Gabriel Kreuther is a large bustling place with a design motif featuring the chef’s native Alsatian stork both in wallpaper and with a large Swarovski fixture with dozens of the crystal storks hanging in formation (heading north to the place chef is from). They opened in June 2015 and offer 2 tasting menu options, one of 4 courses and the other a Chef’s Menu which they warn you will take about 3 hours. They also have a Chef’s table, that is in the kitchen, but it needed 4 people to reserve it when we made our reservation but my understanding is that it now can be scheduled for just 2.
We opted for the longer tasting and ordered our own bottles of wine. The service was first rate and Chef KReuther did come out and meet his guests, in addition our excellent waiter Cody Nason answered our every question and made sure we had a good experience. The menu for the evening was a surprise but afterwards they did give me a nice printout of what we had.
As soon as we ordered the first warm bread arrived and it was nice.
Next we had what the waiter called a “plate of drinks” which had two bites on the edge of the plate, an elevated portion as well as one beneath that elevated bite. The Sangria was okay, the Mojito very tasty, the Mezcal and Last Word were nice but none memorable except the Mojito.
The Sturgeon Caviar was delicious and made a nice combination with the uni. The purple potato chips added a nice little crunch.
The pressed hamachi with foie gras and truffles all presented with nice strong tastes that blended very well. The utensils they set seemed strange but turned out to be a perfect fit for the dish. The waiter said this was his favorite course and I can see why as the it was a treat for the palate as well as the eyes.
The cured trout was really nice and served with another good blending of flavors and textures. I really liked parma proscuitto and a crispy cracker that was mixed in. The peas were puréed to add something smooth. Very good.
Next was another warm bread selection that I liked better than the first one.
The cold white asparagus soup was blended with a puffed grain that gave it textural interest. It was not wowie-zowie course but it was nicely seasonal.
The sweetbreads were cooked perfectly and were wonderful but I found their sauce to not be a good mix. Perhaps the pancetta added a bit too much sweetness.
The seabass was served with a chorizo aioli and bok choy and a lovely potato that had been cooked, squashed and then fried. Again the sauce was so strong you only needed to use a pinch of it so as to not erase the mild taste of the fish, which was cooked perfectly with a wonderful tasty breading with a great crispness.
Another bread course and this time a pork lardo spread that had a little spiciness to it.
The lobster with ramps and fava beans was next and here the coconut sauce was perfect. A very good course.
The last savory course was Wagyu beef which was reported to be 100% pure with no cross breeding but it didn’t come off as succulent and juicy as some other Wagyu I’ve been lucky enough to devour. This one didn’t burst of fat and flavor and instead was dense and dull. The blue cheese served with the meat was quite good though.
Our first dessert was apricot purée served with a great crispy oat cookie and a nice soft pistachio cookie. It was a tasty dish. The chocolate decadence had a ball with meringue on the bottom and chocolate on top with a long thin crisp piece of caramel and chocolate ice cream. It lived up to its name. The creme bruleé was not on our printed menu but was prepared tableside, shot from a whipped cream container onto a bit of jam and coconut cookie. The crispy chips on the top gave it the feel of a cream bruleé. Lastly, another off the menu were some treats to just put you over the top. A fun way to end a nice meal.
