Elem (Tomato Tasting Menu)

Recently, I finally tried Elem's tasting menu or "Let us Cook for You" rather than ordering a la carte.  In reality, it was us two sharing a curated selection of plates instead of being served individual small dishes.  The meal was delicious and gave us a good overview of the menu and what Elem is all about.  So we returned to Elem a month later to experience their Tomato Tasting Menu, at the tail end of Tomato season.  Unlike our previous experience, this was an actual tasting menu.

Things started with the 3 "snacks" in the Stoney Paradise Gazpacho, Tuna Tomato Tartlet and Lamb Belly Skewer.  I sampled the gazpacho first and it was creamy and tangy.  There was considerable brightness and natural sweetness.  There seemed to be a layer of sweetness from onions and red pepper as well.  That tartlet featured bright and buttery soft tuna which contrasted beautifully with the crispy shell.  Even though the tomato was bright and tangy, it was subtle enough that it didn't overwhelm the delicate tuna.  We also found some earthy notes.  I was delighted to see the lamb skewer as that is one of my favourites at Elem.  This was fatty and melted in my mouth.  Sweet and sticky, the medjool date glaze was deeply sweet and further enhanced the flavour of the lamb.  

We moved onto the Aloo Chaat next.  It was herbaceous and tangy with sweet and sour notes from the pomegranate seeds, as well as some earthiness.  The Sungold tomatoes were supremely fresh and at the forefront of this dish.  However, the chaat was definitely potatoey (as the dish name suggests) with a certain creaminess.  There was a light crunch and nuttiness from the puffed rice. 

One of my favourite dishes of the meal was the Dungeness Crab Salad served in a whimsical crab shell plate.  This was more than appearances alone as the bevy of fluffy crab was the star in terms of texture and taste.  Loved the combination of briny, sweet, earthy, slight tang and background earthiness.  Pops of sweet bitterness from the pomelo was refreshing.  There was some crunch in there to give some texture and of course some tomato for brightness.

Our next course was another stunner in the Hokkaido Scallop sitting in a tomato kadhi.  The scallop itself was tender, buttery and rare in the middle.  On the outside, it was aggressively seared so there was smokiness and caramelization.  Loved the kadhi as it was spicy and earthy.  Tomato aachar was sweet and tangy.  It was a really punchy dish with lingering spice and impactful aromatics.

Next course was a beautiful Rotolo with a concentrated passata and kale cream underneath.  It was cooked down with only garlic, salt and pepper, hence it was pure tasting and clean.  It was complimented by the cavalo nero with earthiness.  The pasta itself was quite firm, but had a great mouth-feel.  Inside, it was stuffed with provolone, ricotta and pine nuts.  Really well-executed dish with on point textures and flavours.

Featuring a singular peeled tomato, the Tomato Farci was deceptively flavourful.  This was mainly due to the shell bisque made from a variety of shellfish.  With a bevy of Argentinian prawns this was heavily briny and sweet with a subtle tang.  The bulk of the tanginess was provided by the juicy tomato.  It burst with freshness as well as plenty of brightness.  There was a balance between the savoury bisque and the sweet tomato which was just right.  For a bit of crunch, we found some bubu arare on top.

Our final savoury item was the Shio Koji Tenderloin with lacto fermented tomato.  The slice of PEI Blue Dot tenderloin was prepared rare being buttery and tender.  The truffle demi was silky and only mildly earthy.  Loved that it was not salty.  Definitely sweet as well. Moreover, the corn atop the tender zucchini took the sweetness to another level.  We also had some squash puree that was silky and had an earthy sweetness.  That tomato was so juicy, almost like a grape. It provided the acidity needed to balance all the sweetness in this dish.

If you can see Mickey Mouse atop my palate cleanser, you aren't seeing things.  That is what I saw too with the Tomato Sorbet infused with strawberries.   Yes, I could taste the tomato in this, but they did a great job in making this fruity and tangy rather than sour.  At the same time, the sweetness was restrained. Definitely refreshing after the most heavy bite from the tasting menu.

Appropriately titled One Last Tomato, our dessert was made with tomato (of course).  This was comprised of sungolds that were marinated in red wine and a reduction of water and honey.  In the centre, there was a creamy and rich heirloom tomato ice cream.  It was tomato-forward, yet restrained.  We got a sweet caramel crunch from the praline.  There was also smokiness and nuttiness within the dessert too.  Those marinated tomatoes were explosions of juice and sweetness.

At the end, we were presented with some Mignardise sporting Chocolate Cream Puff, White Chocolate Fudge with Tomato Jam and Cookie with Dark Chocolate Drizzle.  These were nice little bites to finish off a fantastic tasting menu.  In fact, I believe this was the most consistent and well-thought-out meal I've ever had at Elem.  That is saying a lot since I've been there 11 times!  Chef Vish truly celebrated the in-season (at the time) tomatoes in many different and create ways.  The meal progression made sense and the flavours of tomato were unique and varied.  I can't wait for his next tasting menu!

The Good:
- Well thought-out menu
- Spot-on execution
- Flavours were not repetitive (despite the theme)

The Bad:
- Maybe not for those who don't like tomato? But really, they might even like it

Les Faux Bourgeois

Gosh, the last time I visited Les Faux Bourgeois must've been like 13 years ago!  I haven't blogged about it for 16 years...  Well, things have definitely changed since then as it was closed for a bit before reopening in early July.  There has been an ownership change as well as Chef Brent Thornton taking over the reigns of not only Les Faux, but also overseeing the entire Gaia House Hospitality Group (Selene Aegean, Nammos and AMA Raw Bar).  Mijune and I decided to check out what's up at Les Faux since the change.

We ended up doing the Premium Tasting Menu for $105.00pp which includes roughly 5 courses shared between the people participating.  They started us off with some Brioche and Foie Gras with cherries.  Loved the crispy exterior of the brioche giving way to a fluffy interior.  We could pull-apart each bun into 3 separate pieces, which was perfect for accepting the buttery foie gras to form a delicious bite.  Naturally, the sweet and slightly tangy cherry was a perfect compliment.

Next up was the Rotating Ice Plate that featured (for this night at least) 2 BeauSoleil oysters and 2 Sunseekers along with 2 Cherry Stone Clams and Mussels Escabeche.  This reminded me slightly of the Ice Box from Penny in NYC.  Loved the oysters, they were fresh and shucked properly.  The BeauSoleils were sweet and clean while the Sunseekers were brinier but still sweet.  Those clams were a flavour bomb since they were dressed in a brine from the bar, topped with olive and anchovy.  Those plump and buttery mussels were sweet and benefitted from the tanginess and smokiness of the escabeche.  

The Tartare de Boeuf was served as a pretty large portion along with house-made chips.  We loved the chips as they were light and crispy, however, something a bit sturdier would've held up better to the tartare.  With that being said, this was a delicious dish with a heaping portion of tender diced beef that was buttery, yet meaty.  The whole thing was dressed classically with shallots, chives, parsley, cornichons, capers and egg yolk.  On top we found some grated mimolette cheese which added some background sharp nuttiness.

The most stealthily delicious item for the entire meal was the Oeuf Mayonaisse.  This featured a halved lightly boiled egg topped with a brown anchovy mayo, brined olive and kefir.  It was finished off with marinated white anchovy and sturgeon caviar.  Once we got past the soft egg, we to the full hit of the brininess from the mayo.  Beyond that, the anchovy added another layer of brininess and then the caviar did its briny and salty thing.  So much flavour in one to two bites.  Delicious. 

Since we had the Premium tasting menu, we were served the dry-aged PEI Blue Dot Striploin with garlic scapes and padrón pepper.  Sauce au poivre was served tableside.  This was a substantial portion of meat that looked like 10 to 12oz to me.  It was prepared a perfect medium-rare cooked evenly on both sides.  There was a substantial smokiness to the charred exterior and it was seasoned well too.  Steak was succulent and tender.  Sauce was flavourful enough without masking the natural essence of the meat.

The side of Heston-Style Fries were the sexiest thing I've seen, in terms of food, lately.  These thick-cut fries were triple-cooked perfection (made famous by Heston Blumenthal).  Outside, they were so universally crispy while revealing soft and fluffy potato which melted in my mouth.  The addition of dehydrated chicken skin salt added an umami punch as well as some texture.  On the side, we found some creamy and slightly tangy dijonnaise. 

To go with all this indulgence, we were served something that offered balance in the Salade de Tomate with heirloom tomatoes, peaches, anchoïade, bleu d'Auvergne and steak spice.  Loved the sweetness of the tomatoes combined with a contrasting sweetness from the peaches.  Talking about contrast, the salty brininess of the anchoïade and the sharpness of the blue cheese helped compliment the sweetness of the other components.  The use of steak spice was restrained, so that it didn't overwhelm the tomatoes.

Finally, we had a massive Apple Fritter in a St. Leger maple whiskey glaze.  On top, we found some old cheddar from France.  To top it off, we found a large slice of smoky brie.  Although a bit dense, the fritter was just sweet enough with aromatics.  The addition of cheese really worked here with the cheddar having some sharpness while the brie acted almost like a cream of some sort.  It provided creaminess as well as smokiness.  Overall, the meal at this current iteration of Les Faux Bourgeois was a good one.  In keeping with its original ethos of delivering well-portioned and delicious food at a reasonable price, they definitely succeeded here.  I would recommend having the tasting menu as it gives a great overview of the menu.  However, if you just want a casual drop-in dinner, then the Steak Frites for $38.00 is a good bet.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Ample portions

- Well-priced

- Delicious

The Bad:

- You most certainly can drop-in, but reservations are needed as it was packed, on a Monday night...

Elem (Tasting Menu)

It's been awhile since I've been back to Elem.  I think it has been 2 months!  All kidding aside, the reason for this recent visit was to celebrate ipanemagirl's birthday!  She's been having a great time during her birthday month by dining at Okeya Kyujiro and AnnaLena.  So up next was Vancouver's best new restaurant (according to Vanmag)!  For the first time ever, I didn't go for the à la carte and went for the tasting menu (aka "Let us cook for you").  There are 2 price points for this at $95.00 and $125.00.  We decided on the latter.

Things kicked off with a few bevvies including the Mango Rasmalai and the Roasted Corn Highball.  The Rasmalai has been on the cocktail menu from the very start (thanks to Winnie Sun).  With a combination of gin, mango, saffron milk and cardamomo, the drink was light, floral and somewhat sweet.  Saffron white chocolate paint provided even more sweetness if needed.  For the highball, it was made with roasted corn tequila, corn extract and aperol.  As expected, this was a bit stronger than the rasmalai, but not considerably.  I wasn't sure that the corn was the main flavour I got as the aperol was rather dominant, especially with the finish.  Loved the popcorn on the side!

It was fitting to start the meal with Sungold Tomatoes as they just came into season.  This was a tomato-forward dish with the natural sweetness and brightness coming through.  However, there was still restraint and balance so that the white peach gazpacho was able to stand out with its bright sweetness.  To balance out the acidity, we found marinated burrata balls.  Rounding out the dish, more fresh tomatoes and fresh strawberries.  Some basil oil provided a bit more layering to the flavours with obvious herbaceousness.

I don't think I've ever dined at Elem without ordering their parker rolls.  This time around, we were served Milk Brioche Buns which were beautifully toasted.  Nicely crispy and with a toasty-tasting exterior encasing a warm and fluffy interior.  On the side, we found a quenelle of berry butter with black pepper.  Naturally, this added a creamy sweetness to the bread with just the a slight pepper aftertaste.

When the Elk Tartare sitting atop a large piece of roasted bone marrow showed up, I was elated.  Yes, that is right, I was elated.  Why?  Well this particular dish is wickedly delicious!  For such a lean cut of meat, the elk was tender and buttery.  It wasn't gamy at all (in my opinion at least) and the buttery bone marrow added that luxurious fattiness that made each bite memorable.  Seasoning was balanced and offered up just enough saltiness and a touch of background acidity.  The side of fresh potato chips were light and crispy.

Another dish I was happy to see was the Lamb Skewers.  Believe it or not, for all the times I've been to Elem, I've only had this dish 3 times (including this time).  Problem being is that most people I eat with do not enjoy lamb (including Viv).  However, ipanemagirl was all game for this (sorry for the pun...).  Love this dish as the lamb belly is cured for 24 hours and cooked for 18 hours, then sits in its own fat for another day before being trimmed and cubed.  Finally it is grilled and glazed with medjool date.  This results in a buttery and melt-in-my-mouth lamb with smokiness, sweetness and meatiness atop a ginger labneh with crunchy buckwheat.

Another dish that celebrates tomatoes is the Rolled Pappardelle stuffed with charred corn and ricotta.  Firm with a lovely chew, the pasta had a nice elasticity.  Inside, the sweetness and smokiness of the corn came through, but make no mistake, the star of the dish was the fresh and natural-tasting tomato sauce.  They took 25 pounds of stony paradise tomatoes and cooked it down to four litres of sauce with just a bit of garlic and salt.  After straining, the sauce was smooth and silky.

For my second cocktail, I went back to the well and had the Mai Tai.  Their take on the classic drink consisted of 3 types of rum, pistachio orgeat, dry curacao and lime.  I've had this many times and when mixed with the passionfruit ice, the drink trends towards floral and sweet with a caramel woodsiness finish.  Ipanemagirl went for a mocktail this time with the Clarified Mango Lassi topped with half a mango mochi.  As expected, this was fruity and refreshing.

Moving onto the proteins of the meal, we had the King Fish sitting atop a warm tartar sauce with BC chanterelles, cipollinis, peas and dill.  As evidenced in the picture above, the fish skin was totally seared where it was crispy and also well-seasoned.  Flaky and firm, the king fish was still succulent and slightly buttery.  With just a bit of acidity and being lightly creamy, the sauce helped compliment the fish without taking away from it.  Loved the bevy of chanterelles and sweet peas.  The dill provide its usual brightness.

Arriving as one of the largest pieces I've ever seen, the Quebec Margret Duck Breast was super plump and prepared expertly.  It was aged for 5 days and then seared until the skin was well-rendered.  The duck was prepared medium in this application and turned out to be super tender and juicy.  We found more chanterelles here along with lightly cooked apricots and a jus.  The most impactful ingredient, other than the duck, was the apricot as it added a light crunch and sweetness that helped lighten up the dish.

Served with the duck was a Southern Italian-style Polenta topped with mushroom hollandaise.  This was described as being a lot looser than the polenta we've been accustomed with.  Sure enough, the whole thing collapsed as we dug into it.  Yet, it was delightful as it wasn't as heavy as it appeared.  With that being said, this combined with the duck was trending towards a fall combo.  This whole dish was a bit creamy with pops of sweetness from the charred corn.  With the addition of mushroom powder, the hollandaise was totally woodsy and packed with umami.  

We were presented with one of their newest desserts on the menu - Strawberry.  Well, with the considerable topping of cream, it was obviously strawberries and cream.  Hidden in the middle was a scoop of basil ice cream.  Underneath, we found macerated strawberries along with more basil.  Unlike the usual iteration of this dessert, this one had herbaceousness thanks to the basil (in all applications).  The creaminess of the ice cream added more body to the fresh cream.

To be honest, it took me awhile to take a liking to the Popcorn.  Vish's ode to Chicago mix with caramel popcorn, cheese and caramel, he made a dessert that captured every component.  There was caramelized sweetness combined with the aroma of popcorn and then the cheddar cheese added that something something.  Great for people who like something savoury with their sweets.  One last treat was the 2 White Chocolates with a tinge of citrus.  Overall, this was a really solid tasting-like menu with a bit of the old and a bit of the new.  A great way to get an overview of the menu at 2 price points - $95.00pp for around 6 dishes and $125.00pp for around 10 dishes like we had.

The Good:

- Well-executed proteins

- Really captured the natural flavours of tomato

- That elk tartare!

The Bad:

- Maybe a la carte can be more expensive, so choosing the tasting might be better?

- On weekends, the parking situation in the neighbourhood can be challenging, weekdays are much easier, got a spot right in front 

Langbaan

Coming from Vancouver (B.C.), I've had the pleasure of dining at Baan Lao in Richmond.  Unlike most Thai restaurants, Baan Lao is upscale with white glove service.  If Tourism Richmond had partnered with Michelin, Baan Lao would no doubt have at least one Michelin Star.  Their cuisine and plating are top-notch and sets a different standard for Thai food in North America.  Since Portland has an thriving Thai food scene, we were definitely going to hit up some Thai restaurants.  The most exciting is Langbaan, which is a tasting menu only dinner spot located within Phuket Cafe.  They might not be as fancy as Baan Lao, but from all online accounts, the experience is still top notch.

The tasting menu began with some small bites including the Miang Som.  I've had many version of this before and for this one, it consisted of shrimp, Valencia orange, peanut and coconut on a betel leaf.  Pretty saucy, but ultimately a flavor bomb, there was intense sweetness from the palm sugar and brininess from the shrimp.  The umami that was present was further aided by the sweetness of the orange.  Add in the crunch and nuttiness from the peanuts and the aromatics of the coconut, it was certainly an everything bite.

If we thought that the Miang Som was a great start to waken our palates, the Kanom Krok not only brought balance, it was our favorite thing of the tasting menu.  It was a crispy cup with Hokkaido scallops sitting in a coconut cream.  That contrast in textures of the cup and the buttery soft scallops was just right.  Add in the aromatic sweetness of the coconut cream along with the Thai herbs and we had richness with brightness at the same time.  

Served in sriracha casing, the Hoy Tod was a nod to the Thai omelette.  We found some steamed mussels inside atop some egg with crispy sriracha seaweed.  The combination yielded seafoodiness from the tender mussels while the sriracha was only there enough to provide some impact without being too spicy.  It let the mussel be the star while the egg added some texture while representing the omelette.

Next, we had the Guay Tiew Rua with the broth served tableside.  This was in honor of Thai boat noodles with a rich broth that exhibited the usual tang and sweetness.  It was served steaming hot atop a small amount of rice noodles, beef meatball and flank steak.  We found the noodles having an appealing chewiness while the meatball was bouncy and sweet.  Wow, the 2 slices of rare flank steak were buttery soft and meaty tasting.  Some cilantro and green onion completed the dish.

To bring things down like a palate-cleanser, we had the Phla Pla featuring bigeye tuna wrapped in seaweed.  We found raspberry, pineapple, snap peas, shallots (2 ways) and Japanese pepper leaves on top.  Buttery and soft, the tuna had quite a bit of umami going.   Nice balance of sweetness, aromatics and crunch.  The fruitiness really helped the transition to the next dish.

Now when you think of Pad Thai, you would immediately think of rice noodles coated with a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce.  Well, this version featured ribbons of squid that resembled rice noodles while coated in tomato sauce.  It sat atop leeks, cabbage and sea grapes.  Very creative and ultimately, very tasty as well.  Nice aromatics and sweetness combined with tanginess from the ingredients.  It didn't really taste like a Pad Thai, but that didn't matter as it was great in its own right.  I especially loved the tender chew of the squid noodles.

We moved onto the shared entree portion of the tasting menu including the Gang Taepo or poached halibut atop red curry.  At first, I was a little dismayed that the halibut was just merely poached, but after I combined it with the curry, it made total sense.  No need to have competing flavors nor having too much salt as the curry was full-of-depth, spice and sweetness.  Beautifully prepared, the halibut was flaky and moist and accepted the curry as a textural canvas.

Also at the same time, we had the Pad Preaw or Octopus with a chutney of tomato, Chinese celery and peanuts.  I found this dish competent where the octopus was cooked perfectly where it was tender with just enough chew.  The chutney was flavourful with tang and sweetness, but the dish as a whole was not as impactful as the rest.  However, the condiment on the side did help things plenty.

The condiment was the Nam Prik Long Rua or pork & shrimp relish with salted egg and greens.  This was a lot of things including briny, meaty, salty and umami.   Combined with the crunchy veggies wrapped in lettuce, this made everything much more flavorful and also a bit spicy.  Texture was provided in the form of pork crackling mixed into the relish.  You could put this on anything and it would taste good!  

Dessert consisted of 2 items including the Mango Sticky Rice presented as a layered cake with a mango mochi cake base, mango mousse in the middle and butter lime cream on the top.  This was quite pleasant and mildly sweet with the flavors of mango sticky rice.  I liked how this was super light and gently brought us down from the flavor bomb of the relish from the previous course.

Our last item was the Khao Lahm which was a pandan canelé.  Texturally, since it was made with rice, the interior was more custardy and wet than a regular canelé.  The outside was slightly crispy but could've been more so.  However, it still ate quite well and we enjoyed it.  Overall, we loved our meal at Langbaan.  The tasting menu progressed beautifully and we felt the flavors popped.  Would absolutely do this again when we are in PDX next.

The Good:

- Impactful flavors

- Well-prepared proteins

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Pandan canelé was a bit weird texturally

Corima NYC

When booking restaurants for NYC, I was looking for something a bit different.  Look no further than an elevated Mexican-inspired tasting menu at Corima, located in Chinatown.  Chef Fidel Cabarello was a finalist for the prestigious James Beard Best Chef award.  With already a Michelin-star after its first year of operation and being named to North America's 50 Best Restaurants, Corima is one of the hottest places to dine in NYC.  We were lucky to secure a reservation!

We began with an Amuse Bouche consisting of a Beef Cecina with edamame guacamole and chapulines.  This little one-bite tart featured buttery beef that still had a meaty chew to it.  By its appearance, the beef was supremely fresh and it tasted that way too. In additon, the flavours were bright and there was some nuttiness brought forth by the grasshoppers.  Naturally, they also provide some crunch.

The most under-the-radar dish we had was the humble Sourdough Tortilla served with recado negro butter.  This was the softest and fluffiest tortilla I've ever had and on top of that, it still retained a beautiful chew to it.  Nice smokiness from the sear too.  Now that butter was super complex with creaminess, smokiness and saltiness combined with the burnt chilis and black garlic.  Lots of umami here.

Masterfully constructed, the Abalone Tostada sported layers of abalone and shiitake mushroom.  It all sat atop a crispy tostada which provided textural contrast.  As for the abalone, the slices were tender yet with the classic bite similar to Humboldt squid.  However, we also got the slightly spongy texture of the earthy shiitake as well.  I found hits of fermentation to go with the tangy salted yuzu.

Completely covered with chives, the Branzino Collar was not only a textural delight, it was also a flavor bomb.  The combination of chintextle paste and cascabel afforded intense smokiness, some brininess and just the slightest of spice.  As much as the green from the chives made things colorful, it was also important to the dish as it provided brightness.  The collar itself was buttery tender.

We moved onto the Rajas Croquette next and they were pretty light and airy.  We enjoyed the creaminess of the croquette along with the tangy spice of the jalapeno.  To literally top it off, there was some huitlacoche that offered up some fermented and earthy notes.  Served on the side was a Consomme with peashoot, ginger and sesame.  This was clean-tasting and light with the silkiness of chicken fat.

Wrapped in thinly-sliced jicama, we found the Surf Clam Crudo.  This was almost like an unsealed dumpling.  Mixed with the surf clam was green gooseberry, chayote, squid ink and coppa.  So just beyond the initial crunch of the jicama, we had the sweetness of the clam that was brightened up by the tartness of the gooseberry.  Add in the rich saltiness of the coppa and things were pretty balanced.

With vibrant colours, the spring carrots hid the Mussels underneath.  It sat atop a mole amarillo.  From here, there was another course, but it was so delicious, I ate it before I took a picture of it.  That was the Morel Taco with lamb and artichoke.  Click the link to see their Instagram picture.  That was fantastic with the with tender and juicy lamb that was not all that gamy.  Of course the morel added the unmistakable texture and flavor.  There was some spice and also brightness from the onions.

The meal kept moving along with the 10-day dry aged Turbot with white asparagus and plankton.  We found the fish to be buttery soft and delicate while retaining some firmness.  Silky with a balancing amount of acidity, the sauce was silky and smooth.  There was a background fermented hit to it which added depth while the caviar provided brininess.  Adding extra umami was the kombu foam.  Loved the crispy fish belly on the side.  It was also smoky and aromatic.

Topped with the salsa verde and celery, the 60-day aged Pork Collar was sous-vide, hence the rare color.  It ate super buttery where it required very little chewing.  The pork itself was rather mild, so the bright and tangy salsa verde did all of the heavy lifting.  Loved the fresh crunch from the celery on top as it provided textural contrast and brightness.

Topped with Avocado Leaf and cherrelle, the tangy yogurt sorbet was lightly sweet and refreshing.  There was a bit of dill water to make things herbaceaous and bright.  Hidden underneath, we had some crunchy and aromatic granola and cereal.  There was fermented hits from the black garlic while the sour notes from the yogurt kept things light.

Not satisfied with only one dessert, we added the supplementary option that was a Chocolate Tart of sorts.  It contained a rich banana ganache with chocolate mousse on top.  This was finished with some crunch from the cocoa nibs.  All of this was topped with ice cream and shaved black truffle.  This actually didn't eat as heavy as the shell was crispy while the mouse was light.  It was also not that sweet where the dark chocolate bitterness came through.  Not really sure of the black truffles though.  It didn't really go with the rest of the dessert in my opinion.  A little too overpowering.

The meal ended off with some Crispy Black Garlic Profiteroles with toasted vanilla and Passionfruit Caramel Bonbons.  Loved the contrast between the 2 bites as one was a bit savory and the other was tangy and sweet.  We even had some cookies to take away with us.  Overall, we really enjoyed the tasting menu at Corima.  It validates all of their accolades and awards a few times over.  Considering their tasting menu is only $140.00, we felt it was not only reasonable, but somewhat of a steal.  We went away full and truly impressed with Chef Fidel Cabarello's creations.

The Good:

- Modern Mexican that is delicious

- Well-priced tasting menu

- Excellent service that was not fussy

The Bad:

- Our main server was excellent, explaining everything.  But some others provided less information.