Saffron - October 30, 2015
Since my first bite of a Red Curry Chicken Burrito at a food truck named World Street Kitchen, I’ve been a huge fan of Sameh Wadi & his brother Saed. While my tastes have veered over, and become completely attached, to the various Korean BBQ offerings, I knew that I was eating something designed by somebody who just “got” flavors. I learned much later he was a challenger on Iron Chef and almost won. Kind of cool.
As big a fan I am of World Street Kitchen, I’m not sure what took me so long to get to his flagship restaurant Saffron. I think I may have had a drink there years ago, but didn’t recall eating there, then again I wasn’t cataloging my meals and doing research back then. I finally decided to go to Saffron after eating some of Sameh’s food at a whole animal dinner at Libertine. The flavors and techniques made me want to see what he’s doing at his own place. I’m glad. The first time I went was about 2 months ago, the day before my birthday with a couple of friends and I was blown away.
This time I went solo. This visit was spurred on by a friend (fellow diner in La Belle Vie entry) retweeting one of Sameh’s pictures I’d seen earlier in the day. At first sight, I was interested, when said friend retweeted, I was tempted, by the end of the day, I was definitely going to get that dish. I arrived, sat at the end of the bar and checked out the menu. THE DISH WASN’T THERE. Turns out somebody hadn’t replaced the bar menu with the new weekly specials, whew.
Potato & Champagne Soup with brandade, black garlic, and peanut dukkah(Before and after pour): This was the dish Sameh tweeted, and I’m so glad he did. It smelled like an most amazing potato au gratin, with a touch of sweetness. The black garlic and sesame seeds added a really nice earthiness to the dish. The brandade was amazing, almost croquettish, crisp exterior, excellently smooth mousse-y interior with just enough texture to know it was salt cod. I’m not sure, but I think I might have picked up a little tahini in the brandade. It was definitely worth the trip.
Sweet Potato Chips with triple milk cheese and smoked pimenton: I’d seen this posted before and it was my first time in the restaurant since it was added, so I decided to give it a try. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s the best version of a sour cream and onion dip you can think of. The sweetness slightly amplified by the chips, but still creamy, flavorful, and comforting.
Duck Breast, Parsnip Pureé, Parsnip Chip, Apple, Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates, Apple Cider Vinegar Gastrique: This wasn’t on any of the menus, so I think it was a nightly special. The duck was expertly prepared, fat fully rendered, crispy skin, medium rare, tasty. The parsnip pureé was great with hints of salt and sweetness. The apples were cinnamon spiced so it gave the dish the feeling of a comforting pork & applesauce roast, I think I like duck and apple more than pork and apple now. The dates though? Damn. I want to know the technique on these. I’m a huge fan of devils on horseback, I even came up with a way to make them over a campfire without fear of raw bacon, and these are in that vein. I’m guessing they’re halved and then fried crisp cut down to allow for all the interior sugars to caramelize, and then the cheese is piped in after. So good, the crispy exterior, the super thick & sticky sweet interior, the slight tart & funkiness of the goat cheese against the sugars. Amazing.
Sour Cherries & Creme, shortbread plated with arak poached pears: The tastes were great, and the anise from the arak lingered on the palate. The pears were a little too firm to be easily eaten with a spoon, a fork & knife would have been preferable. If you get it, ask for a full complement of silverware.
Overall a great meal. I foresee dining here more and more in the future.