Eat Like Ushi

With the recent stint of The Fat Duck in Melbourne (and my inability to win a place, although the price was a little ridiculous), I have been reminiscing about my own adventure at the mothership.

I remember anticipating this meal greatly. I was going to finally book the #2 restaurant in the world for one of the meals of the century. During a short term contract in northern Tasmania, I made the phone call one late evening. I wasn't particularly keen to use my mobile to ring the UK, but the work phone operator was only too happy to connect my call through. With only a few available dates, the 1/10/2009 was keenly booked, and then it was only a short two months before the day.

The restaurant isn't all that conveniently located. It requires an overground train to Maidenhead, then a taxi to the restaurant in Bray. Of course all the taxi drivers know it - it probably contributes more business for them than anything else in the area. The unassuming building stands like a old tavern. The fine dining inside and the French-accented staff elevate the mood to elegant.

Green olives with subtle flavour and fantastic bread with crunchy crust with spreadable salted and unsalted butter start things slowly. Then comes the procession of overwhelming sensory load.

Amuse Bouche
- Lime Grove (nitro poached green tea & lime mousse) - mousse bathed in liquid nitrogen then sprinkled with green tea. Cleansed the palate.

Entree
- Red Cabbage Gazpacho (pommery grain mustard icecream) - mustard-flavour icecream with a sweet cabbage sauce;
- Fat Duck Film - a delicate film which gives a mint/oak flavour to your tongue in anticipation;
- Jelly of Quail, Crayfish Cream, Chicken Liver Parfait & Truffle Toast (with oak moss) - water is poured over the oak moss to create a mist of oak scent flowing over the table. The moss flavours the air whilst you eat the parfait and truffle toast.

Main
- Roast Foie Gras (president plum puree, braised konbu & crab biscuit) - delicately soft foie gras. The alternative (for my friend) was a sublime piece of aubergine;
- Mock Turtle Soup c. 1850 "Mad Hatter Tea" - hot water added to the golden medallion of dashi/konbu broth surrounded by gold leaf. This tea is added to a bowl consisting of layered beef & fat, tofu (i think) with mushrooms, a few cucumber and pickles and thus mock turtle soup is born;
- Sound of the Sea - seashell with an iPod playing ocean & beach soundtrack, sashimi of yellowtail, mackeral & halibut, sand of tapioca and fried baby eels, foam of seaweed and vegetable stock, added sea jellybeans;
- Salmon Poached in Liquorice (artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise, golden trout roe & manni olive oil from Tuscany) - exquisitely cooked and flavoured salmon, better than Nobu's miso cod;
- Powdered Anjou Pigeon c. 1720 (blood pudding & confit of umbles) - perfectly cooked pigeon.

Dessert
- Taffety Tart c. 1660 (caramelised apple, fennel, rose & candied lemon) - the tangy candied lemon syrup with the blackcurrant sorbet is a whole new level of iced desserts.

The Not-So-Full English Breakfast
- Parsnip Cereal - chips (similar to almond slices) with parsnip milk poured on top. I adore cereal, but this tops them all for sweetness and flavour;
- Nitro-Scrambled Egg & Bacon Ice Cream - an 'egg' is cracked into a pot. liquid nitrogen is poured in. they stir... and bacon-flavoured ice cream that looks like scrambled egg is formed;
- Hot & Iced Tea - a drink of sweet lemon tea that is hot, before a hit of ice cold tea in your mouth.

That tea is followed up by an enormous menu of actual tea, should you fancy.

Apres
- Chocolate Wine "Slush" c. 1660 (millionaire shortbread) -  chocolate and delicate wine mixed and aerated. Rich chocolate, a layer of caramel, crisp shortbread base;
- Cheese platter selection;
- Wine Gums (historic trade routes of Britain) - 5 wine gums of mead, cognac, madeira, sherry, rum.

Finally a bag is handed to you with a small selection of designer sweets to take home. Added in is a printed copy of the menu.

"Like A Kid In A Sweet Shop"
- Aerated Chocolate (mandarin jelly);
- Coconut Baccy (coconut infused with an aroma of black cavendish tobacco);
- Apple Pie Caramel with an Edible Wrapper;
- Queen of Hearts (white chocolate with fruit compote).

It is unlike anything I've experienced before. With the passage of time, I think I've had meals with overall flavours that I've enjoyed more, but the multi-sensory journey that this brings is still unparalleled.

The menu itself was £130, but added onto this was the price of the arrival drink, cheese, service and the trains. Altogether it came out to £190 or so. Considering these days the UK Fat Duck charges £180 and the Australian one was $500 per person, I think my time was a bargain, and at the height of its powers. I count myself lucky for that opportunity. I don't know if I'll dine at The Fat Duck ever again, but I will return for Dinner (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/dinner-by-heston-blumenthal-london-03-2012).

I'd read that Delhi was actually a wonderful city for food. I suppose it is partially because it is within a country known for street food quality (although hygiene may be in question) and has restaurants catering toward the standard class as well as Western prices for rich and tourists. I had already decided to go to Bukhara (or Dum Pukht) for the final meal of the trip and so I thought trying a modern Indian restaurant would be a good way to start the trip. It may have been better to start with the traditional first and modern last but the schedule of hotels and day itineraries meant the other way was most convenient. 

Varq is also reputed to potentially be the best restaurant in Delhi/India and is currently the only Delhi restaurant to remain in the San Pellegrino Top 50 Asia (#32 currently, #30 in 2014) whilst Bukhara and Dum Pukht have fallen out. It is located within the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, one of the luxury Taj brand places where each car is security screened upon arrival and Barack Obama was going to stay the following weekend for Republic Day celebrations.

The restaurant setting is beautiful. Mood lighting, exceptional decoration and an outdoor area that would be perfect in warmer weather. Even with only 2 tables occupied inside, the outside was primed with tables and large charcoal pits to give atmosphere in the emptiness.

- Saffron lassi
- Pink ginger lassi
- (complimentary) amuse bouche - sweet tiny wrap of potato and pomegranate seeds.

The starters (aka entrees in the Western world) were served with wonderful aromas emanating upon approach.

- Varqui Crab (layers of crab meat, tandoori shrimp on crisp filo sheet) – very highly crab meat flavour with soft texture, thin filo, top of shrimp, surrounded by a cumin balsamic sauce with small slices of red chilli;
- Chicken Three Way – ganderi kebab (soft mince kebab, sweet sugarcane, tangy raw mango sauce), bhatti ka murg (cheese sauce and fenugreek & fennel succulent chicken breast), murg methi malai tikka (7 spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon etc excellent grilled chicken thigh) served with coriander sauce.

I couldn't resist the sound of a lobster soup. In hindsight it wasn't all that I dreamt of but I couldn't know that at the time. In any case they served a complimentary soup so that my dining partner wasn't excluded from a course. Very considerate.

- Lobster Rassa (Cochin prawns, black pepper & fennel rusk, robust lobster broth) – small shrimp, sliced slightly firm scallop which was quite good, calamari encrusted with couscous/polenta which had odd texture. Perhaps lobster is prawn as the broth had mild prawn and fish flavour but minimal lobster. Weird crouton stick;
- (complimentary) Kale Channe Ki Cappuccino (cappuccino style flavoured black chickpea broth) – an odd soup but unexpectedly nice for kale.

The entrees (aka mains in the Western world) followed. There was great excitement given the quality of the starters. Any hint of fullness that was creeping in soon disappeared.

- (complimentary) Guava, fennel, black pepper sorbet palate cleanser which reminded me of a fresh tomato sorbet flavour;
- Duck 4 Ways – slightly disappointing. Duck egg (fried), tamarind roast (chewy roast with tangy tamarind), duck samosa (delicious green chilli dry heat), chef's special masala confit (thick chewy slices without enough tenderness or nice flavour). Overall not much duck flavour;
- Green Chilly Tulsi & Pinenut Fish (pan seared Chilean sea bass, flavoured with basil & pinenut, mango & coconut curry) – perfectly cooked and textured fish, good tasty crust, outstanding phenomenal raw mango and coconut & cashew curry (how I expect butter chicken should ultimately be);
- Camembert & Truffle Naan - I could smell the truffle but not really taste it (I suppose the cost would limit this). Plain or garlic naan is probably better value although standard.

At this point dessert was not necessary. In fact if it had not been a fancy restaurant or if it was somewhere I would ever likely return again in this lifetime, I wouldn't have ordered it. After reading the menu and looking at the display items I couldn't quite help but get one.

- The Dome (chikki kulfi with Bailey's rabdi) – chocolate shell with kulfi treated by a Cognac flambee then smothered with Bailey's and thickened milk. A thick milky dessert overall with nice chocolate tones;
- (complimentary) House Cheesecake – gulab lined and topped with rose. After dessert and asking for the bill they surprised with more food. After sampling a small slice they offered to pack it which was unnecessary. I hope the staff were allowed to eat it themselves as I suggested;
- (complimentary) Betel leaf – rose, peppermint which had a sharp taste designed to palate cleanse. They gave another 4 to take home for no reason at all.

Bukhara is a restaurant institution such that it has included accolades of best Indian restaurant in the world, best restaurant in India and the Top 50 San Pellegrino Asia restaurants list (peaking at #26 in 2012). I had a tough time deciding between ITC Maurya's two outstanding restaurants (the other being Dum Pukht, which has also been in the SP Top 50 and rivals Bukhara in terms of foodiness) but after the Bollywood Masala challenge, Bukhara won out. The article I found online that included all the top end Delhi restaurants on my list (http://www.traveller.com.au/india-the-battle-for-delhis-bellies-36qux) influenced my decision of what I wanted to order - raan and dal.

Despite having a booking, it seems it's more a matter of waiting for a table after you arrive. During this time, the bar is open to serve and a quick glance at the cocktail menu lead to two delicious combinations - Dilli High 5 and Spice Route. Soon after a table was ready. The menu imprinted on two wooden boards is presented.

Whilst waiting for the food to arrive, I couldn't help but wander around and watch the chefs at work through the transparent screen especially the large kebabs hanging high and the enormous dexterity required to manipulate a large naan.

- Naan Bukhara (Rs. 1525) – the waiter insisted this was only for 6-8 people but I just wanted to have one on the table. It was huge with some crisp edges and some soft breadier parts. Definitely not the best naan I've had but it was fine to eat with the other dishes and create little sandwiches. I ate about half of it myself;
- Sikandari Raan (Rs. 2925)(whole leg of spring lamb, braised in a marinade of malt vinegar, cinnamon, black cumin, red chilli paste & finished in the Tandoor) – a nicely spiced, seasoned salty flavour with soft juicy meat. It could have been more tender but was certainly acceptable;
- Dal Bukhara (Rs. 795)(harmonious blend of black lentil, tomatoes, ginger & garlic, simmered overnight on slow charcoal fire, finished with cream & served with a dollop of unsalted butter) – what an incredible dish! The lentils had been smoothed into a creamy smokey buttery product that was so rich and luxurious. Sensational. A whole different universe to the dal makhani from other places.

Coriander sauce was nice and spicy and tangy and acted like the Indian version of tzatziki in a souvlaki binding the ingredients together.

The meal was extremely memorable considering how long I had been anticipating it, the reputation of the restaurant, the luxury of the hotel and the heavenliness of the Dal Bukhara. 

Next time I would order small breads and thus a variety of them and pick something else instead of the raan (unless I had a group of people to share this and kababs with).

Martin Berasategui's restaurant has a large number of accolades. It was in the Top 50 restaurants in the world for 6 years, culminating at 27 before falling out in 2012 and also holds the TA #1 position for San Sebastian, which is a feat given the quality of restaurants in the town. Online reviewers comparing the great restaurants of San Sebastian often suggest that his 'greatest hits' menu is the one to go for and is perhaps the most friendly, accessible and easily liked cuisine in amongst the gastronomy restaurants.

The restaurant was quiet for lunch in June, with only one other table that day. After a taxi ride, we ended up in a lovely restaurant that included a balcony area overlooking the grassy hillsides of the region.

The menu €175pp seemed to be more recent than I would expect for a greatest hits, but was full of bright colours, foams and tasty jellies with no dish disappointing or tasting awkward. He seems to especially like green.

"I propose that you allow me to seduce you in small mouthfuls... seductive, light and succulent, they will whet your appetite and be the introduction to a magnificent meal"

- 1995 Mille-Feuille of Smoked Eel, Foie-Gras, Spring Onions & Green Apple - flavour mix of buttery foie gras, sweet apple, salty eel;
- 2001 Squid Soup, Creamy Squid Ink Ravioli served with Squid Crouton - deliciously strong squid dish, slivers of soft flesh, sweet ink morsel.

"This will be followed by:"

- 2011 Oyster with Cucumber, Kaffir & Coconut - cold oyster in a beautiful salty sweet Thai-style broth;
- 2012 Morsel of Asparagus & Raw Truffle, Air & Juice - strong truffle flavour, light cheese, roast sunflower seeds adding texture;
- 2009 Little Pearls of Raw Fennel, Risotto & Emulsion - raw crispy fennel topping soft sweet 'risotto' of fennel pieces, air emulsion;
- 2012 Smoked Balloon with Mille-Feuilles of Endives, Oily Fish, Watercress & Chickweed - smoked fish liquid balloons with smokey mackerel pieces, watercress broth, light cheese;
- 2011 "Gorrotxategi" Egg Resting on a Herb Liquid Salad & Dewlap Carpaccio - perfect poached yolk, beetroot pieces, green herb sauce, truffle oil & vintage cheese;
- 2001 Warm Vegetable Hearts Salad with Seafood, Cream of Lettuce & Iodized Juice - gorgeous plate of colourful salad ingredients, tomato water, jelly salad;
- 2011 Roast Red Mullet with Crystals of Edible Scales, Tail & Marine Salad with Sesame & Nuts - meaty portions of pig tail, soft mullet, juice tasting like wakame, almond cream;
- 2011 Grilled Sirloin "Luismi" over a Bed of Swiss Chard Chlorophyll & Cheese Bonbon - rare local San Sebastian beef, good combination with cheese, salt and chlorophyll.

"And desserts to finish:"

- 2012 Melon with Caipirinha, Lemongrass Sorbet, Crispy Flowers & Sheep's Milk - alcoholic jelly, sweet melon, delicious subtle lemongrass sorbet;
- 2012 Chocolate Frost with Mint, Asparagus, Caramelised Pumpkin & Bitter Coffee Icecream - chocolate & orange aerated sponge, bitter coffee icecream, mint, ice, asparagus pearls;
- tower of petit fours - cinnamon milk drink, alcoholic cranberry juice, portions of pistachio nougat chocolate.

Overall an excellent meal. The flavours were great and no dishes were questionable. In comparison to Akelare and Mugaritz, I think Martin Berasategui had the most straight forward dishes using fine gastronomical technique, although the other two probably have a more inventive edge.

Set on a hill overlooking the ocean, Akelare is known for having one of the classically top 3 chefs in San Sebastian and for commanding a magnificent mountain-top view over the ocean. Given that Spanish dinners start at 8:30pm (and the opening time for many of the top restaurants in San Sebastian is thus 8:30pm), the perfect season to go is summer when it coincides with sunset.

Unluckily for me, this particular summer day was fraught with rain, fog and cloud. Throughout dinner the skies got darker, there was a glimpse of the ocean below at one brief point, but otherwise disappeared amongst mist. At least the food was good.

Akelare offers two tasting menus named Aranori and Bekarki. I don't know if there is a different concept between the two, but I chose Bekarki €145 as it sounded more molecular.

Sea Garden Appetizers
- Prawn's Sand - dried mini-prawns ground into a crispy crustacean sand;
- Oyster Leaf. Take the leaf & feel its flavour & aroma - a leaf that tastes like an oyster. Don't understand how, go figure;
- Mussel with "Shell", now that it with the spoon, whole in your mouth - mussel coated in cocoa;
- Sea Urchin's Sponge - onion-flavoured textual sponge, but couldn't detect any sea urchin;
- Beach Pebbles (shallot & corn) - soft corn morsel;
- Codium Seaweed Coral (goose barnacles tasting tempura) - crispy seaweed tempura.
Served with a drink of pomegranate and kava.

Bekarki Menu
- Xangurro in Essence, its Coral Blini and "Gurullos" (the crustacean's meat is reinforced by its juice. Accompany with the pasta that looks like rice grains) - intense crab-flavoured combination of crab meat patty, wet bread soaked in a thick crab liquid and served with salty fish rice;
- Razor Shell with Veal Shank (combine razor shell with veal and cauliflower mushroom. Textures, flavours, contrasts...) - oceany soft clam, thick meaty veal jus, delicate slight crunchy fungus;
- Sauteed Fresh Foie Gras with "Salt Flakes and Grain Pepper" (sauteed foie gras with a lot of "Salt'n'Pepper") - perfectly warm and cooked delicious foie gras onto which the waitress dumped a shocking amount of "salt" (crystallised sugar) and "pepper" (fried vanilla rice cream) which complemented the flavours beautifully;
- (alternative course to foie gras) Pasta Carpaccio, Piquillo and Iberic with Parmesan shrooms (homemade pasta with piquillo and Iberic flavour. It feels like eating cold meat, even though it's vegetable) - black truffle slices on a light thin pasta, but not enough mushroom flavour;
- Turbot with its "Kokotxa" (the preparation is made entirely with turbot, including its "kokotxa". Pil-pil sauce. A crispy chip of its own skin") - turbot with fake cheek, soft like mash with a strong salty fish flavour;
- "Desalted" Cod Box with Shavings (crystallized cod presented in a fish box, over eatable shavings & cod tripes in tomato water) - cod flesh covered with rice powder, salt, served on pasta shavings and cod tripe in a clarified tomato sauce (like pure natural MSG);
- Roasted Suckling Pig with Tomato "Bolao" & Iberian Emulsion (to get a crisp & juicy texture, the baby pig is cooked in Iberian broth and finished in the oven. Start with the baby pig with tomato "bolao", continue with another bit of the Iberico emulsion. Finish tasting all together. Tomato "bolao". Iberico emulsion) - cute potato chip pig, roasted garlic, vegetable liquid and excellent pork with crispy skin;
- Carved Beef, Tail Cake "Potatoes and Peppers" (red meat, like we eat the rib. Tail cake with foie gras. Eat with your fingers the coppered potato and the piquillo peppers and the meat with a little bit of the juice) - superb rare beef, crispy chips and sweet sauce;
- Milk and Grape, Cheese and Wine in Parallel Evolution (grapevine, curded sheep milk & walnut. Powdered fresh cream with chives & grapes. Quark cheese with nutmeg & pink pepper aroma, must of tapioca & tomato. Idiazabal semi-matured with quince jelly & wine dust. Brandy sirop with gorgonzola cheese ice-cream. Torta of Casar's grape with soaked raisins in Pedro Ximenez. Start from the left to the right to recognise each and every of the different flavours that the milk has, as well as the transformations that the grape & milk suffers from the origin up to the oldness) - from the left, weak like tofu, sweet grape light cheese, salty yoghurt, strong, and lastly ultra strong;
- Layered Strawberry & Cream (a reconstructed strawberry. Strawberries and cream flavour and a basil seeds game) - squeaky basil and raspberry seeds, and a giant "strawberry" of white chocolate coating a strawberries & cream filling topped with mint. Brilliant design.

Overall an excellent meal of creative reconstructions, various textures and flavours from both quality natural ingredients and innovative designed ingredients. Although not in the San Pellegrino Top 100 restaurants, Akelare is commonly listed in the top 3 in San Sebastian. One of the key factors is the combination of menu quality with the setting high on the cliff is unmatched, and so I would certainly try and reserve a table next to the window on an evening when the sunset will be colourful and late.

The River Cafe has a long reputation for fine Italian food in London. Much of it is probably due to the cooking careers of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, but it did feature in the World's Top 100 restaurants for 2 years.

The one reason I hadn't tried it previously is simply that it is expensive, even by London standards. The menu is seasonal and changes daily making it slightly more difficult to prepare yourself for favourites, although there are supposedly signature dishes such as wild mushroom risotto, fish smoked in the restaurant's wood stove and chocolate nemesis.

The daily menu on this occasion had treats such as:

- Capesante in Padella (Seared Scottish Scallops with Fresh Cannellini, Cherry Tomatoes, Marjoram & Capers) - well seasoned scallops, slightly rare in the middle;
- Calamari ai Ferri (Chargrilled Squid with Fresh Red Chilli & Rocket) - soft tasty simple;
- Fegato in Padella (Calves Liver seared with Capers & Sage with Mixed Leaves, Roast Pumpkin & Speck) - mild crisp outside and firm jelly-like texture and a very powerful liver flavour, a little too much for me;
- Branzino al Forno (Wild Sea Bass roasted in Lunae Vermentino with Potatoes & Fresh Porcini al Forno & Salsa Verde) - fish smoked in their wood oven with the texture and flavour great;
- Panna Cotta with Grappa & Raspberries - vanilla pod panna cotta with a *strong* alcohol topping;
- Chocolate Nemesis - a rich chocolate mousse in the shape of a cake slice.

Not cheap but very tasty. I can certainly appreciate the quality of produce and cooking here. Save it for a special occasion meal and a nice walk along the Thames to and from.

Next time I would order more mainstream dishes and not get so creative as to think I can eat a large plate of Calves Liver. All the dishes are well executed.

I've had this restaurant on my London list since finding out about the San Pellegrino Top 50 restaurants in the world list several years ago. St. John peaked at number 10 several years back, was rated 41 in 2011, but sadly didn't make the final cut in 2012. Perhaps the cuisine doesn't figure in the recent trends; nonetheless the reputation built upon modern British cooking prevails.

The notion of nose-to-tail cooking is highlighted here - respecting an animal enough to use the whole beast for food. The menu therefore reads as exciting to someone like me, and simultaneously potentially disturbing for less adventurous eaters.

On our visit, the daily menu tickled us with less common dishes using pig's skin, duck hearts, trotters, ox hearts and other ingredients I hadn't come across before such as pink firs (a type of waxy potato), sea aster (an ocean plant), and damson (a type of plum that tastes like a prune) amongst others.

- Devilled Pig's Skin & Smoked Cod's Roe - akin to smoked pig flavoured prawn crackers
- Brown Shrimp, Artichoke & Boiled Egg - simple and tasty, although the prawns didn't seem to have strong intrinsic flavour
- Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad - lusciously soft marrow (ie. fat) spread upon toast and brought to life with a sprinkling of salt flakes and an optional topping of parsley and raw spanish onion. Fat never tasted so good. Ever.
- Razor Clams, Pink Firs & Sea Aster - nice ingredients obviously notably the clams with good texture and mild flavour
- Snails, Duck Hearts & Trotter - a rich buttery sauce soaking the ingredients nicely. I don't think I paid enough attention to the heart and trotters as I should have. Will have to try it again next time and be more awake.
- Ox Heart, Turnips & Mustard -  ox heart is one of my favourite ingredients from any restaurant and this was a quality specimen cooked to a light red inside and the excellent characteristic texture and flavour I expect from it.

We finished off the meal with some nice sweets including Baked Cheesecake & Damson, which is made with a goat's curd that makes it unusual but also a bit strange having such a prominent curd-flavour as a dessert. Raspberry & Almond Eclair looked like a fat kid's dream with raspberry sauce dripping from the pastry, and Treacle Toffee Ice Cream was as rich as it sounds. Good but I wouldn't say any were necessary if you aren't a dessert person.

A great meal, long overdue, and such an impressive collection of ingredients.

Next time I would order Roast Bone Marrow and Ox Heart as my favourite dishes of the night. Snails had a lovely sauce and I particularly want to try the duck hearts & trotter again. Of the rest of the menu the Venison, Prune & Trotter Pie looked great on another table and would be a definite order if I had more appetities for company.

I was lucky enough to dine at Eleven Madison Park at possibly the height (so far) of their acclaim - it was the night they became the first restaurant in the world to jump from one to three Michelin Stars. A few weeks ago it was also elevated to rank 10 in the world on Restaurant Magazine's 2012 list.

I picked this as my choice of fine dining options for NYC based upon it being the only restaurant that provided a different experience - all the rest seem to be variations on typical French fine cuisine. Eleven Madison Park has the exciting menu concept of picking a few ingredients and the restaurant will create a series of dishes. It is to be noted that the tasting menu negates this concept, but nonetheless I'm not disappointed in my choice.

Sadly all the detailed notes I had written on the night were obliviated when a Facebook album was deleted via iPhoto. However the photos remain and the memories of the experience still linger.

The main things that stood out were:
- not all dishes were delicious; some were a bit strange (the tomato tea, cucumber salad), but at least they were creative;
- the ingredients were the finest collection I've eaten together - matsutake mushrooms, white truffles, black truffles, caviar, sea urchin roe, thick slabs of foie gras...;
- the white truffle supplement of USD95 per person seems excessive, but my first experience with the explosive flavour was gourmet-life changing;
- the service and hospitality is impeccable (notice all the waiters only walk in one direction around the room) and being invited to the kitchen to watch and be served a liquid nitrogen cocktail was a fine touch;
- at the end they gave my partner a nice jar filled with housemade granola. 

Keep in mind to total bill for 2 with white truffle supplement and 2 glasses of wine was USD600. Added tip was USD120. This is not a cheap meal!

Next time I would order the tasting menu again. Although I want to pick from their matrix of ingredients for fun, the experience of the full courses is worth the money and all for the lust of food.

02-2016

Luck would have it that I decided to clear some space on my phone. I opened the deleted section of my phone's notes and found entries dating back to 2010. An entry popped up that made me smile "Eleven Madison Park" from 2011. All was not lost after all. Even though I can't quite remember dish for dish (with a couple of noticeable exceptions), at least this is something:

- Beetroot & goat cheese lollipop
- Tomato tea & parmesan
- Scallop ceviche & yuzu
- Raw tuna & black pepper on rice cracker
- Goat cheese croquette with vinaigrette
- Apple, sea urchin caviar, foie gras & dill
- Long island style clam chowder in a pot, clam with basil, clam with caviar, corn
- NYC flour bread with goat milk butter with dill, sheep & crispy faro milk butter and fleur de sal
- Cucumber with buttermilk dressing mustard seeds
- Foie gras terrine with pickled onion, plum & almonds
- Artichoke, sweet bread, truffle & jus
- Poached lobster, matsutake mushrooms, jus topped with fresh white truffle slices (probably the greatest dish of all time)
- Pork, butterscotch palms, scallion jus & plum
- Gooseberry EVOO, melon, peach & ricotta
- Egg cream drink, milk syrup, malt milk, EVOO & seltzer water
- Chocolate sponge, coffee cream, & hazelnut icecream 
- Petit four
- Liquid nitrogen passionfruit cocktail

01-2017

One day clearing out old travel documents stored for eternity, I came across the original menu from that night...

Located in Vienna's Stadtpark, the world's #21 restaurant (and #1 in Vienna) was always going to leave me with high expectations. After a disappointing food experience in the region (ie. Prague), I had some doubts as to just how good this place would be. Suffice to say it was sensational.

The degustation menu gives two options for each course - I let my waiter select what he felt were the better dishes, with the exception of the cheese platter (as I know I can't eat that much on my own).

Part of what makes Steirereck in the top 50 is attentive and particular service. Part of what makes it special is the location. Part of what makes it unique is the small "cheat cards" for each dish which allow you to read them in anticipation and analyse what you are eating, rather than the usual procedure of having the waiter overwhelm you with a paragraph of information which is rarely remembered.

And so to the food; 4 appetisers appeared (radish with powdered rhubarb, basil leaf with morels, raw celery marinated in juice with housemade salted sherbet, a dish of apple and cabbage). All were nice introductions into the meal; the celery was the most unique with a powerful sweetness accompanying the usual raw bitter flavour.

In addition an enormous selection of bread appeared for the choosing. All kinds of white/brown/sourdough with nuts/fruit/herbs for the picking and served with normal butter and sour cream butter. Of particular note, the Loaf with Black Sausage was superlatively sensational - a moist rich buttery bread with flavoursome black sausage running through its texture. One of the best breads of my life - I wanted to buy a loaf to take with me but they politely declined.

Of the set course:
- Schwarzauer Mountain Trout with Melon, Cucumber & Purple Salsify Shoots (amazingly delicate raw trout enhanced by the sweetness of honeydew)
- Green Asparagus with Sheep's Cheese, Hop Shoots and Bergamot (asparagus with a sweet, slightly sour orange flavour)
- Danube Salmon with Broccoli, Black Rice and Camomile (a white-fleshed salmon superbly treated which restored my faith in ordering cooked fish from a restaurant; the side accompaniment had a slightly unpleasant bitter taste)
- Jerusalem Artichoke with Peppers, Red Onion & Duck Offal (duck heart was nice, the stomach and other ingredients unremarkable; a few too many flavours and textures to identify individual quality)
- Barbecued Cap of Alpine Forerib with Beans, Truffle Potatoes & French Sorrel (medium-rare, well seasoned, luscious soft beef with a crispy surface, salty sauce and potato and a citrus tangy sorrel to balance flavours)
- Moro Orange with Rosa Bianca Aubergine, Angelica & Malt (good orange and sorbet, but the puree and celery/orange mix was quite strange)
- Rapeseed Custard with Vanilla, Mango & Toffee Icecream (lovely toffee and salted caramel icecream, maiji leaves juicy and absorbing the mango/passionfruit flavours)

The course was finished with a selection of dried citrus fruit/rinds (much too strong for me) served with different types of chocolates.

All in all a great meal which restored my faith in the ability of food served in the region to be more than meat and potato stews.

Next time I would order the degustation menu again (although the a la carte options look like excellent alternatives) - definitely order both Trout and Salmon dishes, Forerib and the Rapeseed Custard as they were all fantastic dishes. I would swap the Asparagus for the alternative (currently Mushrooms, Cashews) and similarly the Duck dishes (for Duck Breast with Fennel/Prunes/Pistachioes). If you are a cheese person, the selection is well known here (more than 120 types) but otherwise i would omit the Blood Orange dish and get the 6-course degustation instead.