Le Comptoir Pop-up Dinner
While we are on the vegetables as star of meal subject, with the Leif Hedendal post, there is another great example of this style of cooking.My visit to Le Comptoir, months ago, was not my first experience with Chef Gary Menes' bold cuisine. I've enjoyed his food at Palate and Marché, both of which have since closed. He also is known for his stint at French Laundry, my dream dining destination.
The meal consisted of 5 courses set menu, with optional swaps for 3 of the courses for a supplemental fee.
He describes his food as "hyper seasonal" and indeed that fits the bill.
amuse bouche - buratta, cherry tomatoes, farinette
A farinette is a savory pancake from the Auvergne province of France. All components combined into the perfect bite.
Le Comptoir is now in a new location, however, our meal there was at the whimsical Tiara Cafe setting in downtown L.A.
The name, Le Comptoir is French for "the Counter", and that's how dinner is served - on about 12 counter seats with a great view of the kitchen action.
first course (supplement) - hudson valley foie gras terrine, cherry compote, saba
Choosing supplements over the original mushroom course of veloute champignon de paris changes the direction of the meal a bit. My dining companion and I both chose the foie since the foie gras ban loomed in the not too distant future. Other than this, we did not choose any supplements.
The rich terrine balanced well with the sightly tart compote and the saba, an unconcentrated slightly sweet grape vinegar, thought of as tasting like carmelized grapes. I tried saba for thte first time at the Wolvesmouth underground dinner, in a stunning tomato salad which you can see at this post, if interested.
The presentation of this and all dishes impressed.
second course - sunny side-up egg, young lettuce, herbs jus vert
Where to begin with this dish? I sat somewhat mesmerized just watching the technique and the care that went into this dish. It turned out to be one of the most decadent and tasty egg experiences I've ever experienced. And I do love eggs!
second course - sunny side-up egg, young lettuce, herbs jus vert
Where to begin with this dish? I sat somewhat mesmerized just watching the technique and the care that went into this dish. It turned out to be one of the most decadent and tasty egg experiences I've ever experienced. And I do love eggs!
Who wouldn't want a perfectly cooked egg in a blazing hot personal sized skillet? The egg generously browned with butter, came with a platter of interesting accompaniments - flower petals, baby lettuce, pepper, that can be added to personal taste.
On top of that the server brought over a pitcher of sorrel herb jus to pour on top, which she said she forgot to bring earlier. The freshness of the greens with the creamy egg presented something new. You don't have to eat eggs only with toast.
Frankly I'm happy I got to eat half the egg before the jus got poured over it. Although I loved the jus on its own, the strong herbal taste overpowered the egg just a bit. At least I would have liked to control the amount of jus myself.
I could gush about this dish the rest of the post, but let's move on.
I could gush about this dish the rest of the post, but let's move on.
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| Click on photo to enlarge |
third course - veggie & fruit plate
I heard this is the chef's signature dish. The humble name fails to capture the variety of flavors and textures bursting from the plate. They seemed to have been prepared in all different ways, reminding me of the Raymond's Salad of Forgotten Root Vegetables, which you can see here.
The plate featured yam, carrot, pickled onion, corn, beet, kohlrabi, tangerine, fava bean, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, celtuce lettuce (lettuce with celery-like stalk), carddon, green bean.
fourth course - artichokes, english peas, spring onions, sugar snaps, pea trendils, jus d'onion
The next course, wonderfully savory, also featured a gorgeous assortment of vegetables, particularly highlighting the peas - hearty and delicate at the same time.
fifth course - chocolate cake, orange, chocolate, sour cream, graham cracker
After eyeing the supplemental cheese plate from our neighbors, we opted for the dessert. I'd rarely turn down cheese instead of dessert, but wanted to taste how these flavors would combine.
The impossibly rich chocolate was tempered well by the other ingredients. I enjoy a bit of savory in a dessert and thought the unsweetened sour cream proved to be a smart idea.
My friend topped the meal off with the slow drip coffee, prepared by the Chef himself!
Walking around the Tiara Cafe between courses, I enjoyed all the creative decor.
During the meal we got to chat with Chef Menes a bit, as he interacted with all the diners. It surprised me at the end when he came around to our side of the counter to have us pay our bill on his iPhone. Once again, a very smart way of containing overhead, which is the true nature of the pop up concept.
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