tasting menu

Eleven Madison Park

in

Cheddar - Savory black & white cookie with apple

Our long awaited lunch began in a very interesting manner. After being ranked the 5th best restaurant in the world, I had to find out for myself.

For some odd reason, Eleven Madison Park's electricity was out and unable to prepare 3 out of the 14 highly anticipated courses. At first I was a little sad but I realized that 11 courses were more than enough. Apparently we missed out on the veal and warm foie gras that was served cold instead.

But nonetheless the taste profile and food were impeccable. I enjoyed every moment. It wasn't absurd or overly done. And given our special situation, our meal was only $125 per person—this adjustment alone made the experience 10x better.

Food

I didn't have the highest expectation initially because several friends have told me that it was good but not worth the price. I, however, thought the food was very excellent and the overall 3-5 hour lunch experience was worth the cost.

Morel

We began with a teaser, salty cookie with apple that was relatively neutral and a good opening act to the rest of the meal.

My favorite courses were the Caviar Eggs Benedict, Asparagus, Lobster, Sichuan Peppercorn Duck, Whey Yogurt Sorbet and Strawberry Edel Flower dessert. 

Their play on eggs Benedict with caviar was not only picturesque but it was possibly the most elegant eggs Benedict I've ever had. The mini english muffins were too cute. The caviar was a very nice touch.

The Sichuan peppercorn duck was absolutely delicious. The skin was perfectly crispy with hints of peppercorn that made every bite so delectable. 

I was very impressed with the food overall and must say that I genuinely enjoyed almost every dish. The flavors really suited my taste profile.

English Peas

It wasn't over the top or flashy—which I preferred because the emphasis was really on the food and overall experience of a proper 3 hour meal.

Ambiance

The space is rather large with very high ceilings. It is spacious enough to allow each party privacy. The decor is classic and elegant with white and warm tones.

Duration

Expect at least 3-5 hours.

Price

$225 per person fixed menu.

Reservation

Advanced reservation ~1-2 months.

Radish

Caviar

Eggs Benedict

Foie Gras

Carrot Tartare

Carrot Tartare

Lobster

Lobster

Asparagus

Sichuan peppercorn duck

Duck

Whey sorbet 

Strawberry vanilla ice cream

Sea Salt Pretzel

Sea Salt Pretzel

 

The Musket Room

in

Mushroom soup

Food

I came to Musket Room for Valentine's Day and tried the 6-course tasting menu. The first dish was the mushroom soup with truffle oil and foie gras. Next, we had the king salmon with bricks of fruit and sunflower seed. It was an interesting combination that worked well. I never thought to eat fish with some fruits—it was very gentle and refreshing. 

Next up was the quail with blueberries. The quail was cooked perfectly with complements of blueberries that went exceptionally well together. The roasted onions and bread sauce brought a unique flavor. 

For the fourth course, we had the New Zealand red deer and snapper. I recommend starting with the fish and then moving onto the meat as the flavors of red meat is much more dominant. The venison was very delicious and high quality—perfectly cooked medium rare. I can't remember the exact sauces, but I believe the green stuff was an avocado mix with something sweet. It was good.

For dessert, we had the hazelnut log that melts with the caramel sauce. It was not too sweet and refreshing. The passion fruit pavlova was also very fluffy, almost like an airy cake. Overall, the food was very good, refreshing and high quality. I would definitely come back.

Ambiance

It reminds of a typical Seattle restaurant with its understated rustic decor. Simple, clean and to the point. The lighting was not too dark and decent for pictures. But intimate enough in the evening where you don't feel like bright fluorescent light is shining over you. It has that look, like you know they make good food. 

King ora salmon

Quality

Definitely excellent fresh quality. The caliber of ingredients is on par with Blue Hill that serves farm to table. 

Price

The six course Valentine's course was jacked up to $125 whereas it is normally only $75. At the normal price, I'd say it's pretty reasonable given the quality and quantity. 

Reservation

You will definitely need to make a reservation far in advance! Maybe a month? It's a hit or miss. But doesn't hurt to check open table once in a while!

Quail with blueberries

Red New Zealand Deer

Passion fruit pavlova

Snapper

Red Deer

Hazelnut log

 

Annisa

in

*Update: I visited Annisa a second time in 2015 and the food quality had gone down hill. I was very disappointed with the performance. The meat was not cooked to its best ability and the flavor pairings were half-assed. It felt like they stopped caring and did the bare minimum to maintain its pedigree. 

Anita Lo is the owner at Annisa where they serve new American contemporary cuisine based on the Chef's experience in Chinese cooking and French techniques. I came here for my 24th birthday about a week ago and ordered the tasting menu. I guess we had just made the cut because they were recently stripped of their one Michelin star, but nonetheless, it was a great dining experience. I would definitely return to this spot despite that. I was also a little shocked by their proud B rating...hmm. But the quality was excellent and the restaurant was definitely very clean.

Food

We ordered the 5-course tasting menu. We started with fluke sashimi that was fresh, tender and light. It was probably my least favorite of the 5 dishes, still good, but nothing exciting. The second course was Annisa's famous foie gras soup dumplings. It was so good! I love dumplings in general, so the foie gras with duck was extra unique and special. I could eat 10 of these easily. As the entree, we had the famous marinated miso sable dish with tofu. It was fantastic. The sable was very well cooked, extremely tender and moist.  The agedashi tofu with the slightly sweet sake dashi miso broth was also nicely done. I highly recommend. The texture of the sable and tofu was almost like silk. As the second entree, we were served the grilled koji-marinated berkshire pork loin with radishes, smoked avocado, and a poached egg. The edges of the pork were well grilled and slightly smokey. The insides were well cooked and tender. It was a well-balanced dish with meat, greens and a side of dairy (egg). It was tasty but nothing spectacular. Lastly for the dessert, everyone was served a variety of desserts from their menu. I ended with the best one, the pecan sea salt butterscotch beignets. It was so good. Exactly how beignets should be. At the very end when we got the bill, they served mini coconut popsicles. It was refreshing and delicious. Also extremely cute. 

Fluke

Miso Marinated Sable

Foie Gras Soup Dumpling

Grilled Koji-Marinated Berkshire Pork Loin

Pecan and Salted Butterscotch Beignets with Bourbon Milk Ice

Ambiance

The space was a lot smaller than I anticipated. It was quaint, charming and intimate. Initially, I thought one of the waiters was slightly rude and impatient because I had made a reservation for eight people and one guest was running late. I did not like that they were not willing to wait for one more person. But after my last guest arrived the service was great from then after. 

Price

I believe this place is reasonably priced. Especially the 5-course tasting menu at $85 per person. It was just the right amount of food, if not a little excessive. If you choose not to get the tasting menu, for about three courses I'd expect to pay roughly $70 per person excluding tip/tax. So you may as well just get the tasting menu.

One other thing to note. They are very great about splitting bills. I know most restaurants do not allow more than two or three cards. But they accepted eight credit cards!! I was shocked. An added bonus. 

Reservation

I made reservations a month in advance and still didn't get the exact time I wanted. I would definitely recommend making reservations at least 1.5 months in advance for prime dining times.