Friday, February 6, 2009

Worth The Wait, Pt. 2

Whew! Now that we've all had a bit of a breather and some time to digest, let's continue with this amazing meal, shall we? (To recap, this is a recent meal at the Chef's Table of Victoria & Albert's, Disney World.)

Gentleman's Third Course: Roasted Poussin (Young Chicken) with Caramelized Cauliflower and Celery Gelee. Accompanied with a delicious jus, it was well-seasoned, tender, and moist. My brother-in-law E, who dislikes chicken, finished every last bite. Is there much higher praise?

Everyone's Fourth Course: Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin with Hedgehog Mushrooms, English Peas, and Ricotta Gnocchi. The crispy bit balanced on top of the tenderloin is a lovely veal sweetbread. Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, mild and not a bit gamey, the sweetbread was an absolutely luxurious pleasure. I much prefer it to foie gras. As for the entire dish, this was ultimate comfort food to me. It warmed the soul. Rich, unctuous, flavorful but never heavy, I thought it was perfection on a plate. 

Everyone's Fifth Course: Kurobota Pork Tenderloin and Belly with Baby Beets, Sherry-Bacon Vinaigrette, and 100-Year-Old Balsamic. 
Pork tenderloin? Delicious. Pork Belly? Ridiculous. It was so tender, so buttery and delicious, I would eat it every day if it wouldn't guarantee complete rotundity and an early death. The sherry vinaigrette was a perfect counterpoint. 

Everyone's Sixth Course: The ultimate for beef lovers. A comparison of Australian "Kobe" Beef Tenderloin (near) and true Japanese Wagyu strip loin (far). Accompanied with braised Kobe shortribs on mashed potatoes and a rich oxtail jus. Are there words? I'm not sure. Rich, (does that seem to be a recurring theme?) tender, juicy, and sublime. The Australian is great, but next to the true Waygu, it pales in comparison. The oxtail jus is good enough to drink. 

The next course was cheeses: Colton Bassett Stilton, Comte Fort de Rousses, Double Gloucester, and Fouchra. Mmm. 

First Dessert Course: From left, Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Miniature Banana Gateau with caramelized bananas, and Strawberry Dumpling with Fresh Strawberry Coulis. 

Final Course: From left, Peruvian Chocolate ice cream and puff pastry with chocolate "lashes", Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle, and Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid. 

Throughout the meal, various breads with butters were served, and all were delicious, but one truly stood out. It was so good, we all asked for seconds. It was so amazing, I had no time to take a picture. It was Perigord truffle brioche, with truffle butter. I've never seen an item to heavily and thoroughly truffled. Served warm, for the ultimate fragrance, this bread was absolutely, completely out of this world. If the entire meal consisted of this bread and butter, I don't think I would have complained. I dream of this bread. 

That was our meal at Victoria & Albert's. I highly recommend the restaurant itself, and especially the Chef's Table. If you get reservations, recall that it seats 8, or even possibly 10, and that I live nearby! 

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