I have a friend who is a lawyer by trade and desperately needed a creative outlet. The solution? Delicious gourmet creations.
Dinner started with Red Miso Tomato Soup (top right) modeled after one of Nobu Restaurant's dishes. I've always loved miso soup. I mean who doesn't? The tomato added a unique twist to the soup. First boiled for easy skinning then cooled again in iced water which gave me quite a surprise when I bit into the fruit. I was expecting it to be hot! The cooled center made the overall dish quite refreshing.
Next came Scallop and Uni Carpaccio with Shiso, Basil Pesto, and Parsley Oil (bottom left). As a big sushi fan, the fresh scallop and uni alone were already quite good. The shiso, basil pesto, and parsley oil gave the dish just a slight more flavor. Yum, yum, yum....
The stand out dish of the night? Kobe Yukke with Quail Egg and Sliced Apple (top left). Before this, I have never had raw meat or egg before. I was extremely hesitant to try this. But out of fear of not being invited back to dinner again, I grabbed a small piece with my chopsticks, held my breath, and quickly stuffed it into my mouth. Hey! It tasted almost like sashimi with just a slight meaty flavor and faint sweetness from the apple slice. The key to this dish as with any is the superb quality and freshness of the meat. Suffice to say I began to really enjoy it after that first bite.
My favorite of the night was most definitely the dessert. Early Grey Panna Cotta with Honey (bottom right). Mr. Namson has made panna cotta before. A light dessert. This time, he foraged Earl Grey leaves - not really sure where he did that - ground it up and sprinkled it over the panna cotta. Add honey. And it was heaven.
There you go... thought I'd share the fantastic meal I had. Hope you've enjoyed reading. Feel free to leave feedback on what you liked or disliked.