The title of Bistro a Table's degustation menu for September: 'Oldie But Goody,' celebrating the beauty of aging with culinary components that have stood the test of time.
A taste of brandy that's double my age: the playfully presented foie gras "liverpop," steeped in 1945 Armagnac. This brandy's intoxicating perfume thoroughly permeated the ultra-luscious chunk of goose liver terrine, held aloft like a lollipop & blanketed with petal-thin apple slices & a brittle swirl of caramel threads.
Moving further back in time, with tomato strains from a pre-World War II origin: a zingy heirloom tomato tart, tinged with white balsamic vinegar. The mascarpone ice cream topping was made using Chef Isadora's new toy, an RM18,000 Swiss PacoJet machine that can whip up a liter of ice cream in 15 minutes. We'll hear more about it soon (lobster roe ice cream, anyone?).
No ordinary mushroom risotto, this one was flooded with fragrant wild chanterelles, morels & "trompette de la mort," translated as "trumpets of death." Irreproachably al dente & topped with 30-month aged Parmagiano-Regiano cheese for a gritty texture & nutty taste. This recipe made us wish that Chef Isadora would start a full-fledged Italian restaurant.
"Chianina" is a word we rarely hear; it refers to an Italian cattle breed that is one of the world's oldest, cultivated for more than 2,200 years. This pink-fleshed sirloin was lean but featured sufficient flavor to hold its own against other beef. Served with duck fat-roasted chats, charred baby savoy & an emulsion of foie gras & marrow.
A century in the making: guava tart tartin with vanilla bean ice cream & 100-year-old balsamic vinegar, to finish with a flamboyantly syrupy flourish.
Besides all that, here are some highlights from Bistro a Table's current a la carte menu. Check out the charcuterie board: horse salami (yucky? neigggh! this pleasurably chewy, intensely savory sausage is a triumph), house-cured duck prosciutto (fabulously fatty, reminiscent of siew yuk) & 30-month Asiago & Robiola (delicately nuanced Italian cheeses).
Sea robin, also known as gurnard, a fish known for its majestic pectoral fin, which flaps like a bird in flight when it swims close to the ocean floor.
This sashimi-grade gurnard is cooked en papillote (in a parchment) to seal its moisture & flavor. Topped with a salty puree of anchovies, garlic & parsley.
Burratina Pugliese, a southern Italian cheese comprising a creamy center of shredded mozzarella & fresh cream, bound together in a pouch with an outer layer of stretched mozzarella. Partnered here with Roma tomatoes & charred capsicum puree.
Bistro a Table,
Jalan 17/54, Petaling Jaya.
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