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2013-06-17
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May, a month of celebrations, gave me an excuse to come to Tate, which I have been longing to try out since i have heard this is the place where creates Art from the blend of French and Japanese Cuisine.The reservation was made more than 2 months, and we got the semi-private table that both of us were seated on the sofa. The restaurant was rather cozy, that it could only host around 20 people at the same time. Menus change every season, and there were two set menus to choose from, we opt for dif
The reservation was made more than 2 months, and we got the semi-private table that both of us were seated on the sofa. The restaurant was rather cozy, that it could only host around 20 people at the same time. Menus change every season, and there were two set menus to choose from, we opt for different sets - 6-course Sensualist menu, and 9-course Gastronomy menu.
As soon as we had decided on the sets, Amuse Bouche was brought to us. Very lovely presentation I had to admit, that foie gras cream was set on a small biscuit which was so deceiving that I might have thought it was a dessert if it came later in the night. The creaminess of the foie gras infused into every moment of the bite while the biscuit at the bottom was very crispy. It surely woke my appetite and prepped me for the artsy journey.
We tried 12 different dishes from the 2 sets, that I would touch upon the more memorable ones.The Sensualist Menu started with Spring Arrival - miso aubergine caviar, cucumber & green apple gelee, vanilla lemon gel, avocado cream. Not my favorite for the night, perhaps I found it too 'refreshing' for blending green apple and cucumber together. Nonetheless, it was a pretty presentation for all these healthy ingredients.
The Beginning - Sweet Corn Puree, lime cream, bacon bits, black pepper crumble! Oh boy! I loved this! The promising presentation did not let us down. The sillk-smooth sweet corn puree and the lime cream reminded me of comfort food that gave you so much pleasure even though it was only made of simple ingredients.
Ta-da! Amidst the smoke from dry ice, the dish settled on our table - Passion Marinated Scallop - Hokkaido Scallop, Sea Urchin, Caviar, Passion Fruit Soy Vinaigrette. I would give credit to the fresh seafood. Scallops were definitely succulent! Perhaps a more thoughtful way to prepare the dish was preferred.
Below was a common course for both of the sets - Liquid Caesar Salad - quail egg, sourdough crouton, bacon bits, smoked trout. First time to try hot caesar salad, presented in soup. It was an interesting and creative approach, that it did remind me of caesar salad, but then I think one of the most important ingredients was missing - the dressing!
The next dish was more down to earth when compared to the previous ones - Pan Sauteed Amadai - Onion Consomme, daikon puree, deep fried enoki mushroom. The onion consomme was filtered twice that it was extra rich, and this dish was rather Japanese based with a slight French influence (the onion consomme and the mushroom). Amadai was in fact a type of snapper. It matched very well with the soup, that it was able to hold together the meat while absorb the moist and flavor from the onion.
This was the last dish before our main arrived - Sakura Ebi Tagliolini - lobster broth, parmesan foam, kombu powder, dill. I quited like it, al dente tagliolini, served well with the lobster broth and a sense of parmesan.
This main was the climax for the night, which I found quite unbeatable - Kagoshima Beef Tenderloin - miso potato puree, spring salad, truffle jus dressing, morel mushroom. We had it cooked mediumrare. The meat slid apart as you cut it gently. The surface was a little crispy while the juice was well preserved in the meat which made it very tender. The truffle juice dressing added a final touch and the dish was perfect! I usually did not prefer to eat mashed potatoes but could not resist taking several bites from this puree!
Iberico Pork Pluma - miso potato puree, Williams pear compote, chicken jus, asparagus was the other main. The pork was tender too, given its good quality. But of course, it was less attractive when it was served together with the beef.
Still savoring the tastes of the beef, our dessert came. Yukidoke - Mid Spring Snowmelt - almond blancmange, chrysanthemum ice-cream, speculoo, almond powder ice indeed looked very snowy. I guessed I liked hot almond desserts better, but I had to admit that chrysanthemum was a wise choice, to lift the diners' appetite once again, to prepare for the final petit fours.
I was intrigued by the other dessert when it arrived. Chocolate Whisky on the Rocks - smoked chocolate mousse, yochi whisky ice-cream, dacquoise was presented separately in a glass and a test tube. I was advised to pour the chocolate from the test tube into the glass. I reckoned I had fallen in love with chocolate and alcohol! One bite consisted of cold whisky ice-cream, flowing chocolate and the cake dough dacquoise at the bottom! I almost gobbled all up without minutes!
And last, but not least, happy happy birthday <3 The Tate dessert cart looked awesome! To my surprise I loved the white crunch the most! Originally I thought it might be some white chocolate chunk; but to my surprise, it was actually not too sweet and VERY crunchy! While the bean-like chocolate on the right was very soft and chewy like a marshmallow bathed through some chocolate powder!
We were quite happy with the creativity and effort Chef Vicky has put in for the night. The dishes all looked very artsy and feminine, as if I have entered a garden that brought me to different scenes as I walked along the path. I reckoned it would be great if she could join the table at some point during the dinner and talk to the diners. That would definitely make a more striking impression to the experience.
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One thing to add, one of the servers was quite a good photographer, that he took nice pictures of people with the lovely food scene :)
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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