So on a recommendation from a friend who ate there 5 years ago, my wife and I visited
Flying Fish for dinner on our trip to Seattle. Oh my, what a perfect meal from a truly amazing chef in
Christine Keff. We started with the seared black cod w/ chestnut spaetzle in a basalmic sauce with pancetta. I can't say I seek out fusion cooking experiences in general, but this dish might make me change my mind. The balance and layered flavor harmony were quite remarkable, truly one of the most elegant dishes I've had in recent memory. We followed this up with the salt & pepper crab, which was rustic, messy, simple and scrumptious. The service was impeccable, the wine list strong. For dessert, coconut cake that I'm still hearing praise for from my wife a week later.
My wife loves dishes that have clean distinct flavors, and while I do enjoy great ingredients that a chef allows to speak for themselves with all but subtle enhancement, I zeal in finding harmonious, eclectic, and complex dishes. I think this is due in part to my love of cooking as when I eat something like the black cod, I recognize the experience, hard work, artistry, and technical talent that's required to come up with something so good it's almost impossible to improve upon the impression it leaves to linger on your senses. I really got goosebumps as I enjoyed the black cod and contemplated how many other dishes she had to cook before this chef could achieve this composition. I can only conclude she is a magician with pasta and flavors.
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