philadining

Wow, good review on a couple of levels. It's nice that she liked the place, but also the overview itself certainly benefitted from two visits, which was not the norm for other reviews. Sadly that was Sono's last review, she's leaving the Daily News. I wonder if they'll replace her...

I don't want to get too far off the Gilt trip, but what was the flavor difference between the two Manni oils? And did you get the sense that they were using either in any of the dishes?

Robert, Doc, everybody, thanks for the kind words. I'm sure I speak for Percy too when I say that I'm sincerely thrilled that the photos were of interest, and that we might have been able to contribute to this thread in some useful way.

Given the opportunity, the tuesday crowd might have eaten all of wednesday's Roast Pork, but I think the restaurant held some aside for you! There was LOTS of food, you won't go home hungry.

Fabulous dinner with the DDC, everything was good off the buffet line, but the pork... oh man, the pork... Tired? Cold? Hung-over? this is what you need.... Ever wonder where the hot sauce went? Turns out Jas is able to grab a bottle off the table at super-human speeds. Betcha thought that was an empanada...nope, a Pastelillo. I don't care what you call them, just keep them coming! Despite the impression this photo gives, the Tostones were not actually larger than the pastilillos, but they were every bit as tasty, especially with a little garlic mojo. About a quarter of a bacalaito. Expert hand-modeling by Capaneus. He may be willing to hold other foodstuffs for a small fee, send him a PM, I'm sure you can work something out. Flan. No, really, it's Flan. Three of them. Our gracious host. More excellent hand-modeling from Capaneus. Big thanks to Katie for putting this together, the food was really quite delicious, the folks at the restaurant were super-nice, I can't wait to go back for more of that pork!

Jeeze Percy, I'm suddenly much less-impressed with myself. Great photos! And thanks for typing-in the menu! At the risk of tearing the fabric of space and time, I stole your menu descriptions and added some comments back in my original post. The commentary makes more sense with the photos, and vice-versa, but I saw no point to reposting all those pics again, so please forgive the ripple in the space time continuum. And Percy, thanks again for the invite!

I don't want to get too far OT in the Amada thread, but isn't Washington Square an odd choice if you're going to name three restaurants on all of Philly? Wouldn't you pick a BYOB, or at least a restaurant a few blocks further away from Amada? Anyway, congrats to the Amada armada for more good notices!

Indeed we were there for lunch, but up on the upper level, not right down by the windows. I think that diffuse light accounts for most of my success... That being said, the seat next to mine had a very nice down-light splashing right on his plate, which might have made shooting viable even at night. Sadly, I'm not feeling flush enough to drop the cash on a dinner to test that hypothesis anytime soon! As for the menus, there were three available, all 9-course: the regular tasting, the tasting of vegetables, each at $210, and a special holiday menu at $325, which is what I photographed. As has been discussed here, the recent bump from $175 to $210 reflects the inclusion of service. The bump to $325 for the holiday menu reflects the inclusion of a daunting pile of white truffles on the polenta! And some truffles in a few more courses, a nice slab of foie with the duck... I have no idea whether a 5-course menu, or something similar that allows choices might return after the holidays. I suspect that it's more likely that something like the holiday menu might remain. Again, more details to follow, I promise, but the short version was that the food was indeed top-notch, and the service polished and gracious, while remaining pleasantly unstuffy. It was a very enjoyable experience that I'm not going to repeat any time soon, but that I would like to revisit someday...

Some excellent questions have been raised here and in the Gilt topic about the propriety of customers photographing in restaurants. If I were a restauranteur, I'm not sure what I'd think about it, it's pretty easy for someone to make your food look pretty shabby. On the other hand, a few good images can communicate what a kitchen is doing more directly than any prose, and can certainly generate some excitement in forums such as these. For the record, we asked our servers if it would be OK, and were told that as long as we refrained from using a flash, photography was no problem. Thanks to Percyn for typing in the menu descriptions downthread a few posts, which I will now shamelessly appropriate and insert back into my original post of photos, and add my impressions: Cornets of Atlantic Salmon Tartare Now a classic, maybe even passé, but awfully tasty, with an entertaining crossing of sweet and salty, crunchy and smooth. A great start. Oysters and Pearls Txomin Etxaniz, Txakolina, Spain 2004 Big thanks to Percy for asking for this, it wasn't on any of the menus, so I probably would have just assumed it was not available. But our waiter made it clear that the kitchen is very flexible, and if it were possible, they'd try to accommodate any requests one might have. We even saw a whole roasted Poussin being delivered to a table not far from us. When we commented on it, our waiter explained that they always have some things roasting in the rotisserie just in case.... But back to the oysters and pearls: I too really enjoyed this, and would disagree with some who have said that the custard overwhelms the oysters. I felt that I could distinctly taste them, and found the play of flavors and textures to be quite enjoyable. It's a signature dish for a good reason. As you might have guessed from all those Xs, the wine was from the Basque region, and cut through the custard beautifully, while complimenting the range of brininess to be found in both oysters and caviar. Excellent suggestion from our waiter. Anson Mill's White Polenta - "Castelmagno" Cheese, Shaved Alba Truffles and Brown Butter Jus Guy Roulot, Mersault, "Tillets" 2002 We were joking that there might have been a $50 supplement to sniff the truffle box... These were imposingly large Alba Truffles. I'm not sure if we were supposed to tell the guy shaving the truffles to stop, but we ended up with a pretty amazing pile by the time his arm got tired. I'm not sure if the flavor of the dish would have been much different with half the truffle, but the aroma certainly benefitted from the excess. The polenta itself was quite good, pleasantly grainy, and an ideal platform for the earthy truffles. The Meursault carried nicely through this and the next two courses, with a good old-world elegance. "Sole De La Manche en Rouelle Pochee" - Caramelized salsify, hearts of romaine lettuce and "mousseline de truffles noires" This was the least favorite course of the meal for me as well, not outright bad, but bordering on over-salted, yet somehow bland. I did like the salsify and the wilted romaine, but the fish itself was not very distinctive, and even the black truffle mousse seemed inconsequential. Pan Seared Main Sea Scallop - Celeriac fondant, celery branch, black winter truffle filaments and Hobb's Shore bacon emulsion This was very well-executed, and perfectly pleasant, but I didn't find it particularly exciting. The bacon emulsion was a brushed-on stripe on the side of the plate, which didn't leave much to drag the scallop through it, so I didn't find it added much to my plate. A hint of the emulsion left me intrigued about what a little more might have done for the dish. Liberty Valley Pekin Duck wrapped in Savoy Cabbage - Sauteed Moulard duck foie gras, cinnamon poached Pruneaux d'Agen, garnet yam puree and duck jus Faiveley, Gevrey-Chambertin, "Les Cazetieres", 1er Cru 2003 The duck had me worried for a minute, I found it a little difficult to cut into bite-sized pieces, seemingly very dense and tough, yet once I got it sliced, it was perfectly tender, juicy, and amazingly delicious. And I'll concur with Percy that there was something special about the Foie Gras, it had a denser texture than most I've had. The poached prune and concentrated duck jus were excellent accompaniments, as was the neon-orange yam puréé. I found this to be an outstanding course, I loved every aspect of it. The red Burgundy seemed a little harsh and edgy by itself, but really came to life paired with the duck, and surprisingly, the foie gras. Another excellent pairing suggested by our waiter. Snake River Farm's "Calotte de Boeuf Grille" - Pain Perdu a la moelle, Broccoli fondue, caramelized cipollini onion, matsutake mushrooms with Vinaigrette Bordelaise Luigi Pira, Barolo, "Marenca" 2000 I was actually considering not ordering the holiday menu because this course looked a little pedestrian on paper. Yeah, yeah, grilled beef, broccoli, onions and mushrooms, Bordelaise, what is this, a retirement dinner? Turned out to be one of the best things I've eaten. Ever. The beef itself had that kobe marbling effect that made it practically melt like butter on the tongue, while delivering an intensely beefy grilled flavor. Spectacular. The little black cube was brisket that had been poached sous-vide, concentrating its essence into a dense package. It was bordering on dry, but packed such a punch of flavor that it didn't matter. I'm not entirely sure why the "Vinaigrette Bordelaise" was spooned-on tableside, but it was an excellent added element, tasting much like the classic sauce. This course is etched into my memory, and may have ruined any future enjoyment of grilled beef. Like the Burgundy above, I wasn't too fond of the Barolo upon first tasting it, but it matched very nicely with the beef, and ended up abeing a very simpatico accompaniment. Brie De Meaux a la Truffe Noire - Crispy Russet potato, garden mache and black truffle gastrique The textural interplay of the creamy cheese and crunchy potato filaments was pleasing, and the cheese was tasty, enhanced by shards of truffle, but this did seem a little tame. Meyer Lemon Sorbet - Fluff, Vanilla Moelleux and yogurt panna cotta. A fairly restrained meyer lemon sorbet, but cleansing and refreshing. At at least until one dug into the marshmallow and panna cotta. Tentation au Chocolat, Noisette et Lait - Milk chocolate Cremeux, Hazelnut Streusel with condensed milk sorbet, pain ai lait sauce and sweetened salty hazelnuts This was very pleasant, if a bit subtle. I did like the coarse salt atop the chocolate. Vanilla yogurt "pot de creme" with a prune base Half the table got this, the other half got tiny creme brulées. Both were very good, neither was especially distinctive. Mignardises Loved all of these, especially the cinnamon. I feel that it's impossible to answer the "worth-it" question. It was an extremely enjoyable experience, with very good food throughout, some courses unquestionably ranking among the best I've ever encountered. Service was flawless, hitting a perfect note of casual friendliness while retaining absolute professionalism. Our waiter did an excellent job of leading us gradually and logically through the various decisions we had to make, not overwhelming us with too many choices all at once. He made excellent suggestions for wines, clearly explaining the logic behind his pointing us in one direction or another, and happily flexing within our budget and general preferences. The room and view are lovely. What's not to like? It costs a ton of money. And clearly there are plenty of folks who are happy to pay it, and many would continue to do so at double the price. But it's just expensive enough that I really am not sure about going back. Of course one could spend less than we did by sticking to regular menu, skipping the luxe add-ons, and showing more restraint with wine choices. But trying to economize at a place like this seems like putting cheap tires on a Ferrari. Sure, you'll get where you're going, but you won't really have the true experience. I'm very happy that I went. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm not entirely sure I'll do it again any time soon... Regardless, many thanks to Percyn for securing the reservation in the first place, and for inviting me along. Despite any whining, it was certainly an enriching dining experience, and an enjoyable day overall.

Don't think I haven't thought about it! But no, we're lucky that there's a nice desk lamp over the table where the plating happens, so there's a decent light source. Add some fill-flash from the camera in some circumstances, it's amazing how good it can look even with a simple point-and-shoot. That said, these latest shots were taken with a digital SLR, with a diffuser on the flash. Turns out big glass and a big sensor really does make a difference! Glad folks are enjoying the pix. Don't mean to rub it in, but it tasted even better than it looked!

Just like your ordinary griddle, except that it gets REALLY cold! He didn't use it for the meal i just described, but I saw the machine...so, soon! I think Grant Achatz at Alinea inspired the design of this precise model from Polyscience but I think they've been doing similar things at elBulli, maybe even in some commercial kitchens. I'm eager to see what Shola does with it!

http://www.pnm.my/motw/laos/provbig.htm

StudioKitchen December 16, 2005 Of all the amazing meals I've had at StudioKitchen, this one stands out, for a few reasons. We can all be excited that this indicates Shola's desire to explore even more adventurous, luxurious food than before, so I expect there are some truly amazing meals to come. There are some new toys, some new techniques, some new ideas being deployed, which will lead to some spectacular results on the plate. Additionally, this particular meal was a special event for some long-time regulars, so it was perhaps a bit over the top, even for StudioKitchen. So there are a few extra courses, some special-request ingredients, and a general level of opulence that might be a BIT more than you might see on the average SK dinner, but I'm sure we'll still be seeing some preparations reflecting some of these same ideas in the future. Sea Urchin Custard, Maple Sherry Caramel, Marcona Almond, American Hackleback Caviar The delicate custard had just a hint of that deep-sea uni mystery, countered with the sweet shine of maple caramel on the top. The caviar nicely reinforced the marine overtones, but the ingredient that really tied this together was the almond, the crunch playing against the rich creaminess, and the broad nutty flavor bridging the creamy, sweet, salty, fishy elements. Chestnut Soup, Pheasant Confit, Apple Cider I've probably made this claim in this topic several times before, and I look forward to maybe saying it again someday, but this is the best soup I've ever had in my life. It was impossibly full and creamy, not a hint of grittiness despite the strong chestnut flavor. Large shreds of tender pheasant hid behind chunks of sweet apple. The tiniest hint of grated Thai long pepper on the foam gave a nutmeg-ish aroma that added a perfect top-note to the earthy soup. I was dreaming about this soup last night... Butter Poached Prawns, Dessicated Tomatoes, Chamomile Tea I can't eat shrimp. so I can't tell you much about them, except that there was no shortage of volunteers to eat the ones I wasn't! But I can say that the Chamomile tea in which they were bathing was unbelievable! It looked like a light, clear broth, but somehow tasted like a Thai coconut milk soup, complex flowery aromas, a hint of citrus, and really, phantom coconut. I certainly hope to encounter that broth on something else in the future! Foie Gras Poele, Pineapple, Basil Oil Foie and basil? I was having a hard time picturing it, but sure enough, it worked beautifully, the pineapple bridging the two. Absolutely delicious. Vadouvan Spiced Scottish Partridge, Mushroom Pain Perdu, Black Truffle Despite being sourced from D'Artagnan, one really gets the experience of a bird brought back from a traditional hunt. I can testify to this, having experienced the deep gamey flavors, and having found two little pellets of bird shot in my portion! Just chew carefully, it's worth the risk, the taste of this bird is so different from a farm-raised quail or pheasant. I loved the mushroom-stuffed french toast that served as a platform for the partridge leg and breast, and soaked up the truffle-perfumed jus. The bird itself was really tasty, sparked-up by some Indian spices, and just really densely flavored, especially the leg. Balontine of Rabbit and Sweetbreads, Poached Egg, Tarragon Saboyan, Poivrade Jus This would make a pretty mind-blowing brunch item, echoing some of the forms and flavors of an Eggs Benedict. The sweetbreads were rolled-up inside the rabbit, the first time I've had them when they weren't crisped on their own. They leant a rich, luxurious texture to the rabbit, which itself was meltingly tender. The runny yolks of the poached egg gave another level of indulgence, the lemony saboyan brightening the flavors. People often tease Shola about not serving bread, and although I understand his stance in most circumstances, this is one course that would have really benefitted from something to sop up some of the sauce and egg. A few slices of baguette, a soft roll, heck some wheat toast from the diner would do, the yolk intermingling with the saboyan and Poivrade jus made such a lovely new sauce. Vacherin Mont D'Or, Pickled Grapes Poached in Olive Oil, Sorrel Man, it smelled like a freaking locker room in there... The Vacherin was a gloriously stinky, runny cheese, which we scooped up on chunks of Challa. The first time I had these grapes, I was convinced they were olives, they live in a netherworld between sweet and tart, absolutely perfect accompaniments for this cheese. Frozen Lemon-Chaource "Cheesecake", Dehydrated Olives, Marcona Almonds, Fennel Pollen, Muscovado Sugar, Lemon Scented Olive Oil The quotes are there because this was not so much a traditional cheesecake, more one of the cheesy ice creams Shola does so well. The olives, almonds and pollen were in a crumble beneath the ice cream, lending a little crunch, and some unusual flavors as well. I think that ought to do it... It's probably obvious that everything was delicious, not a low point in all these courses. I've been shaking my head when Shola says that he's going to start doing some more creative cooking... it seems like that's what he's been doing all along! But the food here was certainly amped-up a bit, and if it's an indication of the things to come, I think we can be really excited about what's coming. I especially want to see what he'll do with his anti-griddle! Stay tuned, I'm sure we'll read about it right here in this topic.

This is getting a little off topic for here, but for the sake of encouraging you to take pictures of Gilt, the short version is yes, the "levels" controls in Photoshop can work wonders. The other trick is to prop your elbows on something and use the shutter delay timer, so your shutter finger doesn't shake the camera.... Give it a try, we want to see what the Gilt food looks like!!

I don't think this speaks well of my aesthetic standards, but I just hurt myself laughing...

Yeah, come on Vadouvan, you can be discreet with that Coolpix! And I think that any of us who go there should call to reconfirm our reservations every couple of hours for a few days, they might get the message!

OK, mark the day on your calendar, you can tell your grandkids that you were there the day this great sandwich started its climb to fame. Soon to dominate the hoagie world, I'm sure of it. I give you: The Chicken Larb Hoagie OK, the name needs some work... But really, it's delicious. I just took (cold) leftover Larb (or in this case "Laab" from Vientiane Cafe) and slapped it onto a hoagie roll with some extra lettuce. With the the herbs and the spiciness it's getting into Bahn Mi territory, but I haven't ever seen anything exactly like this for sale. It would probably be good with the Larb hot too... Try it!

Thanks Greg, I remember reading that now, Vientiane is a province of Laos that borders Thailand, and the Laotian origins explain the mix of things we more readily associate with Thai and Vietnamese. In any case, we stayed on the western edge of the menu this time, but I look forward to trying more...

Anybody had the Pho?

This place is a favorite of a few of my friends, but I'd never been. It's got a nice, homey, bohemian vibe, a good array of foods, and lots of vegetarian-friendly offerings. I had assumed that the menu was primarily Vietnamese, but it feels to me like there's more Thai stuff... On this cold night, soup was in order: Tom Yum was very good, a little hot, a little sour, and loaded with vegetables and chicken. You can get it vegetarian or with shrimp instead. Coconut Soup was a credible version of this Thai classic. It was very mild, almost sweet, but as above, notable for it's generous complement of vegetables and very tender chicken. Home Made Sausages were amazingly good. They had a nice grilled snap, and a complex flavor, from pork, lemongrass, lots of spices.. I'm definitely going back for these again. Chicken Laab was very good, with chopped chicken, lots of herbs and a salty marinade. And the best part, leftovers are going to end up in a hoagie, my pitch for the next great sandwich... All in all, I really liked this place, it's not super-fancy, just very satisfying. Vientiane Cafe 4728 Baltimore Ave (215)726-1095

I've had that Kobe beef appetizer, and I'm of two minds about it. On one hand, $15 for three little slices of beef, about an ounce each, slapped on a hot rock for a few seconds, is just obscenely expensive. On the other hand, the beef (even if it's not actually from Kobe) has an amazingly luxurious texture, and is quite delicious. I've ordered it more than once. It's worth experiencing if you're OK with spending $5 on a single bite of beef. It's really not all that insane compared to some sushi or sashimi...

I'm willing to bet Phungi was wondering whether it was super-busy at lunch or not: lines out the door or easy to get a table, long waits or a fast-moving line, etc. But I suppose it's good to know if they have a dress code, or a velvet rope and a bouncer!

Paul, I'm sure I speak for many of us here when I say I'm really sorry to hear it... Thanks for sharing your story, it's been fascinating, just wish it had a happy ending! Good luck with whatever's next.

Grabbed some takeout from Thai Place in Phoenixville (yep, that's the name: Thai Place.) Chu Chee Curry with Beef. Chicken with Basil It's not necessarily the most thrilling Thai food I've every had, but it's surprisingly good for a little spot in the Giant Supermarket Plaza where rt. 113 meets rt. 23. Everything's a little formulaic: meat A,B,C or D, the same random mix of vegetables in everything, just a different sauce. That said, the sauces are good, with vibrant flavors, even if they are on the thin side. It's not perfectly consistent from night to night, but I like it as much as most Thai restaurants in Philly these days...

Here's one I had in LA at a Oaxacan place called Guelaguetza. I don't know how the ones at Taco Riendo compare, but this one was awesome, served with a spoon because it had little chunks of fruit and nuts in it. Please, someone get one and report back!