the left coast -part 2

On that same warm sunny Wednesday in San Francisco, after we enjoyed fantastic food at the Ferry Building and sampled King Tut history at the DeYoung Museum, we were swept away by friends to head south to Mountain View. After a bit of driving on the Freeway 101 among rush hour drivers, we came upon Villa Street in Old Mountain View—the town seems was filled with a variety of very nice looking Asian restaurants. Was this the a new species of Chinatown—California’s burb Asiatown?

As we approach the edge of ‘Asiatown’, we arrived at Chez TJ, located in a historic house built circa 1894. The structure was home to Julius and Fanny Weilheimer. Julius was a vice president of the Mountain View Farmers and Merchant’s Bank and a town council member. This bit of history coninsides with the restaurant’s philosophy of supporting local farms and producers. Our table was located in what was originally the parlor of the house. Since none of us felt like sitting for a three-plus-hour dinner, so we selected the shorter menu Gastronomique, a four course dinner.

Menu Gastronomique

Velouté of Turnip and Hosoi Pear
Ris de Veau, Burgundy Truffle, Savoy Cabbage

Hawaiian Kona Kampachi Crudo
Cauliflower, Coconut, Red Curry Salt, Lime, Mizuna

Sonoma County Artisan Fois Gras “Neige”
Banana, Jerusalem Artichoke, Cashew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morro Bay Sablefish “Cuit en Sous Vide”
Yukon Gold Potato, Manila Clams, Black Truffle, Parsley, Smoky Ocean Broth

Slow Baked New Zealand Thai Snapper
Mendocino Uni, Toy Box Radish, Romaine Lettuce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duo of Kuobuta Pork: Glazed Belly, Gingerbread Crusted Tenderloin
Swiss Chard, Lentils, Butternut Squash, Black Currant Jus

Roasted Snake River Farms Beef Ribeye
Petite Broccoli, Cippolini Onion, Maitake Mushroom, Caramelized Garlic Tamari Jus

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trio of Fromage
Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, Point Reyes Station, California: Cornbread, Truffle Honey
Tomme du Berger, Roanne, France : Carrot, Romano Bean, Coriander
Chabichou , Loire, France: Red Pepper, Pear, Balsamic

“Lemon Meringue”
Warm Lemon Genoise, Meringue Brulée, Kumquat, Milk Sorbet

Chocolate & Coconut
Ganache Pavé, Chocolate Pot de Crème, Coconut Ice Cream

As our waitress vigorously shaved the roll of frozen foie gras for three of us, she recounted her first day at work doing this task for an entire table of eight—a test of a newbie by the Maitre d. After five minutes of labor, we got to savor the shavings on golden toasted brioche with the other  components—the sweetness of banana and Jerusalem artichoke complimented the umami of the fois beautifully. The hint of cashew brought a surprise. M enjoyed his Kampachi Crudo. It was light and refreshing, a great palette opener for the rest of the meal.

For the second course, I chose the Sous Vide of Sablefish, which had a very fresh flavor and a moist, velvety texture. The dish cleverly combined the essence of the ocean with a hint of earthiness delivered by the black truffle. Even though the overall impression of the dish was light, it had a complex flavor. Given the refined setting, I restrained from licking the plate—barely. The third course, Duo of Kuobuta Pork, I wanted since first glancing at the menu. The belly meat was tender while the skin cracked with crispness. The fat, thoughtfully rendered, provided an intense flavor of pork but without a greasy mouth-feel. The gingerbread crust provided an unexpected, interesting element to the tenderloin. It was by no means the intense flavor of sweet gingerbread, but instead the more subtle reminder of the spices used. The touch of sweetness in this dish came from the Black Currant Jus. M had the Snapper as his third course, but because I was so enamored with my pork, I cannot remember my taste of the Snapper, which M did enjoy.

Though the dessert course didn’t quite live up the surprises of the other courses, it did bring a pleasant ending to the evening. I had the Trio of Fromage, partly due to my love for Cowgirl Creamery , an artisan cheese maker from Northern California. M had the Lemon Meringue and my friend sampled the Chocolate & Coconut. All and all, the desserts were enjoyable and highly competent.  As the evening came to a close, we were all delighted by the dining experience. The understated setting and the warm and personable service completed the experience of fine dining but still left us privacy for everyone to catch up and enjoy each others’ company.

As we drove home, I couldn’t help but think about a pending food adventure for the next day—a visit to Farmer’s Market in front of the Ferry Building. What can I say? My love for food never stops with a full stomach.  I’ve read about the outdoor food vendors that only appear on Market days. We’d get to sample a few items before heading to Slanted Door with friends for lunch. The next installment will include restaurants Slanted Door and Quince.