L'Espalier

Went to check out L'Espalier's new space in the Mandarin Oriental last night. It's a very nice, modern-looking set of rooms, but doesn't quite have the charm of the old townhouse. We opted for the chef's tasting journey (at a whopping $185 per person, and an additional $110pp for wine pairings).

Hors d'oeuvres were mini smoked salmon napoleons with creme fraiche. Yummy, but not particularly exciting.

Amuse of oxtail salad with cucumber, filo shell, truffled carmelized onion, and sriracha.

Island Creek Oyster with jam and caviar, paired with Duvel Leroy champagne.

Sole with apples, crisp apple skin, caviar, radish, maitake mushroom puree, paired with a 1989 white rioja (really nice pairing)

Butter poached lobster with chestnut pear soup, brussels sprout leaves, caviar, and truffle oil. Paired with an Italian wine from Alto Adige (Kerner was the varietal, I believe), like a very floral riesling.

Monkfish with candy cane beet, butternut squash sauce, and a white wine I don't remember

Seared foie gras with sweet potato and cranberries. Very good, but not the best foie ever. Paired with a really yummy sauternes. I think the wine was better than the food for this course. It was ridiculously good.

Herbed gnocchi with mushrooms, white truffles, and beef shin broth, paired with a Barolo. The gnocchi were soooooo good, and I'm glad we got to try the white truffles, because now I won't have to wonder what they taste like. They are good, but not spectacular, so I won't end up spending a ridiculous amount of money buying them.

Lamb with the tiniest puy lentils known to man, with a delicious mustardy sauce; squab with celery root puree, and buttery garlicy carrot and turnip, topped with a mustard green leaf, paired with a Margaux. The meats were fantastic.

Very nice cheese course--six completely different cheeses with a red banyuls.

Dessert of chocolate log, cranberry souffle, something that was supposed to be a pate sable (more like a stick of butter--ugh), and a meringue-like thing. As expected, paired with the Banfi brachetto d'aqui. I think the dessert was too rich and didn't sit very well with me.

Overall, a very good meal, but way too expensive in my opinion. I'd much rather have no caviar (it really didn't add anything) and an extra course instead. I think if I were spending my own money, I'd go to Clio 9 times out of 10 (probably 10 out of 10, really). The wine pairings were really nice, though, which I think is the biggest thing that Clio lacks.