Dinner at Manresa - Los Gatos, CA (SF Bay Area) [pictures]

First a caveat: I worked for David Kinch 8 years ago as his pastry chef in his first restaurant, Sent Sovi, which he sold to open up Manresa. In execution and style, Sent Sovi is to Manresa what Trio is to Alinea. That is to say that what I did eight years ago has little relationship to what is coming out of the kitchen today.

There's been a lot of hype around David Kinch's recent acquisition of two Michelin stars in the recent SF/Bay Area Michelin Guide for his restaurant Manresa. These stars are not without merit -- Kinch has been cooking in the bay area for well over 20 years, refining his own type of cuisine that has been called "French Californian" and alternately "New American". Whatever it is called, it is simple, well-prepared and elegant.

When I made my reservation and checked in, I decided to dine anonymously - I didn't want to make a big to-do about my dinner and, since I hadn't been in touch with Kinch since I left, I didn't want to create an awkward situation. I shouldn't have been so paranoid...I was recognized and greeted by one of the servers who told me, too late, that Kinch was gone for the night.

We were seated by a fireplace, in the corner of the dining room. The dining room had music piped in, which I found distracting, and one of my dining companions found disagreeable. I'm of the school that shuns music for silence in places where food is center stage. The room is rather noisy, with little to buffer the sound when the dining room is full.

One pleasant feature was a 'candle place' -- a fireplace that, instead of fire, had a warmly glowing row of candles:



We opted for the four-course prix fixe, which was $85 plus $52 for wine pairings.

The first amuse buche to come out was liquid foie gras.



The idea was straight out of Molecular Gastronomy 101: cubes of deep-fried 'essence' that burst in the mouth. Unfortunately, the crust was thick, too thick for the subtlety of the foie essence.

The next course was a Maine oyster (I forget the exact provenance) with a thimble of uni in an uni gelee.



This was quite lovely, although the textural contrast was minimal. The uni gelee was light and contrasted nicely with the briney oyster.

My first course was a 'farm' egg with potatoes and spinach with a $65 upcharge for fresh shaved white truffles. I used to hate white truffles. Back when I was doing my culinary school internship at Hamerley's Bistro in Boston, I had a scallop dish on my station that required five perfect shavings of white truffles before it was sent out. Entrusted with the white truffles and the shaver, I always helped myself to a shave or two before service to 'train my palate'. Later, at Sent Sovi, I made a 'white truffle and port' ice cream for New Year's Eve - and in the process of tasting my sample, grew to despise the overpriced tuber.

I figured Manresa, 9 years later, was as good a place as any to try to reverse the spell:





It was wonderful -- there were contrasts in texture and temperature and flavor, and it came together perfectly. Just one minor adjustment would have made it even better - the inclusion of something crunchy.

My dining companions all order the sweet onion and brioche soup, which was poured from a cast iron tea pot over a small piece of cheese (not remembering what it was). It was sweet and silky:



My next course was a shellfish risotto with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. The fish/parm thing struck me as unorthodox (or verboten, depending or where you are in the world) but did, in fact, work.



I enjoyed squab for my main course. It was served with 'forgotten fall vegetables', which were explained to me as root vegetables grown in Kinch's biodynamic garden (the word 'biodynamic' appeared on the menu in quotes in the description of another dish, which my dining companions found absurd. I guess quotes weren't really necessary). It was served rare.



One of my companions had salmon. Those fried cubes on the side are an oyster-based essence, encased in a 'croquette', that are meant to be broken and used as sauce for the dish:



Another companion had the pork porcetta (stuffed loin):



And there was the Artic Char with chanterelles:



I think I liked mine the best. It was very simple and well prepared.

Dessert was more limited, but significantly more sophisticated than anything Kinch had served at Sent Sovi.

The Chocolate Marquise with pistachio cream was tasty, although my companions didn't like the addition of salt to the pistachio cream. I thought it offset the chocolate rather nicely.



The cheese plate broke my heart - so much so that I did not take the picture. My desire to become a cheesemonger came out of my time plating the cheese course (composed) at Sent Sovi. Until I took my first cheese job, everything I knew about cheese was gleaned on the job working for David Kinch. The Manresa cheese plate was nothing to write home about. There were three cheeses -- Shropshire Blue, Boucheron (!!!!), and Gran Canaria. The Gran Canaria was the only notable cheese on the plate (and one which I really do not care for). The others? Pft!

There was a lovely petit four plate served on a small flagstone tray that appeared after our desserts had been cleared. I must have been delirious as I forgot to take the picture.

We did go back into the kitchen where some of the pastry chefs were putting together a small petit four plate:



Apparently the full tasting menu has many more courses and is much more adventurous than the prix fixe menu we ordered. We saw intermezzos go out to other tables as well as other small treats we did not get to try that looked rather interesting.

While everything was delicious, I'll admit that Alinea has spoiled me and raised my expectations to such a degree that almost anything less is a disappointment. The food was good, the service was good, the dining room was pleasant. But I guess those two Michelin stars made me think that the food would be non plus ultra (considering that the third star is usually tied to service, dining room, china, a view).

I realize that I have left out all mentions of the wine we had paired with the dishes. That was a disappointment. While the pairing itself was expert, the wine was not remarkable or noteworthy. The pours were very small, although toward the end they did not hesitate to refill once a glass was drained.

Would I go back? Maybe, but I would first want to try other restaurants around the bay area who also have good word of mouth but may not have earned high (or any) accolades from the folks at Guide Michelin.

Manresa is a marked improvement over Sent Sovi, no doubt about it. The restaurant's kitchen is large and impressive, the food is much more ambitious, the dining room more refined. Is it one of the top restaurants in the world, as a recent UK paper once claimed? I can't imagine that it is. But as they say, de gustibus non disputandum est.

Queijo wrote:The Gran Canaria was the only notable cheese on the plate (and one which I really do not care for). The others? Pft!

Queijo,

Looks a very nice meal, even given the "pft" cheese and uninspiring wine paring. Terrific pictures, in particular the kitchen shot.

In the tasting menu realm best I've had in the Bay area has been at Gary Danko, but that was a number of years ago.

Enjoy,
Gary

Q,

Very interesting review, great photos. Thanks.

Antonius

niiice. sorry to see you were previously spoiled.

Manresa also made Gourmet's Top 50 this year, the only other BA restaurant besides French Laundry + Chez Panisse.

my SF chow trip is sometime in March. gonna to need a $1K budget to cover FL + Boulevard + Chez Panisse + Manresa. in the meantime, there's this FREE Buona sandwich at my desk...

you can get away with just $250 per restaurant? Then you are a much more frugal man than I!

Manresa 1.0 – Los Gatos, California

Everyone foodie needs a goal in life, if for no other reason than to keep him off the streets. And so during my year in Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, actually), I made a commitment to myself to visit Manresa once a month: for a total of ten visits. Who knows whether, in fact, I will meet my goal, but it surely counts as a caloric packed Jewish New Year’s resolution. Although I have started off slowly (on a month-by-month basis I should be at my third visit), I hope to ramp up soon. I expect to eat through the menu, although I have no doubt that the menu will change to extend my mad dash. (If we were talking about Moto, I could not only eat through the menu, but eat it as well).

It can be debated – endlessly with gustatory gusto – which Bay Area restaurant is the most definitive or the most delicious (not precisely the same question). This is a metropolitan area that sports the French Laundry, Chez Panisse, Gary Danko, and Coi. Countless other restaurants have their own virtues. But there are many partisans for Manresa, David Kinch’s establishment in Los Gatos, which, among its many virtues, includes the avoidance of San Francisco’s traffic.

Of all of the Bay Area’s restaurants, it is Manresa that perhaps owes the most to European (especially Spanish, especially Catalan) cuisine, although Chef David Kinch has the California’s love for all things herbal, vegetative and fructifying.

Manresa as architecture is pleasant, although not startling. The design doesn’t pretend to knock one out, and, in truth, it could house a restaurant deserving one, two, three, or four stars – or perhaps none at all. To say that it is upscale generic is not to suggest that it is corporate. But it lacks the attention to architectural theatrics that one finds at Alinea or Bouley. At Manresa one does not lick the walls, just the plates. The attention is on the food.

Perhaps what I will enjoy most in my essays is finding points to criticize this essential and compelling restaurant. This is the critic’s right and, frankly, his pleasure. This first night – a Sunday – my colleagues and I selected the four course menu. As we moved through the night, I was glad that no one in our party was dieting or that no one was rushed. The dinner became ten courses (some of the extras may have resulted from a friend’s phone call), and spread out longer than four hours. I confess that there will be no objections from this scribe to four amuses (that is a lot of amusement, comparable to Duck Soup or Babette’s Feast), a substantial palate cleanser, and a brief dessert. And it is not the four hours that was at issue. Still, we were surprised at the pacing of the dinner. If four courses last four hours, does David provide PJs for the tasting menu? We were surprised at the gaps between the courses. The amuses were delivered quite expeditiously, but the spaces between the prix fixe courses left much time for conversation. Aside from the pacing, service was very agreeable and we appreciated the wine suggestions of the sommelier: two very food-friendly wines.

My second complaint was an unbalanced dish that I describe subsequently.

I will not spend much time describing the amuses and other extras, but no account of Manresa would be complete without mention of the poached oyster with seaweed and the Arpege egg, an homage to Alain Passard. The former is a marvel of culinary technology, a cooked oyster, designed to taste raw, almost. Chef Kinch was able to capture the fulsome quality of the oceans, particularly the essence of seaweeds that accompanied the dish.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Poached Oyster with Seaweed by garyalanfine, on Flickr

I have not eaten at Arpege – sad moi! – and so I cannot claim any expertise as to whether this yolk compares, but of all of the dishes served it was the most luxuriant and astonishing. The hot-cold soft-boiled egg mixed with cream, maple syrup, and sherry vinegar. The warm egginess is set apart with sour’n’sweet. It is a canonical dish that deserves, like the greatest musical composition to be reprised frequently in culinary concert halls.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Arpege Egg by garyalanfine, on Flickr

For this first meal, I asked our server (Bryan) to suggest the most “typical,” or perhaps archetypical, dishes of the Manresa collection. The dishes were not the ones that I would have ordered from the menu, but I wanted to learn how the restaurant (or at least one of their servers) conceived themselves.

So I began with “Into the Garden . . . Their Natural Juices.” I expected a subtle, restrained dish like Town House’s Vegetable Minestrone. I could not have been further from the mark. Chef Kinch’s salad was a herbal kitchen sink. It had everything that one might imagine, prepared in incredible ways. It looked like an exploded mixed salad, but it tasted like a jazz combo. There were soils, bubbles, foams, leafs, and shoots. If the goal of modern cuisine is the make each bite an experience and to permit interaction with one’s food, this salad succeeded brilliantly.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Into the Vegetable Garden . . . Their Natural Jices by garyalanfine, on Flickr

I promised a criticism, and my second dish is the place. Chef Kinch does not produce laid back cuisine, but why did he have to beat a yuzu drum? I was served butterfish slowly roasted with chanterelles, baby leeks, herbs, and yuzu sabayon. While the butterfish was as buttery and perfectly prepared as advertised, and the chanterelles were welcome, they were overwhelmed by an astringently pushy yuzu sauce. I was astonished by how dominant – how hegemonic – that yuzu was, and I have to wonder whether it was poorly made or deliberately intense. This was sabayon with sharp elbows. I have argued that food need not taste good to be artistic, but this dish seemed something other than serving glass shards to add the taste of blood. After a bite or two I tried to wipe away the sabayon. Perhaps a salmon or mackerel might have stood up to the blows, but not poor little butterfishy.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Japanese Butterfish Roasted Slowly with Chanterelles, Yuzu Sabayon, and Baby Leeks and Herbs by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The third course put the meal back on track: slow roasted rack of veal “tomato,” cabbage with sweet onion and porcini fritter: a Manresa specialty. The label rack of veal was misleading as no rack was in sight. What was served was delicious enough, veal off the bone, cooked as tuna might. Even though this was the main protein course, it had the style of a grand salad, and, with the exception of the amuses mentioned above, the star of the night.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Slow Roasted Rack of Veal "Tonnato," Cabbage With Sweet Onion and Porcini Fritter by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Dessert is prepared in the modern style, mix and match components: Pears and pumpkin cake with Speculaas (spiced cookie) ice cream with moscato jelly, prunes, dates, molasses and pecans. I enjoyed the dish thoroughly although my preference is for a dessert with a central focus: these days pastry chefs feel that rather than creating a single dessert, they create a dozen served on the same plate. Still, it was a successful autumnal sweet.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 7, 2010 - Pears and Pumpkin Cake with Speculaas Ice Cream, Moscato Jelly, Prunes, Dates, Molasses, Pecans by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Chef Kinch deserves those plaudits ladled upon him. Manresa is a four-star restaurant. Yet, after this first meal, I am not quite sure where I would place it in the firmament of dining destinations. The veal “tonnato,” carnivalesque salad, poached oyster, and Arpege egg suggests brilliance. The pacing and yuzu extravagance less so. So with nine meals left, the grade is incomplete.

Manresa
320 Village Lane
Los Gatos, California
408-354-4330
http://www.manresarestaurant.com

Vealcheeks

Thanks for the report, GAF. I hope to join you for one of your 9 more meals before you leave.

Incidentally, while we were in the area over the weekend, we ended up dining at Passionfish in Monterey (ridiculously amazing value), Prospect in SF (very solid brunch) and Commis in Oakland (some ups and downs, but the best desserts I've had all year). I will write a post on them when I get some free time.

Chef in Translation – Manresa 2.0 – Los Gatos, CA

My second visit to Manresa, Chef David Kinch’s highly esteemed restaurant in Los Gatos, occurred less than two weeks after the first, and in culinary style, it was as if Manresa had suddenly hired a new chef. But no. When one dines at a serious restaurant with a brilliant chef, a critic attempts to draw a bead on how this artist defines gastronomy as evidenced by what he chooses to put on the plate.

My first visit to Manresa was characterized by a vibrancy that owed much to Parisian and Catalan styles as filtered through California light. Diebenkorn on a dish. I was particularly impressed by Kinch’s version of the Arpege egg, his experimental Elemental Oyster, a poached oyster made to taste raw, his Catalan (and Italian) inspired Rack of Veal Tonnato. Even the dish that I rejected – Butterfish in a Yuzu Sabayon – had no Asian tranquility, but was all jangly and nervy, despite its ingredients.

But this second evening was a different matter. We asked Chef Kinch to cook for us, and twenty-one courses later we were sent packing. (Given my complaint with my first meal, I am obliged to note that the timing was impeccable on this Saturday night – and I have come to admire Manresa’s smooth and elegant design, even if it has none of the New York glass, high-modern style, and bluff).

I do not cover each of the dishes of the evening, but the menu consisted of six amuses, ten savory courses, and five sweets. One should note the symmetry of the first and final two courses. The petit fours and gels (Red Pepper/Black Olive; Strawberry/Chocolate) were identical twins separated at birth: both engaging and delicious as hand-to-mouth bites. The beignets were less of a precise match, but contrasted savory and sweet. The cream beignet with a “dairy cup” of condensed milk ice cream was one of the two most persuasive desserts.

Amuses
Petit fours “Red Pepper-Black Olive”

Garden Beignets, Vinegar Powder

An Elemental Oyster (image in a previous post)

Caviar Beggar’s Purse

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Caviar Beggar's Purse by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Spot Prawn Roe Tempura

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Spot Prawn Roe Tempura by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Raw Milk Panna Cotta, Abalone

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Raw Milk Panna Cotta with Abalone by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Savory Courses
Geoduck Clam in Apple and Seawater

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Geoduck clam in apple and sea water by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Golden Butterfish, Sashimi Style, Citrus and Olive Oil

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Golden butterfish, sashimi style, citrus and olive oil by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Mushroom Broth and Black Tea, Dried Tuna

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Mushroom Broth and Black Tea, Dried Tuna and Truffles by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Golden Raisins and Vegetables, Pickled With Mackerel

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Golden Raisins and Vegetables, Pickled with Mackerel by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Autumn Fruit with Jasmine Tea, Bay Scallops, Pumpkin Seed Oil

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Autumn Fruit with Jasmine Tea, Bay Scallops in Pumpkin Seed Oil by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Into the Vegetable Garden

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Into the Vegetable Garden by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Asian Pear with Celtuce, Beach Herb Vichyssoise

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Asian pear with Celtuce and Beach Herb Vichyssoise by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Spot Prawns on the Plancha, Spiced Pumpkin

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Spot Prawns on the Plancha with Spiced Pumpkin by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Black Bass with Walnut Oil, Wild Watercress

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Black Bass with Walnut Oil and Wild Watercress by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Roast Duck with Cabbage and Dates and Riesling

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Roast Duck with Cabbage and Dates by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Sweet Courses
Banana Roast in Passion Fruit Caramel, Shiso Crumble

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Banana Roast in Passion Fruit Caramel, Shiso Crumble by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Frozen Cream Cheese, Citrus and Lime Curd

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Frozen Cream Cheese, Citrus and Lime Curd by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Orange Sable Millefeuille, Coffee and Chicory

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Orange Sable Millefeuille, Coffee and Chicory by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Muscovado Sugar Beignets with Condensed Milk Ice Cream

Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - November 20, 2010 - Muscovado Sugar Beignets, "Dairy Cup" (Condensed Milk Ice Cream) by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Petit fours “Strawberry-Chocolate”

While Kinch’s plates on my first visit were exuberant, these were hushed, subtle and seductive. Chef Kinch had recently spent several weeks in Kyoto and tonight it showed. Perhaps the change can be attributed to the difference between a Prix Fixe (dishes that are fixed in amber for the cooks to prepare – Greatest Hits) and dishes that are in process, tested through an elaborate tasting menu. Some of novice dishes tonight may in time be given starring roles.

But a few dishes were birthed from different traditions, notably the Vegetable Garden Salad, a dish in motion. This plate of greens is continually altered according to what is freshest in the Manresa garden: a chop suey of herbal cuisine. While I didn’t have the two salads to compare, I was struck by a few nicely bitter leaves that I didn’t recall from a few weeks back. Nature’s bounty is dynamic.

The Raw Milk Panna Cotta with Monterey Abalone was also an exuberant dish – profound and dramatic. (Milk and cream are used in several dishes, more European than Asian). This mix of the smooth, cool pudding with the chewy, oceanic abalone was a warm surprise and a success.

More inspired by Japanese traditions was the next act: Geoduck Clam in Apple and Seawater. The seawater was the liquid remains of the oysters as reconfigured by the kitchen. I often find geoduck chewy, but texture is crucial to Japanese cuisine, and the small pieces of clam were brightened and heightened by the water and the apple. It was not a dish that I would have chosen as a main course, but it was delightful for a few bites: a happy honeymoon of ingredients.

The mushroom broth was a firmly kaiseki dish: perhaps the most traditional of the evening (despite European shaved white truffles). No jangling here, but a mix of tuna, truffles, tea, and chanterelles. It was a dish that managed to display the best of the ingredients without having the chef’s shadow in the way.

Visually the autumn fruit with jasmine tea, bay scallops, and pumpkin seed oil was the dish that most reminded me of my visit to Kyoto, and it is a lovely jewel: Tokyo Tiffany. The plate sparkled without screaming, and the complexity of the small bowl more than made up for the fact that it was but a few bites – but rich and pungent bites. Tea, pumpkin, and scallops each have enough flavor without any shoving the others aside. Beautifully quiet, confidently composed.

In a similar way, although not as visually compelling, was the Spot Prawn Roe Tempura, which used ingredients to their very best effect. The spot prawns with pumpkin required that a diner digs the meat from the shell which made things a bit messy, but the combination of flavors and the challenge of the diner to be thought-filled made the effort memorable.

Who could not treasure the Asian pear with Celtuce (a Chinese lettuce) and Beach Herb Vichyssoise? Perhaps it owed much to the idea of the ingredients – just finding beach herbs must have been a challenge – but as a small soup I was glad to enjoy the effort of combing the oceanfront, bucket in hand.

The frozen cream cheese with citrus and lime curd was pretty on the plate and happily acidic on the tongue. Along with the beignets it was the star of the sweets.

The least successful dishes were the two main proteins. Roast duck with cabbage and dates was the type of contemporary dish that any well-trained modernist chef might have prepared, a bit of breast and a few spheres of accompaniments and a cabbage leaf. Competent, but edging to cliché. The weakest dish of the night was a zingless Black Bass with Walnut Oil and Wild Watercress. Borrring! Where is the hook? Time for a next course. Fortunately this pair of snoozers was no larger than their better cousins – and so could easily be forgotten.

So in 21 courses, no singular style fully characterizes Chef Kinch’s artistry, but tonight he strived to combine Catalonia, California, and Kyoto. His goal is my dream.

Manresa
320 Village Lane
Los Gatos, California
(408) 354-4330
http://www.manresarestaurant.com

Vealcheeks

The Citrus Mind – Manresa – Los Gatos, California

David Kinch, the esteemed chef at Manresa, is perhaps the most accomplished shape-shifter in American cuisine. But maybe I am the one who has been unable to pin his butterfly wings. I have found French, Catalan, molecular, and Japanese nods in his preparations. Two weeks ago some friends and I attended the nine course Citrus Modernista that he and his friends at Love Apple Farms prepare annually with the crucial contribution of Gene Lester and his citrus orchards above Monterey Bay.

It was a very impressive evening throughout – and surprising. Walking through the doors I expected that it would be citrus all the way down – tangerines, pomelo, and Buddha’s hand. A symphony of pastel. Indeed, there was a lot of citrus: wekiwa tangelo, meyer lemon, etrog citron, Mandarins, bergamot, poorman orange. Still with all this variety, I was startled in that in most dishes Chef Kinch used citrus delicately and supplely.

My wife and I used to amuse ourselves by preparing meals with one ingredient to be found in every dish, the more bizarre the better: the best was the banana meal, the worst, the liver meal. This foolishness is, of course, the conceit of Iron Chef. But when we played the game the goal was that the ingredient would be front and center. This is not Kinch’s style.

Once one overcame the surprise of subtlety, the meal was filled with wonder. The theme of these dishes emphasized Kinch’s love of gathering, of modest ingredients. More than previous dinners it was a meal that paid tribute to the New Naturalism. It was not exclusively found foods (foie gras does not lay about), but the connection of kitchen and ground was evident. The dishes pulled back from the drama of a cuisine of astonishment to reveal the power of a cuisine of consideration.

Perhaps I was more struck by the lengthy Japanese tasting menu I was served last year, but Citrus Modernista was a tour de force, particularly as it is a one-off, never to be tasted again. And perhaps it speaks of Chef Kinch’s desire to cook food, rather than to cook theory.

Foie Gras and Buckwheat Crisps, Marmalade Bouquet de Fleurs. A pungent beginning to the meal. Perhaps it was a twist on a cliche - with foie gras replacing the expected caviar - but none the worse for that.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Foie Gras and Buckwheat Crisps, Marmalade Bouquet de Fleurs "chez Pim" with Cauliflower by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Garden Leaves, Shoots and Flowers, Roasted Meyer Lemon Mustard with Apple, Spot Prawns with their Head Juices. Two of Chef Kinch's passions combined: greens and local spot prawns with a subtle bit of meyer lemon.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Garden Leaves, Shoots and Flowers, Roasted Meyer Lemon Mustard with Apple, Spot Prawns with their Head Juices by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Mackerel Marinated in Sake Lees, Charcoal Grilled with Seafood Salsa Verde , Assorted Clams with Sampson Tangelo, Salted Butter. I felt that this composition was the best dish of the night. It was a wonderful combination of textures and tastes, well-considered. Another of the increasingly popular mackerel dishes.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Mackerel Marinated in Sake Lees, Charcoal Grilled with Seafood Salsa Verde , Assorted Claims with Sampson Tangelo, Salted Butter by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Scallop Shards and Dungeness Crab, Kyoto Miso with Etrog Citron. This was another fine and considered collection of tastes.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Scallop Shards and Dungeness Crab, Kyoto Miso with Etrog Citron by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Black Cod, jus of bones and Beef Skin, Brassicas and Flowers with Ginger, Dill and Kabuso Citrus. This was another splendid dish, one of the more beautiful of the night, and the dish most gathered. It had just the right mix of flavors.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Black Cod, jus of bones and Beef Skin, Brassicas and Flowers with Ginger, Dill and Kabuso Citrus by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Roast Guinea Hen Jelly, Assorted Mandarins with Pickled Cucumber and Roast Peanuts, Bitter Chocolate with Bergamot Orange. Not the prettiest dish of the night, but the flavors were fine and the guinea hen was remarkably tender.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Roast Guinea Hen Jelly, Assorted Mandarins with Pickled Cucumber and Roast Peanuts, Bitter Chocolate with Bergamot Orange by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Hot Spring Egg and pure Akaushi Beef Sirloin, Black Tea and Dried Tuna Bouillon, Chestnut with Bergamot Orange. This was my least favorite dish, although it was fine. Chef Kinch likes to mix beef and veal with tuna and tea. The orange was quite subtle, but it couldn't have been more prominent without throwing the dish off.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Hot Spring Egg and pure Akaushi Beef Sirloin, Black Tea and Dried Tuna Bouillon, Chestnut with Bergamot Orange by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Ginger Ice Cream and Poorman Orange Sorbet. Here was a well-made paired palate cleanser. Both scoops were luscious.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Ginger Ice Cream and Poorman Orange Sorbet by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Yuzu Souffle Cake with Herb Sorbet, Exotic Citrus with Honey and Spice, Olive Oil and Almond Crumble. This was the most sustained and deep tribute to citrus with a nod to molecular cuisine. It was one of the strongest dishes of the night, and sent us into the street with a tangy fruity glow.


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - Citrus Dinner - February 2011 - Yuzu Souffle Cake with Herb Sorbet, Exotic Citrus with Honey and Spice, Olive Oil and Almond Crumble by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Manresa
320 Village Lane
Los Gatos, CA
408-354-4330
http://www.manresarestaurant.com

Vealcheeks

Some pictures from my latest dinner at Manresa: my most recent, this week. There is a grace and lightness to David Kinch, a love of the garden and an elegance. The meals sometimes substantial in length are never heavy. The star of this line of dishes was the Spring Lamb, Pickled Tongue, Smoked Date with Cumin Seed, Roasted Carrots, and Braised Letter. Also a wonderful Black Bass and Octopus with Clam Juice perfumed with Coriander and Leek. It is hard to classify David Kinch who brings together all of the streams that influence contemporary cuisine: modern French (a la Michel Bras), Catalan, Japanese, Garden to Table, and Tail to Snout. But the dishes never seem forced, but inspired. And, best of all, every time I have eaten at Manresa, Chef David Kinch has been in the kitchen cooking. Let us hope that Las Vegas never comes calling.

Manresa has expanded its dining room, and in the process have become more distinctive and architecturally interesting. Even my photos look better. They have a most creative cocktail menu.

An amuse from Manresa's Love Apple Farm:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 Vegetable Beignet by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Manresa's iconic elemental poached oyster: all of the flavor, none of the slime:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Elemental (Poached) Oyster by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A reprise of the Abalone and Raw Milk Panna Cotta:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Abalone Panna Cotta by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A vegetarian dish of spring: Pea and Strawberry medley:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Medley of Peas and Strawberries by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The late spring version of "Into the Vegetable Garden," now with nasturtium. Sweeter than the winter version:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Inter the vegetable garden: June version by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A splendid and elegant aquatic dish: Black bass with octopus, clam juice, perfumed with coriander and leek and young squash shoots:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Black Bass with Octopus, Clam Juice Perfumed with Coriander and Leek, Young Squash Shoots by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The best dish of the evening was spring lamb, its pickled tongue, smoked date with cumin seed, roasted carrots, and braised lettuce. One of Chef Kinch's most creative creations. An inspiring composition:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Spring Lamb, Pickled tongue, Smoked date with cumin seed, roasted carrots, braised lettuce, nasturiums by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Our intermezzo was Acai granita, Lemon Cream Soup, and Yogurt sorbet. Cool and sweet:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Intermezzo - Acai granita, Lemon cream soup, Yogurt sorbet by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Finally dessert, a continuation of the intermezzo: Yogurt mousse and passion fruit curd, poached rhubarb with strawberry sorbet:


Manresa - Los Gatos, CA - June 2011 - Yogurt Mousse and Passion Fruit Curd, Poached Rhubarb with Strawberry Sorbet by garyalanfine, on Flickr