Today we had dinner at, Costes, a Michelin star restaurant. We arrived at 6:30 and left around 9:30. This was a change for us and we usually eat much too fast. We also usually eat an early dinner and are in bed by 9. I’ll start by saying the service was impeccable. Everyone was helpful and very informative about the dishes. The staff created a very welcoming atmosphere for us.
In fact they were much nicer than I would’ve been. For example, the table next to us had a last minute request for no pork. When you make the reservation they ask if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies as they prepare everything ahead of time. If I was the chef I would’ve been irritated that they didn’t provide the information at that time. The chef not only redid the dishes that had pork but he gave them a special drink as they had to wait a bit longer for the food.
My favorite savory course was the amuse bouche. It was a roasted corn soup with chorizo, goat cheese in a butterfly tuile and a fish and caviar pastry. The soup had a delicious smokey flavor. The one strange thing was they gave you a fork to eat it so you could get all the fillings it but was tough to get the broth. Kuah said he would’ve loved a big bowl of it.
They also gave us a roll which was mad up or 3 types of bread, white, onion and wheat. Accompanying the bread were 2 kinds of butter, leak and kimchi. I had my doubts about the butter but it was very good. Kuah and I both liked the kimchi one the best.
Then came the first course, Stracciatella, Aubergine, Celeriac, Granny Smith Apple. These were like little raviolis. They were placed on a sauce with a green herb oil. Kuah liked the sauce the best. Unfortunately, with the way the plate was designed it was hard to get to the sauce. The raviolis weren’t bad but they weren’t really that good either.
Next came Kuah’s favorite course, Foie Gras Rocher, Apple Chutney, Tokaji, Brioche. I’m not fan of foie gras but the tokaji and apple chutney made it edible for me. The tokaji was a jelly that was made of a white wine and added a refreshing note. Kuah thought the dish tasted just like a savory rocher. I ate half of mine and then gave Kuah the rest.
On to the Onion Consomme, Jerusalem Artichoke, Gnocchi Ripieni, Ox Cheek. I’m not a huge onion fan so this was never going to be amazing for me. Kuah really likes onions but thought this was too salty. The Jerusalem artichoke was used to make a crunch bite on the side with some chives and I really enjoyed that, although it was really just a bite.
I was really looking forward to the fish course. It was Artic Char, Leavened Cucumber, Beurre Blanc, Quinoa, chervil. Unfortunately, it was a huge let down. It was not a fresh fish but rather a salted one. I did not enjoy the texture or the fishy flavor. I only ate it because I had walked 15 miles and needed protein. Kuah didn’t really enjoy this dish either.
The last savory course was New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Transparent Tortellini, Sichuan Garlic. I gave Kuah my lamb but tried the tortellini, which had a fun curry flavor. Kuah liked the chili sauce that came on the plate but thought the lamb should’ve been in the chili sauce and the tortellini in the broth. He was right as the tortellini was a bit dry and the curry flavor of it competed with the chili sauce.
Next came the first sweet dish, which was really a palate cleanser. It was citrus and berry. Kuah and I ate it so quick we only got a picture of the empty plate. I was happy to finally have something I enjoyed rather than just stuffing something down.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. The dessert was a Sorrel, Rhubarb, Elderflower, Lacto-Fermented Strawberry. They first came around and sprayed our hands with elderflower scent. Then the dish looked like a whimsical forest. I thought it tasted about like a forest would as well.
However, I was smart and told them we were there to celebrate our anniversary when I made the reservation. This meant the dessert course was saved for me. They brought us an anniversary chocolate cranberry cake to share. This was a delicious. Definitely, my favorite course.
By this time Kuah and I were both super tired and practically falling out of our chairs. But there was still one last treat. I called it a treat forest. it was a few sweet nibbles plated to look like a forest ground.
As far as drinks went, we both started out with a glass of sparkling wine. I found this to be a lovely way to start the meal. Kuah decided to get the wine pairings for each course but I stuck to sparkling water after my first drink. Poor Kuah ended up with heartburn and trouble falling asleep at the end of the night.
The restaurant was fun to visit and I did try some new things. However, to be honest, I’d rather have had a grilled cheese sandwich and a slice of chocolate cake.
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