Julie (25th) and Elliott's (23rd) Birthday Dinner at Bouley

Bouley
Tasted Saturday, December 18, 2010 - Sunday, December 19, 2010 by ricknat1 with 590 views

Introduction

The six of us gathered to celebrate Julie's 25th birthday and Elliott's 23rd for an evening at Bouley, who did everything possible to make this a special night. Julie, Tommy, Josie, Elliott, Stephanie and I passed the evening laughing, sharing memories and in gustatory delight. We started by ordering the wines and Jean Baptiste immediately told us that Chef Bouley had offered to build a special tasting menu around the wines, which we agreed to. Everyone was up for adventure and we got a terrific culinary journey that was one of the best meals I have had in the US and would be excited to have anywhere in the world. David Bouley has an incredibly subtle touch, creative, but totally focused on what goes into your mouth. The presentation is beautiful, but it is all about the tastes and the combinations were inspired and delicious and often unique.

Flight 1 - Amuse Bouche of Pumpkin and Chestnut soup with cumin and cinnamon (1 Note)

Rich and delicious with incredible spices, a combination of savory with a touch of sweet, the perfect palate opener

Flight 2 - Chilled Chatham Oysters with a soy Meyer Lemon cloud, salmon trout roe, grated botarga, Kaffir Lime Yuzu Glaze, Micro Watercress

The sea exploded into your mouth, but it was the combination of the sweet and creamy Meyer Lemon and the salty salmon trout roe that made it come alive. Only the oysters at Guy Savoy in Paris could compare.
Paired with the Grüner Veltliner

Flight 3 - Fresh Malibu Sea Urchin on a Sea urchin Gelee with Russian Golden Ossetra Caviar

Quite possibly the nest sea urchin I have had and the combination of the fresh piece resting on the gelee with caviar made the sea come alive again, but in a completely different way. Amazing.
Paired with the second bottle of Grüner Veltliner

Flight 4 - Scrambles Egg and White truffle with Comte foam (1 Note)

It was a shock to see white truffles this late and they were incredibly delicious. The pairing with the Comte was ingenious and the earthy, intense flavors made this small package pack a big punch.

Flight 5 - Monkfish with local unnamed herbs in a blood orange beurre blanc

This was amazing, perfectly cooked and the richness and citrus blended together to be one of the best fishes I have ever tasted. Wow.
Paired with 2001 Joseph Drouhin Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

Flight 6 - Lobster 2 ways

The ladies were served Chatham day boat lobster, brown and white Honshmeji mushrooms, Passion Fruit and Mango, Fresh Lychee and Hysop and the men were served Chatham day boat lobster with large slices of black truffle in a veal stock with some diced vegetables.

These were both delicious and yet at the opposite ends of the taste spectrum, rich and fruity for the first and intense and meaty.
Paired with the 2001 Joseph Drouhin Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

Flight 7 - Porcini Flan with Alaska Live Dungeness Crab and Black truffle dashi (1 Note)

Incredibly rich with the two large pieces of very tasty crab and many more shredded pieces integrated within the body of the flan.

Flight 8 - Elderberry sorbet

Excellent palate cleanser

Flight 9 - Chicken from a local farm

Raised by a friend of the chef, sealed in a slow cooker by a bread crust and slow cooked with hay and served over wild rice with incredibly rich potato puree. This had the taste of the hay infused into the meat and was served with no sauce, except the richness of the potatoes. Not my favorite, but a unique experience.

Paired with the 2001 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Champans

Flight 10 - Lamb sous vide with potato crust and dried fresh tomato dust and olive dust and zucchini mint puree (1 Note)

According to Jean Baptiste, this dish was created for us and I have to say it was amazing. When he described it, he forgot the olives, but as we talked about this amazing dish, the flavors all came out. The lamb was so tender, crunchy and the tastes so multi-layered. I think it is my favorite lamb dish to date.

  • 1998 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    (12/19/2010)

    Decanted and let breathe for 4 hours. Margaux blend of smoke, earth and fruit, medium bodied and excellent with the meat courses.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 11 - Coconut Soup with pineapple and greek yogurt sorbet

Delicious and innovative combination of texture and flavors

Flight 12 - Mango and Passion Fruit Dome Fresh Rosemary Cocoa and White coffee Ice Cream

Passion fruit and Meyer lemon with coffee and white chocolate ice cream was delicious. We had a 1996 Sauterne, but I cannot remember the name.

Closing

So, after 6 bottles and 15 courses in 5 and 12 hours, we departed, warm from each others company after hours of laughter and delight. The company was awesome, the food was inspiring and the wines lived up to the occasion. it was a great birthday celebration.

×
×