Jean Georges (New York, New York)

If our next number of anniversary dinners  were as good as our last two, Kristen and I are in for a serious treat for years.  After going to Alinea last year, we notched another 3 Michelin star this year.  In New York for a wedding, we had one free lunch slot available, which we spent at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s eponymous flagship restaurant, Jean Georges.  

Walking into the Trump International a few minutes before our 11:45 lunch reservation, it was only a  short wait until we were led to our two top in the back of the second dining room.  Jean Georges is perhaps the best value among the 3 starred restaurant in the States, offering a two course menu for $38, with an option to add on extra courses at $19 apiece.  After agonizing over the decisions on what to get, Kristen decided to get two courses, and I chose to add on a third course.  Given a number of seafood courses, I also chose to drink a Riesling, 2008 Dr. F. Weins-Prum Graacher Himmelreich.  

Bread service at Jean Georges came in the form of four offerings: wheat sourdough, sesame, Swedish rye, and a ciabatta roll.  Following the bread, a trio of amuses were served to us.  Starting at the bottom was a fluke carpaccio, topped with pickled rhubarb and a black truffle vinaigrette.  The waiter told us it was black truffle, but I believe he was mistaken and it was a black pepper vinaigrette.  The fish was clearly fresh of high quality, but the pickled rhubarb was far too strong for the milder fish and was all I could taste.  Continuing clockwise, the next bite was an oyster cracker filled with champagne mango goat cheese.  This was a delightful taste, creamy and crisp.  The last amuse was a almond and spring garlic gazpacho, which was suitably garlicky but not overpowering.

The first courses arrived next in the form of a parsnip soup and crispy crab.   The hot parsnip soup was poured tableside over a cold coconut cream mousse and lime foam.  This was a example of simplicity at its finest.  There were only three components, combining sweet, tart, and savory flavors in each bite.  Was it worth $19?  Not sure, but I can’t think of a better soup I've ever ordered.  Kristen’s first course was a take on a crab cake.  A cylinder of crab, devoid of filler, was coated with panko and fried, and topped with a variety of fruits, including cantaloupe, pineapple ribbons, avocado, and passion fruit.   The cake was very rich from the crab, while the fruits lightened things up.  Hidden underneath the fruit was a pink peppercorn mustard, which reminded me of Chinese mustard.  It matched well with the other components and also cut the richness of the crab as well.

My add-on course came next, which was seared sea scallops and caramelized cauliflower with a caper-raisin emulsion.  This is a signature dish of Jean-Georges, and I can see why.  The scallops were nicely cooked, still rare on the interior.  The cauliflower was deeply caramelized (look at the perfect browning!), but just before one would consider them to be starting to be burnt.  I wasn’t sure initially about the caper-raisin emulsion, but found it to be a harmonious fit, matching the scallop’s sweetness and brininess.  Since I was the only one to receive the second course, the waitstaff thoughtfully brought Kristen an extra plate, allowing us to easily share the course.

For the final savory course, I ordered another Jean Georges signature, the Black Sea Bass Crusted with Nuts and Seeds, served in a sweet and sour broth.  The bass was moist and the crust added a earthy, nutty dimension to the fish.  The fish sat atop tomatoes, potatoes, edamame, and pearl onions.  I was advised to eat the fish with a spoon, to take in the fish simultaneously with the broth.  The range of flavors in the dish was extraordinary, with tartness coming from the tomatoes and broth, the latter likely emulsified with what I assume was a pound of butter.   This was my favorite dish that we had.

Kristen chose the Wagyu Beef Tenderloin served with Gorgonzola Puffs, and a pickled ramp fondue.   The cool ramp fondue was poured over the beef tableside, which sat atop a spring onion puree.  The beef was cooked medium rare, but was slightly tougher than expected. We both enjoyed our Wagyu tenderloin at Cut in Las Vegas better, as it didn't have quite the same unctuousness.  I didn’t have any complaints with the accompaniments.  While we still enjoyed the beef and is still one of the better beef dishes that I’ve had, it wasn’t as exciting or delicious as the black bass dish, even though it carried a hefty supplement fee with it.

Both of us fully sated, we decided to split one dessert.  Desserts at Jean Georges are multiple compositions on one plate.  For lunch, two variations are offered based on a single theme, while four are on a single plate for dinner.  We settled on the Carmel dessert after briefly considering the chocolate.   On the left side of the plate was a sticky toffee cake with young coconut sorbet and tamarind caramel.  The toffee cake was sweet, buttery, and moist, and the coconut sorbet helped temper the richness of the cake.   The second dessert was Caramelized Pineapple with Carrot Cake and Molasses.  This side seemed a bit unfinished when compared to its counterpart.  It just seemed like some fruit and cake bits were thrown on a plate together.  The dots of cream cheese frosting were delicious, though.

To finish the afternoon meal, our servers brought us the mignardises:  a quartet of chocolates, sesame macarons, and vanilla marshmallows.  Our favorite of the four chocolates  was the peanut butter and jelly.  

The service at Jean Georges was at a very high level.  Water was never more than half empty before being refilled.  After each course, plates were removed in unison and the table was crumbed.  Each time we needed to leave the table, as we started to get up, a member of the waitstaff appeared just in time to slide out our table for more room to stand and to refold our napkins for when we came back.   Pacing was also perfectly timed, never waiting too long for the next course while never feeling rushed.   

We enjoyed every minute of our 2 hour lunch and would recommend it to anyone.  It is a fantastic deal to dine at lunch at Jean Georges.  Even though it is a splurge restaurant, and we just ate here, it will be on my short list of restaurants to visit the next time I find myself in New York.

Yusho (Chicago, IL)

Yusho is a relatively new, self described Yakitori style restaurant on the border of the Logan Square and Avondale neighborhoods.  Yakitori is a form of Japanese cooking where meats are cooked over an open fire or charcoal.  The kitchen is in capable hands, as Yusho was opened by Matthias Merges, who spent the last 14 years as the executive chef at Charlie Trotter's eponymous Chicago restaurant.

Yusho is been a recipient of good pub from their opening, and I was looking forward to trying their food out.    The food is mostly smaller plates, though there are some larger main dishes.  Equally as exciting as their food was the cocktail program, which has been getting the same rave reviews.  Looking at the cocktail menu, it was interesting seeing so many unique house-made tinctures, bitters, and other ingredients.

Soul of the Sensei | DH Krahn Gin, El Dorado 3 Year Rum, Lime, Textured Tangerine, Kampo Bitters

I started out with a gin and rum concoction, as I have been really enjoying gin as my spirit of choice lately.   I  really liked this bright, tart, complex cocktail.  The textured tangerine was the juice mixed with agar agar, which gave the drink a slightly richer mouthfeel, one I particularly enjoyed.

Cod | Chawanmushi, Gingko Nuts, Shiitake

My first dish consisted of a few pieces of fried cod perched above a savory Chawanmushi.  Chawanmushi is a traditional Japanese savory egg custard, usually made with Dashi.  This was a fascinating study in textures with the silky smooth custard, chewy earthiness of the diced shiitakes, and the crisp fried cod.  Interestingly, there appeared to be a mix up, and the gingko nuts were left off, with fried hominy taking its place.  I don't know how it tasted with the gingko nuts, but I was perfectly happy with the hominy, adding a crispy nuttiness to the fray.

Draught Cocktail of the Day - Gin Pineapple Rickey

Another interesting aspect of Yusho's cocktail program is a rotating draught cocktail.  A cocktail is mixed in advance and carbonated together, and is poured from a tap.  Much in the way soups can taste better after a night in the fridge, the theory is that the components will mingle together and create a more harmonious drink.  Today's cocktail was a gin pineapple rickey.  Fortunately, the sweetness from the pineapple didn't overpower the other flavors, and made for a crisp, citrusy drink.  I can see these being very dangerous, as I could have put down quite a few if I wasn't going out for drinks after the meal.

Salmon Roe | Takoyaki, Chile, Bonito, Scallions

I had to try perhaps their most famous dish so far, the salmon roe takoyaki.  Takoyaki is a traditional Japanese pancake ball, filled with octopus.  This version is impressive in the fact that it is stuffed with salmon roe that is barely warmed, so that you can still pop the small eggs in your mouth as you chew.  The spicy ginger dressing went great with these balls, reminiscent of the ginger dressing served on salad you get at sushi bars.

Close Up of the Salmon Roe Inside the Takoyaki

Soft Serve | Green Cardamom, Rhubarb, Ginger

I was getting a bit full at this point, but decided to try the soft serve ice cream, recommended by my bartender.  The green cardamom ice cream was pleasantly aromatic, and was topped with a rhubarb compote and candied ginger.  This was very good - someone let me know when they start selling green cardamom ice cream at the grocery store.

I really enjoyed my first visit to Yusho. I will be back with a group next time so that I can sample a wider range of the food and cocktail menu.

The Alan Wong Experiences (Honolulu, HI)

Man am I behind!  Five months later (can't believe it's been that long) and I'm finally getting around to finishing some of these.  It's like I've been busy or something lately.  I'm just going to get these posted...so enjoy the pictures.

We tried both of Alan Wong's fantastic restaurants while in Hawaii; Alan Wong's Honolulu and The Pineapple Room.  We actually accidentally ran across The Pineapple Room...we were killing some time at a mall we passed before heading to the airport and saw that the PR just happened to be there as well!

First, our experience with Alan Wong's tasting menu at Alan Wong's Honolulu:

Started off with drinks (for me, not my pregnant wife).  Alan Wong's signature Pineapple Martini, the Bully Way.

Fresh baked bread with garlic aioli.

Next, we had the caviar and ahi tartare, while they made a special substitution for Carli (since she couldn't eat raw fish) and brought out a seafood cake.

Crab "Tofu" Agedashi was up next.

Followed by a delicious preparation of Hudson Valley Seared Foie Gras.

Butter Poached Kona Lobster.  How can you go wrong with butter poached?

North Shore Tilapia and Braised Smoked Short Rib.

 

And we finished the meal with Kula "Strawberries Romanoff" and the best cup of coffee I've ever had.  This meal rocked.

To the Pineapple Room!  Starting off with some appetizers....ahi two ways, lobster bisque, and a bruschetta.
 

Then, Alan Wong's "gourmet" version of Loco Moco.

And we finished the meal off with a little dessert: brownie, fruit, and ice cream.

After two wonderful meals like these, it's not hard to see why Alan Wong rules the island.

Zia's Caffe (Kailua, HI)

After a treacherous hike at Maunawili Falls (if you don't believe me, just ask Carli), we came across Zia's Caffe for a late lunch.

We started with the calamari, which was unlike any calamari I had previously tried.  Not quite as snappy of a consistency as the "regular" stuff, but it was nicely seasoned and pretty good.

For our entrees, we had the Italian chop salad and the salmon risotto.  

Not too bad at all either.  Though we can't honestly say we remember too much of the meal.  We just remember filling up with lots of liquids and just being happy to sit down in some comfortable chairs for an hour!

Loco Moco (Waipahu, HI)

So while we were down in Hawaii, we were told we had to try Loco Moco.  I didn't know what that was.  So we looked it up and found several Loco Moco restaurants around the island.  Only later did I realize that this recommendation was for the dish, not the restaurant.  Oh well, I had some Loco Moco at Loco Moco.

 This is quite a dish.  It consists of two scoops of rice, then layered with a hamburger patty on each, a fried egg on each, and then drowned in gravy.  And then there's the macaroni salad on the side.  Which also has gravy on it.

To me, this is the ultimate next morning after a night of heavy-duty drinking meal.  Why?  Well....

-Beef ...check
-Eggs ...check
-Gravy ...check

I mean, what's not to like? 

Ihilani JW Marriott Resort (Ko Olina, HI)

Since Daniel and Kristen looked like they had so much fun in Hawaii, we decided to make the journey out there as well.  For one beautiful week, we traveled around the island of Oahu, spending our evenings at the Ihilani JW Marriott Resort in Ko Olina.  The Ihilani had several good looking restaurants so naturally, we had to try them all.

Our first stop was the Naupaka Terrace at the Ihilani Resort.  Out of the three main restaurants at Ihilani, this is their most casual dining spot.  We started off with their Poke salad, in which cubed ahi sashimi was the main protein component.  Out of all the ahi we ate on the island, this was my least favorite.  However, it is no slam on the quality of fish served here, it was still delicious.  It is more of a testament to the quality of seafood served at the places we ate.

For the main course, we dove into their luau special, which consisted of Kalua pork, fried fish, beef wrapped in greens, salmon salad, roasted purple potatoes, poi, and steamed rice.  All of the food was quite delicious, though as you can see from the picture, it was a lot to eat.  My favorite had to be the fish, as it was moist and tender, with a delicious coconut/nut sauce draped over the top.

The final piece of the luau special was the pineapple torte with lemon sorbet.  The sorbet was a nice complement to the warm, moist pineapple torte.

Because it was a short walk from our hotel room, we also had another quick dinner here.  But out of all the meals, our favorite was the weekend brunch.  All of the usual brunch items were included, but some of the highlights were the oysters, more of the ahi poke, shrimp cocktail, prime rib & pork loin carving stations, smoked salmon, and the wide variety of desserts.  What was even more interesting (and delicious) was the self serve juice bar.  I can say that you really haven't had pineapple juice until you've freshly squeezed your own Hawaiian pineapple while in Hawaii!

The fine dining option at the Ihilani resort is their Azul Restaurant.  I decided to go with their prix fixe option with the wine pairing (more on that later) while Carli decided to go a la carte.

Delicious Crusty Bread...mmmmmmm

For starters, I had Azul's version of a bouillabaisse soup, while Carli decided on the lobster bisque.  The bouillabaisse was absolutely outstanding.  There were multiple varieties of fresh seafood and shellfish in the dish, with my favorite being the chewy yet snappy consistency of the calamari.  Even better was the value, since bouillabaisse was priced at $26 a la carte, whereas the entire tasting menu was $49.  The lobster bisque was a standard preparation of the dish, but rich and luscious nonetheless.

Although the service wasn't exactly stellar thus far, it really took a downturn at this point in the meal.  Even though I had ordered the wine pairing, I hadn't received my second glass of wine until the end of the second course, at which point I politely turned it down and just paid for the one glass.  Additionally, it took almost an hour before our second course was served.  Fortunately, the second course was (almost) worth the wait.  I decided on the dry rubbed NY strip steak, while Carli enjoyed her second lobster dish of the evening, lobster ravioli.

Finally, for dessert we had the chocolate torte cake and the chocolate lava cake.  Both were delicious representations of chocolate desserts, but the winner here was the lava cake.

We also tried Ihilani's Japanese restaurant, Ushio-Tei (translation: the subtle tides of Hawaii).  Although we didn't take any pictures, it was a fairly standard meal you would get at a semi-upscale Japanese restaurant.  This was my least favorite of the three restaurants at Ihilani; however, Carli very much enjoyed Ushio-Tei and the steamed lobster she ordered (can you see a recurring pattern here?).

All in all, the offerings at Ihilani were quite good.  The hotel itself was spectacular as well, with multiple locations on property offering picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean.

One more thing.  I don't care how many pieces of cut fruit or how many umbrellas end up in the cocktail, Lava Flows are freaking awesome.