Refreshing cocktail. 

Chive Biscuits. Honey Butter. Bacon Butter.

Conch Croquettes. Pickled Pineapple Tartar Sauce.

Marinated Shrimp. Roasted Jalapeno Jus.

Beef Tartare . Matsutake mushrooms. Cured egg yolk.

Roasted Beet Salad. Ricotta. Pistachio.

Left: Pici Pasta. Lobster. Summer squash.

Right: Curried Goat. Plantain Gnocchi. Cashews.

Roasted Banana Zeppole. Rum Caramel.

First, the bread was a chive biscuit that was flaky, buttery, and flavorful. To top that it came with two butters: a honey butter and a bacon butter. My favorite was the bacon butter. It’s amazing how they were able to infuse such a pure bacon flavor. I felt like I was eating a really good breakfast sandwich. Now, that’s just the bread!

For our appetizers, we ordered:

1. Conch croquettes: these were delicately crispy on the outside and saucy on the inside.
2. Marinated shrimp with Jalapeño Jus: I’m not the biggest fan of shrimp, but this was so well done. The shrimp was very fresh and nicely cooked and the sauce had a nice kick to it. What I love in Chef Nina Compton’s dishes is that she’s not afraid to spice things up! She chose the perfect city for her restaurant.
3. Beef Tartare with Matsutake mushrooms and cured egg yolk: Smoky. Savory. Goodness. The tartare was one of my favorite dishes of the night.
4. Roasted Beet Salad with Ricotta: This salad was no salad. It was so good it was like dessert to me. The Beets were sweet and perfectly roasted. Next, was the ricotta which was blended into a sweet icing-like texture.

For our entrees:

1. Pici Pasta with Lobster and summer squash: The pasta was homemade and delicious. I loved that there were clear chunks of lobster throughout the dish.
2. Curried Goat with Plantain Gnocchi and cashews: This was definitely the finale and I almost wanted to stop here and just savor that last bite of gnocchi. When you think about certain elements complimenting a dish, this has to be the perfect example. The savoriness of the goat curry coated the little gnocchis. Once you bite into the gnocchi, there’s this instant of a billion flavors all at once! First you get the savory curry, then you get a hint of white wine, then unexpectedly there’s the plantain sweetness. I’m so amazed.

Dessert:

1. Roasted Banana Zeppole: This was a great treat in the end, but I definitely could’ve stopped with the gnocchis.

Everything was phenomenal! I love the Caribbean twist on the classically French cuisine. Chef Nina isn’t afraid of adding a lot of spice and I love that. We’re going to have to go back to celebrate our 10 yr 1 mo ! If you’re considering a dinner option this weekend, Compère is a MUST!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Our dinner was definitely an experience…every dish brought some excitement to us…both visually and to our taste buds. We ordered the Chef’s Tasting so we had no idea what would show up to our table….

Kaki No Shiki. Shigoku Oyster. Lychee Granite.

Random Fact: These are West Coast oysters. They have deeper bowl-shaped shells from the way they roll along the coast. The flavor profile is less briney than Gulf Coast oysters.

For a girl who use to be squeamish when it comes to raw oysters, these were delicious. Fresh and plump…mMmm!

Roasted Golden Beets. Skyr Yogurt. Bitter Greens. Acacia Honey. 

Chef’s Nigiri Selection. (above and below)

Hirame Uzuzukuri. Thinly-sliced Flounder Sashimi. Candied Quinoa. Olive Oil. 

This had to be one of my favorite dishes. It was refreshing with a sweet and tangy twist to it. 

Wagyu To. Short Rib. Cauliflower. Beet. Black Pepper. Kumquat. 

Hamachi Nabe. Baby Yellowtail. Koshi Hikari Rice. Farm egg. Soy broth. 

I know, this picture makes this dish look like a plain bowl of rice, but the presentation was beautiful! When the waiter brought it out, there were these dancing rice flakes on top. It was crazyyy! As the waiter mixed the bowl, the dancing flakes disappeared and I didn’t get to photograph the interesting presentation. 

Atlantic Salmon. Yokai Berry. Dinosaur Kale. Asian Pear. Yuzu. 

Hirame Shiro. Halibut. Shrimp Cocunut Milk. Basil. Candied Onion. 

Pork Jowl. Brussels Sprout Kimchee. Romaine. Preserved Lemon Creme Fraiche. 

Okashi. Coriander Creme Brulee. Carrot. Rose. Marcona Almonds. 

*Sorry for the blurry picture! Must’ve been in food coma at this point! =P

Now that I’ve seen these works of art, I definitely see the influence it had on Paul Qui. Everything from presentation to flavor…it’s no wonder he won Top Chef!

Presentation was top notch! The sashimi dishes were unbelievable! I have never had fish so fresh in my life…it was almost like they plucked them straight out of the ocean for us.  Every dish had unique flavors and textures. It’s amazing how they could combine so many different elements onto one dish, and yet, they come together and make such wonderful dishes. I just can’t say it enough! 

The experience was definitely a pricey one ($$$$), but well worth it!