And the best part? The theme of April was FOIE GRAS. Now, those of you who know me know that I have an inordinate obsession with foie gras. Its rich fattiness and flavors are only complemented by the fact that it came from a delicious animal. Take that and add it to every course of a meal? PRICELESS.
No, I take that back. It HAS a price. A very good one! $44 for the 3-course meal, and $66 for the wine pairing. How THAT for world class food?
D and I opted for the non-pairing, having brought our own wines from a wine tasting earlier in the evening. In addition to the meal, we went all out and decided it was best to toss in the foie gras appetizer from the menu, for good measure. The resulting meal?
Appetizer 1: Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with Daikon Pot au Feu and Roasted Pear. This is by far my favorite course, and it's fortunately one of the regular courses on the menu (meaning, I can come back anytime outside of April to have it!). The daikon calmed down the foie gras, without diminishing its flavors, and added a subtle vegetable flair to the meaty foie gras. The oyster mushrooms were also amazing, with their soft but firm (almost al dente) texture and their rich mushroom flavors. All in all, a balanced flavor in every bite. Very original, very balanced, amazingly orgasmic.
Appetizer 2: Duck Foie Gras Flan in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with King Oyster Mushrooms. You would think that foie gras flan was unheard of and blasphemous, but this was everything they tell you about gastronomy and more. The flan was still very milky and cremy, showing subtle signs of flaking apart when you break your spoon through it (like a real flan!). The flavors were also dairy and milky, with subtle hints of foie gras. I confess I didn't enjoy this course as much because I personally don't prefer flan, but if you're a fan of both foie gras and flan, it was an excellent mix of the two. Subtle hints of foie gras, flavors and rich texture of a flan. Pretty successful endeavor!
Appetizer 3: Puree of Celery Root with Grilled Duck Foie Gras and Balsamic Reduction. This one caught me by surprise. I really never had celery root before, and mixed with the balsamic reduction, it ended up being remarkably sour. But the foie gras was seared well, with the crisps on top adding the texture. If you took the celery root and balsamic reduction in moderation, you could create the perfect combination of flavors, but you just had to play at it. All in all, still a very unique combination of flavors and textures.
Entree 1: Napoleon of Big Eye Tuna and Foie Gras with Wasabi Potato Mousseline in a Plum Wine Horse Radish Sauce. Whoever thought about putting the liver of a land creature and a fish creature together in the same dish? CHEF AKIRA. The big eye tuna, which was light and fluffy (even lighter since it was PERFECTLY seared, leaving it virtually sashimi), brightened up the foie gras and complemented it with a different subtle fishy flavor. The mousseline was an interesting addition, a texture twist to the standard wasabi on the side of a sushi dish. The wasabi (in moderation) added a great "pop" to two items that subtly intermingled with each other. 
Entree 2: Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak “Rossini” with Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Truffle Sauce with Spring Vegetables. Okay, anyone who knows me also knows I order my steaks "still mooing". Rare. Always rare. The rarest you can get it to the table without being called by the Health Department. This works out remarkably well with Chef Akira's cooking talent, the fabulous quality of the meat he selects, and the steak Rossini dish on the Menu Moliere. What ended up being presented was a dish where not only two of my favorite items were being served to me, but the flavors were explosive and the textures were remarkably interchangeable. The seared foie gras was obviously going to be tender, but the steak was easily cut and immediately chewable. Soft, tender, a perfectly prepared steak. Complemented with the foie gras, it was the absolute perfect entree, clearly the best steak Rossini I have ever had, or could ever imagine. I'll bypass the desserts, since (1) there was no foie gras in them, and (2) I hardly had any once I was so full of foie gras. They were fairly good, as all of Chef Akira's dishes are, and they were closers on yet another NYC- and world-class meal.
Maison Akira
713 E Green Street, Pasadena, CA
http://www.maisonakira.com/
Maison Akira
713 E Green Street, Pasadena, CA
http://www.maisonakira.com/
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