South Coast Plaza Culinary Event

[Swicks]

I am copying this from another board but thought you all might be interested. South Coast Plaza is having a "Restaurant Week" of sorts to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Here is some info:

The Chefs of South Coast Plaza celebrate the Center's 40th Anniversary with 4-course $40 dinners the week of August 20-26. Participating restaurants include: Antonello Ristorante, Chat Noir, Leatherby's Café Rouge, Marche Moderne, Nello Cucina, Quattro Caffe, Pinot Provence, Royal Khyber Fine Indian Cuisine, Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar and Turner New Zealand. Telephone (714) 435-2000 for the restaurant of your choice.

Highlights from their four course menus* as follows:

Antonello: Carpaccio di cinghile pepato e affumicato---thin slices of peppered and lightly smoked wild boar drizzled with truffle-infused olive oil topped with frisée and baby arugula; caciucco alla Genovese--Mediterranean mussels, Manila clams and shrimp cooked with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil and light tomato broth.

Chat Noir: Chilled shrimp gazpacho; poisson picholine chef's selection of fish with

spinach, capers and olive sauce; Callebaut chocolate soufflé, Cointreau cream.

Leatherby's Café Rouge: Yellowtail from Japan with wakame salad and watermelon radish; domestic veal, the cheeks, white beans, market vegetables.

Marche Moderné: Big eye tuna, avocado-yuzu sorbet; braised Four Story Hill Farms lamb palette and roasted lamb noisette, mint, olives, leek, cumin; Fitzgerald peach and Greek fromage blanc gateau pêché mignon gelato, crème fraiche Chantilly.

Quattro Caffé: Funghi con Parmigiano--Portobello and shiitake mushrooms sautéed in white wine sauce with shaved Parmigiano; certified organic Dakota New York steak with sautéed spinach or Chilean sea bass with Asiago mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables

Pinot Provence: Dungeness crab and avocado “cannelloni”, nori, soy fondue, yuzu cilantro “caviar;” grilled duck breast, frisee salad, duck proscuitto, 62°celsius egg, red wine emulsion ; summer berry semi-freddo, balsamic meringue, white chocolate "soil."

Royal Khyber: Samosa salad with spicy greens and tamarind–ginger-basil-honey dressing; Khyber's Nectar--reputed aphrodisiacal lamb shank simmered for 14 hours served with basmati rice pilaf, vegetable and tandoori naan.

Scott's: Roasted beet salad with Laura Chenel chevre, chardonnay vinaigrette, basil, oregano, thyme; pan roasted halibut with summer corn, English peas, oyster mushrooms, crème fraiche, thyme; strawberry shortcake with ginger-lemon biscuit

Turner New Zealand: Turner lobster bisque, organic Caesar or herb salad; organic Turner king salmon or filet mignon, Mama Turner's Pavlova.

*Menu's subject to change

[SiseFromm]

So is anybody going to any of these?

[Swicks]

Some of them sound interesting to me, and at $40, not a bad bargain.

[SiseFromm]

We ate at Pinot last weekend and I actually had that "62°celsius egg". It's basically a Spanish breakfast of poached egg (or actually, slow cooked sous vide) with on-vine roasted tomatoes, Chorizo "powder", and crispy potato. The egg, due to the cooking process, is nearly custard like. Even the white was literally "gooey". Of all the dishes we had that night, I thought that was one of the most interesting. The new, younger chef that took over after Florent left is definitely taking risks and experimenting. The highs were high but the lows were low. It's exciting to see such bold experimentation but sometimes it's at the cost of the dish.

[Swicks]

We ate at Pinot last weekend and I actually had that "62°celsius egg".  It's basically a Spanish breakfast of poached egg (or actually, slow cooked sous vide) with on-vine roasted tomatoes, Chorizo "powder", and crispy potato.  The egg, due to the cooking process, is nearly custard like.  Even the white was literally "gooey".  Of all the dishes we had that night, I thought that was one of the most interesting.  The new, younger chef that took over after Florent left is definitely taking risks and experimenting.  The highs were high but the lows were low.  It's exciting to see such bold experimentation but sometimes it's at the cost of the dish.

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Interesting, how does it compare to Marche?