The French Laundry

When the idea of the Food Pilgrimage came about, Liat and I spoke with Thomas Keller, chef and owner of the French Laundry. We thought it would be great to start with dinner at his venerable establishment, but he suggested ending the tour there. Of course, we obliged.

When we entered the restaurant folks from the bus boys to the maitre d' knew this is the end of an amazing food-driven trip. We felt even more special than we usually do. And then, we sat down and surrendered to the magic of the French Laundry cuisine.

Thomas and Corey, his executive chef, designed two amazing menus for us. Most of the dishes were not identical for Liat and me, as you will see. This meant that the two created an amazing 30+ dish menu, and executed it flawlessly. As you can tell already, we were "floored" in the best of ways but this experience.

Every meal at the French Laundry starts with the whimsical signature dish of Cornet of Scottish salmon tartare. It looks like an ice cream cone, except the cone is a home-made savory cone with black sesame seeds, filled with red onion, perfectly lemony crème fraiche, and the ice cream is minced Scottish salmon.

Following the cornet, which is typically served with the finest champagne (but I prefer it with some Dr. Loosen Riesling that Gregory, the sommelier, pours for me), two cold soups arrived: a wonderful corn soup for me, garnished with red onion marmalade, and a freshly tasting cucumber soup for Liat, garnished with preserved Meyer lemon and Andante dairy yogurt. One thing about Thomas's soups is, they out-veggie the vegetable from which they are made. In other words, the corn soup tastes more corn-ey than corn itself, due to his unique method of purifying and intensifying the flavor of the soup. This is true for every vegetable soup we've had at the French Laundry, and this was no exception. I begged for every drop of this divine liquid, and was obliged.

Next came the traditional caviar dish. It's funny: neither Liat nor I like caviar, but when Thomas serves California white sturgeon caviar on piping hot, no-salt savory pearl tapioca pudding studded with oyster "hearts", we love it! The play on both temperature and salt is amazing! Similarly, the cauliflower panna cotta, a unique take on the traditional Italian dessert, offers a thin layer of cauliflower-based cream, covered with oyster juice gelee, and garnished with caviar, is to good not to eat.

Next came a dish I was afraid to eat: Japanese sea ee; and Haas avocado in thin pastry crust ("en feuille de Bric") with grated Persian lime rind and crème fraiche. Given that I don't like any of these ingredients save the lime, I was skeptical. The dish looked strange too: a ball of crème fraiche in a bowl, garnished with some grated lime rind, and a thin sausage-like substance on top. Liat took the first bite, and then I braved one myself. The incredible crunch of the perfectly fried, hot dough, coupled with the non-fishy taste of the eel and the unexpected compliment of the avocado hit me with a symphony of flavors I totally did not expect. The delightful surprise was too short, though. Like so many of other Corey and Thomas dishes, I wish I had more… but that's a guiding principle of the restaurant: you get enough to have a good sate, but not enough to sate yourself with any dish.

Next came my favorite egg in the whole world: it's another signature dish of the house, consisting of an egg shell filled half-way with a perfectly cooked, never-boiled white truffle oil laced custard. On top is the finest veal ragu spiked with black truffles I've ever tasted. For the past thirteen years, I've been begging Thomas for a second egg, never receiving one. In recent months he consented to give me more sauce, which I drink straight off the saucier, since it's too delicious for words. Liat got her coddled egg with perigord truffle brown butter and toasted brioche "soldiers" (rectangular piece of delicious toast), but she can have it as far as I'm concerned; there is no replacement for my egg!

The dishes thus far were considered "canapés" (appetizers). At this point we usually get a selection of breads, and I am honored to say that my favorite bread, which I helped design (small multi-grain rolls) is now a part of the offering. I ate three throughout the meal. The breads are offered with two kinds of butter and nine kinds of salt.

And now the real feast started with the salad course. However, the word "salad" doesn't do this offering justice. Liat got a salad of "toybox" tomatoes with Greek basil and ratatouille, and I had salad of compressed summer melons (most of the liquid was vacuumed out of the fruit to intensify flavor and reduce volume), with air cured Japanese Wagyu beef (delicate smoky flavor) and arugula.

Next came one of my all-time favorites: hand-cut tagliatelle with freshly grated black truffles from Provence. I typically don't like butter sauce (it being too buttery), but The French Laundry makes the most delicious butter sauce. The dish is served is a special bowl designed by Keller, where the pasta nestles at the bottom, and heat is captured within, and the freshly grated truffle table-side becomes incredibly aromatic as it hits the hot pasta. I'm a huge fan of black truffles, so the dish is particularly delicious to me.

We got two kinds of fish next: pacific Kahala for Liat with glazed Tokyo turnips, pickled ginger and Bing cherry coulis; and sablefish for me, crisply sautéed with baby beets, compressed English cucumber, bay dill, pickled pearl onions and crème fraiche. Need I say more? The fish is firm, crisply sautéed without being overcooked, and the garnishes accentuate its delicate flavor.

Liat's "Macaroni and cheese", her favorite dish at the French Laundry, did not disappoint, as usual. Thomas' whimsical pun contains succulent butter poached lobster tail on a bed of Mascarpone-laced orzo pasta. I thoroughly enjoyed my perfectly seared scallop with black truffle emulsion. The crusty crunch complemented the scallop's tender center, and the truffles, as always, perfumed the entire dish.

Next came a beautiful rabbit, one of my favorite meats, in apricot and green peppercorn sauce. I love the tiny standing rib roast the French Laundry butchers. I confess I pick it and chew on each rib. The rib eye steak that Liat got was also outstanding. I'm not a huge meat fan, but could not stop eating this grilled Snake River farm steak with fantastic traditional perfectly executed sauce Bordelaise. As always, we asked for more sauce; it was just too good…

We now came to the cheese course. Thomas knows of my passion for sheep's milk cheese, so got Petit Basque with tomatoes, Nicoise olives and arugula leaves. Fortunately, Liat doesn't like cheese, so I got to have her Cayuga blue (I also love blue cheeses), presented with baby beets (YUM) and parsley shoots. It always amazes me how much intense flavor is packed into those tiny shoots.

Dessert was upon us. We typically take every single dessert the house has to offer, which is usually eight desserts. The dessert part of the meal often starts with a sorbet dish. This time it was white nectarine sorbet with compressed nectarines and streusel. The nectarine flavor was intense and freshly pleasing. Liat got Manila mango sorbet with black sesame seed tuile and goma nougatine, a house-made nougat that adds both crunch and flavor to the dish.

We finally arrived at the "coffe and doughnuts", another one of the house signature dishes. Raised sugar doughnuts are fried in canola oil to a perfect golden brown and dunked in cinnamon sugar. They are small to the center part is well proportioned to the flavorful crust, plus you get the doughnut hole as well. This is accompanied by a mocha semi-freddo (rich ice cream, for lack of a better description), served in a coffee cup with cappuccino-like foam on top. The doughnuts are hot and cinnamony, the semi-freddo freezing cold and the hot foam melting it slightly. Can you taste the perfection?

Our chocolate desserts included Amedei bitter chocolate pave. Amadei is a chocolatier from Tuscany, where a brother and sister are committed to making the finest chocolate they can. They do a great job! The pave also offered a baked chocolate truffle and a coffee bavarois. My chocolate parfait has yuzu croutons and yuzu ice cream. Yusu is a Japanese citrus fruit that Thomas grows in his garden, and its flavor meshes well with the bitter-sweet chocolate.

This was not the end of the meal. We now got Tahitian vanilla bean crème brulee (the recipe is from Le Cirque, and this is the most perfect crème brulee I know), and a great tiny English trifle with plums. I liked it so well I had to have two. Then came the chocolate covered macadamia nuts and the cookies, followed by a house-made chocolate selection.

Liat and I were quite full but going strong as this twenty course feast ended. We were also surprised, since we were ready to give the best restaurant crown to the Lyon contenders (I to Le Bec, Liat to Vianny). But this was simply too good, too perfect, too way beyond what anyone else offered. In our book, the French Laundry is indeed the best. Thomas and Corey, you rule!!!