#SHORT MENU ATTELEIR CRENN SERIES#

Better was pine-scened meringue brГ»lГ©e with pumpernickel crumb, basil soil, mixed pickled wild mushrooms and Perigord truffle. I liked the idea of the eel combining with the meat tartare, but I would have preferred bolder seasoning (6/10). Tartare of lamb and smoked freshwater eel from Japan was served with beef vinaigrette, horseradish flan, pieces of frozen blackberries and a crisp wild rice cracker. The blend of grain textures worked well, the hint of spice and acidity of the paste balancing the fish, the smokiness from the seeds nicely controlled (17/20).

The courses resumed with a series of grains: smoked buckwheat, fried quinoa and flack seeds, toasted sunflower seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, served with trout roe and sturgeon pearls, with a paste of chilli and yuzu and finally a dashi broth. Essentially a palate cleanser part way through the savoury courses, the visual trick of the rock presumably borrows from the similar Mugaritz pebble dish perhaps the liquid content could have more interesting, though the simple rhubarb juice was pleasant enough (15/20). What appeared to be a little rock was served next, actually a cocoa butter shell covered in vegetable ashes with a rhubarb juice centre. This was a rich and lovely take on the classic French onion soup, the depth of flavour of the stock impressive, the hint of ham and truffle combined with the cheese lifting the dish from its humble origins to something sophisticated and enjoyable (18/20). Soup of charred onion was poured around a Comte dumpling, with cider jelly, black truffle from Perigord and powdered Iberico ham, a little brioche on the side. I thought this dish was particularly successful, the different textures interesting, the horse mackerel working well with the hint of chilli, the tempura batter extremely light with the turnip bringing an earthy flavour note that worked well (18/20). Lightly cured horse mackerel (imported from Japan) was served with tempura turnip, served with little slices of cucumber and chilli and a snow of coconut and coriander. The wheatgrass flavour, potentially quite disruptive, was very subtle, and the lime foam gave a nice acidic balance to the natural sweetness sofa the crab (16/20). Rye crisp bread appeared at this point, made from scratch in the kitchen and having a notable smoky flavour note (easily 17/20).ДЄlaskan king crab was served with a jelly of sake, Oscietra caviar, lime foam and a juice of wheatgrass and celery. The sea urchin was of good quality, the liquorice flavour mercifully subtle, the citrus sharpness of the yuzu balancing the chocolate (16/20). Sea urchin (from nearby Mendocino county) pudding was served in a chilled broth made from liquorice, with bubbles of yuzu and a pearl of white chocolate. This was refreshing, the apple flavour a good foil to the cocoa butter (17/20). The meal began with a cocoa butter shell with a liquid centre of pressed apple cider and topped with creme de cassis.

Wines from their list ranged in price from $35 to $1,250 and included Diego de Lemos 2010 at $50 for a wine that retails at around $23, Stone Edge Farm Cabernet 2007 at $105 for a wine you can find in the shops for around $53, and Alter Ego de Palmer 2006 at $192 for a wine that will set you back about $74 in a shop. The wine list was relatively short at around 100 bottles on the published list, and allows customers to bring their own wines with corkage at a fairly modest $35 a bottle.

The menu (and the poem) changes with the seasons. The tasting menu description was enigmatic, in the form of a poem written by the chef, each line of the poem representing a course. As will be seen, the cooking belies this simple setting, offering a choice of five courses at $95 or a tasting menu at $160. The dining room is informal, with no tablecloths, Lino floor and attractive lanterns. She was the first female chef in the USA to be awarded two Michelin stars ( editor's note: the restaurant was later awarded a third star).ДЄtelier Crenn is her first solo venture, a modest dining room in the residential area known as Cow Hollow, just down from Pacific Heights. She also fitted in a brief stint heading the kitchen of the Intercontinental Hotel in Jakarta in the late 1990s, putting together an all-female kitchen team in that Muslim country. Prior to that she worked in a number of Californian restaurants from the start of her culinary career in 1988, beginning with Stars under Jeremiah Tower. Previously she was head chef at hotel restaurant Luce at the Intercontinental in San Francisco from 2008.

French-born Dominique Crenn opened Atelier Crenn in January 2011.

#SHORT MENU ATTELEIR CRENN SERIES#

Short menu atteleir crenn