The SLY Foodie: February 2010

Latest Adventures

The Dining Room at the Langham Huntington - Part Deux

Comments (0) | Sunday, February 28, 2010

There is a reason why Chef Michael Voltaggio is Top Chef. It's because he makes amazing food, and I (and my belly) are extremely lucky enough to sample it. On top of that, he is an über nice guy, very pleasant and personable, but more on that later.

This marks our second trip to The Dining Room, the first since Chef Voltaggio took the reins and redesigned the entire menu. The menu itself is divided into a beginning, a middle, and an end. To better describe it:

"Chef Voltaggio's menu features a selection of innovative small plates showcasing artfully inspired new American cuisine prepared using classic discipline and modern trends, utilizing the bounty of seasonal produce that California offers while showcasing the best quality ingredients from arond the globe. The menu is comprised of small savory and sweet plates, ranging from the lightest to the heaviest dish..."

It's no wonder why The Dining Room received a Michelin star, along with other accolades and smashing reviews. In fact, the food was so good that I'm finding it a little challenging to find words to describe it. So I'll just tell you what we ate, show you pictures with the occasional commentary. We chose four courses, so that meant two dishes from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end (dessert...yay!).

First, the amuse bouche, strawberry foam with... I think the server said something about nasturtium flowers. It looked like a sorbet or an ice cream of some sort, the flavor combination was unexpected at first, and by the time we finished the course, we were definitely wanting more. The sweet tartness of the strawberry just worked. I wish I had asked the server to repeat himself.

Next came the first course. I ordered the Langoustine, served with a poached egg, white asparagus, mushroom cracker with a sauce poured tableside upon service. The langoustine itself was cooked to perfection, combined with the sauce, and the asparagus, just an overall great way to kick off the meal.

Here's the Kurobuta Pork Belly, served with bok choy "kimchi," kabocha squash preserves and peanut butter noodles. The pork was well cooked and very tasty. Note to self: write down the server's description of the ingredients.

In between courses, we were served a truffled brioche, which is essentially brioche bread baked with black truffles throughout. It was served with a goat's milk butter. The tanginess of the goat's milk in the butter perfectly complemented the lightness of the bread. Translation: we want more! Which, upon request, was granted to our delight.

Next, came the Pastrami Pigeon, served with sauerkraut geleé, with rye jus and gruyere cheese puff. I am still trying to figure out how Chef Voltaggio made the geleé and the puff, but it ultimately doesn't matter because it was perfection. It tasted like a great pastrami sandwich, only many notches higher.

The Jidori Chicken was chicken thigh served with sunflower root puree, poached egg, sunflower seeds and winter truffles. The picture does not do it justice. It was my favorite dish up to this point, and my only disappointment was the fact that I didn't order it for myself. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the flavor profile was spot on. I could have seriously eaten at least three of those.

My main course was the Wagyu Short Rib, Chef Voltaggio's version of Pot Roast. Braised beef short rib, with smoked potato "tots," Nantes Carrots, candied tomato hearts and white ketchup. The beef was so tender it practically melted in your mouth, very satisfying dish.

The other main course we ordered was the skate wing, which was cooked sous vide in brown butter, served with two textures of cauliflower and caper powder. The skate was perfectly seasoned, and was pure flaky goodness. The cauliflower was great, too. We were also given seaweed mashed potatoes. The combination sounded a little strange at first, but one bite of those potatoes took away all the doubt because it just worked. I thought if anything, it was a little salty, but it was really yummy.

If you didn't think Chef Voltaggio could outdo himself with dessert, then you're wrong. Before the actual dessert course, we were served pre-dessert, which the server called "cookies and milk." It tasted like vanilla and chocolate Dipping Dots. They were great. Now, on to dessert. First up, the Fool's Gold, which is chocolate ganache with a salty hazelnut praline top, and topped with golden flakes. It was also served with a milk sorbet. Unfortunately, I don't remember what comprised the rest of the dish. I do remember the creamy consistency and texture of the ganache.

Based on the server's recommendations, I chose the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which garnered him a few extra tip dollars, solely because it was so good, to the point where I still debate if the Jidori chicken was better than this delectable dish. So this show stopper was served with a rice ice cream, caramelized banana, banana custard and lime foam. Let me tell you, the tart citrus foam stole the show. Its acidity really cut through all the sweetness of the pudding, the caramel and the banana custard. The rice cream tasted like rice, yet was sweet, and pleasant. Fantastic. I'm with the server; I could eat five of these things in one sitting.

To finish what I've already declared was the best meal of my life, we were served these little goodies: passion fruit candy with an edible Japanese rice paper wrapper, macaroons and a dark chocolate lollipop with a hidden surprise - pop rocks. Genius.

The food was amazing, the service impeccable, and I even got to meet Chef Voltaggio in his kitchen to congratulate him on his Top Chef win, and to thank him for the excellent dinner. I was so starstruck that I didn't even take a good look at the kitchen or process the questions that he was asking, and he was so gracious about the whole thing. I'm sure he gets that a lot, people asking to meet him because of his celebrity status.

If you're reading this, Chef, thanks again for an amazing meal.

Blossom Restaurant, Downtown Los Angeles

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Since moving into the new building at work, I've been visiting eateries I never knew existed. Blossom Restaurant is a prime example. Located in the heart of Downtown LA, Blossom serves up tasty Vietnamese cuisine at reasonable prices. Personally, I've never really tried Vietnamese food, let alone pho (rice noodle soup), which is probably the first thing most people think of when Vietnamese food is mentioned.

I've been here twice - once when a friend took me out for my birthday (in which I was sans camera), and last week, when some work friends and I had a pho craving. The first time I was at Blossom, I tried the Fried Roasted Cornish Hen with Pan Fried Egg. It was the cornish hen marinated in a garlic-shallot mixture served with rice, the pan fried egg, sauce and a side house salad. It was really good, the hen was marinated well, although slighty dry. We also ordered egg rolls, which contained ground chicken, shrimp and vegetables, wrapped up, then deep fried to perfection, and served with lettuce, fresh herbs and fish sauce. They were quite tasty, and the fish sauce was the perfect complement to the dish.

This second time, we ordered pho. I got the chicken pho, without onions and cilantro on top. Most pho bowls are topped with onion, cilantro and fried shallots, and come with a side of fresh bean sprouts, mint, lime, basil and jalapeno peppers. When my bowl came out, it looked empty and forlorn, and made me wish I hadn't excluded the onions and cilantro. The pictures below show my sad bowl versus my friend's vegetarian pho bowl, as well as the side dish of mix ins.

So here's how my friend taught me how to prep and enjoy the pho:

1) Squeeze the lime

2) Add whatever you want from the side dish

3) Squirt some hoisin sauce onto your soup spoon and mix it in the hot broth

4) If desired, squirt some Sriracha chili sauce onto soup spoon and mix it with the broth

5) Enjoy!

The noodles were really good, but the broth was great (I happened to taste it prior to adding all the mix-ins). It really satisfied the pho craving, especially since it was a little chilly outside. I think I was the only one who finished the entire bowl.

Oh, and how cool is the Coke bottle? That was the icing on the cake.

Blossom Restaurant, 426 South Main Street, Downtown Los Angeles

http://www.blossomrestaurant.com/

Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, Arcadia

Comments (0) | Sunday, February 21, 2010

Din Tai Fung Dumpling House (DTF) is a very popular restaurant, branching off the original DTF in Taiwan. As a matter of fact, there is only one branch in North America, and to my good fortune, it is located in Arcadia, which is definitely within decent driving distance. They are renowned for their dumplings (duh), which are handmade and served freshly steamed.

Now, I love, love, love this place. I try to go every chance I get. Other food blogs I have perused seem to have mixed reviews, so much so that one dissuaded an out of town blogger from trying it. Tsk, tsk. Those guys definitely missed out. I can understand why some people would be put off by DTF; their delicious bundles of goodness don't come cheap. In this case, as is the case for most things, the cliché rings true - you get what you pay for.

This time, the whole fam made the drive to Arcadia to satisfy my dumpling craving. We came, and we ate, and we ate, and then we ate some more. We ordered fried rice with pork chop for the kiddies, as carbs and fried food are the only two food groups they will eat. The fried rice was good, but as they say, it's nothing to write home about. The pork chop seemed to be a little on the overcooked side, as it was just a little bit dry. I don't know about you, but I love juicy pork chops, and frying a piece of meat is something of a lost art these days.

On a sidenote, I especially appreciated the fact that they immediately got highchairs for the boys and even set them up with their own disposable bowl and utensils. They even brought out water in a cup with a lid and a straw. It's like they've anticipated every parent's request when dining out with small children. That already scores major points in my book.

We also ordered the chicken noodle soup, and that's exactly what we got. There were a couple of pieces of chicken, a lot of noodles in a simple broth flavored with scallion and ginger. It hit the spot for such a cold day, the broth had a "cleansing" quality about it (at least, that's what my folks would describe it), and the noodles were good. The chicken was a little on the dry side, but it was okay, I ordered the dish for the noodle and the soup, the chicken was merely an afterthought for me.

On to the stars of the entire meal: the dumplings. We ordered the juicy pork dumplings, which are a must when you visit DTF. It was savory, succulent meat wrapped in pillowy goodness. There is a decorum to eating these dumplings. First, take a small bite of just the wrapper while the dumpling sits atop the soup spoon. At this point, you have a choice to dip the dumpling in the custom made sauce that may consists of ginger and the optional soy sauce and vinegar. Once broken, the juices from within the dumpling flow out onto the soup spoon, and it is meant to be consumed with the dumpling at the same time. When you're craving dumplings, nothing else is better. So good.

We also got the juicy pork with crab dumplings. The crab flavor was definitely prominent, but for some reason, it didn't taste very fresh to me. That is an indicator the imitation crab meat is not welcome here; which is good, especially since these dumplings cost almost a dollar each. Another thing we got was the pork and shrimp shumai, which were also excellent and juicy, but did not stand up to the juicy pork dumplings.

For dessert, we decided to try something new and ordered the red bean and taro dumplings. We were pleasantly surprised, as these are actually really good. We chose to split the order to 5 red bean dumplings and 5 taro dumplings. The red bean paste in the dumplings was not too sweet, and made a good combination with the dough. I prefered, the taro, however, because its mild sweetness complemented the dumpling dough better.

All in all, Din Tai Fung Dumpling House is a great place to eat. A few words of advice, though. Arrive early, as parking can be a pain. We were there when it opened for dinner at 5 pm, and by the time we left, which was around 6 pm, the place was packed with people waiting in line. Also, make sure you eat the dumplings hot; it is so much better that way.

Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, 1108 and 1088 South Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia

http://www.dintaifungusa.com/

Nickel Diner, Downtown Los Angeles

Comments (1) | Friday, February 19, 2010

Fortuitous circumstances led my husband and I to the Nickel Diner, located a few blocks from Pershing Square in Downtown LA. I had been wanting to try out this restaurant because a coworker mentioned wanting to try it someday. Having never heard of this place, I checked out the website to find that it was featured on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," hosted by the Food Network's Guy Fieri. Browsing through the menu, I found that they are actually well-known for their Maple Bacon Donuts. So when the opportunity arose, I seized the chance to check out the place.

We ordered the Maple Bacon, Red Velvet and Nutella donuts to sample, because quite frankly, they seemed the most interesting off the menu. In keeping with my "resolution" to have a more adventurous palate, I tried the Maple Bacon first, to find that it was immediately my favorite of the three. The sweet-savory combination of flavors just worked for me. The saltiness of the bacon offset the sweetness of the glaze perfectly. I just wished that the donut itself was not so dense. I like fluffier donuts (i.e. glazed) versus the dense donuts (like crumb), but that's just me.

The Red Velvet Donut didn't seem to really be a donut at all, since it was nearly impossible to pick up and eat. In fact, the donut wasn't red velvet; it was merely glazed, then sliced in half and coated with red velvet crumbs, with the cream cheese frosting in the middle. Again, the donut seemed too dense, and I might even venture to say a tad stale.

The Nutella donut was also somewhat of a disappointment because of the donut. It was glazed with Nutella goodness and coated with hazelnuts, which was really good. Had it been a fluffier (or fresher) donut, then the only accompaniment it needed was a tall glass of milk. Each donut cost about $2.25, so it was a little disappointing that I only liked the Maple Bacon.

We also ordered the Dutch Baby, which is a baked pancake with caramelized apples and served with butter and powdered sugar. It was a really good dish because the pancake wasn't too sweet and had crispy edges to counter the rest of the thin, yet fluffy, pancake.

My husband ordered the Egg McNickel, a sandwich consisting of scrambled eggs, ham and cheddar cheese served on an onion roll. I liked the way the scrambled eggs were cooked nicely, but unfortunately, I was not a fan of the onion roll. It wasn't because it was bad or anything, I just don't like onion rolls. But my husband seemed to really enjoy his sammy.

Another thing worth mentioning is the iced tea. I don't know what brand they use, or what's in it, but I was pleasantly surprised because I can honestly say that it was one of the best iced teas I've ever had. The Nickel Diner is a place that I would definitely revisit, but next time, I think I'll sample something off the lunch or dinner menus.

Nickel Diner, 524 S. Main Street, Downtown Los Angeles

http://www.5cdiner.com/

Pot Roast

Comments (0) | Saturday, February 13, 2010

We had my husband's family over for dinner tonight, and so I made pot roast, served with smashed potatoes and green beans sauteed with shallots. For dessert, I tried my hand at a flourless chocolate cake. Did I also mention the macaroni and cheese side dish? Overall, it was a successful endeavor.

For the main attraction, the pot roast, I bought several pounds of chuck roast from the local butcher (I love that I have a local butcher to go to). After seasoning each side then searing it in my dutch oven, I added onion, celery and carrots to cook for several minutes. Then deglaze the pot with either some red wine or beef stock. Add the meat back to the pot, place in a 350F oven, and cook for 3½ hours. The result? Meat that is so tender it falls apart using a spoon. I took the meat out to let it rest, then used an immersion blender to make a quick gravy out of the cooking liquid and veggies.

For the green beans, they were blanched, then sauteed with butter and shallots. Season to taste, and I used it around the roast, sort of like a bed for the meat.

For dessert, I used Tyler Florence's Chocolate Cracked Earth recipe. I used two dark chocolate bars and two semisweet bars, plus I think my springform pan is 7" in diameter. So needless to say, the cooking time had to be adjusted. It came out quite tasty, definitely a recipe I would use again. Just make sure you have lots of eggs handy, because this recipe calls for a lot of eggs. It is wonderful served with ice cream, preferably Haagen Daaz Vanilla Bean.

Origami Bistro Bar, Downtown Los Angeles

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I took a friend out to lunch for his birthday today, and we decided to try Origami Bistro Bar, located in Downtown LA, and in between both our buildings. Another friend of mine actually recommended this place for lunch because the bento boxes were good and reasonably priced.

So bento box it was, a chicken teriyaki and tempura box. It came with a bowl of miso soup, green salad, rice, and three pieces of California Roll. It's probably best to break down the entire meal and describe each component separately, so here goes:

The miso soup was nothing spectacular; it was warm, not hot. It contained one or two pieces of tofu and some seaweed. The green salad was served in the box, and had some cucumber slices in it, which I was not accustomed to. Upon tasting it, though, it became clear that it would not be my favorite part of the dish. The dressing was too sweet and watery, there was not enough ginger flavor that would make one think of Japanese salad dressing. Also, the cucumber proved to add to the salad's weakness by overpowering the already watery dressing. The chicken looked a little unappetizing at first because it was flat pieces of bland chicken with some sauce on top. The teriyaki sauce itself was a little grainy, but tasted decent. It probably could have used a little more soy sauce. I don't usually eat California rolls, or sushi, for that matter. I don't like the taste of seaweed, it has never appealed to me, so I don't ever bother. For unknown reasons, I decided to live on the edge and try a piece of sushi. So I set up the dipping sauce, added wasabi and soy sauce, then mixed them together, then dipped my sushi into it. I was pleasantly surprised by the seaweed flavor, it was not overpowering the imitation crab meat or the avocado. I'm not saying that I'm a sushi convert, but I won't be so against it next time. The tempura, in my opinion, was probably the best part of the dish, although there was slightly too much batter. It was still good, though.

Origami Bistro Bar, 257 S. Spring Street, Downtown Los Angeles

http://www.origamibistro.com/

Seafood Pasta Off the Cuff

Comments (0) | Thursday, February 11, 2010

A trip to Foodie's Paradise, also known as Whole Foods Market, inspired me to make this dish for dinner. They had fresh sea scallops that just came in today, so I jumped at that opportunity and purchased a pound of scallops, as well as eight ounces of lump crab meat.

Here is the list of ingredients, but I don't know the exact amounts used, because when I make a recipe from scratch, I never write anything down:

Capellini pasta (any type of pasta will do)
Fresh scallops (about a pound, sea scallops are better than bay scallops)
Fresh shrimp (also about a pound)
Lump crab meat (jumbo crab meat might be better, but definitely more expensive)
Asparagus, roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, then cut
Shiitake mushrooms (I used about four and sliced them thin)
White button mushrooms (about one package, cleaned and ready to use are the best kind)
Leek, sliced (make sure to rinse well)
Garlic (about 5-6 cloves)
Heavy cream
Chicken stock
Salt and pepper

I decided to roast the asparagus because it seems to impart more flavor than just a simple saute in the pan with the other ingredients. I seared the scallops and cooked the shrimp separately, then set them aside. The leeks and garlic went into the pan next, followed by mushrooms. After several minutes, the pan is deglazed with the chicken stock and allowed to reduce by half. Then about a pint of heavy cream is added and then the dish is seasoned to taste. After bringing it to a gentle simmer, the crab meat is added, so that it can be heated through. Then the asparagus, scallops and shrimp are added back into the pan to reheat.

Meanwhile, the pasta is cooked according to package directions. After it is cooked and drained, it is immediately added into the sauce pan and tossed to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top. It was really good... so good that I am about to go into a food coma. Below is a photo of the final product.

Happy Birthday, Booger!

Comments (2) | Saturday, February 6, 2010

For my husband's last birthday, I decided to go all out and bake a cake from scratch, something I've never done before. I used the go-to Hershey's recipe. Here are the results:

The cake came out quite nice. It was moist and chocolatey, a very solid recipe. However, I think next time, I would use chocolate ganache as the icing instead of the regular chocolate buttercream. Definitely have a cold glass of milk handy.

Isabella's Italian Seafood, Monterey

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On our last family vacation in Monterey, we stopped by Isabella's Italian Seafood, located at the historic Fisherman's Wharf. Every time we are in this beautiful city, we always stop by this restaurant simply because it has great food.

The first time we visited this place, we were given a free sample of the clam chowder, and it was quite tasty. It was creamy, the clams were cooked nicely, it was just a well rounded cup of soup. Needless to say, we were hooked. That night, I ordered the pasta special, now called the Pasta Isabella. The menu describes it as, "lobster meat, crab meat, and jumbo shrimp sauteed in Gilroy garlic cream sauce tossed with fresh spinach fettuccine." If that doesn't make your mouth water, then we seriously need to talk. It was quite easily the BEST pasta dish I've ever had. The seafood was cooked to perfection, and the garlic cream sauce was akin to "icing on the cake." Fabulous dish.

For appetizers, we always order fried calamari. In my opinion, this restaurant has some of the best calamari in Monterey. Big chunks of calamari, battered then fried, served with marinara and tartar sauces and topped with some raw onions. The batter, although light, was crispy, and the calamari is tender, with just a little bite to it. It was not rubbery at all.

The last time, I ordered the Fresh Halibut and Kauai Prawn, which is broiled and topped with a basil butter sauce. It comes with choice of potato and fresh vegetables. I chose a loaded baked potato this time. The fish tasted great, nicely seasoned and cooked right, with no fishy aftertaste, so you know it really is fresh. The prawn was so good; its only downfall was the fact that there was only one, and not two (or more). It was ultimately very satisfying, but the most notable thing about that dish was the bacon on the baked potato. For whatever reason, it tasted like the best bacon I've ever had. It was so crispy and perfect, I didn't want to finish it, yet at the same time, I wanted to devour it.

My husband ordered the Stuffed Salmon. I can't remember exactly what the stuffing was, but I think there was crab meat involved. It came with fresh asparagus, rice pilaf and broccoli. I really like the fish itself, but everything else paled in comparison to my dish. Since I only had a bite, I can't fairly describe the rest of the dish.

We have always had great meals at Isabella's, and the next time we're in Monterey, we are definitely stopping by again.

Isabella's Italian Seafood, 60 Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey
www.isabellasonthewharf.com

Pacific Dining Car, Los Angeles

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Every year, my boss takes us to the Pacific Dining Car to celebrate Administrative Professionals' Day. Pacific Dining Car opened its doors to the public in 1921, and has been serving great steaks since. The restaurant was originally a replica of a dining car, but has expanded to accommodate the growing number of diners. It is one of many Los Angeles restaurants open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Pacific Dining Car serves breakfast all day, which is great for a breakfast lover like me. I've tried the French toast there, which are thick slices of brioche served with diner's choice of sausage or bacon. There isn't anything particularly anything that sets the French Toast from others I've tried, but it is still very good. If you choose the sausage, be prepared to eat one of the biggest sausage patties ever. It tastes good as well, the combination of spices with the meat was great.

This time though, I ordered the Creole Benedict, which are poached eggs atop crab cakes and sauteed mushrooms on top of English muffins and served with a Creole hollandaise sauce. It also comes with potatoes lyonnaise and choice of muffins or toast. Pacific Dining Car does a terrific job of combining some of my favorite things in the world: eggs, crab and mushrooms. The eggs were cooked perfectly, crab cakes were moist (and these are jumbo lump crab meat, too), the mushrooms were sauteed to perfection, and the sauce was flavorful and not too spicy. The potatoes that accompanied my order were also very good, seasoned well, but maybe just a wee bit undercooked. It has become the breakfast item of choice for me.

When you go for breakfast, make sure to order a glass of their fresh squeezed orange juice. One of the best around, trust me.

Pacific Dining Car, 1310 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles

Daniel Boulud Brasserie, Las Vegas

Comments (1) | Friday, February 5, 2010

Because of Top Chef, I have always wanted to go to one of Daniel Boulud’s restaurants, the closest one being at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas. Daniel Boulud Brasserie (DBB) received a Michelin star in 2009, so you already know that the food is great, if not, exceptional. So given the opportunity, I immediately made reservations at least 6 weeks in advance.

Before even arriving in Las Vegas, we had already made up our minds to try their “Taste of Wynn” menu. The Wynn resort offers “A Taste of Wynn,” which are prix fixe 3-course menus offered by many of their fine dining establishments for a relatively low price. DBB’s Fall Menu includes the following:

First Course: Choice of Parsnip Soup, Greens Salad, or Duck Terrine
Second Course: Choice of Sea Scallop, Steak Frites, or Sonoma Chicken
Dessert Course: Choice of Warm Seasonal Fruit Clafouti, Chocolate Hazelnut Fondant or a Trio of Seasonal Sorbets

We tried our best to order different dishes so as to maximize our dining experience at DBB, because after all, it’s not every day one gets to eat great food. For the first course, I chose the Parsnip Soup, which was served with some homemade black walnut spice bread and a dollop of cream on top. Words simply cannot describe how good the creamy consistency of the soup combined with the crunchy, flavorful walnut bread was. My husband chose the duck terrine served with onion marmalade. The presentation of the dish was really cute, but I don’t think he appreciated all the mustard and pickle flavors from the dish. Honestly, I was too busy savoring the soup to really try the duck. He did mention that it reminded him of Spam, though.

For the second course, he chose the Sea Scallops, served with beurre noisette, capers, raisins and cauliflower. I tried a small piece and thought that the flavor profile was very good and the scallops were seared perfectly. The only drawback in my opinion was it looked too small to make a decent meal. That was the main reason why I chose the Steak Frites, an 8 oz. sirloin served with onion compote, greens and fries (hence the frites). The steak was cooked perfectly, pink throughout the middle, and the onion compote added a sweet, tangy flavor to the meat. Of course, I finished off the greens first, so I can fully devote my attention to the steak and fries. Great fries, too.

In addition to the main course, we ordered a couple of extra side dishes to share, brussels sprouts and roasted mushrooms. If I dare say, I think those sides definitely stand on their own because they were outstanding. The sprouts are a testament to my current love affair with them; these yummy goodies were pan sautéed with bacon and chestnuts. They were so good – to the point that I’m still thinking about them. They weren’t mushy, or undercooked, they were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The mushrooms (I believe there were oyster, shiitake, and crimini varieties) were cooked perfectly as well, not lacking in flavor or texture. Absolutely perfect.

For dessert, I chose the Warm Fig Clafouti, which is essentially a pancake-like batter poured over fresh figs, baked off and topped with either powdered sugar or ice cream. I have never had fresh figs before, so I was definitely excited to try this dish. It proved to be very tasty, the vanilla ice cream melting into the clafouti, combined with the sweet figs. The servers were nice enough to make my plate extra special by adding a candle and the words, “Happy Birthday” written on the plate. It was beautiful. My husband chose the Chocolate Hazelnut Fondant, with espresso ice cream and a nougatine crunch. From what I remember, it was overall a good dessert, but I don’t remember the hazelnut flavor coming through.

We also ordered a cheese course comprised of three different types of cheese: cow, goat and sheep's milk cheeses. It was served with fruit and crackers, and I wish that I had takent the time to write down exactly what type of cheeses we were enjoying. The server was kind enough to choose on our behalf, and he did an excellent job recommeding good cheeses to us. At the end of the meal, he came out with a small plate of petit fours, compliments of the chef. It was the best way to end one of the best meals I've ever had.

I have nothing but good things to say about Daniel Boulud Brasserie, it was impeccable all around – ambiance, food, service. It is quite easily one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, if not, the best.