This visit was a very interesting stop as I have never been to Monaco. I had no idea what to expect as the whole afternoon in Monaco was very hectic eith the Formula E race coming up.
Firstly, the interior is exquisite. I was sat at the counter and was able to enjoy watching almost every dish being put together as well as every piece of nigiri. Every movement of the staff was precise. Everything had its place.
Of note, I was the first diner for the evening so I was able to chat with most of the staff without interfering in others experience. The strangest thing for me was that I was the first by nearly 30 minutes, so I had 6 different waiters constantly checking on me. Even after other groups started to arrive, thestaff stayed attentive and made sure that everything was acceptable.
Like my visit to Mere Brazier I opted for three glasses of wine instead of a pairing or a bottle. This first a glass of champagne, the second an Sylvaner from Alsace and third a Sauternes. In between the Sylvaner and the Sauternes they did bring me a glass of sake as I still had several more courses before dessert.
The champagne was a Benoit-Lahaye Rose of Maceration. Lovepy red fruits such as cherry and strawberry with a bit of apple skin. Medium bodied. Beautifully elegant mousse with very fine bubbles. Even with its body it is still quite mineral focused.
The Sylvaner was the 2020 Bollenberg from Valentin Zusslin. Very fruit forward with plenty of riper stone fruit notes. Lovely weight and body with some decent texture. A fair bit less acidity than the champagne.
The Sautenres was a glass of 2007 Château de Fargues. I haven't had a saiternes in a good while so it is welcomed, especially for dessert. An absolutely lovely wine. Saffron, mango and pineapple. Very tropical and very rich. Hints of those well known botrytis mushroom notes.
There were two amuse bouche tonight. The first amuse had teo parts. On the right side is a plankton meringue. Thr flavors at play and concentration were absolutely mouth watering. Beautiful and bright. On the left is an amberjack roe and smoked mackeral. Light citrus notes and some wonderful fish flavors. Hard to go wrong. Beautiful colors.
The second amuse was a saffron brioche with katsuobushi filling and a spicy honey mayo. Texturally it is very similar to a bao bun. Fluffy and rich. The mayo has a slight kick but not too significant. Lovely flavors although the bonito flakes are a bit lost with everything else going on.
The first course was an oyster. There was a whole oyster and an oyster tartare. Oh man. It is lovely. Soft flavors and really emphasizes the briny notes of both the caviar and the Oyster. The sauce also uses the liquid of tbe oyster. The flavors linger on the palate for quite some time.
To follow the oyster course they presented a white asparagus "pasta" with razor clam and white asparagus broth. The textures and flavors really threw me for a loop. Brughy citrus notes. Lovely combination of clams and crunchier asparagus "noodles".
Spiny artichoke steamed in seaweed served with an algae mayo made with no eggs. The color of the mayo is quite extraordinary. Vibrant purple with the lovely crunch of fried seaweed. Flavor whise it is very reminiscentof furikake. Very fresh flavors and lovely presentation
This next course they called Sea Animals. It is the fresh catch of the day boiled in sea water topped with caviar and a foam from the cooking process. I was told all of the seafood had to be caught bare-handed for this dish so it is mostly shellfish. Very rich. Chawanmoushi-esque texture. The caviar accompanies the flavors quite well. Flavors harken back to the crab dish at Mere Brazier, but decidedly different.
The last course before some nigiri is an otoro sashimi with marinated shallots, matcha tea leaves and yuzu marinade. This is heaven to me. Rich, fatty. Wonderful flavors and a lovely crunch. I love the marinated shallots with the tuna. Very hard to go wrong.
On to the first round of nigiri
Sea bass (didnt take a picture)
Cuttlefish
Lean bluefin tuna
Blefin tuna tartare (no picture)
(Saba) mackeral
After that round of nigiri there was a couple more dishes serving as an intermission. The fjrst was a Langoustine cooked around a Sakura flower. Lacto-fermented as well. Served with radish. That is a lovely dish. A dish that just makes me smile. Bright fresh flavors. Love the ferment notes. Slight spice. Lovely.
Then we had a palate cleanser. Dashi broth and a pesto. The herbs were frozen and had a lovely crunch and pop to them. Very rich and fortified dashi. The pesto is presented as a sorbet. The greens have an absolutely lovely flavor and pop to them.
Sea bream
Hamachi
Scorpionfish
Sweet shrimp
Torched red mullet
Otoro piece with shiso leaf. This one was recommended to be eaten in 2-3 bites as it is quite large.
Now that the nigiri is done we are starting to wrap things up. There was a rockfish (bottom feeders) consommé with kombu and marjoram. Very nice change of pace after all of the nigiri. Doesnt feel too heavy and has some wonderful flavors.
Next there was a mochi made with kombu. Lemongrass verbena. Pineapple and ginger flavors. Freeze dried flowers and sugar add a lively crunch. Really interesting and cerebral. Very tropical.
Rice pudding with foam, ice cream, puffed buckwheat and yuzu. Very savory and very nutty. Light but with some wonderful crunch. Beautiful appearance and I love the little flowers.
The staff did not tell me what this dessert dish was. They wanted me to guess. There is a very gelatinous part the staff kept referring to as the sashimi. I guessed some kind of cactus or suculent. Soms other flsvors present wete strawberry or raspberry and lime or yuzu. I have had too much to drink for this to be guessing all of this.
It turns out that the sashimi was Aloe Vera marinated in strawberry with a yuzu jelly. It really is interesting. I did get the strawberry and yuzu jelly though so I am quite happy.
The last dessert was a cold brew with caramelized nori puff pastry and salted whipped cream. It was not super sweet. Quite salty dessert. The cold brew is not heavy but it is quite concentrated and provides a bitterness to the experience. Chocolate like mouthfeel to the coffee. It cuts the caramel flavor quite nicely.
To wrap things up I ordered a double espresso and they gave me some chocolates made with flaxseed. Very similar to a crunch bar but far less sweet as there was no added sugar to the chocolate. All of the sweetness came from the flaxseed.
All in all, this was a very interesting dining experience. Only 27 courses/dishes. I loved the nigiri and some of the dishes were truly exceptional. I also quite enjoyed the different textures at play in some of those dishes as well.
There will be a comment with the other images that won't fit in the main post.
by Vista_Fanboy