My extraordinary dinner at Tru inspired me to create an homage dinner for a few friends at my very own restaurant, False. I created a six course menu that mirrors a few of the creative dishes we enjoyed at Tru.
The chef’s selection menu:
Maki with rice pasta infused with gunpowder tea – Fun pasta preparation using concentrated tea for the water portion of the pasta ingredients. I put the pasta through a ricer and cut the output frequently. This created small pasta bites that resembled an inverted egg carton. I treated the pasta like sushi rice, coating it lightly in rice wine vinegar and sugar. I placed it on slightly fried nori and dressed the plate with spice-infused soy sauce. The tea infusion was not strong enough to make a difference. I find most additions to pasta do not create enough of a flavor change versus plain water, egg, flour. (Tru dish: Sturgeon caviar)
Fire and semifreddo heirloom beet soup with goat cheese emulsion – Since I didn’t have dry ice at home to create smoke, I decided to go with fire in the form of tea candles. I paired the flames with a chilled beet soup topped with yellow beets and cheese. (Tru dish: Chilled kohlrabi soup)
Risotto with porcini mushrooms, reggiano parmesano cheese and fire-roasted tomato puree – Of the menu, this and the steam fish were the only dishes that I have made before. The risotto was warm and comforting and the roasted tomato provided a rich acidic complement. (Tru dish: mushrooms)
Steamed whole yellowtail snapper with shitake mushrooms braised in sake and ginger – I love steaming whole fish over frying or roasting fillets. I could not make this plate pretty because steamed fish flakes off the bone in the most delicious way. The shitake mushrooms were a little drunk in sake but overall a nice texture. (Tru dish: Roasted Wild Striped Bass)
J’Adore chicken with roasted red peppers and goat cheese joined by a roasted poblano pepper ragu and walnut pesto – This was a crowd favorite. The combination of fresh pesto and pepper/cilantro dressings with moist chicken, cheese and red pepper was a destined winner. (Tru dish: Jidori chicken with foie gras)
Raspberry-juniper berry gelee with sloe gin infused mango and cream – This dessert was playfully dressed up jello that turned out better than I expected. I am definitely not a pastry chef. (Tru dish: Green gelee and heirloom beet salad)
Overall I had fun creating the menu and preparing all the dishes. Except for the drunk shitake mushrooms, I would make all these dishes again.
The Menu at False
Maki with rice pasta infused with gunpowder tea
Fire and semifreddo heirloom beet soup with goat cheese emulsion
Risotto with porcini mushrooms, reggiano parmesano cheese and fire-roasted tomato puree
Steamed whole yellowtail snapper with shitake mushrooms braised in sake and ginger
J'Adore chicken with roasted red peppers and goat cheese joined by a roasted poblano pepper ragu and walnut pesto
Raspberry-juniper berry gelee with sloe gin infused mango and cream
9 year aged wine that elevated the entire menu (thanks anne!)
