Our first course was titled, Osetra, and featured grated caviar on top of a crepe with crème fraiche. This was probably the most creative dish, technique-wise, as they explained they cooked the caviar and then freeze it, so that they can grate it. Strange, but it tasted exactly the same! We enjoyed this dish.
Next was Charred - Arctic Char with maple syrup, fish sauce, topped with smoked char roe and carrot pearls. This dish was paired with a glass of 2020 Alain Graillot, Marsanne Blend, Crozes-Hermitage Blanc from Northern Rhone, France. The fish was a nice little bite and I loved the smoky and sweet combination.
Our first interactive dish was called Trampoline Papillote. The trampoline part was a thin crepe over a bowl where an egg yolk was dropped on top (which bounced). The weight of the egg broke through the thin layer to reveal a bouillabaisse of turbot inside. This soup was light and comforting at the same time. The fresh vegetable and seafood married well. The papillote was a paper envelope stuffed with roasted scallop. It was presented on a glass "scallop shell" plate - which was made by a local artist. Again, a lovely bite. This dish was paired with a glass of 2020 Chateau de Pibarnon, Mourvèdre Blend, Bandol Rose from Provence, France.
Next we entered Thailand with a flashy presentation of coconut shells and fire! We were presented a coconut curry with a little squid which actually had coconut noodles as the tentacles. Dangling above our table was an odd brown object - was it another coconut? a truffle? No - it was fermented celery root. Out rolled a $10,000 meat shaver, which they explained they purchased four of right before the pandemic, and thought how else could they utilize this machine. So today, they used it to thinly shave this celery root to add to our curry. It was more of of a show, and did not really add anything to the dish. On the side we were served a light papaya salad and hor mak talay (seafood mousse). After we finished the curry, they opened one of the coconut shells to reveal a coconut cake ball inside, to act as a palate cleanser. This dish was paired with a glass of 2020 Dr. Loosen, Urzinger Wurzgarten, Riesling Spatlese from Mosel, Germany. The sweet wine countered the spices of the curry.
Moving to a Mexican theme, we were presented with a Sun Stone Skull. Here, roasted squash sat in a mole and was covered with gold leaf. Pumpkin seed granola added crunch, and we were offered various flowers and herbs to add to our dish as we pleased. This dish was paired with a glass of 2016 Bussola, Corvina Blend, Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico from Veneto, Italy.
This next dish called, Chipped, was Chef Grant Achatz's spin on a classic dish from his hometown and featured wagyu in a truffle cream sauce with dried bresaola on top and a hash brown on the side. Keith was a little disappointed with this dish, as he felt the wagyu was too small and overcome by the gravy. I had a vegetarian version made with beets instead of beef. This was paired with a delicious red wine - 2016 Muga, Seleccion Especial, Tempranillo Rioja Reserva from Spain.
Moving into dessert, we started with Mountain - tonka, bourbon cream, and meringue. You ate the chestnut flavored bite on top and drank the sweet cream in the glass. It had interesting nutty and creamy flavor.
All in all, we had a great meal - the food was wonderful, high in quality, and service was on point - all as to be expected with a Michelin restaurant. However, we were left a little underwhelmed... something felt lacking. Maybe our expectations were too high - as we paid a hefty penny for this meal, and flew all the way to Chicago. I was hoping to see Chef Achatz floating around, but alas he was not in this evening. It would also have been nice to be sent home with a little treat or goody bag like we've gotten at other fine establishments. Nevertheless, we were glad to have experienced this bucket list restaurant.
Total Rating: 4.05
Food: 5, Price: 1, Service: 5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 4
