TLDR – molecular adventure with some standout bites, some "pure novelties," in a casual environment. I probably can't add much to the many posts and videos on the Classic menu. I'm glad I did it, but perhaps did not live up to the hype of #1 restaurant, having booked 270 days out fighting for a reservation.
Food – Disfrutar's classic menu must be one of the best ways to experience the gamut of molecular cooking techniques and play with your brain a bit. Having just visited DiverXO, I would categorize DiverXO as pure flavor (and texture) creativity and Disfrutar would be technique (and texture) creativity with a focus on transforming food. A few notes on dishes:
- Panchino – can't argue a filled donut with caviar and cream on the inside. I've had this before and Compartir and it's delicious. Huge kudos to the kitchen team figuring out how to make it gluten and dairy free for my wife. She adored this dish and never gets food like this.
- Gazpacho sandwich – thought this would just be a gimmick, but very tasty and had depth of flavor that lingered a bit on the tongue. Fun and enjoyable.
- Crunchy Mushroom leaf – super concentrated mushroom chip. Crispy umami delicious. If they package these, I would import bags from Spain to the US.
- Multispherical pesto – great dish — one of my favorites of the night. Incredibly flavorful, the combinations of techniques and textures of cheeses with the delicious eel was a memorable dish for me.
- Squab with almond foam – solid main
- Hoisin cucumber, cheese, and herb dessert – this was spectacular. I'm a sucker for desserts, especially complex ones that add salt and savory contrasts. This was amazing.
Some of the other dishes were meh to me and only highlighted technique, e.g., passion fruit lady finger, grilled mackerel in olives, flourless bread dish, foie gras
Service, Atmosphere, Etc. – we must have had an off night for service. We had about 5 servers we were interacting with and English was an issue for all of them. I understand that English as an international language is a privilege and I was not going to rely on my wife's fluent Spanish to translate, but as a culinary destination that made #1 resto, I would have expected the team to be a bit more comfortable (this was a Friday night too). The service was precise and well choreogrpahed from the kitchen, but not warm or welcoming, and the atmosphere itself was a bit cold/sterile that took you out of the moment.
This is probably a one and done type experience unless there was a relatively easy way to get a booking and if the Festival menu had little. This should not be taken as a negative review, but informational for those who have to compete to get reservations and travel.
by jackclsf