Here are my notes straight from the blackberry...
Execution falls slightly short, but the chef was in New York with Harold McGee on this visit (really good excuse)
Flavor pairing are ambitious, innovative, and scrumptious.
Textures verge on the experiential and are aptly technoemotional cuisine
Service is attentive and personalizes the experience
Value is extraordinary and worthy of a metro road trip
The menu was Shrimp with Warm Avocado and Papaya Salad, Corn and Jalepeno Consomme, Vanilla Tapioca Sous Vide Lobster, and Liquid Nitrogen Strawberry Sorbet. The shrimp were immaculately cooked, warm avocado danced in the mouth, and the forward heat of the chipotle spice was welcomed in this context; papaya strands and jicama played well, excellent dish composition and despite being aggressive with the heat, a well received symphonic movement in what we felt was, overall, a great meal. The Corn and Jalepeno consomme was nearly perfect, yet the last two tablespoonfuls were highly salty, less obvious in earlier dips of the spoon; my wife enjoyed, I first gave pause then abdicated to the salinity. Lobster was hit and miss. The flavor pairing and textural complement of the tapioca was exceptional, yet one of my tail portions (of the three) was overcooked and stringy, nearly leathery; two of my wife's shared the same perilous fate. The sublime smoothness of the rapidly chilled strawberry puree (prepared tableside) made me think this was the best sorbet I've had (unseating the pine needle sorbet at al Marcereto outside Sambucca, Toscana).
On balance, O's miscues were forgivable and overshadowed by the promising technique and inventive but highly approachable flavor pairings. We got our technoemotional foodgeek itch scratched, thanks Chef Kleinman and team, see you soon!
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