Seated at a “dinner party” table, a six top. Two groups of two, myself, and an empty chair.
We sipped on our various beverages (some of us starting with bubbly, one of us had the N/A pairings) and chatted. We were the first seating at 6:00 PM, and while the room started quiet, the empty spaces were filled by a pretty rad playlist that Sarah Lewitinn, the co-owner with her husband Daniel Patterson, was DJing from her phone as she floated from table to table.
After a few hours, I suddenly realized how much livelier the dining room had become. When had all those other people showed up? Those of us at our table were so engrossed in conversation, and so enjoying our meal, that I at least had not noticed everyone else filtering in.
I’ll return to the experience later, but now, the food.
PUFFED BROWN RICE CRACKER, AVOCADO, RADISH
NASTURTIUM SANDWICH
YUBA ROLL
A few quick, but delightful bites to amuse our bouches. The first, sort of a tart with a rice cracker shell, was filled with a puree or mousse of avocado and tiled with peppery radish.
The nasturtium sandwich and the yuba roll were served together. The roll had a supple chew, and a savory flavor from the (shiitake? I don’t recall at this point) filling. The nasturtium sandwich was the standout of the three. The bite was crunchy, perfumed, and light, and we all thought that it would have also made a good pocket square.
Overall, I would give the initial bites an 8/10.
GRILLED AND RAW VEGETABLES
This dish made me grin when I saw it. The vegetables were carefully prepared and arranged, offering an array of textures and levels of preparation. The juice / broth was vibrant, with a freshness and brightness that married the melange of veggies well.
8/10.
SOFT TOFU
This dish gave me chawanmushi vibes—I forgot to ask how it was prepared, but the tofu was creamy and luscious in texture. I was curious to see if the seaweed element that dressed the tofu, when combined with the caviar, would push things over into a territory too salty for me, but I should not have concerned myself with such things. Of course it was perfectly balanced—the seaweed brought a high toned briny flavor that the tofu just drank up, and the caviar was lovely and creamy. A very delicately balanced dish, and a nice bit of subtlety between the prior more colorful dish and the forthcoming one.
9/10.
ARTICHOKE FLOWER
This is the one I had seen in pictures, and it was just as pretty in person. Clever, playful, and a fabulous example of masterful execution of a fun idea.
9/10
SHRIMP AND SQUASH DUMPLING
This dish floored me. The texture of the squash blossom as the “dumpling wrapper” was nothing short of perfect. The shrimp inside was of course cooked perfectly, soft and sweet with a perfect snap and chew. The sauce in the dish was an absolute explosion of flavor. Sweet and vegetal, a subtle kick of spice, fragrant from the saffron.
An absolute knockout. 10/10.
SLOW COOKED WILD KING SALMON
A long, slow cook delivered unto us a salmon that glistened and sparkled on top of a tzatziki style sauce. The sauce and the garnish was certainly good, not particularly mind blowing—but perhaps that was the point. The salmon is the star of the show here, and it was damn perfect. The accompaniments worked well to elevate the fish.
8/10.
STUFFED MORELS
How do you make morels even better? Fill them with a morel cream. Put spruce in the broth. Serve them with a beautifully crispy hasselback style new potato. This was simple to eat, and was absolutely perfect.
10/10.
PEPPER CRUSTED DUCK
I’m a sucker for duck (a ducker? Nah.), especially with a strong sauce and a beautiful crust, and this delivered. The duck was of course cooked perfectly, the sauce was rich and sweet, and the pepper crust was gorgeously aromatic. All that said, the duck bone broth served with the dish took things to another level. The small salad of greens with duck crackling was a nice touch with such a richly flavored dish.
Another 10/10.
CHERRY, CHERIMOYA, GREEN ALMOND
Thus began the dessert part of our journey. The first was vaguely similar to one I had at EMP recently, but this one had more dimension. The cold snow, the hidden cherries, all the citrus and texture, this was a lovely way to shift gears from the previous few savory dishes and their decadence.
9/10
RAW CHOCOLATE AND ROASTED KELP
I’m a chocolate boy, and this hit the SPOT. A more simple dish than the previous that rested entirely, it seems, on the power of the fruity bitter chocolate and the savory roasted kelp. Nowhere to hide here, so it was lucky that each component had clearly been carefully selected and carefully prepared.
9/10
FRUIT ANARCHY
Fun migniardises. Everyone loved the raspberry one—I did too, but the kumquat was my favorite.
8/10
BEVERAGES
One duo brought in their own bottle and ordered another bottle from the list—they were kind enough to share with the table, which was very generous. The list itself was thoughtful, and was tempting me as the night wore on.
The other duo, and I, each got one of the pairing options. One had the N/A pairings, which all seemed delightful and clever. They were very pleased.
The other had the hybrid pairing, which combined wine, sake, and N/A selections. A really cool way to get even more variety into the meal, and to make sure that everyone has options that fit what they feel.
I enjoyed the reserve pairings, which included some stellar selections. All of the wines (and sake) were great. All of the pairings were at least very good, and a few were transcendent. I also enjoyed some pour over coffee at the end of the meal (no espresso, c'est la vie). Biggest complaint here for me is the water selection—not a fan of San Pellegrino / Nestlé. With how thoughtful the rest of the experience was, this seems like an easy place to improve.
I would rate the beverage experience 8/10.
THE REST
Decor was fun, and lively. The big purple exterior window sets the expectation that you are in for some fun, which you definitely are. Make sure you take a look at the paintings on the wall—ask Sarah about them!
Service was damn near impeccable. Having worked in fine dining for years when I was younger, I am a picky one—and I was impressed. Beautifully synchronized drops and clears, no gaps, not overbearing but also never leaving us wanting.
Sarah was a highlight. From the music (of course Ultragrrrl had that shit on LOCK) to the vibes to the stories and jokes, she set the tone for the dining room. She was a delight, and I am grateful to her, to Daniel, and to the whole staff for all the work they put in to create such a memorable experience.
Jacaranda the restaurant is a dinner party elevated to its purest form. Not Max’s chaotic and overindulgent Babitzian “barge”, but I still think Jacaranda the woman would have loved it. The conversation was nearly as good as the food and drink, and not a single literary agent asked me to write a book while I hid in my apartment with my cat. She would have been safe, there.
I will remember this meal, and it will now be the stick against which I measure all others.
11/10.
by bananarama17691769