Ouch!
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Haha, yeah no Chinese speaking person would be impressed by that gai lan. We went earlier in the year, and I am in the dog house (âno tasting menu for a few monthsâ and âpossibly no vegetarian fine dining everâ) as a result.
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damn, sounds rough. that dish looks lazy and awful with little understanding - gai lan looks dry and dull, just adding truffle seems lazy when the main ingredient doesnât seem to be cooked nicely. truffle can be good but in my experience itâs a lazy crutch 85% of the time and the plating looks like it has little consideration for how the dish eats.
their switch to vegetarian comes off to me as a either marketing or naivety. iâm not necessarily doubting the chefâs sincerity on sustainability or ethical concerns, but the results of the cuisine really donât seem to match their ambitions as a fine dining restaurant. looks like theyâre phoning it in or didnât really have a good grasp of how to execute this cuisine to begin with.
let me guess - thereâs truffle, lots of small/mediocre shiitake, excess yuzu zesting, shiso, and an explanation of tonburi as âland caviar?â
not every place can be Arpège, where the balance and combinations are next-level.
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Happy to hear about Arpège; have a reservation for May.
Yes, everything you said, except I donât remember shiso.
It could be a brilliant strategy. Instead of buying expensive seafood, meat, and cheeses, you buy a bunch of vegetables from the farm you control. Could save $$$$.
youâre in for a treat. go all out and get the high menu if youâre willing. right from the âhot-cold Arpège egg,â you may realize the dishes are on another level compared to those imitations / homages that others have done. for the egg, itâs the balance of the sherry vinegar, maple syrup, chives, cream, and the pepper/clove/nutmeg/ginger spice off the bat. great all the way to the profiterole and mille-feuille. yes the vegetables are a revelation but so is the featured meat dish.
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