Posts Tagged ‘crème brûlée’
- In: Eating | Seattle | Pike Place Market | USA | Washington
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I love Korean barbecue. My aunt has a favourite in Hong Kong that I’ve been to several times. A gas grill is at the centre of the table and you order an assortment of marinated meats, seafood and vegetables. The communally cooked morsels are dipped in a variety of condiments and eaten with half a dozen side dishes.
In Seattle I’ve had delicious meals at Revel in Fremont and another Korean restaurant has just opened in Inn at the Market. The lovely Kimberly invited me as her plus one to Chan’s opening party.
The kimchi hangover soup piqued my interest!
We peeked in prior to the event to take photos of the interior. The open kitchen was buzzing with activity as chefs busily prepared the tasting menu.
A sideboard was laden with stemware, ice buckets and wine bottles.
Earthy tones decorated the dining room.
We chatted over coffee at Le Pichet and returned to a crowded Chan to sample their fusion fare. I eschewed the cocktails and opted for a glass of Champagne.
A square plate had a mound of ahi tuna slivers with slices of avocado. The tuna tartare was seasoned with an appetising soy ginger sauce and chilli oil.
A ball of rice was doused in sweet and spicy sauce, and surrounded by julienned vegetables. The bowl of bibimbap was served cold and mixed through for a pleasant combination of flavours and textures.
The highlight was the bulgogi slider. A charred bun had a dollop of chilli mayonnaise and tender pieces of marinated beef topped with cucumber kimchi. The dense bread was a sturdy container for the burger contents.
More sweet than chilli, fried chicken wing portions were dusted in a light batter, drizzled with a chilli caramel glaze, and garnished with peanuts and green onions.
Crispy and sticky, these must been eaten with fingers!
Dessert was a tiny pot of ginger crème brûlée. I cracked the candy top with the back of my spoon and underneath was a smooth and aromatic custard.
Our evening concluded with supper at The Coterie Room where Carol and I introduced Kimberly to the savoury crunch of ham cracklings dunked in fondue!
Located in the same courtyard as Marché and Watson Kennedy, Chan is a welcomed addition to the diverse collection of restaurants in Pike Place Market. We attended the opening party courtesy of Social Magnet.
- In: Belltown | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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Preceding All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Halloween isn’t observed in Australia. Some family neighbourhoods would have trick-or-treat for children but it’s not as commercialised as in America.
Pumpkins, candy and costumes. Decorative and carving pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and varieties were piled high into grocery stores, bags of candy and chocolate stacked the shelves of supermarkets, and feathers, sequins, glitter and taffeta were fashionable for one night only.
On All Hallow’s Eve, we avoided the ghoulish crowds by enjoying a civilised dinner at Pintxo. Pintxo, toothpick or skewer snacks, are a northern Spanish specialty.
The narrow street frontage has a view into the kitchen through the window. Although there is an exhaust extractor, the restaurant was a little smoky from the exposed kitchen. A blackboard divided the liquor bottles from the pantry items.
Modern art cluttered the walls and an ornate mirror enlarged the dining room.
We shared a carafe of sangria that was devoid of fruit except for a wedge of lemon as garnish. The wine punch was a refreshing accompaniment to the meal.
The first pintxo was bacon wrapped dates. Three morsels of medjool dates were stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. It was an appetising sweet saltiness.
Three slices of toast were scattered with jamón serrano and topped with sunny side up quail eggs. It was a decadent combination of buttery ham and creamy yolk.
The second pintxo style dish was Moorish chicken skewers. Marinated in an almond and garlic spice rub and grilled, the skewers were served with Tunisian couscous, cherry tomatoes and tzatziki.
Macrina baguette was dipped in olive oil and a tangy salsa.
Cauliflower florets and halved cherry tomatoes were sautéed in garlic infused oil.
Beige in appearance, patatas and chorizo were braised in gravy until tender.
Speared by a bamboo stick, three citrus cinnamon braised pork sliders were smothered in chimichurri and doused in a balsamic reduction.
Similar to a crème brûlée, the crema Catalana had a caramelised sugar crust, and the custard was perfumed by cinnamon and lemon.
And lastly, the charred bread pudding with dulche de leche had the consistency of a dense cake.
Howls and sirens echoed through the night as I pondered why the dishes were in sets of threes.
