Booked a last minute table at Atempo for lunch and was not disappointed. This is from their La Carta menu. I forgot that places like this include a few (or seven) appetizers so I over ordered a bit. They start you off with 3 small bites and a drink: koji-cured tuna, a corn tartlet with garlic foam, and some sort of crispy cylinder thing with a red pepper and cheese espuma. The drink was a reimagined non-alcoholic Bloody Mary. Each item was delightful.
Next up was a warm appetizer: a steamed bao bun filled with iberico pork charsiu and topped with some sort of hoisin citrus sauce. They brought my bread supplement at the same time. It was served with quite possibly the best olive oil I’ve ever had in my life.
After the bread came the milk cap mushroom starter. It’s composed of smoked milk caps, thinly shaved guanciale, and topped with shaved black truffle. It was delicious but quite a large dish for a starter.
Next up was the quail main entree. It’s presented dramatically and finished table side. The wings and breast are served with a fig and barley risotto, roasted baby corn and drizzled with a sauce made from roasted quail bones. The other half of the course includes two quail leg lollipops, and two crispy corn tacos stuffed with foie gras and topped with even more grated foie gras. Everything was super tasty and perfectly cooked. The foie gras tacos were insanely good.
Dessert was their single origin chocolate mousse with Jerusalem artichoke textures and some kind of ice cream with caramelized onion drizzle and hazelnuts. The textures and flavors were phenomenal.
Lastly it was petit fours. Chocolate bar, chestnut tart, white chocolate lavender Bon bon, and a strawberry popsicle lipstick. All excellent.
Overall the food was punching above its weight class. Service was outstanding. Decor was beautiful. They’re clearly gunning for a second star and I won’t be surprised if they get it soon.
by Celestron5
Dining and Cooking