Sweet & Savory

French Laundry - Chef's Tasting Menu

Since J has already set the table, so to speak, for our trip to French Laundry, I will get right to what you've been waiting for — my ten courses!

Chef's Tasting Menu

Cauliflower "Panna Cotta" with Malpeque Oyster Glaze and Russian Sevruga Caviar

I learned from the French Laundry Cookbook that the secret to refined textures was to pass the combined ingredients repeatedly through a chinois until the desired silky smoothness is achieved. When I tasted this "panna cotta", I was sure it had been passed through the chinois uncountable times. The pure and refreshing cauliflower flavor balanced the richness of the cream, instead of being overwhelmed by it. The caviar added the perfect accent of saltiness to the clear and refreshing "panna cotta".

"Terrine" of Poached Moulard Duck "Foie Gras," Field Rhubarb, Celery Branch, Sauterne-Telicherry Peppercorn "Gelée," Cutting Celery Greens and Toasted "Brioche"

I'd heard from friends and read from various restaurant reviews of the many ways to fail when preparing foie gras. I was convinced this dish was prepared without those flaws. The disc of foie gras was free of stringy veins and concentrated fat pockets. Textured like butter, it spread easily over the toasted brioche slices. The accompanying vegetables and gelée added just the right amount of acidity to counterbalance the creamy foie gras.

Grilled Loin of South Florida Cobia, Glazed Baby Fennel, Roasted Artichokes and Spanish Caper Emulsion

Cobia is new to me. It's a white-fleshed fish, which flakes when cooked, but is still resilient to the bite. It tastes mild, somewhere between cod and sea bass. Since I'm a big fan of both of these, it was no wonder that I strongly approved of the grilled cobia. The two-bite portion was enough to tempt my appetite, and I eagerly awaited the next course.

"Saffron Vanilla" Maine Lobster Tail "Cuit Sous Vide," with Wilted Arrowleaf Spinach and a Saffron-Vanilla Sauce

Since I am allergic to shellfish, I traded J my lobster course for her Canard Parmentier. She said that the lobster tasted delightfully sweet and juicy, flavored just right with the vanilla saffron sauce. However, the arrowroot spinach was a mystery — it didn't taste bad, but it just didn't taste anything like spinach.

Braised Rabbit Shoulder "Farci Aux Ris de Veau," Melted Belgian Endive, Slow Poached Royal Blenheim Apricots and a "Foie Gras"-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Never having had rabbit before, I didn't really know what to expect with this course. The meat was tender and came off the bone in shreds, much like meat of small game hens. This similarity was so convincing that I even remembered this course as a course of squab, only realizing it was rabbit when i later reread the menu, in preparation for this post. The poached apricot was also unfamiliar — it had a sweetness that I'd never associated with apricots. Having previously relegated the apricot as a sour fruit low on my list of preferred fruits, I was inspired by this particular one to give the fruit another chance.

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillée," Yukon Gold "Pommes Purée," Crispy Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, "Broccollini" and Sauce "Bordelaise"

I'm not a fan of beef, so when my main course arrived, I traded it to J for her main course of lamb. Here's what she thought:

Although it was not filet mignon, the perfectly grilled side of beef almost tasted like it was filet mignon. The mashed Yukon Gold made a light yet creamy accompaniment to the meat. The sauce reminded me of having something au jus. I don't recall eating any of the Hen of the Woods Mushroom, though I wish I had so that I could match a flavor to such a funny name.

"Chaource," California Green Asparagus, Black Truffle "Coulis" and Arugula Greens

This mild French cheese tasted very much like Brie to me. The Chaource was accompanied by a slice each of currant bread and a walnut loaf, both dry and fairly dense, which went well with the creaminess of the cheese. The asparagus and the truffle coulis added to the visual appeal of the course, but did not really contribute any interesting flavors. But perhaps that was the intention — to cleanse the palate and to make way for the upcoming desserts.

Banana Sorbet, Muscovado "Génoise," Braised Maui Pineapple, Mango "Pâte de Fruit" and a Yogurt Caramel "Croustillant"

Architecturally speaking, this was probably the most exciting course of the Chef's Tasting Menu. However, the impressive list of items that composed this dessert course seemed to fuse into just one simple flavor. I expected that each individual player in this dessert would bring its own subtleties to the main tropical theme, but none stood out from the generally sweet overtones. The mix of textures was definitely present, but was not complex enough to truly hold my interest.

"Tentation au Chocolat Noisette et Lait," Milk Chocolate "Crémeux," Hazelnut "Streusel" with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Sweetened Salty Hazelnuts

In this dessert, there was more distinction of individual components. The classic pairings of chocolate with hazlenut and ice cream with streusel did not disappoint me. Drizzled dark and white chocolate decorated the remainder of the large rectangular white plate, along with a cluster of hazelnut tuille, completing the visual appeal.

Espresso "Pot de Crème"

This petite pot de crème was a surprise treat for me. It wasn't listed on the menu, but it arrived at our table along with a crème brûlée for J. Not that I'm complaining! I'm used to having pots de crèmes, but I've never had one that was espresso flavored. As a fan of coffee and espresso flavored desserts, I was amazingly impressed by this one, despite its simplicity.

After sharing the mignardises with J, we had no more room for these chocolates, so we had to pack them up to go. We did later try them all. I don't remember all of the flavors; I only remember our favorites — the one streaked with orange is passionfruit and the sparkly magenta one in the front row is raspberry.

Although we were very satisfied with our experience at The French Laundry, it will probably be a while before we go for a second meal there. It's not because there was anything that failed to meet our expectations, since everything about this indulgent meal lived up to the hype we've read. It's because we will need some time to refill our wallets. At least we will have these photos with which to relive our memories, until the next time!