点评:Wow. What an absolutely fantastic final dinner of 2023!
After we managed to find a late dinner reservation for New Year's Eve, it was a relief to discover that our excitement about the tasting menu was well-placed. I would definitely recommend the drink pairings as well!
The amuse-bouche featuring oysters from the West and East coasts was a delightful way to splash into the meal. The wasabi and the mangosteen featured in each of the oysters, respectively, complimented the beautiful brine of the oysters in such a wonderfully playful way.
This first tasting urged us to pause the menu progression and order an extra dozen oysters to explore the other possibilities. Tasting from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island, they were beautifully prepared and of excellent quality.
The first course of lobster salad felt like a summer in Maine. Not that I've ever been to Maine, but the imaginary scene flashed across my vision as I took that first refreshing bite. The grapefruit emulsion worked almost majestically with the light, refreshing flavor of the lobster salad. The tapioca chip was perfect for the crunch to fully bring the different elements of the dish together. A fascinating intersection of refreshment and comfort.
The second course was the potato pavé. I'll be thinking of this potato often for the foreseeable future. It was one of those dishes that makes your eyes pop open a bit when you bite it as you realize how good it is. A beautifully layered and seared rectangle of flaky delicious potato resting with a lovely salsa brava speckled with trout roe, topped with tarragon, cured trout, and black truffle flakes. I don't even know what else to say. It was stunning.
Sea urchin buttered ramen, the third course, will always be what I wish my at-home thrown-together ramen could be. It was rich, it was luscious, it was comforting. Growing up in southeast Texas, crawfish boils were always some of the most exciting times of the year. The crawfish tails in the ramen brought me back to those summer days eating crawfish with a cold beer.
The duck breast for the fourth course was exceptionally cooked. It was juicy and flavorful and made a perfect bite with a bit of cauliflower, raisins, apricot, agrodolce, and foie-sauce. Each bite was such a symphony of flavor that kept me coming back.
Last but absolutely not least was the gâteau ardéchois: the chestnut cream cake. Accompanied by cranberry coulis and crispy meringue bites, this dessert was a sweet but still mellow finish. While the coffee mascarpone ice cream was a robust and complementary flavor, we both agreed the vanilla coconut ice cream was the star between the two.
Thank you again to the stellar crew at Mink! Happy New Year!
翻译:哇。 2023 年的最后一顿晚餐真是太棒了!
在我们设法预订了新年前夜的晚餐后,我们松了一口气,发现我们对品尝菜单的兴奋是恰到好处的。我绝对会推荐饮料搭配!
开胃小菜以来自东西海岸的牡蛎为特色,是一种令人愉快的用餐方式。每只牡蛎中分别含有芥末和山竹,以一种奇妙有趣的方式与牡蛎美丽的盐水相得益彰。
第一次品尝促使我们暂停菜单进程并额外订购一打牡蛎以探索其他可能性。从温哥华到爱德华王子岛,它们的味道都非常精美,质量上乘。
第一道菜龙虾沙拉感觉就像缅因州的夏天。虽然我从来没有去过缅因州,但当我咬下第一口清爽的食物时,想象中的场景闪过我的视野。葡萄柚乳液与龙虾沙拉清淡、清爽的味道几乎完美搭配。木薯片非常适合咀嚼,将菜肴的不同元素充分融合在一起。清爽与舒适的迷人交汇点。
第二道菜是土豆泥。在可预见的未来,我会经常想起这个土豆。这是其中一道菜,当你咬它时,你会惊讶地发现它有多好吃。精美的分层煎烤长方形片状美味土豆,搭配可爱的莎莎布拉瓦酱,上面点缀着鳟鱼籽,上面放着龙蒿、腌制鳟鱼和黑松露片。我什至不知道还能说什么。太棒了。
海胆黄油拉面,第三道菜,将永远是我希望我在家拼凑的拉面。它是丰富的,它是甘美的,它是令人安慰的。在德克萨斯州东南部长大,小龙虾疖子总是一年中最令人兴奋的时刻。拉面里的小龙虾尾让我想起了夏天喝着冰镇啤酒吃小龙虾的日子。
第四道菜的鸭胸肉煮得特别好。它多汁可口,与一点花椰菜、葡萄干、杏、agrodolce 和鹅酱完美搭配。每一口都是如此美妙的交响乐,让我流连忘返。
最后但同样重要的是 gâteau ardéchois:栗子奶油蛋糕。配上蔓越莓果酱和酥脆的蛋白酥皮,这道甜点的余味甜美但仍然醇厚。虽然咖啡马斯卡彭冰淇淋味道浓郁且互补,但我们都认为香草椰子冰淇淋是两者之间的明星。
再次感谢 Mink 的出色工作人员!新年快乐!