Dinning at a 3 star Michelin restaurant is an adventure and it should be on everybody’s bucket list. It was overwhelming, exhausting, satisfying but worth it. For those who don’t know, Michelin is a French company which rates restaurants for their excellence. There are a very few restaurants in the world which have been rated by Michelin. It is an organization whose reviewers are completely anonymous. Michelin has 3 ratings, which are, one, two and three stars. Three star rating means you should travel, even to another country, just to have a meal at that restaurant. I think Michelin rates the restaurants on the basis of creativity, innovation and consistency. That being said, dining at a 3 star Michelin restaurant is not for everybody as typically they are pricey, this meal costed $250.
Being a foodie, I decided to indulge myself in a 3 star Michelin restaurant experience. Initially I was planning to go to the Alinea in Chicago, inspired by the series Chef’s Table, but eventually I ended up at Quince in San Francisco. It was established in 2003 by chef Michael Tusk and his wife, Lindsay. They have recently been awarded their 3rd Michelin star. To get a reservation at Quince, I had to book a table 2 months in advance. And other restaurants may take considerably longer. If you decide to go then I would suggest that you should do a thorough research in advance about the menu, food, chef, location et cetera.
Our reservation was at 7 30 PM. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the host of the evening and were directed towards our table. After which, our waiter explained the different tasting menus. There were 3 options, Winter, Salon and Quince menu, each with different selections and price. We decided to go with the Quince menu, which was around $220. The meal consisted of 12 courses with highly innovative dishes, which were unique. One can also go with the suggested wine pairings which will cost an additional $195. But we chose to pass on the wine pairing. Our whole experience at Quince lasted for over 3 hours and was truly remarkable.
Hands down their service was impeccable. Our waiters took pains to explain each and every dish as it came out. This included the ingredients, which were local and fresh, and any special method of preparation. I was really impressed by the attentiveness of the staff throughout the evening. On one occasion, I went to use the loo and by the time I was back, my dinner napkin had been folded and placed on the table. I asked my friend if he had folded the napkin and he said no, it was a staff member who was so quick that he barely noticed himself. Infact, one hardly notices the staff as they work quietly and efficiently. You have to understand that each of the dishes were small, sometimes 2 or 3 bites. And by the 3rd course, I was under impression that we need to go to subway after the meal. However, by the time we reached the 8th course, I was filled and exhausted. Even though portions were small, still the richness of the food satiated my tummy.
Overall, it was an experience, not just a dinner and a must try, if you are into food. I guess I’ll try to dine atleast once a year at a 3 star Michelin restaurant because each serves food you’ll never find anywhere else.
Menu:
- Canape.
- Black Diamond.
- Tsar Nicoulai Caviar … smoked sturgeon, kusshi oyster, fresh run farm kohlrabi.
- Artichoke … monterey bay squid, blood orange, puntarelle.
- Sunchoke … dungeness crab, red bell radish, preserved lemon.
- Garganelli … lobster, black cabbage, black trumpet mushroom.
- Monterey Bay Abalone … green garlic, lardo, plankton.
- Agnolottini … paine farm squab, broccoli di cicco, perigord truffle.
- Wagu Beff … tibetan purple wheat berry, black garlic, romanesco.
- Apple … coconut, oxalis, kaffir lime.
- Candy Cap … hazelnut, caramel chocolate, meringue.
- Mignardises … chocolate, confections.
