CityZen, Mandarin Oriental Hotel

[lackadaisi]

I finally tried out Cityzen last Friday. Overall, I was impressed but disappointed.

I had the 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Two others at my table had the same. One other had the three course menu with the wines suggested by the sommelier.

The food was excellent. Some of it was outstanding. In particular, the foie gras with black plum soup and the cheese course were amazing! The other courses, and amuse bouche etc., were perfectly executed with dynamic flavors also. I do not have a single complaint about the food.

The service was generally good, but way too uneven for this price point. The waitstaff was well-trained and very knowledgeable. But, they did not explain the dishes. When ordering a $110 (or $120, I forgot exactly) tasting menu, I expect that the waitstaff will tell me what they are serving. I do not think that it is up to the patron to memorize the entire menu. I wanted to know what I was eating, and they would not tell me. For instance, when the first amuse came, there were different amuses for the tasting menu and for the person that had not ordered the tasting menu. The only way that we would know that (before tasting, of course) is because they were different colors. They were served, and then the service was gone. So, I flagged down someone to explain. And, they graciously and knowledgably did. A similar scenario was repeated as each dish was served (sometimes I caught them before they left the table, sometimes I did not). Invariably, they were extremely knowledgable about the dish - why wouldn't they just impart that knowledge to us? Oddly, the next day, I had brunch at Rosa Mexicano, and my husband and I had a great time contrasting the excellent voluntarily-given descriptions of the dishes there with Cityzen's service techniques - and I never would have expected such detailed description (or any for that matter) of our $12 tacos at Rosa Mexicano.

On the other hand, the cheese service was really helpful; the guy who operates the cheesecart is extremely talented at picking out the perfect cheese for each person. Although everyone at the table has very different cheese tastes, each combination was perfectly composed and suitable to those taste. It was really remarkable.

Someone at the table was celebrating a b-day, and they wrote happy birthday on the dessert plate in chocolate, and presented us each with a glass of prosecco to celebrate. It was one of the nicest celebratory treatments I have seen; elegant, but understated.

Additionally, I was impressed that they were able to gracefully handle the mixed ordering. Generally restaurants have all or nothing policies about tasting menus; either everyone gets it or no one gets its. At Cityzen, however, they allowed some to have it and other to choose thier own dishes. The mixed service was done without any awkward gaps.

My biggest complaint is with regard to the wine pairings. Those of us who ordered the tasting menu also ordered the matching wine pairings for an additional $80/pp. No wine was served until after both of the amuses. And, there was no suggestion of a pre-dinner beverage. Therefore, we were sitting there for a good 40 minutes without a beverage. Moreover, not all courses were paired. In total, three glasses of wine and a port (and the complimentarty b-day beverage was served). Each of the glasses of wine was only about a 3-4 ounce pour. This seems like quite a paltry amount of wine for a six course meal. Moreover, although the wine was good, it was nothing spectacular. At the same time, the person ordering a la carte had two glasses of wine that were about $20 each (I am not certain of the exact figure) that was of far better quality - and more quantity. This was extremely obvious. And were it not, a waitress made it more so by lightly scolding the a la carte person for sharing because it would make us all jealous. For $80 pp. I do not want 12 ounces of wine/port that leaves me wanting for quality. It is clear that the pairings are a huge profit center for Cityzen. Hopefully, however, this profit was enough for them because - despite the amazing food and (almost) flawless service, I do not intent to return anytime soon. I left feeling ripped off.

[Busboy]

I can’t stop thinking about the pizza.

Spain gave us Dali, Surrealism and Jose Andres, who took clam chowder apart and spun cotton candy around morsels of foie gras. France gave us Monet, Impressionism and Michelle Richard, who puts tradition in the sous-vide and brings it back with brighter colors and softer edges, almost always with a sly wink or two: risotto made of cuttlefish or “Chinese” duck breast with potato rice. And Iowa gave us Grant Wood, solid Midwestern values and Eric Ziebold, who serves pizza and boiled beef on his $120 tasting menu.

The pizza is made with a nutty little Emmenthaler or Gruyer (I think), rather than mozzarella. There's and egg on top, sunny side up. And when the server drops it on the tables, another server strolls up and starts shaving white truffles all over it, smiling at the awsome power to do good that the truffle-shaver wields, leaving enough atop the odd little pie to suggest that they've learned from Thomas Keller’s lament that many people don’t “get” truffles because restaurants don’t slice up enough onto their food for the guest to appreciate them.

On cutting, the egg yolk (which has been nesting with the truffles up until the moment of preparation) spills onto the cheese, creating a great, gloppy mess that looks like diner food in the hands of two drunks at 3AM and tastes so rich and divine that you scarf it up as though you were one of those late night drunks -- and you wake up the next morning thinking first not of your wife, whose birthday you were celebrating and who should indeed be celebrated, but of the pizza.

It’s like a love hangover.

The whole meal was grand, actually, all 84 courses. OK, maybe not dessert number two, something creamy with Jerusalem artichokes (?) that I couldn’t quite grok. But the last dessert, the little bit of chocolate thingy – silver dollar-sized and it crunched for an instant in your mouth before disappearing into the ether, leaving behind only an intense chocolate aftertaste, topped with a quail-egg quenelle of white chocolate – abolished any thoughts that you might be somewhere besides DC’s newest four-star room.

One thing I liked about CityZen was that it’s the kind of place you could take a good friend who is “afraid” of post-modern, neo-nano cuisine. Not that I’m against foams and sous-vide and minimalist platings and all that, but it’s nice to have simple stuff like beef cheek and cabbage, too. Even nicer when the cabbage is thin-sliced and incorporated into a butter sauce and the cheek is balanced with a good-sized chunk of foie gras – and the whole thing is served at the intersection of comfort food and haute cuisine.

This is not to imply that the cooking was somehow fusty or rustic or backwards-looking. It’s not. It’s contemporary cooking that recalls that the primary purpose of a meal is to nourish, not impress. It’s self-effacing in a way – unless you stop and think about it you can almost miss the hard work that goes into making this “simple” food taste so good.

Not to beat the Keller connection to death -- Ziebold was at the FL for eight years -- but if you’ve ever tried to cook from one of Kellers cookbooks, you know the level of detail that goes into his food. I got the impression that the same detail work was going on at CityZen.

Of course, butter-poached lobster really is pretty simple. But does anything really taste better? (Actually, maybe the creamy lobster broth that came out as our second amuse: hot and frothy and spiked with just enough salt to jump-start the taste buds.)

But the elegant square of toro which, at first glance, was simply sitting there reveling in its own wonderfulness, was rendered even more wonderful by resting it on a papaya confit, a onion marmalade and ume gelée. A lot of work for a dish that could fit on a demitasse saucer. Fusion without faddishness.

There was a lot more going on, so much so that my wife tried to beg off of a couple of courses, causing Chef Ziebold (who – full disclosure -- we’d had the pleasure of meeting a couple of days before) to loom alarmedly over the table until we assured him that it was a capacity and not a quality problem.

Likewise, since I was having way too much fun to take notes, I have to limit my comments regarding Sommelier Andy Myers excellent wine pairings except to say that it was an interesting look at California’s ability to produce fine wine in so many different “foreign” styles, including excellent Riesling, Syrah and Pinot. (When I asked Andy about it he said that there was no conscious California emphasis, it’s just what he thought would work well.)

One of just four Washington Post four-star restaurants in the region – and the newest – CityZen seems to be firing on all cylinders. Eric is not only a brilliant chef but a genuinely nice guy, it is almost as enjoyable to see him succeed as it is to eat his food.

And it is said that the bar menu (which I haven’t tried) is the greatest bargain on earth. And the pizza is the best in town.

[docsconz]

Great report, Charles! Just when it seems like I am starting to get a handle on restaurants I must experience along comes another. Thanks!

[Busboy]

Great report, Charles! Just when it seems like I am starting to get a handle on restaurants I must experience along comes another. Thanks!

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I'd be curious to have someone who's been to the FL eat at CityZen and do a compare and contrast.

You could be just the guy!

[docsconz]

Great report, Charles! Just when it seems like I am starting to get a handle on restaurants I must experience along comes another. Thanks!

←

I'd be curious to have someone who's been to the FL eat at CityZen and do a compare and contrast.

You could be just the guy!

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Well, it would be a tough job...but, I suppose if someone must do it.... (Now I have to figure out a time to get back to DC and leave enough time for this and my "must" re-visits of minibar and Citronelle !)

[mojoman]

Here's the menu.

Chef’s Tasting Menu

Moulard Duck Foie Gras Confit Toigo

Farms Plum Financier and Sarawak Pepper Gastrique

Sautéed Chesapeake Bay Softshell Crab

with Eastern Shore White Corn Chowder and Applewood Smoked Bacon

Wild Alaskan Ivory Salmon Mi Cuit

with Golden Jubilee Tomato Coulis, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes,

Grilled Shallot, and Bread Pudding Croutons

Herb Roasted Elysian Fields Farm Lamb

with CousCous, CityZen Merguez, Summer Squash,

and Saffron Infused Lamb Jus

Or

Grilled Sirloin Of Miyazaki Wagyu Beef

Baby Leek Tempura, Pickled Chanterelles,

and Smoked Vegetable Gelée (USD 30 Supplement)

Assorted Artisanal Cheeses From Our Trolley

Pineapple Sorbet With Rum Gelée And Coconut Broth

Peaches & Cream

Red Ginseng Chiboust with Crème Fraiche Ice Cream

and Red Garnet Peach Syrup

I will post a report tomorrow.

[mojoman]

Here's the menu.

Chef’s Tasting Menu 

I had a vodka martini, my GF a glass of champagne.

Amuse #1 - Mussel fritter with mussel sauce.  This tasted fine although, honestly, the flavor of the main ingredient, mussel, was lacking.  Since I don't much care for mussels I wasn't crying but it could have been a tiny chicken fritter.

Amuse #2 - Salmon (I think) sausage on a sweet potato pancake.  Meh.

Moulard Duck Foie Gras Confit Toigo

Farms Plum Financier and Sarawak Pepper Gastrique

First, let me say that I prefer my foie seared.  This was two thin slices of perfectly seasoned confit.  The Financier consisted of a sweet corn based dough around a slice of plum.  Interesting contrast to the foie, giving the usual sweet accompaniment.  The gastrique was scanty.  From the little bit on my plate, it seemed to have a good balance of acid, sweet, and piquant.

Sautéed Chesapeake Bay Softshell Crab

with Eastern Shore White Corn Chowder and Applewood Smoked Bacon

First of all, this was hardly a softshell crab.  It was more like a regular blue crab with a thin shell.  They did not select for busters which I thought they should at this price point.  Still they were perfectly cooked.  The corn chowder was delicious - sweet, creamy, smoky.

Wild Alaskan Ivory Salmon Mi Cuit

with Golden Jubilee Tomato Coulis, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes,

Grilled Shallot, and Bread Pudding Croutons

This was a roulade of salmon, nicely seasoned that was probably sous vided, then flash seared on the outside, then sliced into rounds.  It was served with a few slightly cooked grape tomatoes what had been tossed in a light vinaigrette.  It came with a very interesting basil mousse.

Herb Roasted Elysian Fields Farm Lamb

with CousCous, CityZen Merguez, Summer Squash,

and Saffron Infused Lamb Jus

GF got the lamb.  It appeared to be a lamb shank braised to falling apart succulence.  It was served on a bed of cous cous with some bruinoised veggies.  At service, the server brought out a tureen of the jus.  I'm not a big fan of lamb but my GF, who loves lamb, thought this was way to strong.  More mutton than lamb.  This dish was too salty too.  Depends what floats your boat.

Or

Grilled Sirloin Of Miyazaki Wagyu Beef

Baby Leek Tempura, Pickled Chanterelles,

and Smoked Vegetable Gelée (USD 30 Supplement)

This was about 2.5 oz Wagu, cooked perfectly medium rare. They offered (and I accepted) a grating of "Siberian Rock Salt" tableside.  Since only about 10 mg of SRS was deposited to the dish with the little grater, I have to assume that the oversalting of the steak occurred in the kitchen.  The tempura and chanterelles were nothing to write home about.  The gelee tasted mostly like beet to me.

Assorted Artisanal Cheeses From Our Trolley

They have a terrific selection of sheep, goat, and cows milk cheeses from mild to stinky.  It's also a great presentaton.  It's served with some thin sliced raisin bread, a few almonds, and two kinds of marmelade.

Pineapple Sorbet With Rum Gelée And Coconut Broth

This was basically a deconstructed Pina Colada.  A sugar-rum-water solution had been geleed, probably with gelatin, and diced into tiny cubes.  On this, they placed a tiny quenelle of pineapple sorbet.  A small amount of coconut milk-derived sauce was spooned around.  Delicious.

 

Peaches & Cream

Red Ginseng Chiboust with Crème Fraiche Ice Cream

and Red Garnet Peach Syrup

This seemed to be a gingersnap-like cookie, mounted with a mousse and broiled.  It was served on a thin round of delicious ice cream and a delicious peach syrup with bruinoised peaches.  Again, delicious.

There was a little petit four tray with raspberry "gumdrops," peppermint marshmallows and a chocolate confection.  Those were a chocolate ganache over a chocolatey crunchy cookey base.  Yum.

I will post a report tomorrow.

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My comments after the dinner are posted in bold above.

The decor is modern but nothing to get excited about.

The service was OUTSTANDING. I had ordered flowers for my GF and they brought us immediately to the correct table. In all aspects, the service was terrific.

The food was good but there was no dish that I'd specifically return for or try to make myself.

We shared the wine flight. I can barely tell a red from a white so take this with a big grain of salt but I thought the wines went really well.

Total bill including tax/tip = $480.

[Busboy]

Boy, it's hard to picture a better meal -- or a better wine pairing (at a modest price point) than we had Saturday night. I'm sure that with Ziebold Mentor Thomas Keller at the next table, the kitchen was at DefCon 3, but it's worth noting that we were never for a moment ignored or neglected in favor of International Chef God beside us.

Detailed descriptions of a CZ tasting menu can get long and the adjectives tend to pile up like tailings outsider a silver mine, but there were some highlights.

Cutest courses: Tie between two amuses, the shoat (just-weaned piglet) tail and the cod cake, both little nickels of protein atop a vegetable and a sauce. In the shoat's case the little cubes of apple sat atop a brilliant green watercress sauce, giving us crisp, peppery and porky goodness all in a single nibble.

Best look in my son's eyes (he's 19, but had never been to a restaurant of this caliber): when he tasted the truffle (oil?) in the first amuse, a little mushroom quenelle atop a mushroom-truffle puree.

Funnest course: Chili and beer. The chili was little disks of beef and spice in the bottom of a small bowl into which a cup of rich, rich consumee was poured and which was finished with a quenelle of smoky, creamed hot pepper. It was brilliant and perfect. Andy Myers, the sommelier, paired it with a crisp German beer and it was great. I'd like to get a pho-sized bowl of the stuff and a six-pack.

Surpassing the master: I liked Ziebold's lobster course better than the one I had at The French Laundry last year, and I made sure Keller heard me raving about it, too. (yeah, sure I did). Both combined to of the greatest things on earth, bacon and lobster, but Zieboldt posed his on a little crunchy disk and surrounded it with a cream/herb/tomato water blend that -- with the crunch -- set off the unctuousness of the lobster pretty dang well. It should be noted that my slightly under-the-weather wife was overwhelmed by the richness and my slightly dopey son does not like lobster, so I had the equivalent of two-and-a-half of this course. It was not enough.

Sheer Elegance: The shoat entree. A little rack of ribs about the size of a roll of quarters, perfectly roasted, set over a cinnamon-tinged reduction. Candy. Just candy.

Shout outs go to all involved, especially our Captain, Michael Chesser; Maitre d' Mark Mark Politzer and, of course the frighteningly knowledgeable Andy Myers (who also knew when not to go into detail) and Chef Eric "We just buy good stuff and try not to get in the way" Ziebold.

[gaf]

Purity and Savory *** Washington, DC *** CityZen

Schools must exist in which aspiring chefs are taught to name their culinary domains: Alinea, Per Se, Moto, WD-50, and Washington’s CityZen – a preserve for citizens of a certain level of refinement and resources. CityZen is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington’s new Southwest side. And before we get to the cuisine, the restaurant, although quite pretty is pretty in the way of upscale, contemporary, luxury hotel dining rooms. Serviceable in a post-Millennium sort of way. Speaking of serviceable, service was more than serviceable, it was congenial and helpful.

There has been debate about the level of cuisine at the new venture of Chef Eric Ziebold, formerly at the French Laundry. The food is indebted to Keller with its attention to combinations of flavors and textures, occasionally borrowing from – or contributing to – an experimental cuisine. But how far can Ziebold push his clients? Can Washington ever have truly outstanding cuisine: is that the cost of living in a town in which the prime hunger is for power, not flash, flesh, or fowl? After a recent dinner, choosing the tasting menu, I am among those who rate CityZen highly – except for the bread, more about that later. While my meal was not always astonishing, it was in most regards of the highest order with several remarkable dishes. In comparison to Citronelle, Komi, Kinkead’s, or even Minibar, it is CityZen to which I would first return. Ziebold gives prime of place to simple, simply prepared proteins and surrounds them by zesty combinations.

We began with a pair of amuses, prior to the tasting menu parade. The stronger of the two was a nifty fungal symphony: A toasted mushroom egg puff covered with mushroom powder. This fritter was an earthy, but otherworldly, tribute to late fall. The flavors were deep and the multiple textures clever. It did what an amuse should do, awaken one’s senses to future surprises by the depth of taste.

The second small plate (is the second amuse still an amuse: when does it become an unadvertised appetizer?) was what I recall as a garlicky mousse-filled gougere situated on a lentil salad. The pastry was as flaky as one could desire, although perhaps slightly salty for my taste.

Our first course was as dazzling as a Miró canvas: carpaccio of Atlantic Fluke with Gans Ranch Fuyu Persimmon (even fruit has a provenance), Puffed Japanese Sweet Rice, Micro Peppercress and Pomegranate Vinaigrette. The fluke when cooked properly is a mild and subtle fish, more thrilling for its texture than its taste. Dotting it were the other ingredients, transforming each bite. This is a striking dish, witty and cunning. The taste of the fish ebbed into the background, permitting the vinaigrette a gustatory ovation.

Grilled Atlantic day boat scallops with Belgian endive marmalade, citrus velouté, and lobster infused oil was another surprising dish in that, as with the fluke, the scallops, a mild seafood, furnished texture to savory supplements. Although scallops might not seem to be an ideal partner for a sour citrus, the addition of marmalade and lobster oil created a dish that was dreamy, if not dramatic on the plate. It was lush and tangy without being jarring or busy.

The third plate – Polly-Face Farms Poussin – was similar to the previous two in that it was based on a mild center and savory edges. Authentically produced in western Virginia with Michael Pollan’s blessing (despite the misspelling of Polyface Farms – not only green-card eateries that don’t spell-check), the poussin was paired with dried currant and Italian pistachio mousse with parsnip puree, sugar pie pumpkin and Swiss chard roulle. Simple and pure as the chicken was, the accompaniments made this dish special. The pumpkin and chard roulle was Chef Ziebold’s most memorable presentation of the evening. Again the chef maintains an austere urbane zen-like calm at the center of the plate while circling the center with pungent intensity.

The meat course was braised A1 Direct kuroge beef shortribs with marinated beets, cipollini onions and caramelized salsify (I don’t know what A1 Direct might be, but the firm seems uncomfortable like a company that attempts to cadge customers by being listed first in the Yellow Pages). The beef was itself more dramatically flavorful than the chicken, scallop, or fluke. However, the plate became innovative because of the surroundings, passionate beets and sumptuous salsify. Without the accompaniments this would have been a good dish, with them it was robust and flavorful.

Shortribs were followed by a nicely presented cheese course with some dozen cheeses of varying provenance (A1 Direct?). Since we talking cheese, bread comes to mind. The breads (raisin, bacon, sourdough) from Uptown Bakery were uniformly, uh, awful. CityZen Pain. A four star restaurant should not be serving bread that flirts with stale. I was informed that in 2008 CityZen will be baking their own bread, so clearly they understand their problem. Why an aspiring four-star restaurant would choose to serve bread this pathetic is a mystery. Are there no Ritz Crackers to be had? In fairness, the mini-Parker House rolls, prepared in-house and served with the shortrib, were terrific. They should have been on the table from start to end.

Of the concluding courses, I preferred the palate cleanser, pineapple sorbet with coconut foam and rum gelee. As refreshing as the taste, it was the compelling textures that make this piña colada appealing.

Dessert was cheesecake chiboust (a custard-textured cheesecake) with soft graham cracker and passion fruit sauce, a pleasant change from leaden cheesecakes, and like the earlier course, combined a mild middle with a tart accompanying sauce. However, this passion fruit sauce was not so dramatic as to raise the profile of the dish above the pleasant.

CityZen is a distinguished restaurant with a clever chef and clever name. Chef Ziebold has a style that combines a purity of protein with zippy purees, mousses, volutes, oils, vinaigrettes, foams, and marinates. Through his signature style, he forces us to recognize the perfection of central ingredients, even while informing us that there is wild culinary world outside the gates. This is a important message, even if it might permit us to recall the “just” chicken, seafood, or beef and slight the pungent skills of the chef that made it so.

CityZen

Mandarin Oriental Hotel

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC

202-554-8588

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/535000039.asp

For photos see:

My Webpage: Vealcheeks