I count my lucky stars that I am so fortunate to be able to finally eat at é by José Andrés. It was a special occasion and we (surprisingly my husband included because he usually prefers cheap Chinese food over frou frou stuff) both thoroughly enjoyed the EXPERIENCE. It was a precisely choreographed dance to put together these pieces of food, a play on textures, temperatures and flavors. It was an experience with the art of food, and I'm not saying it with any disdain for snobbiness this time. There were 24 morsels of delicious food - all incredibly creative.
The short and sweet version: Precision. Perfectly choreographed and executed. Juxtaposition of Flavors and Textures. Adjectives that come to mind: Fragrant. Whimsical. Airy. Crunchy. Ice Cold. Salty and Sweet. Warm. Fluffy. Umami. Crumbly.
1. Rebujito - our starting cocktail smelled like fragrant roses.
2. Truffle Cotton Candy - whimsical, fluffy with the aroma of truffle.
3. Idiazabal "Macaron" - delightfully crunchy with a cheesy filling
4. Apple "Brazo De Gitano" - Airy on the outside, creamy blue cheese "espuma" on the inside
5. Seta Suprise - Creamy 'shrooms
6. Nitro Almond Cup - NITROGEN cold (not just ice cold) and smooth on the outside, creamy/briny/salty caviar on the inside.
7. Barquillo - crunchy shell, aromatic Truffle and anchovy foam
8. Almejas Al Natural - spherical globules encased with the essence of oyster
9. Bocatade Bacalao - warm, buttery brioche, savory cod, umami-licious?
10. Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche - extra crispy chicken skin + foam
11. Cava Sangria - Pop! globule of sangria
12. Artichoke "Puree" with vanilla - creamy, mild, smooth
13. Lobster with Citrus & Jasmine - tender lobster with jasmine flavored air
14. Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham - globules of essence of chickpea and accents of ham
15. Turbot with Bone Marrow - salty/sweet/bitter combo with crispy bone marrow, turbo fish and coffee grinds
16. Lobe of Foie Gras - savory foie gras combined with fresh orange juice
17. Secreto of Iberico Pork with Squid + Parsley Foam - tender, squid was a touch burnt I thought
18. Santa Gadea with Cotton Candy - "goat in sheep's clothing," goats milk with sweet cotton candy
19. Flan - creamy, light and airy
20. Pan con Chocolate - MY FAVORITE DESSERT OF THE NIGHT. Crumbled frozen chocolate sorbet with cream, hints of saffron, crunchy sweet crystallized bread, and olive oil.
21. "Arroz con Leche" - Another well played piece on texture, temperature and flavor
22. 25 second Bizcocho - fluffy cake with lemon cream
23. Air Chocolates - wow. bitter chocolate and I usually really like dark chocolate
24. Cocoa Paper with Dried Strawberry - airy light chocolate with tangy freeze dried strawberry bit
$ to Value Ratio: 4.75/5 Stars... This is definitely debatable (my mom may think it's a complete waste of money), but I rated it high because my experience was impeccable (service was top notch, ingredients were top notch)
Yummy Factor: 5/5 Stars
Texture Satisfaction: 5/5 Stars
Average stars: 4.92 Stars
We were guest 4999 and 5000! =)