Chinois

It has been months since we have been back to Chinois. To be honest, we tend to just order our favorites, knowing that this is what they do best.

 

New dish – a present from the kitchen

Spring Rolls filled with duck and stir fried vegetables to be eaten in a lettuce leaf with mint. On the side sweet and sour sauce and Chinese mustard for dipping. Delicious. – no photo

 

Sashimi of fluke and tuna tartare with sevruga caviar and crisp potato strips

 

Tempura Ahi Tuna with Uni sauce – this has been on the menu from day one and a dish we always order. My one problem with Chinois is that they add way too many garnishes to a dish; our general rule is to ignore the extra greens etc.

 

Sweet Curried Oysters with Cucumber Sauce and Salmon Eggs – excellent

Steamed asparagus with crispy veal tongue, oyster black bean sauce

Plated

 

Roasted Cantonese Duck with Plum Sauce served with a Steamed Bao filled with stir fried Vegetables. The vegetable filling has been cut down and is much better – Always a winner.

The dish plated

We tend to order the same things again and again at Chinois. We have been going since they opened and what is amazing is that there is almost no turn over in staff. There are no surprises, but I see Chinois as fusion comfort food that is generally consistent in quality

Citrus at Social

Michel Richard has devised the menu for Citrus at Social. One of his famous dishes and a must is the lobster begula. No, it is not caviar, although it is served in a caviar tin. It is couscous that is flavored with squid ink. If you buy his cookbook, Happy in the Kitchen, you can make it at home.