Urasawa

I've heard about this restaurant called Urasawa for a long while. The whole place seats about ten people, thirteen tops. Dinner by reservation only. No website. $300 per person, food only. One restaurant owner told me Urasawa should be a three-star Michelin restaurant.

I made a dinner reservation for that evening and I went. I drove over to Beverly Hills to a valet parking garage. Once I got out of my car, I take the elevator to the second floor, where Urasawa is located. From there, I walk down a hallway until I see ...

... the entrance of the restaurant, I suppose. It looked bare and simple, definitely not over-the-top. Then, the door opens by this female Japanese server/attendant. I think I was the first one to arrive that evening. Around the same time, maybe before, a young Korean couple enters. There will be another couple arriving about one hour later. Five customers, one chef, two assistants, and one server/attendant. And that was it!

Chef Hiro Urasawa is a quiet man with a slight sense of humor. After initial introductions, I asked if I could take pictures. "Yes, that will be five dollars," he replied with a wink in his eyes. This is going to be a wonderful experience.

Hiro-san's domain and my place setting

Even though I did take pictures, I didn't take any notes. So, enjoy the pictures!

This is a magical sushi platter.

Every so often, a piece of sushi made by Hiro-san appears on this platter.
It needs to be eaten within ten seconds.
At this point, I stopped taking pictures.

Uni & Mushrooms

These were a couple of the many different kinds of sushi that appeared on that magical sushi platter. One of the highlights of my Urasawa dining experience was Hiro-san's lesson on eating sushi with my fingers, no chopsticks.
If you want to know, get over to Urasawa and experience this place yourself!


Desserts

green tea, barley tea and the end of a wonderful meal

Hiro-san

Urasawa
218 N. Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 247-8939

L'Auberge Carmel

I began my culinary vacation Wednesday night with dinner at a restaurant named L'Auberge Carmel.

The restaurant is part of a hotel that started back in 1929. The dining room is quite small and intimate, with about 10 tables. I was sitting beneath the lighting next to the painting on the left.

Table Setting

I chose chef Christophe Grosjean's tasting menu with a request: a separate dessert tasting menu by pastry chef Ron Mendoza (formerly of Sona and French Laundry). Even though I met Ron previously, I never tasted his pastry creations. Here is my opportunity.

Gougeres ; Endives & Radishes with Olive Tapenade ; Bread Service

Amuse Bouche ; Cucumber & Sea Urchin

The presentation of the sea urchin is very eye-appealing, ehh?

Little Gem & Red Abalone ; Truffle & Eggs

One can't get enough of that delicious abalone with the beautiful chanterelles.
And the truffle & eggs course! With the wine pairing, that was my favorite dish of the evening.

Butternut Squash & Duck ; Carrots & Natural Beef

You can't go wrong with adding a piece of sauteed foie gras to the duck (or was it squab?).
The beef with oxtail and bone marrow foam ended the savory chapter of the dinner very well.



Wines served ... by the glass, mind you

Cheese Course (Bleu de Bocage, Tomme Brulee, Fourme d'Ambert (Roquefort), Epoisse) ;
Tea Service (Fresh Mint)

The selected cheeses were quite familiar to me. Nevertheless, they were very good to this rat.
Not among the tea selections in the box, the mention of fresh mint really appealed to me that evening.

Coconut & Passion Fruit ; Apples & Caramel ; Milk Chocolate & Shiso Sorbet

The acidity from the added lemongrass soy and the passion fruit counteracted the sweetness of the coconut.

The apples & caramel dessert was my favorite. Definitely appropriate for the autumn season.

Using milk chocolate instead of dark is fine. I'll try not to be aristocratic about it. And the shiso sorbet is a nice change from the ubiquitous yuzu.

Persimmon & Chocolate ; Mignardises

Warm chocolate mousse with cardamom ice cream and persimmon makes a fitting conclusion to this wonderful tasting menu.

I got to meet chef Christophe Grosjean and pastry chef Ron Mendoza. I toured the kitchen which looked similiar to one from another restaurant I frequent. The meal was wonderfully delicious. The desserts, overall, were quite good. They had variety while reflecting the proper seasonality. The decor was small and intimate. I was treated very well. Admittedly, I was pondering whether L'Auberge Carmel would get a Michelin star in the near future. Regardless, I wouldn't mind coming back and dining at this restaurant again.

L’Auberge Carmel

Monte Verde at Seventh

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

(831) 624-8578

http://www.laubergecarmel.com

Vegas Uncork’d: Dinner Gala

While the guests were registering their presence, getting their assigned table and mingling about, drinks and hors-d’oeuvres were being served.

Local food critic (and lawyer) John Curtas emceed the event.

I was assigned a number to one of the dining tables at the gala.

Before each course was served, the chef gave a cooking demonstration of the dish, which kept the interest level high.

hot & cold blue fin toro, yuzu “au poivre”, asian greens

2007 pazo san mauro albarino, rias baixas, spain

michael mina

alaskan king crab, morel velouté, sweet peas spuma, spring pea tendrils

2005 selbach oster riesling kabinett, mosel, germany

todd english

roasted côtelette of quail, ragoût of green lentils du puy, lavender mustard, aged balsamic vinegar

2004 finca monasterio rioja, spain

julian serrano

beef tenderloin, grilled foie gras dumplings, miso-mustard butter

2005 gramercy cellars syrah, walla walla valley, washington

jean-georges vongerichten

sweet taste of bellagio

2002 château de fargues, sauternes, france

jean philippe maury

An adjacent room opened up and all sorts of desserts were waiting to be eaten. Talk about kids in a candy shop!

Although the Bon Appetit conference ended on Saturday night for me with that dinner gala, my vacation continued on into Sunday and Monday. At this point, a time to pause and ponder over what transpired those past three days in the merry month of May 2008 at Caesar’s, Bellagio, Wynn, et al.