Blog about your party girl.

In response to HB's request, here I am blogging about my dinner party. It was a dream. There were about 20 of us, and since I took over the restaurant, there was no one to disturb us. Just good times, with good food, good company and good wine. :) Also, the cake I ordered turned out really well, and I got a lot of compliments for it. Heh. Thank you guys, those who showed up. Love ya all. :)
Thanks Marie for totally ignoring the black and white code. :P
Some people came up really smartly dressed! Thanks John!
Random pictures of some of the people at the dinner.
My BFF and I! :)

Group shot! :)
The complimentary starter - Salmon mousse with salmon roe in a small tart pastry, accompanied by microgreens. Man, this thing was so tiny but so good. The salmon flavor simply explodes in your mouth, and essentially yummy!

I got the roasted tomato soup, poured tableside. It was soooo good. Very light, and the roasted tomatoes were delicious. :)
Jenn got the New Zealand mussels:Shallot & Garlic Sautéed Green-Lipped Mussels, Saffron-Lemon Grass Broth which was reeeally good. The cream sauce was very flavorful with hints of lemongrass and seafood.
Deron got the Leaning tower of beets:Gold & Red Chioggia Beets, Haricots Verts, Lightly-Dressed Heirloom Tomatoes, White Balsamic Vinaigrette which is surprisingly good! The beets with the heirloom tomatoes blended really well and the end taste was very smooth and light. And I love the blend of colors! Definitely will get this the next time I'm back.
After our first course, we got surprised with homemade mango sorbet, which was not overly sweet and very light. It even came in a tiny cone on a artist's palate! Cute!

Indulging in my sorbet.
I got the duo of duck Pan-Seared “Muscovy” Duck Breast, Long-Grain Rice Pilaf, Confit Jus
“White Pekin” Duck Confit, Pappardelle Pasta, Marinara Demi-Glace for my second course, which was a-okay. The flavor for the pasta side was good, but the pappardelle pasta (whatever that is) taste too much like chinese noodles to make it French. The duck was too well done, in my opinion, but generally good taste. The crispy duck flakes were pretty decadent.
The quail Tehachapi Apples, Wild Mushroom, Iranian Pistachios & Bosc Pear- Stuffed Quail Leeks & Wild Mushroom Risotto, Bulls Blood Garnish was the best dish in the house, in my opinion (yes, I tasted all of them. Ha.) The flavor was there, but not overwhelming. The quail was moist, and very tender. Daym, should have gotten this. Will get this when I go back.

The antelope Mirepoix, Pancetta & White Beans Cassoulet, Micro Mustard Greens Garnish sounded like a very exciting dish, but was too tough/overcooked in my opinion. There was not much of a flavor, and tastes very much like braised beef.
I didn't try the pan-seared petit fillet Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Blue Cheese, Madeira Reduction. It looked pretty good though. Ha.

They also served lightly stir-fried brussel sprouts, which was a clincher for me. It was only seasoned lightly with salt, but the slightly browned ends of the sprouts were bursting with flavor. :)

My cake!

My uh other cake. Ha ha. Renee baked this blueberry mochi cake in her signature mould shape, and she was leaning over the cake writing the lettering for the longest time. Mind you, her chinese is not good at all, so I was pretty impressed by her written chinese! The lettering's kinda like a private joke between us. Haha. I love you Brandy! :)
I was so touched when they chorused the happy birthday song. :) Renee took the liberty of sticking the candle onto the tip of the other cake. Punk! :P


Don't they look cute together. Both cakes were soooo delicious.

They have uh very cooperative servers there. Ha.

Sorry guys, I was so excited by the dessert platter that I completely forgot to take a picture of it until all of them were gobbled up. But I assure you that it was excellent, especially the bread pudding and the creme brulee. :)

The Better Half Dessert Sampler

Sour Cherries & Chocolate Bread Pudding; Saffron, Lemon Grass & Cardamom Chai Pana Cotta;Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee;Chilean Spice Rubbed Peach Crepes