The opportunity to eat Michael Mina was a friend ’s qualification certificate to temporarily eat up, and then this restaurant is conveniently located and has a place, so we might as well go to the sun.
This store is often compared with Gary Danko, who is also a Michelin star. It happens that I recently went to experience Gary Danko, so I will compare it from time to time. Sorry for a little more.
Options
First of all, Michael Mina also only has Chef Tasting menu ($170 without wine paring) or 3 Course Prix Fixe meal ($125). It feels a bit of a fine dinning common problem. It is said that there is a la carte if you sit at the bar, but We have no confirmation.Finally, I chose 3 Courses. For each course, you can choose one from Seasonal Trios and Signature Dishes, a total of three courses.
Bread
Bread before meals has always been one of my wonderful concerns about carbon water control. Although MM's bread is not fancy, it is at least a hot European bag. With Ricotta cheese with honey and olive oil, it is easy to taste.
Amuse Bouche
The small dot before meals is a three-type platter, which is also a feature of MM after eating. Seafood Croquette, Asparagus Pate, Beef Empanadas, all taste very good. I like the refreshing and wonderful taste of Asparagus Pate, my friends shouted that they want a large portion of Seafood Croquette as a staple food ...
Drink
Add 85 more wine paring, but we didn't feel the need to order the wine ourselves. The author chose cocktail at whim, which is to tell the waiter what type of cocktail you like, and he will recommend or mix it for you. However, the author's recent wine delivery seems to be not very good, describing a lot, the wine that comes up is still like the sugared old fashion flavor ... The ice cubes in oh well are quite professional. The friends ordered chardonnay and merlot, and the author also tried it in the past, uh ... I don't know why I'm not very satisfied with MM's drinks.
Here is the dinner time.
COURSE ONE
Seasonal trios – S PACIFIC COAST SHELLFISH (Seasonal trios of Pacific coast shellfish)
RAZOR CLAM, WHITE MARSH GRAPEFRUIT, PERILLA, DAIKON DUNGENESS CRAB CHAWANMUSHI, PORCINI, BLACK TRUFFLE MORRO BAY ABALONE, ARTICHOKE, SPRING GARLIC, SMOKED MISO
Deep-fried ravioli with grapefruit sauce, shiso white radish, treasure crab, steamed egg ravioli, porcini black truffle flavored MORRO BAY abalone artichoke spring garlic and salt smoked miso
The favorite one in the middle is not only the smooth and tender texture of the custard, but also the deliciousness of the crab meat. The crab meat is not completely crushed, so the tissue can be eaten in the custard. The processing method of Razor clam is a bit like tempura. Although the author does not like fried foods, it is not greasy after dipping sauce, which is not bad. Abalones and vegetables are chewy and taste good.
Seasonal trios – SASHIMI (seasonal trios-the sashimi)
SPANISH BLUEFIN 'BELLY SIDE', FRESH-GRATED WASABI, AGED SOY SALT MEDAI (Japanese butterfish), PROSCIUTTO, CORIANDER CRISP, PURPLE DAIKON SANTA BARBARA SPOT PRAWN, UNI, OBORO, KOMBU SALT
Spanish bluefin tuna flank with freshly-mustard mustard, cooked Japanese flat fish, prosciutto, coriander crisp, purple turnip, princess santa barbara, sea urchin, hazy, kelp salt
This dish was ordered by a friend and the portion is very small, so the author didn't steal it. What impressed me most is that the waiter will freshly grind the mustard on the spot. After eating, my friend looked at the author with anxiety and said that he was afraid of being full ...
Tucao: Actually, the central idea of "I'm afraid of being full" runs through our whole meal ... ╮ (╯ ▽ ╰) ╭
COURSE TWO
seasonal trios CALIFORNIA FOWL
LIBERTY DUCK, BLOOD ORANGE, PICKLED RHUBARB, TURNIP APICIUS-GLAZED SQUAB, SPRING FRICASSEE, SARAWAK PEPPER TOLENAS FARMS QUAIL, FOIE GRAS, SAVOY CABBAGE, CELERY ROOT, ORCHARD APPLE
Duck breast with blood orange, pickled rhubarb and white radish; APICIUS seasoned young pigeon with spring vegetables FRICASSEE (both are some kind of seasoning, so I do n’t know how to translate); quail with foie gras, savoy cabbage, celery root and apple
I ordered the staple food, very satisfied! Each dish is excellently done, the meat is tender and plump, and it goes well with the respective sauces. The favorite is the squab pigeon because it is very special. Duck breast is a very common dish, but MM also does a great job. Quails and Gary Danko are a bit similar, but in terms of weight and richness of the taste, I think Gary Danko wins (of course, quail is a GD dish).
signature dishes —
Hay Smoked Schmitz ranch rib eye, baby onion, nantes carrot, bintje potato
Hay-fried Schmitz Ranch ribs with baby onions, Nantes carrots and Bintje Dutch potatoes
In fact, it is steak. The most distinctive feature is that the steak has been smoked in advance with hay, so the flavor is very unique. The waiter also showed us the hay basin with the steak. But steak can be found in many restaurants, and it's not that amazing.
Tips: I recommend the seasonal trio for early adopters, and the lobster pot pie also looks very good. Lots of people around it, it looks very big, we have been guessing what it is, and finally I regret not having this
COURSE THREE
CHEESE cheese
BODACIOUS, HAZELNUT, PINK PEPPERCORN MT. TAM, BERGAMONT HONEY, CHERRY BOMB RADISH BLEATING HEART BLUE, RED WALNUT, VINCOTTO
Three kinds of cheese platter, the sea of cheese is too wide, and the translation is also with words that the author does not understand, so I won’t be swollen to fill up the fat, and I will write it after studying~~~~(>_<)~~~~
This is actually quite disappointing. There are only two options for the third way, so we tried both. Cheese was a bit pitted when it came up, but maybe the cheese is inlaid with gold, and I ca n’t understand it.
Dessert
RHUBARB, CRÈME FRAÎCHE, CITRUS LACE, Chef Mina's classic Beignet, Chocolate, Darjeeling caramel shisho, GRAPEFRUIT, YOGURT
Rhubarb whipped cream with citrus lace, chef Mina's classic Bennett and chopped chocolate, caramel Darjeeling shiso with grapefruit and yogurt
The dessert is very good! In this game, MM wins against Gary Danko! Beignet is delicious except for the middle. Beignet is a bit unsatisfactory. It is not crispy or soft. It feels better to eat Beignet, but the chef should consider changing the signature? The last Darjeeling Caramel Basil seems to be a little smoothie and a little sago, and the chef didn't disclose all the ingredients.
The final desserts were nougat, macarons and butter cookies. The cookies are good, but there is nothing special. The macarons are not delicious ... the girl's crispy breasts are empty-this is a bit frightening, but it does not eat any stuffing. It feels like the gift from Gary Danko is more attentive What ~
Service
The service was actually okay, but the overall feeling was a bit pushy. When ordering drinks and optional pre-dinner caviar service (no price, everyone knows the reason), the waiter kept asking, the scene was awkward, of course, he didn't say anything at the end . This feels that Gary Danko has done a better job, making people feel at home.
It also happened that we ordered Zelfandel's episode on merlot. I took a sip and felt it was wrong. I asked the waiter to come over and asked, and immediately knew that something went wrong (aggressive.jpg), so I refilled the cup, and the previous cup was given away. This basic service consciousness is still very satisfying. Unlike some stores, it is not possible to withdraw the wrong dishes and prepare for other guests?
Final Thoughts
1. After eating the whole meal, the biggest notch is that the portion is really small, I have been worried about not eating enough, and finally I still have no idea, my friend keeps thinking about going to eat a bowl of ramen afterwards. Whether it is a Michelin-starred restaurant or not, in general, the whole menu will be very good. This kind of ultra-small portion is really rare.
2. The taste of the dishes is OK at the level of one Michelin star. The seasonal trio is really attentive. For children who like to eat early, you can taste three dishes (not counting) with one click, which is great! And the standard of dessert is high.
3. The price/performance ratio is slightly insufficient, defeating the old opponent (or comparison) Gary Danko. Gary Danko’s 3 course is only $83, and the 5 course is only $119, and the after-dinner freebies are more real. MM's 3 course is already $125. Although Seasonal Trios is rich in content, it is really not as generous as Gary Danko in terms of weight.
4. If the environment is good for both, they will not be used as the criterion. I just feel that MM is more business-oriented. Gary Danko's environment is more intimate and suitable for dating. But the service is still Gary Danko's home!
In the end: Did I really come to hack Michael Mina ... Gary Danko Did I advertise to you for so long? Will I go on a discount or give me more snacks next time? (Although I seem to need to write an English version to make this possible ...)
