Our pal CK Chin just opened a new 6 seat Omakase sushi place over in one of the back rooms at the Native. He partnered with Saine Wong who came to Austin to start up Sushi/Bar and left that concept to go even smaller. The 14 course omakase leans on the flavors Saine has researched into in his global travels, those ports of call are noted with pins on the map below the daily menu board. Toshokan is only 6 seats, but has 2 empty seats at the front of the bar for last minute friends and visiting guests. I expect to soon abuse that opportunity very soon for a second visit.

https://youtu.be/2qGEvP0cWDY

All in all, a wonderful experience!

No Karrie on this one, but enjoyed a lovely night of traditional sushi at Q with Mikey Bonanno. Q is a very traditional 10-seat omakase bar helmed by the now-Michelin-rated chef Hiroyuki Naruke. Just two blocks away from our downtown Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Q is a spot I will almost surely revisit. Photos below:

On Thursday, April 8th, as we were broken down in a Baptist parking lot in Fredericksburg, Texas, coming to grips with our Fools Roll failure, I texted Greasy Strangler star Sky Elobar and told him about our journey to Vegas, our team theme (Greasy Strangler) and invited him to join us at José Andres’ Bazaar meat two days later. 1 minute later, I received the text, “I’m in.” And he was. We met him at the Sahara to begin our culinary adventure.

Our somalier was fantastic. He started us out with a high-salinity traditional Spanish cava that was spectacular with the first four bites, especially the oysters.

The first four courses were paired with Ravenos De La Finca sparkling wine from Catalonia made from Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada grapes.

These two courses were served with an unclarified and unfiltered aged fino sherry, Tio Pepe En Rama Palamino Fino Sherry.

Vermut was served with a classic Yzaguirre herbal Spanish red vermouth

The Txangurro a la Donastiarra was paired with a unique rosé, a 2010 Viña Tondonia Rioja

The empanada and the Chuleta were paired with a 2014 Pinea, Tempranilo grapes from Ribera Del Duero.

The Menjar Blanc was paired with a delicious dessert wine, Victoria #2, Jorge Odoñez Moscatel 2017

And the epic meal ended with a signature José Andres gin and tonic. Oof. Big night. left fat and happy.

Vespertine is “a gastronomical experience seeking to disrupt the course of the modern restaurant. Karrie found that statement and the official website from which it is quoted off-putting. Me, I was all chips in.”

Upon entering Vespertine you are escorted to a private outdoor nook to wait for your party to arrive while you enjoy a delightful welcome cocktail. The restrooms are also here with a zen garden of hand soap powder. I got confused and washed my hands with cologne. We were given a little sample bottle of that same cologne after the meal, and strangely enough, I love it. Karrie bought me a bottle for Christmas and for the first time since 1986 (Polo at the time) I have a signature scent!

After the cocktail you climb stiars to a dimly lit chamber with wood tables. This is dining area #1 where we enjoyed the first four courses, a sculpture of “chips and dip” a beautifully presented mango tower, a hidden cave of edible flowers and an abalone mushroom roll wrapped in garlic “leather.”

“Chips and Dip” – dried kelp and a chickpea dip.

Mango Tower and the first of many, many edible flowers.

Hidden Edible Flower treat – there’s a black currant and burnt onion savory cookie underneath the flowers.

Garlic “leather” wrapping abalone mushroom like a sushi roll, topped with sheep’s cheese, milk bread and cream

After the first four courses, we continued up another flight to the main dining room with a bit more light and a great view of the city. The first course… I can’t remember the details. It did have flowers and I have a vague sense of it being tasty.

A few bites of crispy, tasty greens. The plateware at Vespertine, as you can see, is extraordinary.

Another course of edible flowers, this time in broth.

A really delicious shrimp taco in a leaf.

Scallops hidden under a hard layer of burnt onions that you had to crack through with your spoon like creme brule.

I honestly don’t recall what was in this fun space-chair-shaped dish, but Elijah had an extra ingredient… A frisky live worm, fresh from the garden… video coming soon.

This was the main attraction, quail with juniper and black currant served two ways – the breast and the drumstick in a stone sarcophagus. Bonus points for Midsommar-esque presentation.

Yummy overripe plantain served as a taco

Creme fraiche radish and almond

I thought this dessert was rhubarb, but I think it might be black raspberry, black carrots and meadowsweet, AKA mead wort, a perennial herb that grows in damp meadows.

Four hours later, after the three very interesting (but honestly not truly crave-able) desserts, we retired back to the garden to rest over a selection of fruits, strong herbal elixers, coffee and tea. Plump and happy, we rolled out to the car, back to the beach.

Not the most amazing food we have ever eaten (although it was all very good), but Vespertine is one of the most amazing dining experiences. We both highly recommend.

And here’s the somewhat cryptic menu for good measure…

After nearly a half-dozen failed attempts, we finally managed to dine at Amanda Cohen’s fabulous DIRT CANDY, a vegetarian prix fixe menu that is decidedly non-vegan (they are not afraid of cream and butter).  What a fabulous experience! If we could cook at this level, I would gladly forego meat forever.

The meal started with simple but quite delightful bread

Dish 1: seaweed caviar

Dish 2: Radicchio and bitter vegetables with creamy za’atar sauce

Dish 3: Mushroom pate

Dish 4: Onion tartar

Dish 5: Korean broccoli

Dish 6: Carrot confit sliders

Dish 7: Brassica broth

Dish 8: Brussel sprout larb

Dish 9: Chocolate mushroom (stock photo inserted – I didn’t get to take my photo before they poured hot chocolate over the top and melted the pretty mushroom…)

Dish 10: Chard sundae

Dish 11: Cauliflower buttercream cake

On the way to Cannes, we sometimes like to stop in London for a bit of a break in the long journey.  And we always like to seek out a great meal.  On this trip we landed a reservation at  world-renowned THE FAT  DUCK.  Even more theatrical than José Andres, Heston Blumenthal’s creations were almost borderline silly, but nonetheless, we had an incredible time.  The “sound of the sea” replete with a very believable sand creation and headphones to listen to the surf when you ate might have landed Karrie on the other side of the line.  Not one, not two, but three dishes employed dry ice and there were bonefide magic tricks during the not-so-full English Breakfast.

Truly a one of a kind meal/performance.

Karrie and I have been going to Uchi since it first opened in 2003.  We used to live walking distance to the restaurant, we just crossed the railroad tracks and down Lamar a couple blocks.

Suffice it to say, we’ve been fans for a long time.  I was just cleaning out some old files tonight and found an old menu from a very special dinner where Tyson Cole and Phillip Speer recreated the menu they presented on Iron Chef.

They lost on TV but from their account, it seemed like the chips were stacked against them.  The meal that night was fabulous – all dishes featuring the mystery ingredient of ginger.

Tyson did tell a funny story about the competing chef Morimoto.  Tyson, in perfect Japanese, went up to chef Morimoto and told him that he was a big fan, Morimoto was a major influence on his life and that it was an honor to meet him and compete against him.  Morimoto said “I am sure that it is.” And those were the only words he ever said to Tyson Cole.

All hope for a table was lost until about two weeks before our trip, Noemi texted to let us know that a table for 8 had opened up 2 days after we planned to return from Copenhagen.  We had left word with Noma that we would take any table, any day, any time, any size party in the beginning of December.  So, of course, we changed our flight and were set to experience Noma’s winter meat menu.

A few highlights:

The very first dish – the deep mushroom broth with fermented squirrel.  You had to plow your nose DEEP into the bowl of white moss and breathe in deeply as you tipped the bowl back to taste the other-worldly broth.  It was a perfect first sensory moment.  The white moss and the pine shoots came back many times throughout the meal in various incarnations.

The other extraordinary bites to me were the “brain pie,” an unbelievably rich taco of reindeer brain and black truffle wrapped in a wasabi leaf.  Also, the dried plum stuffed with reindeer heart and rhubarb, the caviar and pheasant broth aspic and the mushroom and quince glazed duck breast.

But really, it is hard to rank order the dishes.  The menu was phenomenal and wildly inventive and the wine pairings were divine and suitably funky.  I really hope there is another Noma food adventure for us somewhere down the road.

Forest broth with wild mushrooms and fermented squirrel

Reindeer heart tartar topped with sorrel leaves.  You grabbed a handful of leaves and deer and dragged it through a sauce of egg yolk and ants, leaving enough sauce for the next course, reindeer sweetbreads deep fried in the same white moss from the broth.

Fried reindeer sweetbreads coated with forest moss

The egg white and ant sauce

Reindeer brain “pie” with black truffle and wasabi leaf

The inside of said taco.

Reindeer tongue skewers with pine shoots.

Salted cream, caviar and pheasant aspic.

Walnut and berry ceviche with caramelized baby pine cones.

A fairly alarming presentation, but the beetle was actually made of compressed fruit.

Crazy presentation of a tempura fried duck wing.

Magnus tucks in.

A novel duck brain presentation.  You scoop out the brains with a rustic spoon made from the skull of the duck.

Crispy and delicious duck leg chicharron and a top view of the brain service.  The top of the skull has been cut open to expose the rich, buttery duck brain.

Herbs just for show, meant only to showcase the thin slices of cured duck breast

Devine duck breast glazed with wild mushroom and quince

A pheasant “feather” meticulously crafted out of black truffle slices

An amazing bowl made of beeswax with pumpkin and morels

Sizzling bowl of wild mushrooms

Dried plums with pheasant heart and rhubarb paste

Blueberry ice cream topped with ants with sorrel leaves

Rose hips stuffed with quince

Chocolate covered forest moss with pine shoots

The mock duck feet were actually caramels made from duck fat.

Pickled crab apples

The wine flight