Last Days of Foie Gras at Maison Akira
After the Fight for Foie event at Haven Gastropub & Brewery back in March, I felt satiated and thought it was my last foie gras before the ban kicks in.Somehow, during the days leading up to July 1st, between the extremely creative offerings by chefs around town, and foodie friends mentioning menus left and right, I managed to slip in some more wonderful tastes.
One of the meals came from Maison Akira with their Foie Gras Menu during the month of June. They developed some interesting combinations based upon their signature French-Japanese style of cooking by Chef Akira Hirose, formerly from l'Orangerie.
We were promptly presented with a spicy shrimp amuse bouche, sitting on a bed of pureed eggplant in a pool of foie gras oil.
The chives added a nice pop of freshness, as did the St. Germaine Royale (elderflower flavor).
The Grilled Duck Foie Gras on Yellow Corn Puree in a Reduction of Balsamic came out. The football shaped foie against the creamy yellow corn looked beautiful.
I enjoyed the more subtle sweetness of the corn and balsamic rather than the frequent fruit preserve accompaniment to foie gras.
The crunch of the potato strips also added some texture to the plate.
The Hudson Valley Foie Gras "Torchon" with Toasted Brioche leaned much more on the French presentation style than the two previous dishes.
The fruit jam with the foie and the aftertaste of the micro greens and tomato simply worked well.
For me, the brioche was a bit too buttered and too heavy compared to the delicate torchon. Foie gras is often called "meat butter" and because of the richness, there was no need to gild the lily with butter.
And for the final course, we are back to some Japanese influences. The gorgeous plate of Grilled Duck Foie Gras on Daikon Confit in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce contained the unexpected daikon element.
Between the tender, juicy daikon and the foie gras lay two slices of poached pears, also adding a subtle sweet element. The grilled oyster mushrooms didn't add too much to the dish and were a bit fibrous.
The fried herbs provided crunch again. The sauce tasted like it included some pan drippings which gave it deep flavor.
The menu provided a supplemental option instead of this course, of an Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak and Foie Gras "Rossini".
The server mentioned special desserts from their regular menu such as a Grand Marnier Souffle and a lovely Baked Alaska. But due to the richness of the meal, the desserts remain for another time.
I really appreciated that they kept this meal to three creative courses and honored the main ingredient in a quiet but exciting way. They served each course at a good pace and with strong, unpretentious service - a fitting tribute to foie.
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