Gastrologik Inference

 

So, time to up our game.  Diane was able to snag a reservation at a Gastrologik, a local Michelin ** restaurant.  She posted the menu, but I thought I would try and remember the various dishes.

First off, they start you with "snacks".  These are one bite wonders.  And so, one by one...

1.  Forest broth: This was prepared at the table.  Imagine a small glass tea pot filled with herbs and dried raindeer heart.  A deep prepared broth is poured into the pot and let to steep for 5 minutes and then decanted.  It was intense and filled with flavors.
2.  The yolk was confit'ed (as is the trend) and serviced in a flatbread cup with a layer of cream on top and roe on top of that.  All in one bit, crunchy, eggs, creamy.
3.  And, more texture: Imagine a mousse of liver with a meringue (more crunch!) and a tiny bit of apple.
4.  The oyster (one) was served in the shell; I couldn't taste the "tripe", but the oyster flavor was delicious.
5. For the next snack, imagine a small piece of bread with tiny thinly sliced carrots and slices of fish.
6. I don't remember the mussel dish.  I guess it was unremarkable.
7. "Seafood from Norway" meant cod.  With delicious fresh cucumber that was first of the season so delicate and not intensely cucumber.
8. The white beets were cooked and then layered with a buttermilk topped with caviar.
9. And more roe: This time with raw quail egg and strange fermented potatoes.  I don't remember the potatoes but I do remember the roe and the slimey egg.
10. And now we're done with the snacks.  A small loaf of bread was placed on the table and we thought it was a course!  So, we ate it all.  They mill the wheat of course and the butter was really tasty.
11. For the first course, we start with a scallop (just one).  It was unbelievably good, seared quickly and served with a sauce.
12. And now for turbot, again, quickly cooked.  A very small piece, but fine.
13. Previously, they had paraded a Guinea Fowl around the room.  Guinea Fowl are truly one of the tastiest fowl around, but they have a bad reputation for being nasty.  They hang the bird for 2 weeks and then roast it.  Unfortunately, the piece you get to taste is pretty small, but it was very tasty.  It was accompanied by a sauce made from Ramson, a kind of ramp (different genus) --- then pureed.
14. The lamb shoulder piece was also tiny and was difficult to get any of the lamb flavor, but it was extremely tender.  The sweetbreads (thymus gland) were also tender but difficult to taste.
15. The goat yogurt tasted like goat yogurt but also included pickled elderflower.  We didn't think that really went together.
16. The Spruce ice cream was incredible.  It tasted like a forest.  Never mind the blueberries.  It also had a buckwheat caramel that was like eating a liquid buckwheat pancake.
    
17. They liked brown butter sauces and used it again here for the butter cake.  The rhubarb was forced so it lacked the acid we think of ... Have to wait longer for real rhubarb.
18. Then our "fika" with cloudberries (yay!)
19. Finishing off with a honeycomb shaped thin cracker.

We elected to split the "Nordic Wine Pairing" but that deserves its own entry.