L'espalier, 774 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
I am a very lucky girl to have been taken to this most lovely restaurant in Boston. And even luckier to enjoy the dessert tasting.
Breads: Pretzel roll and rosemary focaccia made in house. Both were very good. The pretzel roll crumb was more bready than I wanted, but I am in love with NYC pretzels which are more doughy inside. I could have mistaken the focaccia for bread from Clear Flour Bakery, if I was blindfolded. It was that good.
First Course: shrimp cru (this item is not described on the sample menu posted on the website, so I don't have a full description). It was a ceviche with a lot of fruit and shrimp. I'd stick to posting baked goods, but this plate was so pretty. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the melon it's served in, but it looks like a horned melon or kiwano.
Intermezzo: Grand Marnier elixir with concentrated orange flavors. There was a pearl, similar to a tapioca bead in the bottom. The plated dessert is a lime sorbet with a Bergamot cream and Muscat (sweet dessert wine) gelee.
Dessert #1: Compressed Asian pear with white chocolate, tonka bean meringue, bergamot custard, and Earl Grey ice cream
Included a table-side smashing of the white chocolate shell by the pastry chef Jiho Kim to reveal the pears. There was a white bar in the top left that had the texture of a marshmallow that I thought was great.
Dessert #2: Mont Blanc; chestnut and Chantilly crèmes, vanilla ice cream, and pine nut croquant
I really liked the pine nut croquant (a type of tuille used as the cup holding the base of the mountain).
Dessert #3: Milk chocolate caramel soufflé with caramel financier, and Gianduja ice cream
This plate came paired with the second plate shown below. I'm not sure why we didn't get two souffles.
I'm used to Clear Flour almond financiers, so the financier here didn't impress me. The personalized touch of the candle brownies was nice though. And the quenelle in the bottom picture is a saffron frozen yogurt.
Liquid nitrogen table-side presentation: Lychee foam
I love lychee and anything frozen, so this was fantastic for me and I loved it.
Cookie plate: espresso dark chocolate, black currant jelly square, Gianduja biscotti
Cookies to go: Madeline-shaped ginger cake
I got to take this picture at home, so finally got some good lighting.
What amazing food. I loved all the flavors. How lucky that I get to experience something like this even once in my life. It was very modern for my taste and probably couldn't handle any more gelatinous desserts for a while. The abstract, artistic plating designs also throw me for a loop, as I prefer a more rustic style.
I am a very lucky girl to have been taken to this most lovely restaurant in Boston. And even luckier to enjoy the dessert tasting.
Breads: Pretzel roll and rosemary focaccia made in house. Both were very good. The pretzel roll crumb was more bready than I wanted, but I am in love with NYC pretzels which are more doughy inside. I could have mistaken the focaccia for bread from Clear Flour Bakery, if I was blindfolded. It was that good.
First Course: shrimp cru (this item is not described on the sample menu posted on the website, so I don't have a full description). It was a ceviche with a lot of fruit and shrimp. I'd stick to posting baked goods, but this plate was so pretty. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the melon it's served in, but it looks like a horned melon or kiwano.
Intermezzo: Grand Marnier elixir with concentrated orange flavors. There was a pearl, similar to a tapioca bead in the bottom. The plated dessert is a lime sorbet with a Bergamot cream and Muscat (sweet dessert wine) gelee.
Dessert #1: Compressed Asian pear with white chocolate, tonka bean meringue, bergamot custard, and Earl Grey ice cream
Included a table-side smashing of the white chocolate shell by the pastry chef Jiho Kim to reveal the pears. There was a white bar in the top left that had the texture of a marshmallow that I thought was great.
Dessert #2: Mont Blanc; chestnut and Chantilly crèmes, vanilla ice cream, and pine nut croquant
I really liked the pine nut croquant (a type of tuille used as the cup holding the base of the mountain).
Dessert #3: Milk chocolate caramel soufflé with caramel financier, and Gianduja ice cream
This plate came paired with the second plate shown below. I'm not sure why we didn't get two souffles.
I'm used to Clear Flour almond financiers, so the financier here didn't impress me. The personalized touch of the candle brownies was nice though. And the quenelle in the bottom picture is a saffron frozen yogurt.
Liquid nitrogen table-side presentation: Lychee foam
I love lychee and anything frozen, so this was fantastic for me and I loved it.
Cookie plate: espresso dark chocolate, black currant jelly square, Gianduja biscotti
Cookies to go: Madeline-shaped ginger cake
I got to take this picture at home, so finally got some good lighting.
What amazing food. I loved all the flavors. How lucky that I get to experience something like this even once in my life. It was very modern for my taste and probably couldn't handle any more gelatinous desserts for a while. The abstract, artistic plating designs also throw me for a loop, as I prefer a more rustic style.
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