vespertine x alinea
this was a fantastic meal and probably my favorite vespertine menu so far. the only thing i didn’t like was the supplemental table dessert, the flavors were way too christmas-y and tasted like i was eating a melted box of candy canes, fruitcake, toothpaste, and altoids. the other slight hiccup was the black truffle explosion–it had the truffle, but the explosion was missing from what i remember having at the restaurant. everything else was great.
pear | celery leaf & branch, curry
this had a liquid center with flavors of curry and pear, refreshing and delicious start. highlight.
oyster cream | lychee, horseradish, chervil
i thought this was brilliant, the oyster flavor was infused in the custard cream and the lychee mimicked the texture of the oyster. highlight.
duck | pumpkin, banana, thai aromatics
you eat the incredibly soft and tender bite of duck and then chase it down with the pumpkin and banana soup and it all worked together. brilliant.
halibut | shellfish custard, hyacinth vapor
for this dish you’re instructed to heat some water and pour it into the outer bowl to release the hyacinth vapor while you eat. i didn’t get much of the vapor but the shellfish custard and halibut was delicious and perfectly cooked.
black truffle explosion | truffle, romaine, parmesan
this required some cooking, and came with its own steel mesh ball. you need to poach the pasta, and in a separate pan warm up the truffle butter, combine the two and then plate (or in this case “spoon”).
bacon | butterscotch, apple, thyme
what’s not to like? highlight.
beef | elements of root beer
tender and fatty with a sweet glaze, i think there were some stewed prunes and fennel in there too.
idiazabal | maple, smoked salt
umami in cheese-chip form. highlight.
chocolate | avocado, lime, licorice
this was delicious, stick with this and skip the supplemental table dessert.
dessert on your table | gingerbread, peppermint, white chocolate