Next: French Nouvelle

Nouvelle: a cuisine of today that was once a culinary revolution

 

A very apt description from the back of the menu, especially as I reread it after our dinner.  What’s described here as French Nouvelle is the cuisine of almost all of today’s high-end, tasting menu restaurants:  French techniques and influence, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, a hint of molecular gastronomy, and intense focus on the artistry of plating.

Canapés de Jardin

Huitre en crepinette, Caviar, Foie gras et fraise, Glacé de Champagne

Dinner began with a tiered presentation of canapés nestled in live grass, served with rosé champagne as a sort of picnic.  I particularly loved the caviar on a small wedge of layered buckwheat crèpes.

Céleri aux truffes

Is this plating approach the trademark of nouvelle cuisine?  As D’s grandmother described it: “Big plate, little portion.”  Here, the contrast in sizes is almost comical, but the combination of sliced truffle and truffle puree is rich enough that a tiny portion is satisfying.

Potage aux cosses de petit pois

Perhaps the most modernist dish of the evening: pea soup suspended in a sort of cylinder thanks to the surface tension from a transparent gel film covering the bowl.  When you cut through it with your spoon, the soup is released and reveals bits of crab and gem-like spheres of red onion – a very nice combination.

Curry de fenouil

One of my favorites of the meal, thanks to its subtly elegant flavors and textures: curried squid beneath a thin sheet of heart of palm, served on a grilled curry leaf.

Mille feuille

Another favorite was this Instagram-worthy mille feuille, comprised of wafer-thin ombre slices of potato, parsnip, radish, and carrot.  In addition to being photogenic, it was also delicious, thanks to the caraway-seasoned cracker and yogurt sauce that accompanied the tender vegetables.

Saumon et oseille

Very classic combination of salmon and sorrel, presented with a round cutout in the fish to hold a crème fraîche sauce (it reminded us of an egg in the hole!).

Oeuf cuit et navet consommé de figue

I had to smile at the use of a vegetable steamer to suspend truffle-filled eggs over a bowl of billowing dry ice!  I’m not completely sure about the combination of truffles, fig consommé, sunchokes, and egg – but it was certainly a striking presentation.

Coq en pâte

I loved the Picasso-esque plates, and I also loved the tender chicken studded with garlic and surrounded by morels and green onion.  The little chicken on the side plate was filled with chicken sauce, so that when you broke into it, it created a delicious sort of crispy bread-and-gravy melange.

Ris de veau

Beneath that little brioche hat there’s a block of sweetbreads, paired with picked white asparagus spears.  I’m not sure what the huckleberry sauce represents, but it’s the epitome of nouvelle plating!

Aiguillette de caneton au poivre vert

What era is black food from?  Not sure, but it’s not my favorite part of the dish – that would be the tender green peppercorns, which pair very nicely with duck.

Salade Alice

A palate cleanser rather than a salad, with flavors of almond and horseradish that reminded us of Passover seder.

Fraise et chocolate

Interesting juxtaposition: the version on the left was served to me; the one on the right to D.  I liked the chocolate ganache, but the colors were perhaps a bit too Smurf-adjacent to be appealing.

Overall, a fun meal and one that really made me realize how widespread nouvelle French cuisine has become in the restaurant world today.

 

Here’s our meal at the previous iteration, Next: French Classique.