Last night C and I finally got to experience our first Cobaya experiment dinner. Before I delve into the amazing experience, I'll briefly explain to you all what Cobaya is. A few hardcore foodies decided to create a "secret dinner club". Every so often they hook up with some of the most notorious chefs at the most delicious restaurants in South Florida, and the participants act as "guinea pigs". The chef has carte blanche to prepare anything he or she wants. As a guinea pig there is no "ew this is gross" or "I can't eat this"- this is the big leagues boys and girls! This "dinner club" is not for the faint of stomach! You can read more about the concept here.
Last night's "experiment" was at The Four Season's in downtown Miami and was hosted by Edge Steak and Grill's signature chef Aaron Brooks. Not only were we psyched that we made the cut to attend this dinner, but we absolutely love Edge and think Chef Brooks is a very talented chef, so we were thrilled when we found out yesterday morning we'd be eating his creations.
We indulged in a 7 course meal with fabulous Riesling wine pairings that complimented each course nicely. The most fabulous part of the entire evening was that Chef Brooks decided to use his love for Southeast Asian cuisine as his inspiration for the dinner. In case you are unaware, I go absolutely gaga over any Asian food (especially Thai inspired food). Needless to say, this meal blew my mind. Below, for your foodie porn pleasure, is a visual feast of what we dined on last night.
Last night's "experiment" was at The Four Season's in downtown Miami and was hosted by Edge Steak and Grill's signature chef Aaron Brooks. Not only were we psyched that we made the cut to attend this dinner, but we absolutely love Edge and think Chef Brooks is a very talented chef, so we were thrilled when we found out yesterday morning we'd be eating his creations.
We indulged in a 7 course meal with fabulous Riesling wine pairings that complimented each course nicely. The most fabulous part of the entire evening was that Chef Brooks decided to use his love for Southeast Asian cuisine as his inspiration for the dinner. In case you are unaware, I go absolutely gaga over any Asian food (especially Thai inspired food). Needless to say, this meal blew my mind. Below, for your foodie porn pleasure, is a visual feast of what we dined on last night.
Sandwiched between floor to ceiling windowed corridors we sat with a delicious view of downtown Miami which was enhanced by the magnificent lightning show we got to witness in between courses.
The menu for the evening.
Course 1 was inspired by the chef's Boston experience. Chef Brooks decided to begin with something not Southeast Asian at all- Fried Clams! These little guys were unbelievable and the tangy sauce that complimented them was a true star. I could have lifted those little shells and drank the leftover sauce- it was that good.
Course 2 was George's Bank Scallops with soft tofu, fried egg, pickled shallots and baby cucumber. The scallops were slightly different than the scallops I love, with more of a squid like texture, but the tofu was fluffy and light. The baby cucumbers were fresh and crispy, and the sauce was a bit acidic with a slow heat that remained in the mouth for a few moments after eating each bite.
Course 3 continued to blow my mind. This Chilled Mussel Salad had young lotus root, fire roasted peanuts, mint, cured pig's face (yes, you read that correctly) and chili jam. Oh Em Gee...the sweet chili jam was nothing short of blow-your-mind good. The cured pig's face had a consistency of Jamon Serrano with a very light pork flavor which was not overpowering at all and complimented the freshness of the mussels to a tee.
Course 4 was a Hot and Sour Soup with squid noodles, fragrant herbs and Thai sausage. I absolutely love myself a noodle soup, and the noodles are made with squid, the soup becomes even better! A novice would never even know that the noodles inside were squid, they were that light and fluffy. The broth was zesty and full of flavor. The Thai sausage was the only component of the soup that I felt didn't quite fit. It was overpowering and tainted the delicious brother by making it taste more porky than anything.
Course 5 was a Short Rib Cooked in Coconut. I could not contain my excitement when I read about this course on the menu. I love anything cooked in coconut, and I find it rare to see beef cooked with the coconut so I was excited to taste it. The coconut sauce was enticing, and once again I could have licked the plate clean. The short rib was most definitely an interesting ingredient to add to the dish, but I think it worked well. The sweet potato puree that the short rib was served on added an extra sweet touch to balance out the complex flavors. Overall, I was pretty impressed. I thought this was going to be the best course of the night. That was before the final entree came out...
Ladies and gentlemen...Course 6 literally changed my life. I wish that I had unlimited funds so that I could hire Chef Brooks to prepare this dish for me every week of my life. Course 6 was Grilled Duck with foie gras curry, heirloom potatoes, lychee and radishes. This dish was nothing short of mind-blowing. The such was prepared to absolute perfection and the foie gras curry was out of this world. Thankfully for me there were small potatoes to prolong my obsession with this sauce long after the duck was gone. The lychee provided a nice sweet note after the duck was long gone. I can honestly say, I didn't simply want to lick my plate clean, I did! At this point after 6 glasses of wine, I had no shame. This sauce was not going to waste!
We ended our delicious experiment with a lovely Orange Almond Cake that was zesty and delicious.
This was an experience I will not soon forget, and I will quite literally beg the Chowfather to pick C and I for the next experiment.
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