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: EEEFZlukuudkvPebGj
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April 17 2005 -- Can You Eat Light?
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Can you eat light?
Well can you? Have you even ever considered being able to eat light? That question was posed to me last night during dinner when the host place the following piece of paper on my plate.
A few seconds later the lights were turned off and in front of me was placed Jose Andres' interpretation of what that statement might mean. a light bulb of flavor. What did it look like? Well I think this movie will do a good job of explaining that.
The Light Bulb of Flavor
Last night I had the chance to eat at Cafe Atlantico's ultra avant-garde eatery minibar and it was unlike anything you or I have ever had before and doubt ever will have again, and by you I actually mean whoever is reading this, because it really is unlike anything else out there.
The meal was slated to begin at 8:30 but seating started about ten minutes later. The six of us lucky enough to be able to experience the minibar were brought upstairs and shown to our seats. Seating six people at a time, twice a night, the minibar is something that you just can't walk in and expect to sit down at, reservations are required months in advance and if you are a food buff they are well worth it. Actually, if you are a food buff you might not even be able to handle this place. If you like your food to be able to rival a Broadway show in production value (and cost as much to sit in the front row of that show) then this place will amaze you in taste, touch, smell, and sight, and since my companion for the evening had Poprocks as part of his dinner, it may just amaze your hearing as well. Sitting on a stool at what could pass to be a sushi bar for six people you are given dishes over the course of the nearly three hour long meal that will push you to the limits of what is possible to be done with food. Foie Gras cappuccino? No problem. Salmon sushi the size of the nail on my pinky finger wrapped in pineapple instead of nori? Sure. Watermelon flavored air? Yup. A Mojito served in a glass? Not here my friend, instead you will find it served to you in a spritzer.
The whole experience takes about two and a half hours and covers almost the entire range of what one human can eat during one sitting. Thirty five miniature dishes (hence the name) take the participant from a blown sugar bulb of light to foie gras surrounded by cotton candy to pork rinds imported from Ecuador. The two chefs were incredibly knowledgeable and even when I made a remark about how peanut butter and jelly is more my speed they named some restaurant in Chicago that does a "very advanced peanut butter and jelly". They were able to answer every question about every dish and were very eager to explain everything about what I was eating.
I guess the best way to describe all of this would be for you to try it yourself if you ever find yourself in Washington, DC and wanting a meal like this, but until I find out a way to let you do that over the net here are some pictures.
"Organized Caesar Salad" - think of it as Caesar salad sushi.
"Cotton Candy Foie Gras" - pretty much explains it all. Cotton candy with a yummy duck liver filling.
"Lobster Americana" - a small piece of lobster with a syringe of sorts filled with the natural juices of the lobster. You put the lobster in your mouth and squeeze down on the injector to fill your mouth with the extra flavors as you eat.
A look at what was in the lobster in that last picture.
"Philly Cheese Steak" - an intrepretation of the classic Philly cheese steak done with Kobe Beef over mushrooms and a hard pastry shell filled with cheese.
"Deconstructed Glass of White Wine" - Twelve flavors layered over a citrus gelatin spritzed with white wine.
"Japanese Baby Peaches with Yogurt" - Three Japanese baby peaches over a yogurt and olive oil bed.
It was an experience that's worth having at least once. A dozen cheeses. This isnt even something I can put on a scale because there is just nothing else to compare to it. You shouldn't even think of this as a normal meal. Think of it more as a show, an off Broadway play except instead of sitting back and watching you are actually a part of it. You are a performer as much an observer. That being said I would not recommend this to everyone. Only go if you are open to just about anything and will try anything once. Would most people even enjoy this meal? No, I don't really think so, but if you are open to it you will be amazed.
Here are the rest of the pictures from the meal. I didn't take pictures of everything but most are there. If you wonder what something is just ask and I will do my best to try to remember.
Posted by LordJezo
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