A Sample of Spring: Luce Chef’s Tasting Menu
We were no strangers to Luce when we arrived for my birthday dinner early Saturday evening. Our first visit was in 2009 during San Francisco’s Dine About Town and at that time, I was impressed at the Bahn Mi that Dominique Crenn created. Ever since then, I wanted to return. With a little under a year goes by since our last visit, and Luce earned their first Michelin star, more acknowledgment in the press, and even Crenn making an appearance on Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef.
That night we opted to go for the 8 Course Chef’s Tasting menu. The menu was very intriguing. Several keywords highlighted each course, along with the main components of the dish. It left you with a sense of surprise and wonder at what you were going to receive. Below is a look at our meal:
“Amuse-bouche”
A bite of foie gras with passion fruit ice and sweet potato.
“Dawn”
Kumamoto oysters dressed in a beet emulsion and passion fruit.
“Soil”
A mix of root and baby vegetables with sprinkled with pumpernickel crumbs.
“Herbs Garden”
A refreshingly sweet celery sorbet with toasted quinoa and apple.
“Wilderness”
Tender Venison served with a crostini and pear purée.
“Trou Normand”
A sweet drink with the essence of guava, to cleanse your palate.
“Sea”
Succulent lobster tail with sea urchin foam and buttery foie gras, on a bed of couscous.
“Farm”
A piece of beef cheek, with a incredibly soft, fall apart texture.
“Spring Sky”
“Pearls and Snow” – lychee, frozen goat cheese, and meringue, served on a pillow of pineapple tapioca.
“Fromage”
Epoisse, Sable Breton and Vanilla-Kumquat Compote
“Cacao”
A decadent chocolate cake served with a chocolate ganache.
“Dusk”
A “Surprise”, which consisted of in house made chocolates to end the meal.
What amazed us was the presentation of each course. Every dish was visually appealing and appetizing. Whether it was seeing the small intricate details of the garnishes or the arrangement of the dishes’ components, I simply thought to myself, “Wow.” It was an very enjoyable evening to be able to see and experience Crenn’s tasting menu. Just sitting here and reminiscing about the “Sea” course is enough for me to want to go back.
Luce
InterContinental Hotel
888 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 616-6566
www.lucewinerestaurant.com
