WD50 Nov 2009

 ~Passion ~

Tired from whole day of traveling and took a 3-hour nap to get ready for late dinner at WD50.  Staying at hotel just two blocks away has its advantage.   
WD50 is a warm neighborhood place.  Staff at the door, bar, or restaurant are all extremely friendly, just like Wylie Dufresne himself.  The open door way from restaurant to kitchen frames the activity in the kitchen like a movie.  We watched Wylie in the kitchen cooking, tasting, plating, and monitoring the restaurant at all time through out the night, a great sign of sure good food.  
The waiter reminded us the Bacchus Bail Out program when we ordered the tasting menu.  I changed the wine paring to two bottles of burgundy right away.  The best birthday gift, I said.  Another birthday gift, Milton said.

Tasting of this bottle of Puligny Montrachet Francois el Antoine Jobard  is like taking a walk in pasture with smell of dry straw in the air and hint of orange trees near by.  High viscosity.  An interesting wine.  When it opened up in the middle of the dinner, a complex nose of pineapple and lime show up.

Surf Clam, 

papaw, angula, turnip

Everything Bagel

smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese

The mini bagel is a surprise. It is made from frozen ice cream that melted in our mouth and created the unexpected texture, both of us were shocked by the experience.  Dry smoked salmon shaving gave the intense salmon flavor but total opposite on the texture we expected from smoked salmon.  We love the new interpretation of bagel with smoked salmon.

Foie Gras

passionfruit, chinese celery

Foie gras is perfectly smooth that it has a butter texture but finer.  The tangy passion fruit concentrate cuts the grease of foie gras.  Dehydrated celery, another dish with contrast in texture.

Scrambled Egg Ravioli

charred avocado, kindai kampachi

It is inconceivable on how the egg was done to create a unthinkable shape and still retain the scramble egg texture.  Charred avocado mousse and kampachi are good combination.  Tasting individually, great; all three together, much better.  A well-designed course.

Cold Fried Chicken

buttermilk-ricotta, tabasco, caviar

Don't know how Wylie preserved the crispiness of deep fried batter but my stomach enjoys hot fry chicken.

Perch Kohlrabi

"dirty" grape, cocoa nib

Poached fish has smoky flavor, Polyscience smoking gun makes wonder.

a stroll in a forest with beautiful spring, white flowers, and stemmy berry fruits.  75% in the nose, 25% in the mouse.  a beautiful Chambolle-Musigny

Beef and Bearnaise

Beef is the sauce while bearnaise is the entree, another interesting translation with total opposite concept.  A modern art. 

Lamb Loin

black garlic romesco, soybean, pickled garlic chive

The perfect lamb, sous vide.  Wylie is king of texture !!!

Caramel Apple

Hazelnut Tart

coconut, chocolate, chicory

Salty and sweet.  2nd best dessert next Coi's caramelized white chocolate parfait.

Caramelized Brioche

apricot, buttercream, lemon thyme

Cocoa packets

Chocolate shortbread

milk ice cream

my birthday cake