2 posts tagged “manresa”

For the first time, I met Cynthia Sandberg and I have to admit I was overwhelmed by her passion and her height – 6 feet to my 5 feet. This is not a supplier in the sense that FL uses Jacobson’s farm, this is Manresa’s farm – a close collaborative relationship with Chef David Kinch and Cynthia in the most compatible marriage of ingredient to the table. A vegetable becomes more than just a vegetable, an herb is more than just an herb, and an egg yolk is a gorgeous yellow. Manresa is so much more than dining – it is love affair between the earth, the soil and the sun. There is a reverence for the product, be it animal or vegetable.

There is no way that I will do justice to the menu – I am not that good of a writer and so many plates reflected the soul of an artist that just seem to defy words. Also, I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies; I tried to write everything down, but good conversation and wine did get in the way.

Menu
Petits fours “red pepper-black olive”

Vegetables from the garden – these 4 words are the ultimate understatement, exquisite crudités that included carrots, zucchini, radishes, ice plant with an herb crème fraiche.

Sorrel and Olive Oil Ice – a refreshing palate enhancer

Amaranth and Borage Barbajuans – Barbajuans (in the Monegasque dialect) are actually fried pouches or ravioli made with rice flour with the addition of the amaranth and borage

Eggplant with smoked miso – again 4 words that I can’t really explain

Summer Croquettes – Insert croquette in your mouth and in one bite the liquid summer corn with a touch of vanilla and cayenne explodes throughout your mouth.

Arpege Farm egg – I make this very well thanks to Chef David Kinch, but I am thinking of raising chickens much to my husband's horror. The Manresa egg is just wondrous.

Caviar consommé, wild amberjack belly with Iranian Oscetra caviar – this is just an OH MY dish – I can’t begin to explain the taste components of this dish – salinity, ocean, salt, texture, top quality fish

Shellfish with sausage, Yerba Buena – I love fish – all fish – so swordfish, littleneck clams, peekytoe crab, cuttlefish, spicy sausage, cherries and mint – Thank goodness for Dana – server extraordinaire and her detailed descriptions.

Garden veloute with mustard – Just imagine a deep green garden veloute with stone ground mustard to enliven the veloute

Spiced vegetables with brown butter –zucchini, tomatoes, radish, carrots, puree of radish tops to name a few with a brown butter “sauce” with vadouvan. I have had vadouvan with Ludo’s lobster dish, but who would have thought how much this spice would enhance vegetables.

The vegetable garden – any resemblance to going to a farmer’s market and buying fresh veggies and having fresh veggies from the hands of Cynthia and Chef David is deceptive, misleading and basically a misnomer. Many, many years ago, at Eugenie les Bains we were served a market basket of just harvested vegetables from Eugenie’s gardens. The presentation was simple – just a market basket of vegetables. We were enthralled by the simplicity and the just picked freshness.  Manresa’s vegetable garden was a Miro painting of the most exquisite cooked vegetables coaxed by David and Cynthia with “God’s hands” helping out with the weather. Also on the plate was something signifying dirt – actually purple potato, parsnip and chicory.

Golden pursulane and tomato with smoked roe, roasted red pepper and tuna broth – the roe popped in your mouth and was enhanced by the rich tuna broth. From a google search about pursulane:

“Purslane is more than merely edible landscaping -- it is a culinary delight! In fact, it is a succulent herb”.
“Purslane's stem is round and smooth, and it trails along the ground like a small vine. Young plants have a green stem, but, with maturity, stems take on reddish tints. Purslane has small, oblong, green leaves, which form clusters. The leaves resemble small wedges and, like the stem, are juicy.”
“In order to preserve purslane's juiciness for eating, harvest this delight of your edible landscaping in the morning or evening, when you won't have to compete with intense sunlight. Purslane can either be used raw in salads or sauteed as a side dish. In addition to the crispy texture you would expect from a succulent, purslane also has an interesting peppery flavor.”

Monterey Bay Abalone and slow egg, sucrine lettuce and bread crusts – I love eggs so I am a sucker for any egg dish with a beautiful runny yolk. The Abalone was perfectly cooked and the bread crust sautéed in pork fat added a new meaning to the combination of egg and abalone.

Summer roots with beef tendon, seaweed pistou – I am going to need help describing this dish – my notes are totally non-existent. I just remember eating the most tender piece of beef I have ever tasted.

Squash blossom fritters and nasturtium ice cream

Red plum and pistachio sable, raspberry and rosewater sorbet

Chocolate and ollalieberry pudding

Petit fours “strawberry-chocolate”

What an extraordinary meal. As I said at the beginning, my descriptions do not do justice to this cuisine.

320 Village Ln.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Phone: 408.354.4330
Fax: 408.354.0134
info@manresarestaurant.com

Executive Chef / Proprietor: David Kinch
Chef De Cuisine: Jeremy Fox

I owe complete credit to Pim (http://chezpim.typepad.com/) for introducing me to Manresa. Knowing it is always better to go to a restaurant as a newbie with someone who is known is definitely the way to go. My claim to fame is that I am no longer a newbie and just wish I could be a weekly regular. This is a great restaurant with a great chef. The dedication, the commitment, the quality, the execution – what more could one ask for and at Manresa you don’t have to ask because it delivers.
 
Chef Kinch warned me to come hungry and that was an easy order to obey. This was an extravaganza – an over-the-top experience and a wonderful way to add another year to my advancing age.
 
I apologize in advance for the lack of photographic skill because the pictures unfortunately detract rather than enhance, but I'm still learning this digital photography stuff! But I wanted the photos for my memory scrapbook rather than this brand new BLOG, so I'll give it more effort in the future. I also apologize if I mistakenly identify some of the ingredients improperly. I tried to take extensive notes, but sometimes it was hard to write fast enough and now after some time has passed, it has grown more difficult to read these notes.
 
Chef Kinch is aware of our food preferences – my love of Japanese food, fish, local ingredients, purity, “less is more”, so I am inclined to think that this menu was orientated in that direction. Unfortunately, I was eating with wimps and we had to cut some courses. As always, we begin with a generous offering of Amuses:

Red Pepper / Black Olive

This time I made a point to really “inhale” this dish – the favors are intense – think of taking something at its most basic, changing the shape and texture and keeping the ultimate taste.

Sea Urchin (UNI) Shooter

The base was soy, ginger and citrus with shaved breakfast radish and scallions – OK someone could just take uni and inject it in me, but this combination was wondrous. My only complaint is that the glass hurt the shooter aspect – I really wanted one bite, but the container was too wide to get that all in one bite.

Warm Indian Creek Oyster, Apple, Leek, Coulommier Cheese

Never in my head would I put oysters and cheese and for the life I me, I wouldn’t dare try it in a home kitchen, but with Chef Kinch yup!

Fatty Blue-Fin Tuna Belly, Perilla Flower, Kaffir Lime, Shiso

Okay, I admit it: I'm easy. Just give me some good tuna and leave me be. What isn't to like?

Tartine of Prawn Roe, Salted Butter, Toasted Brioche

Another dish that should have been named "Why the hell didn't I think of this?" The layering of flavors here is perfect.  Never too much of any one component.  A Manresa hallmark, to be sure.

Whiting (Kisu), Pancetta, Shiso

The problem with Chef Kinch’s food is if you just rely on the written menu he so graciously gives you at the end of the meal, you will be lost when trying to write it up. Whiting has been wrapped in pancetta, a bit of shiso added, and then the whole is dipped in light tempura batter and quickly deep fried. Extraordinary.

The Classic Arpege Egg

A warm poached egg yolk with lightly whipped cream and sherry vinegar drizzled with maple syrup. Phenomenal in France, phenomenal here in the hands of Chef Kinch.  The dish is a true classic.  And with that, the actual menu kicks in.

Spot-Prawn Carpaccio, Just-Pressed Local Olive Oil

The prawns were from Monterey Bay and I can only say that I wish I could get fish as fresh as David Kinch. The just pressed olive oil was handled with a very judicious hand so that the taste of the fish was enhanced rather than overwhelmed. A bit of chives and sesame seeds rounded out the dish.

Marinated Mackerel, Oscetra Caviar

The mackerel had been salt-cured. Underneath was crème fraiche with chives and the mackerel was topped with Oscetra caviar.

Amadai Cured In Dried Seaweed, Aged Ponzu

Amadai is tile fish that eats only small crustaceans, usually crab. That is the reason this fish tastes so delicate. (As an aside, I ask many questions and the staff is more than willing to answer or ask Chef Kinch if they are unsure). The Ponzu was yuzu-based and the Konbu leaf had been rubbed with sake.

Sashimi Big-Fin Squid, Kin Medai, Geoduck, Kenomi Fern, Shiso, Shirashi

I honestly don’t know if the fish detailed belongs to this dish or the next dish. Shirodashi is white soy.

Assorted Spring Fish, Enoki Mushrooms, Delicate Sardine Broth

Sorry, I'm confused!  I blame it on a food coma.

Mesquite-Grilled Foie Gras, Wild Mint, Calamondin Caramel

Oh my – The foie had a somewhat smoky taste, although subtle. It was served with arugula rabe, wild mint, sea salt and slices of apple. The calamondin added the acidic/citrus note – again a subtle undertone not an over-the-top in your face accent.

Spot-Prawn, Asparagus, Miner’s Lettuce Salad

The jus in this dish was from the roe of the spot prawns – Another note about Chef Kinch’s cuisine. Nothing on the plate is for show, each element is essential and if anything has been edited by Chef Kinch to add an important note.

Sea Urchin, Crab, Lightly-Spiced Coconut Milk

There was a Thai element in this dish as the foam was made with coconut milk and a Thai chili paste. Fried shallots topped the dish adding a crunchy element.

Scallops, Scallop Tripe, Black Truffles

What an absolutely incredible dish. The scallops were sliced so thinly that there was not even a hint of toughness. A ragu of scallions, carrots and tripe plus the black truffles added up to an exquisite dish.

Black Bass, Fava Leaves and Beans

The Black Sea Bass had been seared a la plancha over fava beans. It was accompanied by a powerful, yet somehow managing to be subtle enough to not overwhelm the fish, anchovy vinaigrette.

Salt Cod Confit, Razor Clam Rice and Saffron

The confit sat on a razor clam risotto – toothsome risotto, perfectly cooked cod.

Roast Squab, Wild Onions, Homemade Vinegar

The homemade vinegar refers to Dave “Arata.” What is important to note in Chef Kinch’s cuisine is the sourcing of his ingredients – local farmers, local purveyors and insistence of quality, small producers. That translates into quality ingredients to begin with that results in a wonderful finished product. There was a squab breast with squab confit, wild onions a pine nut pudding and a natural squab jus.

Suet-Roasted Wagyu Beef, Porcini, Morel, Black Truffles, Beef Marrow Bordelaise

At this point, I was in wine and food nirvana. I set my notebook down and gave myself up to the parade of desserts.  I've got the photos, but no notes.

Strawberry Consommé, Vanilla-Bergamot

Belgian Waffle, Banana Caramel, White Coffee Ice Cream

Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet Cones

Chocolate / Strawberry Petit Fours

Do the final petit fours look familiar?  A fun way to end a meal, but with deep meaning.  A meal at Manresa comes around full-circle.  From a lovely beginning, to a satisfying completion.  A complete and total experience that I feel lucky to have been a part of it.

What more can I say about a Manresa experience? Great, extraordinary, sublime? Take your pick. Delicious, intellectual dining from a dedicated chef with a talent you rarely come across is the best I can do. Bravo, and thank you, Chef Kinch.

posted by: Lizziee