May 17, 2014
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| Strawberry lime sorbet - 2+ J's comment > a palate cleanser that completely takes your breath away; perfectly (and I do mean perfectly) balanced on the sourness of the lime and the hint of sweetness of the strawberry which for once actually makes sense on the dish and isn't just decor; very well done (sadly, so well done that it blew away all the other items in the tasting course :( ) |
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| Scallop w watercress, sea beans, salmon roe - 2+ J's comment > scallops cooked perfectly; excellent pairing w the sauce underneath |
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| Pheasant w mushrooms, yukon gold, foie gras, pickled apple - 2 J's comment > not bad; loved the foie, but pheasant, whilst moist, failed to truly impress |
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| Goose Consomme w sage & onion - 2 J's comment > not bad; consomme a tad salty on its own and the creme in the middle didn't quite meld (yes, meld, not melt), nonetheless when sipped together, another lovely balance |
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| Pre-pour |
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| Oysters & caviar w cauliflower, squid ink - 2 J's comment > not bad; impressive meld of a raw oyster and a creamy drizzle (on paper it just sounds like a disaster, but Eden pulled this off) |
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| Loin of Venison w chocolate, almond - 2 J's comment > chocolate flavor not too strong; venison well cooked but not spectacular |
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| Ham Hock Terrine w pickled vegetables, quail egg - 2 J's comment > reminded me of the terrines you can get at some grocery stores actually... |
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| Amuse Bouche w tasting menu: Elk tartare w quail egg - 2 J's comment > tartare was fresh, not gamey, but not much anything else either |
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| Amuse bouche w all menus: Truffle panna cotta - 2 J's comment > two of my fav ingredients but whilst carried out well and melding of the two was good, there was a certain je ne sais quoi that just didn't compute |
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| Complimentary breads and butter 3 ways - 2 J's comment > loved the Eden butter, oh-so-spreadable w just the right amt of salt; balsamic vinaigrette whipped butter too strong in the vinegar flavor, couldn't taste the butter at all; olive flavored butter very strong olive flavor, again overwhelming the flavor of the actual butter |
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| (left to right) Comte (AOC) France, Ten Month Aged, Firm, Unpasteurized - 2 Brillat Savarin, France: Triple Creme, soft, pasteurized - 2 Morbier (AOC) France, Semi-soft, Unpasteurized - 2 J's comment > cheeses were all OK, the Savarin had a slight advantage cause it was much creamy (as advertised) |
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| Goats Cheese w cranberry & walnut - 2 J's comment > an avg goat cheese w flair |
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| Orange Souffle w fennel & olive oil - 2 J's comment > quite a let down, as you can see the souffle was already starting to collapse; orange flavor was present, but the souffle texture just missed the mark; olive oil sorbet on the left was a pleasant surprise on the other hand |
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| Complimentary p'tit fours - 2 J's comment > good, but the show (see below) was worth more |
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| Complimentary carrot cake - 2 J's comment > not bad; very moist, slight layer of icing on the sides was just sweet enough without being saccharine, enhancing rather than drowning out the cake |
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| Paradise Ranch, 2009 Merlot Late Harvest - 2+ J's comment > sweet, but not too sweet for a late harvest; surprisingly good w the cheeses |
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| Rhone Paradox, 2012 Cotes du Rhone - 2 J's comment > paired w the pheasant; pairing wasn't bad, but didn't set of fireworks either |
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| Joseph Faiveley, 2010 Bourgogne Chardonnay - 2 J's comment > paired w the scallops; pairing wasn't bad, but didn't set of fireworks either |
Menu
Extra Comment
FYI, the tasting course will set you back 4 hours. Definitely don't forget to ask for the window seat for the view to impress you. And make sure you really like the person / people you're dining with.
Labels: banff, calgary, hotel, fine dining
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