopping, and bestest friends :)

I had dined at Melisse, L.A.'s Michelin 2-star rated French restaurant, previously in March with my best friend, Bryan...we were so overstuffed with truffles, and blown away by everything, I knew I had to bring Peter here this time around!

 

Sadly, we had no idea that June was not really truffle season, so (to Peter's great dismay and sadness), the Carte Blanche menu was much much lighter on truffle infused dishes...BUT, we still enjoyed every single bite over the course of 4 hours...at the end, we all were ready to "roll home." hehe

 

 

 

We thought we could use Peter's Birthday...yes, much later on July 4th, as an excuse to do this Melisse Carte Blanche dinner :)

 

 

 

Amuse Bouche--Grape, Goat Cheese & Pistachio (it's funny, but sometimes our favorite course is the Amuse Bouche haha)

 

 

 

Amuse Bouche #2--Blue Mackerel Sashimi with Light Citrus Salad

 

 

Carlsbad Oyster with Melon Gelee--*slurp slurp*

 

 

 

Egg Custard with Black Caviar

 

 

 

The ever famous "Egg Caviar" with Lemon Creme Fraiche & American Caviar--so so YUMMY!!!

 

 

 

 

I believe this was a Santa Barbara Spot Prawn...

 

 

 

This was either Arctic Char or Salmon with a sweet pea foam broth

 

 

 

Sorry--memory is spotty as there were so many courses...but this was Quail Egg on some kind of meat...

 

 

 

What could be underneath all these pasta flakes...??

 

 

 

A nice juicy Filet Mignon...I just wished it was more fatty haha

 

 

 

 

The Cheese Cart has arrived!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogurt with a Strawberry Sorbet--super light and refreshing!

 

 

 

Chocolate Overdose--Mascarpone, Peanut Butter Crunch and Chocolate Souffle...way too much Chocolate for me, but I know most others would be all over this :)

 

 

 

This was like a Peach or Mango Icee topped with a light fruit sorbet

 

 

 

Macaroons & Caneles--LOVED the Caneles, they have a soft custard center and a nice thick caramelized crust

 

 

 

Strawberries and Cream!

 

 

 

I think at this point, we were all ready to go home and pass out, but it was an amazing meal spent with 2 of my favorite (and most stylish) friends in the world :)

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 4 Nagoya & Toyota Visit

 

 

Day 4, leaving Kyoto and off to Nagoya!! 

 

But Peter and I were not going to leave the Westin Miyako Kyoto hotel before stuffing ourselves one last time at the breakfast buffet haha...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter all dressed up at breakfast!

PZ--Hermes Pink Blue White Stripe dress shirt :)

 

First stop of the day...Nagoya Castle!!

 

Yukiko, Yuki and Me :)

 

 

Posing with one of the cartoon characters there, not sure why he was there but it was cute haha...

Me--Oliver Peoples Black Silver sunnies, Kain Blue White Stripey Tunic Top, Okabashi Black Flip Flop sandals

 

 

Japanese Bonsai Garden plants!!

 

 

 

Nagoya Castle!!

 

 

 

I'm trying to help here!! hehe

 

 

 

 

After the Nagoya Castle visit, we were off to the Toyota visit...on the bus, we were given delicious Japanese boxed lunches!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving at Toyota :)

 

Hello Mr. Robot!!

 

 

 

Peter looking very business-y hehe

PZ--Hermes Pink Blue White striped dress shirt, Hugo Boss Black Slacks, Salvatore Ferragamo Deeper black leather loafers, Tom Ford Black slim leather belt with brushed gold buckle

 

 

 

My next car after Booey?  haha nooo, but this was still very cute!!!

 

 

 

Meeting with some execs from Toyota with Ken :)

 

And after the Toyota visit, we hopped on a Bullet Train and zipped right over to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo!!!

 

Peter and I chose the "Kaiseki" optional dinner for our first evening in Tokyo.  Yuki took us to "Onodera" for this special meal :)

 

 

At Onodera with our fellow "Kaiseki" buddies that night...it was such a cozy little place on the 2nd floor on a small street in Tokyo, the chef/owner was amazingly sweet and fun to spend the evening with!!!

Here are all the Kaiseki dishes we had that evening at Onodera :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chawanmushi--I could eat this every day of my life...sooo yummy!!!

 

 

 

Specially flavored rice that he made for us to complete the end of our meal!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that amazing Kaiseki meal...we were stuffed and ready to retire/pass out in our hotel room.

Another superb part of this whole trip was how our luggage was always sent separately ahead to the next hotel each time we were traveling during the day.

All we had to do was pack up the suitcases and leave them in the lobby in a designated area and someone would drive our luggage to the next destination and it would be placed in our rooms...exactly how we found it as we walked into the Hotel Okura Tokyo :)

 

 

 

Our hotel room at the Hotel Okura Tokyo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Night from Hotel Okura Tokyo!!

 

 

 

 

 

o ya 4 year Anniversawee AMAZINGGGGGG

 

We had heard loads about o ya since we moved to Boston and while we are usually very skeptical when other people tell us to try a place, or that a certain restaurant is "amazing"...we were very excited to finally book our reservations at o ya for our four year anniversary celebration!

 

I know its crazy but we actually took pics of each of the 17 courses we had at o ya and thankfully took notes, so I can actually label each one here hehe

 

The best part of o ya was that each dish that came out was so innovative, yet the sauces and spices never overpowered the taste of the fish (which happens far too often and you wonder if you even just had fresh sushi because there was so much sauce and seasoning).

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Our view of the sushi chefs preparing food, MUST sit at the sushi bar for the best experience I think :)

 

 

Hamachi with spicy banana pepper mousse 

 

 

Salmon with unfiltered wheat soy moromi and yuzu 

Suzuki Sea Bass with spicy cucumber vinaigrette, avocado and cilantro--this had a super spicy kick but refreshing still :) 

 

 

Warm Eel with thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho--soothing especially after the spicy sea bass plate 

 

 

So cool seeing everything prepared right before our eyes :) 

 

 

Homemade Russian Fingerling Potato Chip with burgundy truffle--left us wanting even more truffle!  

Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with garlic butter and white soy--loved the tobiko garnish at the top too!!! 

 

 

Wild Cape Cod Bluefin Maguro with republic of georgia herb sauce--interesting names I just realized as I was typing all this out, this was a bit herby and if we dare say, our "least favorite" i think if we had to choose one dish at o ya we didn't LOVE LOVE 

 

 

Shima Aji hue style with kaffir oil and table salad--sooo refreshing and light, reminded us of a vietnamese spring roll taste! 

 

Scottish Salmon Belly with cilantro, ginger, and hot sesame oil drizzle--Peter described this as "melt in your mouth salmon!" 

 

 

Hamachi with viet mignonette, thai basil and shallots--amazingly tender hamachi with striking sweet tones in the sauce 

 

 

Shima Aji with spicy grapeseed sauce and masago--surprisingly, after o ya, we realized how much we do love jack fish!!! 

 

 

Bluefin Tuna Tataki with smoky pickled onion and truffle oil 

 

 

Kyoto Style Black Trumpet Mushrooms with garlic and soy sauce--very interesting looking, right? 

 

 

Shiso Tempura with Grilled Lobster and charred tomato and ponzu aioli--YUM YUM 

 

A very happy and soon to be super stuffed Cory :) 

 

 

Grilled Chanterelle & Shitake Mushroom Sashimi with rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth and soy sauce 

 

 

Seared Petit Strip Loin 2 oz. with potato confit, sea salt and white truffle oil--I'm not a huge huge beef fan but this was light and tender, delicious!! 

 

Foie Gras with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp and a sip of aged sake--perfect way to complete our meal at o ya!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Peeking outside the o ya front entrance, which by the way is very non-descript and easy to miss if you don't look out for it! 

 

 

Me--Balmain Khaki Military Zipper Jacket, Chanel Grey/Black Cashmere Scarf, Gucci Devendra OTK flat boots and Chanel earmuffs :) 

 

 

Bryan visits D.C. (finally-YAY!) off to Restaurant Eve Tasting (again) =)

Soooo, I was super excited when my ex-housie from LA, Bryan, was coming to visit me in D.C. FINALLYYYYY---we had been talking about this visit for awhile and he finally booked his trip seeing that we're leaving D.C. soon LOL

 

I have to say, he was one of the best housemates I've ever had...seriously, where can you find a guy to go watch Twilight movies, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill and also eat random things like Chocolate Souffle from Mortons or Furaibo at random hours whenever you have a craving for it?!!

 

I must say, together, it was very bad for our wallets and possibly health as we ate and shopped our way thru the 1 year we lived together LOL...I miss you Bryan!!!

So of course, when Bryan came, we promised we'd send him back full and happy from culinary delights...hopefully we did not fail :)

Our first night, we all dined at Restaurant Eve in Old Towne Alexandria...a "tasting menu" favorite for us in the D.C. area:

 

Note--I apologize in advance, we lost the tasting menu for this meal and I cannot remember the name of the dishes or all the garnish and sauce details for each plate either! =X

I really like the place settings at Restaurant Eve, I know I took a picture of this last time too haha 

 

 

Compliments of the Chef--Mini Deviled Egg, Salmon Mousse on Toast and something else which I cannot remember--sorry!!

 

Soft Shell Crab with Dijon Creme Sauce--YUMMY, I LOVE soft shell crab in general, even Peter liked this and he's usually not a huge soft shell crab fan :) 

Fruit Sorbet--Palate Cleanser... 

 

Tuna Sashimi--this was also delicious and very smooth...

 

 

Fried Chicken and Waffle--reminded me of our "Roscoe's Chicken and Waffle" Days in LA...I thought this was a pretty innovative and cool take on that 

Ravioli with Goat Cheese and English Peas and Parmesan Crust--I actually remembered this being very creamy and tasty, I liked it a lot, and the English pea pods were crunchy and full of flavor! 

 

 

Artic Char--loved the crunchy skin finish and melt in your mouth--very similar to salmon--taste of Arctic Char! 

 

 

I THINK this is the Panfried Veal Sweet Breads--but I recall Peter not loving this dish despite him being a fan of veal sweet breads usually...

 

 

Roasted Loin of Venison--was not such a fan of this--I don't like gamey meats, I think Peter ate his and mineLOL 

 

 

This time we forgot to request the sampler of cheeses which we had last time, we got a Blue Cheese here and did not love it, found it too salty overall...poopy 

 

 

This is a delicious berry compote with creme fraiche I think, it was very yummy and perfect for a fruity dessert lover like myself! :) 

 
 

 

This is a blackberry with panna cotta (LOVE) dessert 

 

 

I think this was Bryan's chocolate dessert, though I cannot recall now LOL...he loved it tho, whatever this is called 

 

We're all in a very serious food coma at this point, ready to be rolled out and into bed!! 

PZ--Burberry Vintage Polo in Dark Purple

Me--Phillip Lim Rosette Tee Dress (LOVE this piece) and Chanel Charms necklace

Bryan--Ted Baker blue dress shirt (I think--we picked it out together, but can't remember if this is Ted Baker or Pink)
 

 
 

Me--Phillip Lim Rosette Tee Dress, Balmain crystal rhinestone gladiator heels, Louis Vuitton Monogram Croquette Clutch in Hot Pink, Chanel charms necklace  

Alinea Tour--a delectable and amazing culinary experience :)

 

As soon as I mentioned "Chicago," Peter instantly thought of one thing, Alinea!!!  We booked our reservations a month in advance, I think you can only book it about 30 days beforehand, but we didn't seem to have much of a problem despite us asking for a Friday night sitting on Memorial Day weekend.

 

I would almost describe the area Alinea is located as somewhat industrious with a few small bars and new lofts built recently as well as a few clubs which are so hidden and unassuming that you would walk right past during the day.

 

At the door, a gentleman lets you in and checks your name on the list and then lets you in thru another set of doors.  We kind of felt like we were walking into a secret society dinner. 

 

Once inside, the lighting was kind of dim but you could still see, just harder for us to capture pics w/o flash--which we prefer not to use anyway.

Here are some long overdue pics from our May 28th, 2010 Alinea Tour :) 

*note* please don't drool on your keyboard as you scroll thru ;)

 

This was brought to our table as we sat down and we were instructed not to touch it, but we would soon learn how it comes to play with our meal.

 

English Pea iberico, sherry and honeydew--almost looks like feta cheese there but it is similar to an ice-cream melt in your mouth texture we had at Vidalia's 24 and Jose Andres' Minibar (YUMMY--you mix it altogether, tho sadly you really cannot taste the iberico much)

Shad Roe shallot, mustard and bar aroma--this was like a tempura piece, the presentation was awesome, you eat the Shad Roe by picking up the bay leaf which is perfectly balanced between these thin metal picks 

Yuba shrimp, miso and togarashi (left)--the shrimp is twisted around this crunchy stick, dipped into a miso/mayo texture sauce (like spicy mayo on spicy rolls) loved it and I'm not usually a huge shrimp fan 

Chao Tom sugar cane, shrimp and mint (right)--it was almost like a rice cake gelatin-y texture, tasty but not like out of this world yummy

 

Distillation of thai flavors--BY FAR MY FAVORITE DISH at Alinea--this is what the rice paper wraps in the very first picture were meant to accompany.  You use the rice paper and they place some freshly braised pork and you use all the little condiments to create one of the most delectable "garden rolls Alinea style" you've ever had...still salivating at the thought of this braised pork belly!!

 

Pork Belly with curry, cucumber and lime--some of the BEST pork belly we've ever tasted, even now I want more!!

A closer look at the condiments you place inside the rice paper with the braised pork belly!!! 

 

 
King Crab rhubarb, lilac and fennel--this was pretty cool as we didn't expect 3 dishes in one of King Crab made differently...this one is with rhubarb, texture like panna cotta (kind of looks like it too) 

King Crab with lilac--juicy and sweet crab salad...

King Crab with fennel, almost like a creamy sauce stew with a yummy roe piece in there :) 

Octopus red wine, lavender and fava bean--this was okay, kind of a small burnt piece of octopus, but the foamy sauce at the bottom of the cup was yummy! 

Lamb morels, asparagus and chamomile--Peter thought it was delicious, but I didn't have this as I don't like lamb or anything "gamey" 

Duck morels, asparagus and chamomile--it was quite yummy and very rich and foamy which i LOVED :) 

Hot Potato cold potato, black truffle, and butter--an amazing Alinea signature item, we had heard about this course before and were thrilled to have it!  You pull on the pin and everything on it falls into the cold potato soup and you just pick up the little dish and slurp it all up! 

Bacon butterscotch, apple and thyme--crispy and tasty :) 

Malt english toffee, bourbon county stout and blueberry--not a huge fan, too sweet and nutty/crunchy for me... 

Nutella bread, banana and chocolate--tasted like a nutella toffee bar that melts in your mouth with a lil bit of salt... 

 

Kumquat rye, peychaud's, demerara--kind of tart, not LOVED by us 

 

 

Surf Clam celery, tabasco and oyster cracker--a very special deconstructed dish similar to clam chowder on a shell...very tasty and we thought much better done than previous ones we've had elsewhere! 

Green Almond yuzu, wasabi and rice milk--this was like a little asian gelatin dessert, yummy and the assortment of flavors was quite powerful despite its "smallness"

Salad ranch dressing, soup, powdered--interestingly enough, there was ranch dressing flavored powder on this salad!  Creative, nice and light...

And here is the soup under the salad :)

Sardine horseradish, arugula flower and tomato--super cool in that it was hands-free and you just open your mouth and eat it :) 

Squab charred strawberries, lettuce and birch log--I must admit that from afar, I had seen this dish presented to other tables in the room before, and I couldn't tell (dim lighting and distance lol) what it was but I had gathered my hopes up for a huge dish of sashimi and sushi LOL...not unreasonable right?  So when it came and I noticed it was squab, I have to say I was a tad disappointed...I thought the charred strawberries didn't compare to strawberries with whip cream and sugar =X 

Black Truffle explosion, romaine and parmesan--this is a signature Alinea dish and was AMAZING, after having this, any other dish with truffles seems "light" in comparison...it was literally an explosion of truffle creme at first bite... 

Tournedo a la persane--medallion of beef with some mini peppers, not a huge fan, didn't particularly wow me... 

Transparency of raspberry and yogurt--this was like a thin crusty see thru piece of fruityness, we did NOT love... 

Bubblegum long pepper, hibiscus, creme fraiche--LOVE creme fraiche and we have noticed this ingredient at just about every tasting we've been to this year, sometimes used more than once at a sitting...nevertheless, they can keep using creme fraiche all they want since I've loved everything with it so far :)  You just suck this up all at once, it was super delicious, creamy and fruity (exactly the kind of dessert I LOVE)

Earl Grey lemon, pine nut, caramelized white chocolate--you could definitely taste the earl grey and smell it thru out this dessert, and while I LOVE earl grey, I really didn't love this dessert :(  But it was served on top of these earl grey scented pillows and as they deflated, you could take it all in, very calming and soothing...

Chocolate coconut, menthol, and hyssop--I'm not a fan of chocolate, especially fancy chocolates and dark bitter ones, but I think this is a signature dish at Alinea and Peter, who is an okay fan of chocolate, polished it off and liked it a lot--so I'm sure other chocolate aficionados would LOVE this! 

In the kitchen at Alinea :)

On Michigan Avenue at the bridge walking back from our Tour of Alinea--super full!!!

 

Me--Gucci Black Silk Tank Dress with Gold ribbon and grommets, Dolce & Gabbana Black Silk Crepe Bolero, Chanel Lucky Charms Limited Edition 2.55 in Dark Silver, Louis Vuitton Spicy Sandals in Burgundy (these were an amazing find--someone called out to me and said they love my "beyonce shoes" LOL)

 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 

Balmain + minibar tasting = a very happy and full Cory ;)

 

I wanted to give a BIG BIG thanks to Mrs H for this amazing Balmain Jacket!!  It was a true birthday wish come true!!

Balmain Quilted Leather Jacket with Chains--Peter and everyone else I know thought the jacket reminded them of Chanel's quilting LOL 

 

If you haven't checked out Mrs H online yet, definitely do so, they carry an amazing assortment of designers from Balmain to Rick Owens to Giuseppe Zanotti and Proenza Schouler (YES, including the hot and elusive PS1 bag!!)

 

Being silly minutes before we enter minibar for the tasting extravaganza 

Can you tell I'm very happy :) 

 

OH YAH!!!  I forgot to mention that this was not just Cory's Birthday Trifecta but it also turned into:

 

CELEBRATING Peter's acceptance into HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL!!!!!

Rebecca Taylor Tweed Shorts, Chanel Caviar Clutch in Black, Opening Ceremony Buckle Shoes by Chloe Sevigny

Cartier Love Bracelets and Hermes Collier de Chien Fuschia Alligator with Palladium Hardware! 

Under the Balmain Jacket...
  

 

Peter looking super sharp in his suit, wow, I didn't know the suit had a sort of "chameleon" of colors!  I love how he's doing the serious face and I think right after I was laughing out loud hahahhah 

  

  

  

  

 

Cory's Birthday Trifecta #3--Cafe Atlantico's minibar by Jose Andres

 

This post is long overdue and I would say, don't read any further if you're hungry already!!  :)

 

It's been a busy few weeks/month with studying and Bow Wow training resuming, so I know this 3rd/last "Trifecta" post should have come in March sometime instead of end of April...but then again our reservation for this wasn't until first week of April anyways LOL

 

Hope everyone's been well and happy!!

 

We had been waiting for this treat for a LONG time and after a few random phone calls here and there, we got our reservation (as close to my birthday as possible) and anxiously waited for the date to come:

 

Cafe Atlantico minibar is one of the "originals" of tasting menu places in Washington D.C., actually, I think Jose Andres is considered the "grandfather" of tasting menu/multicourse meal experiences in the D.C. area...We had heard so much about minibar and we knew we HAD to try it out before we left D.C. (which is happening sooner than we thought...)

Waiting at the bar downstairs for our seats at minibar (hurry up 5:30pm guests, Petah and Cory are HUNGRY!!!) 

"Pisco Sour"--except our version was the non-alcoholic passion fruit one which was AMAZING, tasted very similar to one we had at Vidalia's "24"...hmmmm 

BTW, non-alcoholic drinkers do not despair, I have to say I LOVED the mocktails selection at Cafe Atlantico, Peter had an amazing fruit punch and I had a lime-ade, yes, basically a mojito with no rum but lots of sugar :)

Beet Tumbleweed--this was surprisingly very tasty and I think we've grown to enjoy beets more and more 

Behind the counter at minibar--capturing the chefs in action :)

There were about 3-5 people at any given time behind the counter at minibar and while the space/kitchen was very tight, they managed to whip amazing and extraordinary bites from back there!

 

Ta-da!!! The finished product:

Fresh Buratta with Tomato Caviar Cone--everyone knows how much I LOVE caviar roe eggs and there was creme fraiche (seems to be yet another favorite at tasting menus we've had lately...no complaints here though!) 

"Ferrero Rocher"--this was filled with mushrooms and creme I think if I recall correctly, one bite and all the yumminess oozed out :) 

"Mojito"--drink inter-course, except we got some non-alcoholic version to spray into our mouths...pretty innovative and yummy I may add!! 

Peter having fun with the spray :) 
 

 

 

 

Yes, we are silly, even when we shouldn't be hehe 

White Asparagus Tempera--we don't even like asparagus usually but this was sooo yummy, very light batter and amazing seasoning! 

YES!  Top it off with some caviar!!! weeee

Steamed Bun with Caviar--and foam which I LOVE...the bun was so soft and tasted fresh out of the oven! 

Tomato Crisp with Anchovy Caviar--this was sooo delicate of a tomato crisp we were instructed to carefully pick it up with the white piece of paper underneath it and gently scoop it into our mouths...despite it being so thin and papery thin in texture, there was an OOMPH of taste! 

 

  
Cotton Candy Eel--this almost looked like white hair all around the eel but it looked so artistically cool and tasted even better, cos who doesn't like eel right? hehe 

Dragon's Breath Popcorn--whipped right out of some liquid nitrogen...it was an exhilarating bite of hot and cold at the same time  

The popcorn after it had cooled... 

Zucchini in Textures--who knew zucchini seeds in a light soup could taste this refreshing and yummy, LOVED the simplicity and deliciousness of this bowl of soup! 

Smoked Oyster with Green Apple--it has foam, Cory likes...and Cory liked this very much even though it was oyster...I think I'm coming around LOL  

 
Guacamole--while this didn't taste JUST LIKE guacamole, it was still very interesting and did take them a great deal of time to put together.

 

side note--the table behind us (not part of minibar, just regular tables) ordered guacamole and it looked very yummy--freshly made table side i think :)

Sweet Peas Catalan Style--the little peas were taken out of its pods and made in this light gelatan, tasted very much like split pea soup deconstructed!!  LOVED it! 

Organic Carrots with Coconut--Peter had to agree that the coconut and creme sauce in this dish was simply over the top and amazing, and the carrots still had shape but tasted almost like it was a mix between solid and pureed states...YUMMMYYYY 

"Sun-dried" Tomato Salad--I am not usually a fan of tomatos...especially not the seed and juicy part in the center but I licked this dish up, altogether it was just amazing... 
 
 

 

Charcoal Salmon Toro with Black Garlic--cooked to perfection, not too well-done and not too raw (though salmon can never be too raw hehe, unless i guess you gave me a life fish still squirming around)...the black garlic was different, don't know how to place it...you also can't go wrong with "toro" the belly fat area of the fishy!

"Tzatziki"--I forget what this was...but I remember we could eat the flowers :)

 

Oh wait I just Googled it and it's some yogurt dip...I remember now!  I was surprised Peter even liked it cos he usually hates anything "mediterranean, lebanese, etc" cuisine LOL

New England Clam Chowder--another deconstructed soup dish but this time I thought it fell a bit short especially when following all the other tremendously well thought out bites we had so far in the evening, the clams were a bit too clammy tasting--too fishy and the texture of the soup was just too goopy thick even for chowder... 

Un-named Dish--can't recall the name of this dish and it's not on our list but it had a nicely soft poached egg and it was delicious, that's all I can say LOL

Cigala with Tiger Nut Horchata--we've been seeing langostine/cigala show up in many of our tasting menus...not sure why this instead of say, "lobster"?  But the texture was nice, tasted a tad more fishy though I think

Philly Cheesesteak--YUMMMMM, made with kobe beef I think, at this point though I was already stuffed beyond stuffed 

A short note before dessert pix:

 

By now, I am full though not exploding and ready to die like some other tastings where the portions resembled more "kid sized meals/large appetizers" than actual "tasting bites" LOL--no complaints from Peter on those big portions though!

 

The desserts I would have to say were very underwhelming and I was sad at the end of the meal just cos of the desserts...I guess everyone else liked it though, including Peter, maybe I just have an odd dessert tastebud that's hard to please...

Kumquats & Pumpkin Seeds--blehhh...I didn't find it yummy and a tad too sweet... 

Thai Dessert--I had such high hopes for this as I usually love all thai desserts but this one was just lots of peanuts shavings and some weird cream...no mango or thai custard as I had secretly hoped... 

  

Mango Box--it's like a crystallized mango box exterior that's crunchy, reminded me of the peanut brittle texture which gets stuck in your teeth and is super hard to get out LOL 

"S'Mores"--soooo sad cos this was a bitter dark chocolate AND there wasn't a marshmallow inside, sometimes, I guess innovative cuisine can fall short especially when you love a particular dish and don't want it enhanced/changed at all... 

 

 

 

All in all, we were super happy to have gone to minibar and Peter LOVED it way more than I did (probably cos he loved all the desserts and left a very happy camper while I was still wishing for ONE dessert I could get excited about)...

Vidalia - RJ Cooper's "24" Course Tasting Menu (Cory's Birthday Trifecta #2)

After another long day out in D.C. with Peter and Bow Wow, we arrived promptly (though pooped) at Vidalia in Dupont Circle area, AND we found free street parking YAYYY

Vidalia's "24" course tasting menu was my 2nd Birthday Trifecta surprise and I knew I'd be in for LOADS of food as I barely survived all the food at our recent dining experiences at Volt's Table 21, Restaurant Eve and Poste.  Peter was regulating what we ate before Vidalia, making sure I didn't try to sneak in any food when he wasn't looking hehe =)

I have to say though that I was a bit unsure about dining at Vidalia for the 24 course tasting as I have been 3 times in the past 5 years and would have to say each experience was terrible in both the food and service, but Peter had done all the research for selecting the 3 places for my Birthday Trifecta and I figured we'd give it another shot at feeding us--this time with 24 bites.

Upon Arrival @ Vidalia

Me--Fur Bolero, Hanii Y Bow Top, Chasely Denim Leggings in Black, Prada Studded Suede Platform Heels, Prada Sequins Clutch

Inside Vidalia's Waiting Area

The meal began promptly at 7:30pm, and the Chef introduced himself.  RJ Cooper is one of the best chefs in the area -- having claimed a James Beard award in 2007.  His personality is a fun one to have around the dinner table because he fills the guests with not just food, but sumptuous stories about his life.

sterling caviar / egg / creme fraiche--we all popped this whole in our mouth and found it quite yummy...we got a nice dollop of the caviar too!

madai / cucumber / wasabi--we both didn't think too much of this dish at all...sad cos we're usually such fans of the sashimi plates...the gelee was once again too mushy and watery in texture

truffle 3 mediums--peter was very happy with this fried truffle ball, i loved it too but didn't love the truffle gelee at the bottom...

distillation / caribbean flavors--this was a blast of flavor...LOVED LOVED the tropical passion fruit flavors in this ice cream which melted into a yummy smoothie like drink...

langostine / heart of palm / lime--i was looking forward to this but didn't like the crunchy heart of palm and felt like i could hardly distinguish the ingredients inside the roll, the lobster bisque was a bit underwhelming too, not nearly rich enough

black cherry fizz sweetened with homemade grenadine - "24" is priced at $150 with a wine pairing.  this is a pretty fantastic deal, but since we're not drinkers, we were given three non-alcoholic drinks that went with our meal.  although this will probably only interest 1% of the population of foodies, the drinks were delicious, and it does knock your total bill down to $120!

octopus / green garbanzo / mint--very nicely done octopus, not chewy at all, perfect texture, nicely charred/grilled

liquid chicken / favas / morels--initially i was confused, since i popped the fried chicken ball into my mouth and all i tasted was liquid...sad, i thought i missed out on the chicken and my fried ball was empty...now seeing the menu, i realize it was meant to be liquid chicken...wished it was just fried chicken meat in there though haha...

ricotta / honey comb / black pepper--this was a surprisingly yummy ricotta cheese with honey and the nicely toasted bread piece went very well with everything else

tuna / crab / seaweed--while i like creative rolls, ultimately i'm a traditionalist at heart when it comes to sashimi and having this crab (which i didn't love) in my big eye tuna just didn't cut it for me...and then little green gelatin was a bit too mushy and watery in texture

pea agnolotti / guanciale / pea tendrils--i think i'm starting to appreciate peas more...nice fresh peas really are so much more delicious than the canned or mushy peas you get at poopy places...the pea tendrils were flavorful too!

piglet belly / peanut / rye--I LOVED this piglet belly and i think we were told this piglet is special in that it's taken from his/her mommy at a young age and fed just milk until ready to be "meat"...and this was very yummy piglet belly meat

shad / roe/ bacon / apple--i just remember the apple bits being yummy but nothing else notable about this dish

white asparagus / hot mayo / orange--we were very sad to see this dish as we both do not like asparagus and also the saucing and even the oranges couldn't make us love it

taz trout / roe / creme fraiche--we initially thought this was salmon, then arctic char, only to find it was tazmanian trout with roe--unlike salmon roe, these roes were much harder to pop in your mouth hehe...Peter actually liked this roe and started eyeing mine!

hamachi / avocado / uni--sadly i've never been a fan of uni, tried countless times at Chaya in Pittsburgh to love it but i think its too strong of a taste for me...on the other hand, i LOVE hamachi but didn't feel like i could really TASTE the true flavors of the fish or even the avocado

blackberry / cracklings--this was a light munchy snack plate, the pork cracklings were a little spiced and yummy but the blackberry pieces were eh...

sonoma foie gras / cherry / whiskey cake--OMG i had started giving up hope on foie gras cos lately i hadn't LOVED any of the hudson valley foie gras or just found them a bit too strong/bitter...but this one was AMAZING, the oats in there made it sweet and the cherry and the sweet whiskey cake bites were a delicious touch to this super yummy plate!

wagyu beef / fava / mushrooms--Vidalia's take on "shabu shabu" with this wagyu beef could have been SOOOOO amazing had they not overwhelmed it SOOO much with the beef consomme broth, the wagyu beef was rated 7 (which we were told is the highest rating wagyu you can get in the U.S.) and it tasted that way too...but the beef consomme was SOOOO strong and salty it totally made everything else in the cup of goodies lose its flavor :(

elixir / mire poix--this was like a spaceship of carrot/celery juice with a frothy top...quite refreshing!

spring lamb / wild onions--no lamb or gamey meats for me (almost made our first Komi dining experience horrendous with the entree of Goat LOL) but this was quite cool, a himalayan rock salt crystal at 700 degrees we were told (do not touch!!) with lamb medallions and some spring onions...peter happily ate his and then mine!

beets / cashews / blue cheese--i think Peter and i actually liked the blue cheese here which is usually not the case, and the beets were quite yummy too...overall i'd say it was a creative success of a cheese plate :)

mango / rum / coke--this was yet another dish i thought had too much going on...it was almost like some random mix of stuff they found on the dessert table from the kitchen.  Peter thought it was delightfully refreshing though. 

chocolate in textures--seems like i'm the only girl i know who is NOT a fan of chocolate, especially dark chocolate or mousse...DO NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE unless its milky and very sweet...with that said though, everyone else seemed to like this chocolate plate, even Peter who is not the biggest chocolate fan himself...i don't recall the % but i think the chocolate smeared part is like 68% chocolate which i guess means super bitter too (wince hehe)

finishes touches - sour apple drop / currant berry rollup / bubblicious marshmallow--this was a welcome change to the regular "petit fours" we usually get at the end of other tastings, very creative, light and yummy!

All 8 of Us Feeling Stuffed After the Sumptuous "24" @ Vidalia.  Unlike other tastings that we've been too, RJ has made this a very social affair -- and the setting forces interaction with the other guests.  Even if you're not too talkative, the chef has lots of fun stories of his own.

Chef RJ autographing our menus for us--i liked the paper on these menus and although the rolled up versions from previous tastings look elegant, it's much harder to lay flat to read later hehe

Us with Chef RJ Cooper--we are soooo full and exhausted and he was still a ball of energy!

Prada Sequins Gradient Clutch

Prada Studded Black Suede Peeptoe Platform Heels

Hermes Collier de Chien Bracelet in FUSCHIA ALLIGATOR and palladium hardware

Thanks Peter for everything!!! (*smiles*)

Peter and I had a lot of fun listening to the chef talk about how he got started cooking.  RJ Cooper, without the food, would be fun to listen to for four hours.  When you add the yummy food, he's got a hit on his hands.  With only 8 seats twice a week (Friday and Saturday), we'd recommend you check it out and hope you'll enjoy the chow and chatter as much as we did.