Experienced the 5 dish tasting menu last night at Esmé and it was a fantastic experience. I really love that they collab with local artists and create unique dishes to accent and marry the art and cuisine together. Dishes were beautifully presented and the attention to detail was duly noted. I also appreciate that the space has a minimalistic look.
I purposefully didn't look at the menu, pics, or reviews because I wanted to be surprised. My least favorite was the sweetbread. The taste and texture was a bit off putting for me. Some of my faves were the amuse bouche tartare, honeynut squash soup, caviar corn, chicken liver, sour tamarind candy, and raspberry jelly.
We ordered both supplements – the caviar with a savory ice cream and brioche truffle. The truffle dish was delicious and I enjoyed it way more than the caviar. To me, the caviar was overly fishy in taste. On the other hand, the truffles were generously served on the dish and complemented all the different components by letting each ingredient's flavor shine through.
The staff and service was beyond excellent. They took the time to explain the meaning behind every art piece and helped us understand the chef's interpretation of the dish. They answered our questions and engaged in conversation. One of the servers even gave us suggestions to some good Venezuelan places to check out.
All in all, there was good banter and laughter. I recommend this collab!
by kgurlie012