Amuse-Bouche

[kwilkinson]

Who's been offered one before?
If so, what was the best one you've ever had, and where was it served at?

 

[Connemara]

Please use English.

Thanks,
America

 

[Piobaire]

Kwilk, these are not an uncommon thing. Probably about half the places I go for a nice dinner offer them. They range from a tiny toast point with foie, to smoked salmon mousse on a cucumber slice...just tons of stuff like that. I often wish places would do five or six of their appies in the style of a plate of amuses. Just a taste of all those good things without getting filled up.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Kwilk, these are not an uncommon thing. Probably about half the places I go for a nice dinner offer them.

Maybe not for an elitist like you, but I've never been offered one.

I realize that for the most part, the concept of an amuse-bouche isn't supposed to be the most memorable or exciting part of the meal (far from it), but I wanted to get an idea of any that might stick out in people's minds particularly.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Maybe not for an elitist like you, but I've never been offered one.

I realize that for the most part, the concept of an amuse-bouche isn't supposed to be the most memorable or exciting part of the meal (far from it), but I wanted to get an idea of any that might stick out in people's minds particularly.

I think you hit something there. They don't tend to stick out really. In fact, I'd say I usually just remember that one was offered.

 

[GQgeek]

Damn Kwilk, see all the new things you experience when you step outside Indiana? Btw, amuse-bouche doesn't mean what connie told you it means. haha.


Seriously though, I actually have a cookbook of them. I'll let you guess the title. I think that they can be interesting, but I can't really remember one in particular. I think they're less exciting than what's on the menu partly because they're not specific to your own tastes. I'm always sad when the amuse-bouche is seafood based.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Damn Kwilk, see all the new things you experience when you step outside Indiana?
True dat. Not to get all stupidly sappy or anything, but there is a whole world out here that I hadn't experienced and I'm really enjoying taking it all in and maturing all at once.

I'm always sad when the amuse-bouche is seafood based.

Dude, you got it bad.

 

[GQgeek]

Ya, all joking aside, I can imagine Chicago is hugely different from where you were living before. I don't understand people who never venture outside whatever city they grew-up in. I have a cousin that makes over 100k a year now and i don't think he's ever travelled outside of canada aside from when he lived in miami for a while. He's got the money to travel and experience new things but he doesn't do it.

 

[Kaizen]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

I think you hit something there. They don't tend to stick out really. In fact, I'd say I usually just remember that one was offered.

I thought I was the only one with that problem. I know I've had quite a few, but couldn't name a single one.

Kwik,
Since you're doing your cooking classes in Chicago, I highly suggest that you start asking your fellow students and teachers for recommendations on places to eat. They'll probably know the chef personally and tell you to let the chef know that they sent you. If you let them know you want to try something new, your culinary world should expand quickly.

When I lived in Chicago, I became a regular at a nice restaurant and got to know the chef. At a certain point, he wouldn't even let the hostess leave a menu at my table. He'd come out and tell me what he was working on, and ask me what type of dishes I wanted that night.

 

[MCsommerreid]

Christ, these aren't gonna become the next tapas are they?

I suppose its some consolation that amuse bouche isn't an exact linguistic and culinary translation of "appetizers".

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Who's been offered one before?
If so, what was the best one you've ever had, and where was it served at?

Your mom gave me the best amuse bouche I ever had.

 

[gdl203]

I've had a lot of different ones but the best I was offered (and probably the one that sounds like it would be most awful) was at Asiate in New York and was a green liquid in a shot glass and was presented to us as "the chef's take on Caesar salad". For a reason I cannot explain but have to commend, it had in a couple of gulps all the tastes that you would find in a Caesar salad - cold/crisp lettuce taste, the garlicky, anchovy tang of a caesar dressing, the sharpness of parmesan and even a subtle crunch of crouton particles. I was wowed

 

[grimslade]

GDL, that sounds weird, but in an awesome way. I'd love to try it.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

Christ, these aren't gonna become the next tapas are they?

I suppose its some consolation that amuse bouche isn't an exact linguistic and culinary translation of "appetizers".

The absolute most horrid mish-mash of cultures, and I have seen this several times now, is the mix of either sushi and tapas or dim sum type items and tapas. I mean, they're all bite sized. They must go together, right? I've seen this at least three times. Not only do they not go well together, the place never gets both things "right". Either the sushi was good and the tapas sucked, or the tapas was good and the dim sum items sucked.

I think this combo should be made illegal, as an eatery format.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by grimslade

GDL, that sounds weird, but in an awesome way. I'd love to try it.

For all I know, maybe the guy just prepared a big caesar salad, threw it in the blender, and kept it chilled ... But it was a great amuse-bouche to start a summer lunch