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I kinda wrote this out of order... but oh wellz.
For NYE Eve, my fiance and I went to Roy's... our favorite place for special occasions. :) Also because they recently put out a new prix fixe menu which sounded awesome! We already had plans for NYE to eat dinner with my parents, so this was our fancy night out.
Roy's - Plano
2840 Dallas Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano
Price: $$$$+
We arrived early for our 6PM reservation... we're old farts.. I know. :P I prefer to eat dinner pretty early. The place was pretty packed when we got there. So he went to the bar and hit up the happy hour while we waited for our table. Their hh goes until 6:30 or 7PM everyday. :)
Soon we got seated. Our waitress was super nice, as usual. We rarely have bad service here. And we already knew what we wanted to order.
We got the normal edamame with shichimi for the table. But they also brought out some compliments from the kitchen: Fried Duck Dumplings.
Oooooo! Amuse-bouches are not standard here... although I've had a few since I've been there so much. The plate was so cute! The outside was fried nicely and the inside was creamy and rich. It was a good little bite. :)
We came here to try the new Creative Northeast Asia Prix Fixe menu. The 3 course meal is $36.95~ (not including tax or tip).
We started with the Grilled Filet Mignon Yakitori (shoyu, cucumber, yuzu kosho).
It was a pretty big appetizer I thought. And although I found the meat to be a little underseasoned, it was sooooo tender. I was about to cut it with a knife, but it was completely unnecessary. Super super tender!!
Pumpkin Seed Crusted Ahi (kabocha squash dumplings, bok choy, citrus emulsion).
The plating was very pretty and colorful...but not a big portion. The tuna was fresh and I liked the pumpkin seed crust. The kabocha dumplings were pretty good, similar to gnocchi in texture I'd say. But the plate lacked seasoning overall. It was very light in taste. I wish there was more sauce than that little smear in the middle of the plate. However, my fiance had a genius plan. He asked for extra wasabi cream sauce that they use in the Misoyaki Butterfish (which I ordered for myself) and it was awesome. That sauce can go on anything! The manager came over at one point and we got to chatting and he actually said he's put that sauce on mashed potatoes before! Sounds divine!
Apple Tasting (five spice cake, bruleed apples, apple gelee, caramel sauce).
Since we got a dessert with the prix fixe, we didn't order another one. When the waitress brought it, I was like "whoa!" It's a pretty big cake! And it was very pretty, I loved the different types of apple chips, bruleed apples, and apple skin? on top. She did say the skin was more for decoration... may not be good to eat. We both really liked the bruleed apples with the crunchy layer of burnt sugar on top. I also really liked the gelee and sauce, gave the cake the moisture it desperately needed. I can totally taste the five spice and I liked the flavors overall, but the cake itself was too dry. And there wasn't enough sauce to make it better. I think a bit more caramel sauce, maybe a few dollops of whipped cream would work wonders. Or even better... a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mmmm. Just a thought. :P
Of course I got the Misoyaki "Butterfish" (Alaskan Black Cod, baby bok choy, furikake rice) $34.60~ It's my absolute favorite, can never go wrong. The fish was melt in your mouth tender. And the sauce is always amaze-balls and the green is gorgeous on the plate. Thumbs wayyy up!
Ohh.. and the cherry on top... the couple in the table next to ours gave us a $25 off coupon as they were leaving. They got 2 in the mail and said one was to give to a "friend". Thanks friends!! It definitely made our night even better. :)
Another great meal. Everyone was so friendly, the food was good.... my butterfish still trumps all! Can't wait to go back again. Maybe I'll try something new next time... haha.
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This past weekend I was in Las Vegas. A friend had recommended I check out Sweets Raku since I love desserts. As soon as I looked it up on Yelp, I knew I had to make time for it. Unfortunately they don't take reservations so I told my friends we were gonna go soon after they open to avoid the after dinner crowd!
Sweets Raku
5040 W Spring Mountain Rd. Ste 3
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 290-7181
Price: $$-$$$
It's located in Las Vegas Chinatown, which I've never been to. And in the same shopping center as Aburiya Raku, its sister restaurant (and our dinner destination.) It's a little hard to find since they don't really have a sign outside. Just look for the big spoon. As you walk in, you see a glass display wall of wines, quite modern in decor. I was so excited when we entered. First, because the place was still pretty empty and there were room at the bar! And second, the chef and waitresses were all Japanese and it really made me feel like I was back in Japan, in some fancy afternoon tea place. Yay!
We were immediately seated at the bar, which everyone says is the way to go since you can watch the chef work. Sure enough, she's chugging away at some delicious looking sweets! The chef, Mio Ogasawara, won 2013 Pastry Chef of the Year, Desert Companion Restaurant Awards. As if my expectations for this place needs to be any higher! :P
There was a yummy looking display right in front of my seat. Caramel Roll Cake (caramel sponge, caramel cream, chocolate mousse and banana) $18~ for whole cake. And the chef was making it as we sat down. It was really cool watching her work. She moves really fast!
We were first given a drink menu. My friend decided to get a bottle of the Rose 'N' Blum Red Moscato, Sonoma, 750 ml $35~ I'm picky about wines and only like the really sweet stuff. This wasn't the sweetest Moscato I've had, but it was sweet enough for me. Best served chilled.
Next we were presented with a plate with our menu on top. It's edible! The paper AND the gold ring that held it. The menu was made of rice paper and the ring was pulled sugar. If eaten on it's own, the paper is a bit dry but after we ordered, we were given a raspberry sauce for dipping. It made a huge difference! The two paired really well together. I was going to save part of the menu but ended up eating the whole thing and scraped up every little bit of the sauce. haha.
There are 2 options, either do the 3 course prix fixe or just get a dessert a la carte. The difference is only $7, which one do you think I went with? hahaha.
3 of us ended up getting the Prix Fixe (3 course dessert: Amuse, main dessert, and petit four) $19~
The Amuse was a Orange Sorbet with Strawberry Jelly. The colors were so vibrant and so was the flavor. The orange was very refreshing and definitely cleared our palates for whatever was coming next!
For my main dessert, I chose Red Rock (raspberry fondant). Raspberry lava cake, topped with pulled sugar. 2 types of ice cream, I think one was pistachio and one was vanilla. Chocolate sauce, little pieces of dried fruit, granola/corn flakes of some sort. And homemade yuzu marshmallows.
We watched as they put the little cakes into the oven. They baked while the chef puts together the rest of the plate. The plating was so beautiful. Every little decoration and accent was strategically placed... dots of chocolate sauce, mint leaf, dried fruit.. all artistically arranged on the plate. Then we saw her flip out the cakes and top with the sugar threads. Definitely the most beautiful looking dessert of the night in my opinion. And it tasted amazing. I cut into the cake and the sauce just poured out. There was even a full piece of raspberry in the center!
The cake was soft, luxurious, decadent without being too heavy. Everything paired together so well. I loved the added texture with the crunchy flakes. The yuzu marshmallows were fantastic on their own. You can definitely taste the yuzu (which is a Japanese citrus) in a light fluffy piece of cloud. Love love loved it!
One of my friends got the Baton (chocolate and pistachio mousse). Chocolate cake topped with chocolate cream, some sort of red (raspberry?) sauce, chocolate mousse and pistachio cream all layered inside a thin chocolate cookie cylinder. Topped with a pulled sugar ribbon.
This was my other choice so I still got to try it. He said he has had the Red Rock before. This was my favorite, even though everything was good. The waitress said he needed to break the cookie and eat everything together. I was kinda sad to see such a beautiful plate be destroyed, but I also wanted to eat some. haha.
The cookie was so thin and delicate, slightly bitter from the dark chocolate that worked so well balancing the different types of creams and mousse inside. It was also decadent without being too heavy. None of the desserts were overly sweet, just like how they make them in Japan.
Another friend got the Mt. Fuji (chestnut cream cake). Sponge cake with chestnut mousse, then covered with chestnut cream.
The cream piping technique was so cool to watch! It came out looking like spaghetti. hehe. Apparently this is their number one seller. I have a feeling it's because of the presentation. Really cool looking dish.
I almost got this one but was glad I didn't because it was a lot of cream. I like things with a crunchy texture and this one was just all soft. Plus my friend said it kind of tasted like taro to her, which I agreed. I'm not a fan of taro. I thought I liked chestnuts though, maybe I just haven't had enough to really know. But still, it was a good quality and definitely pretty dessert.
The final Petit Four was a cream puff. We got to choose between chocolate or vanilla cream and either strawberry, raspberry, or black currant jelly. It came with a caramel sauce with candied orange peel and passion fruit and raspberry marshmallows. Even the plating for the cream puffs were fantastic. And all the homemade marshmallows throughout the night were like little pieces of clouds. So dainty and yummy. I chose vanilla cream and black currant, it just seemed more unique than the other jelly flavors.
The puff was nice and thin and filled to the brim with cream and jelly. Yummy!! My friend got chocolate cream with strawberry jelly.
He said the black currant was better. The addition of the caramel and candied orange peel was a nice touch. Lots of complex flavors but all worked together.
Two friends ordered a la carte, which is $12~ One also got the Red Rock and the other got Marriage (strawberry and banana). Sponge cake with banana custard and cream, topped with a strawberry mousse "ball", and fresh berries. Again, really gorgeous plating. I was especially intrigued with the ball of strawberry mousse on top. The dessert was light and airy and not too sweet.
While the chef was making the caramel roll cake earlier, I saw her cutting off the ends. So I asked our waitress what they do with those and if we can get a sample. She brought us each a taste at the end of our meal. :) Light cake with fluffy cream. It was tasty.
This was an amazing experience. I'm so glad we put it on the schedule and got a seat immediately. The decor was bright and clean and modern, the plating and presentation were top notch, and the service was great. All the waitresses were full of smiles and very nice. It does take a while since the desserts were made to order. We were there for a little over an hour and half. But it's for the full experiences and shouldn't be rushed anyways. It brought me back to dining in Japan... I miss it. I'm going to have to make this a "must visit" every time I'm in Vegas.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
This past weekend I went with my bf and 2 of my friends to Baltimore for a friend's wedding. We flew into DC on Friday to see some sights. But before we see all the famous monuments, we gotta have some lunch! hehe.
I was thrilled to find out that not too far from all the sights was Graffiato, Chef Mike Isabella's restaurant. He was on Top Chef Season 6 and also Top Chef All-Stars. As most of you may already know, I'm a die hard fan of Top Chef so this was super exciting for me. Season 6 was one of the toughest seasons because of the caliber of talent...one of the best seasons in my opinion.
Graffiato
707 6th St NW
Washington DC 20001
(202) 289-3600
http://graffiatodc.com/
Price: $-$$
Graffiato is located in Chinatown. It was cool to see all the store/restaurant signs translated into Chinese. I liked the decor of the restaurant, casual, urban yet rustic. We were warmly greeted by the hostesses and immediately seated. We could see the chefs cooking from our table. That was pretty cool. I asked the hostess if the Chef was in but she said he had just stepped out. But he was supposed to come back and she would definitely send him over if he did. I was really hoping I could meet him!!
We chose to sit downstairs because I had read about the $20 pick 3 lunch special (downstairs seating only) on Mon-Fri Noon-4PM. Graffiato is like tapas style but for Italian food. All the dishes are small but shareable with the table.
Two people ordered the $20 prix fixe...(the prices next to each item are if they are ordered individually).
Prix Fixe Combo 1:
Broccolini (spicy pepper relish, walnuts, feta) $6~ This was delicious. It was a cold dish, surprisingly. The broccolini was cooked perfectly tender and the flavors were very bright and refreshing.
Atlantic Striped Bass (potato, smoked eggplant, pine nut relish) $12~ The fish was cooked nicely and the presentation was so quaint. The smoked eggplant was really interesting. The color reminded me of squid ink.
Panna Cotta (caramel, chocolate, pretzel) $7~ I LOVED the pretzel crumble on this. It was by far the best part. The chocolate ganache/sauce was rich and dark and amazing. The panna cotta however wasn't the typical texture. It was more gelatin than creamy and the flavors were overwhelmed by the rich chocolate.
Prix Fixe Combo 2:
Charred Brussel Sprouts (pancetta, maple, egg) $7~ I love brussels sprouts and this did not disappoint. It was beautifully charred (which I haven't been able to achieve when I make it at home...) The delicate egg was an interesting touch on top. And there was a slight tanginess to the sauce which added another layer of flavor.
Jersey Shore (fried calamari, tomato, provolone, cherry pepper aioli) $16~ This was interesting. I've never had calamari on a pizza before, but how bad could fried calamari and pizza dough be together?! I liked how the pizza was lightly sauced and sprinkled with light cheese. The dough texture was great and the slight crunchiness from the calamari was a good contrast in texture. It totally worked! Yum!
Blood Orange Cheesecake (Passion fruit, basil) $7~ This was a very refreshing dessert. The fruit flavors were all very present in the dish. The blood orange cheesecake was light and fresh. My favorite part was the passion fruit sauce. It was super refreshing!
The other two of us just ordered individual dishes.
Hand Cut Spaghetti (olive oil poached cherry tomatoes, basil) $9~
This was a pretty small dish... The pasta was made in house and you could taste that. The texture was awesome. It was a very simple dish but good. My friend really enjoyed it.
Crispy Potato Gnocchi (wild mushrooms, stracciatella) $12~
I had to get the gnocchi...it's what Chef Isabella is kind of known for on Top Chef. It was a cute dish, the gnocchi were small and delicate. The flavors were simple and light. I liked the stracciatella (a type of soft mozzarella cheese) on top that tied everything together. It was also kind of small, but I'm really glad I got to try it.
The food was great and I thought it was a really good deal for lunch. Our waiter was super nice and they were very prompt about cleaning up the empty plates and refilling our waters. It was a relaxing meal. I was just disappointed that I never got to meet the Chef. :( I almost told my friends to just leave me there while they go sight seeing so I could meet him. hahaha. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to make another trip to DC in the future. We all enjoyed the lunch. I thought the style of the food and restaurant really reflected Chef Mike Isabella, casual and simple but good quality.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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