The French Laundry exceeded my expectations. Sure I expected the cooking to be top-notch and the quality superb, but I honestly thought it’d also be predictable, old-school, and maybe even a bit boring.
The cuisine at The French Laundry isn’t flashy nor wildly unfamiliar, but there’s plenty of outstanding innovation in the details – perhaps in a reinterpreted side garnish, a painstaking technique that goes unsaid, or an ingenious combination of flavors. The most impressive part about our meal was that every single course was consistently excellent. Chef Thomas Keller commands a mastery of flavor, using seasonal ingredients, that is unparalleled. The fundamentals and execution are so solid here that I’ve come to understand why working here is such a grand credential.
## Food
The first bite is an “everything bagel” in the form of a small cornet – lox mousse at the bottom, cream cheese on top, and everything topping sprinkled on. The flavors are predictably familiar but the textures are crispy and more fun, plus the bread-to-filling ratio here in a cornet is much more generous. It’s a very savory amuse-bouche to start a meal. (8.5/10)
The first course is the iconic “oysters and pearls”, yielding bites of pure bliss that don’t get tiring. It features a good scoop of house Regiis Ova caviar, savory sabayon with tapioca pearls, and two de-shelled oysters. I had just had the signature Koshihikari rice with smoked sabayon and Regiis caviar at Addison the night before, and both dishes aim for the same profile of a rich buttery sabayon that is deepened in savoriness by the caviar. Here though, the oyster adds a brininess and creaminess that enlivens the bite. The tapioca on the other hand is starchy and stretchy to extend each bite. (10/10)
Next is a much more refreshing course – a salad of tender garden lettuces and herbs. There are actually 2 ideas going on here that I end up alternating between – a salad coated with a wild sorrel and Meyer lemon dressing, as well as some whipped chèvre panna cotta, a slice of the best fig I’ve ever had, and some shortbread. The salad consists of many herbs and is acidic yet sweet with the subtle tanginess of sorrel, finely cut for more texture. The fig and gamey chèvre cheese to be broken up in between bites of salad is rather ingenious. (9/10)
Then comes the sole fish course of the evening – here more an entree than a main. The dish is a medley of garden flavors: avocado mousse, corn kernels and its puree, compressed cucumbers, and a sweet yet herby pepper “vierge” that reminds me a little of gin; each component comes together to be vibrant and umami. The fish is salted to be firm and stringy that it disintegrates, taking on more of the sauces. There’s also a small croquette on the side that is rather fishy but without the texture. (9.5/10)
The soup course is somewhere in between soup and sauce, accompanying the lobster. It features a frothy and airy smoked tomato broth, wonderfully creamy yet light that I wouldn’t be surprised if the lobster head was added in too for richness. Tomato also comes in many other forms in the dish – a small bursting cherry tomato, a slice of raw tomato, and a confit twirl that tastes sundried but is rather hydrated. The lobster comes in two forms as well – a familiar piece of claw, and a spam-like piece in texture that is less homogenous and more bouncey in texture. Lastly, there’s a bean sofrito, which if you don’t mix into the soup becomes a fun secondary theme of flavors. (10/10)
Bread then follows, and it’s picture perfect. It’s also quite perfect – a brioche snail laminated by bitter cocoa for a discreetly bitter and chocolatey flavor. (10/10)
Then come the mains – the first is an applewood smoked quail, uncannily similar to flavor of the hot dogs at Costco. Ignoring the Costco connection, it incorporates sauces in a masterful manner with the mellow yet thorough smokiness of the quail; a sweet whole-grain mustard sauce, and a spinach puree. The spinach puree adds an irony and green flavor to contrast the bird, while the mustard spices things up. The quail itself is playful and tender, a pleasure to chew. There’s also a small spinach pierogi that resembles the Costco ravioli… (8.5/10)
The final main is a prime rib from lamb, paired with some almond curry jus and served with boudin noir, charred eggplant “toast”, and green tomatoes. The lamb prime rib is very similar to beef – a juicy, fatty, meaty, thick cut, but also with a bit of distinct gamey-ness. The sweet curry jus, flavored mostly by curry powder, counteracts the gameyness and fat well. On the side, the boudin noir is just as impressive – a mildly flavored blood sausage with a texture like roulade, embedded with some welcome diced onion. (9/10)
There is one last savory course before dessert – a refined and cheesy bite of “gougere”. The cave aged Comte cheese is immensely rich but doesn’t linger, covered in a light and crunchy shell. The black truffle fondue sauce undoubtedly pairs well. (9.5/10)
Dessert is served simultaneously in 4 parts. First is a strawberry and basil sorbet, a purposeful palate cleanser. The sorbet and strawberries that come with are both rather sweet, but both are distinctly flavorful. Next are plums with a muscat gelee and citrus meringue. The plum is sweet and tart, perfect with a refreshing muscat gelee. The chocolate dessert is simple and effectively done consisting of three textures – ganache, cake, and a layer of ‘snap’ made from chocolate caramel. My favorite though may be the semifreddo cappuccino. It consists of a coffee semifreddo ice cream that is topped with a frothy sweet cream. It goes excellently with some bite-sized malasadas. (9/10)
The mignardaise consists of raspberry macarons, caramels, and chocolate bonbons that you get to choose from. The PB&J bonbon was on point, and I also liked the s’mores one too.
Looks like an amazing experience. Did you do a wine pairing?
BlackTemplars on
Looking forward to my dinner there soon! What were the take home gifts? Any special experiences? I know people go tour the kitchen and can sometimes meet Keller himself
frerant on
One aspect of the French Laundry that I loved on my visit but is rarely talked about, is that they killed it with their plates.
Plates and tableware are so often overlooked on this sub, dispite them being a fundamental part of the meal. They are a major aspect of the interaction and just as important as the rest of the decorations in setting the mood.
Inter_932 on
TFL looks so much better than Per Se
Intelligent_Spray951 on
Thomas is the sous-vide king. Dishes aren’t made from scratch or a la minute.
Pitiful_Oven_3425 on
So, the same old shit he’s been serving since the 90s then ?
7 Comments
The French Laundry exceeded my expectations. Sure I expected the cooking to be top-notch and the quality superb, but I honestly thought it’d also be predictable, old-school, and maybe even a bit boring.
The cuisine at The French Laundry isn’t flashy nor wildly unfamiliar, but there’s plenty of outstanding innovation in the details – perhaps in a reinterpreted side garnish, a painstaking technique that goes unsaid, or an ingenious combination of flavors. The most impressive part about our meal was that every single course was consistently excellent. Chef Thomas Keller commands a mastery of flavor, using seasonal ingredients, that is unparalleled. The fundamentals and execution are so solid here that I’ve come to understand why working here is such a grand credential.
## Food
The first bite is an “everything bagel” in the form of a small cornet – lox mousse at the bottom, cream cheese on top, and everything topping sprinkled on. The flavors are predictably familiar but the textures are crispy and more fun, plus the bread-to-filling ratio here in a cornet is much more generous. It’s a very savory amuse-bouche to start a meal. (8.5/10)
The first course is the iconic “oysters and pearls”, yielding bites of pure bliss that don’t get tiring. It features a good scoop of house Regiis Ova caviar, savory sabayon with tapioca pearls, and two de-shelled oysters. I had just had the signature Koshihikari rice with smoked sabayon and Regiis caviar at Addison the night before, and both dishes aim for the same profile of a rich buttery sabayon that is deepened in savoriness by the caviar. Here though, the oyster adds a brininess and creaminess that enlivens the bite. The tapioca on the other hand is starchy and stretchy to extend each bite. (10/10)
Next is a much more refreshing course – a salad of tender garden lettuces and herbs. There are actually 2 ideas going on here that I end up alternating between – a salad coated with a wild sorrel and Meyer lemon dressing, as well as some whipped chèvre panna cotta, a slice of the best fig I’ve ever had, and some shortbread. The salad consists of many herbs and is acidic yet sweet with the subtle tanginess of sorrel, finely cut for more texture. The fig and gamey chèvre cheese to be broken up in between bites of salad is rather ingenious. (9/10)
Then comes the sole fish course of the evening – here more an entree than a main. The dish is a medley of garden flavors: avocado mousse, corn kernels and its puree, compressed cucumbers, and a sweet yet herby pepper “vierge” that reminds me a little of gin; each component comes together to be vibrant and umami. The fish is salted to be firm and stringy that it disintegrates, taking on more of the sauces. There’s also a small croquette on the side that is rather fishy but without the texture. (9.5/10)
The soup course is somewhere in between soup and sauce, accompanying the lobster. It features a frothy and airy smoked tomato broth, wonderfully creamy yet light that I wouldn’t be surprised if the lobster head was added in too for richness. Tomato also comes in many other forms in the dish – a small bursting cherry tomato, a slice of raw tomato, and a confit twirl that tastes sundried but is rather hydrated. The lobster comes in two forms as well – a familiar piece of claw, and a spam-like piece in texture that is less homogenous and more bouncey in texture. Lastly, there’s a bean sofrito, which if you don’t mix into the soup becomes a fun secondary theme of flavors. (10/10)
Bread then follows, and it’s picture perfect. It’s also quite perfect – a brioche snail laminated by bitter cocoa for a discreetly bitter and chocolatey flavor. (10/10)
Then come the mains – the first is an applewood smoked quail, uncannily similar to flavor of the hot dogs at Costco. Ignoring the Costco connection, it incorporates sauces in a masterful manner with the mellow yet thorough smokiness of the quail; a sweet whole-grain mustard sauce, and a spinach puree. The spinach puree adds an irony and green flavor to contrast the bird, while the mustard spices things up. The quail itself is playful and tender, a pleasure to chew. There’s also a small spinach pierogi that resembles the Costco ravioli… (8.5/10)
The final main is a prime rib from lamb, paired with some almond curry jus and served with boudin noir, charred eggplant “toast”, and green tomatoes. The lamb prime rib is very similar to beef – a juicy, fatty, meaty, thick cut, but also with a bit of distinct gamey-ness. The sweet curry jus, flavored mostly by curry powder, counteracts the gameyness and fat well. On the side, the boudin noir is just as impressive – a mildly flavored blood sausage with a texture like roulade, embedded with some welcome diced onion. (9/10)
There is one last savory course before dessert – a refined and cheesy bite of “gougere”. The cave aged Comte cheese is immensely rich but doesn’t linger, covered in a light and crunchy shell. The black truffle fondue sauce undoubtedly pairs well. (9.5/10)
Dessert is served simultaneously in 4 parts. First is a strawberry and basil sorbet, a purposeful palate cleanser. The sorbet and strawberries that come with are both rather sweet, but both are distinctly flavorful. Next are plums with a muscat gelee and citrus meringue. The plum is sweet and tart, perfect with a refreshing muscat gelee. The chocolate dessert is simple and effectively done consisting of three textures – ganache, cake, and a layer of ‘snap’ made from chocolate caramel. My favorite though may be the semifreddo cappuccino. It consists of a coffee semifreddo ice cream that is topped with a frothy sweet cream. It goes excellently with some bite-sized malasadas. (9/10)
The mignardaise consists of raspberry macarons, caramels, and chocolate bonbons that you get to choose from. The PB&J bonbon was on point, and I also liked the s’mores one too.
## Scoring
Flavor: 9.5
Quality: 9.5
Value: 7
Setting & Service: +2
Presentation: +3
Legitimacy or Creativity: +5
Miscellaneous: +4
Overall: 87.5
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Looks like an amazing experience. Did you do a wine pairing?
Looking forward to my dinner there soon! What were the take home gifts? Any special experiences? I know people go tour the kitchen and can sometimes meet Keller himself
One aspect of the French Laundry that I loved on my visit but is rarely talked about, is that they killed it with their plates.
Plates and tableware are so often overlooked on this sub, dispite them being a fundamental part of the meal. They are a major aspect of the interaction and just as important as the rest of the decorations in setting the mood.
TFL looks so much better than Per Se
Thomas is the sous-vide king. Dishes aren’t made from scratch or a la minute.
So, the same old shit he’s been serving since the 90s then ?