we were seated right at the end, with the best view of the open kitchen. i treated myself to a glass of champagne from the champagne cart, and then we opted for the 8 course option (sick or not i wanted all 8), as the 5 course has all the same dishes sans a few, we didn't want to miss out on anything good. now they say 8, but it ends up more like 11 counting the amuse-bouche, which was a modern take on a fish/seaweed chip, and the trou normand which was a delicious "egg yolk" concoction along with a housemade soda, and the petits fours which we packed up, not counting the lemon cake they sent everyone home with.
The snacks course was an oyster, a jellied 'ol fashioned with foie gras, a black olive pocky and nasturium soup, enjoyed everything here, while the hubby especially liked the foie gras. my favorite course was called ham & eggs - fresh chicharrones with ham powder, served with caviar on a bed of of creme friache and dehydrated seasonings normally served with caviar, like parsley and capers and lemon. next up was the raw course, a bucatini pasta wrapped around silk tofu along with uni, clams, amberjack, ikura, and dashi foam. this course was more on the pure flavors of each ingredient, not my favorite, but visually stunning.
The beef course came out and i was already getting pretty full, it was a beef tartar with the sousvide egg yolk hidden inside, served with a bone marrow brioche with some dehydrated bone marrow to add to the tartar. i do wish the yolk was a bit more runny, and for the brioche to be a bit softer, but it was tasty just the same.
The next course was the bread course, a french onion flavored french toast per se.. along with various onions and a freakin amazing onion and black garlic sorbet. srsly i could've just had a bowl of that. the bread was good too, but by that time i was getting full and being choosy at what got the rest of the real estate of my stomach. and the last savory course was a good one (for the most part) the Pig course was a house made headcheese, not even close to what you'd buy at the grocery store, delicious fatty pieces of pork with an acorn mash on top.. i'm glad this slice was small, because i ate it all, served with a green apple chip, and on the other side, not for the faint of heart.. a molten blood pudding. now i like my pigs blood. like the dish you get at dim sum, or the chunks of it found in bun bo hue. but this had an odd taste to it, a bit too tart with a mousse like texture, maybe it was because i was sick.. but i could only take a bite, likewise the rest of my dining companions.
Now for the sweets. the Fernet, a chocolate mouse based on the bitter italian liquor fernet, a very semisweet dish with some beet cake and sorbet on the side, i seemed to like all of the sorbet this night, and for the life of me cannot recall the flavor of this one. The cheese course was house made mini donuts with kumquat jelly, served with alongside a chunk of a cheese like brie in consistency and look but closer to a roquefort in smell and taste.
Would we come again? Most definitely, once the menu changes over. It was a unique experience, with great flavors with a molecular gastronomic flair.
5/5
The Pass
807 Taft, Houston, TX 77019
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