Signature by Pierre Sang is a tiny dining room in the back of a large front room kitchen that has been in business for about a month. It is only about 4 tables that all receive a surprise tasting menu designed by the chef, consisting of snacks, 2 appetizers, fish, main course, cheese and dessert. The cozy room is beautifully appointed with one of the walls being lighted wine storage racks – what better backdrop? Another wall is copper with a large service area and another is stone. There is a large skylight that would add natural light if you were there in the daytime. This is the third of Chef Sang’s restaurants in the area but this is to be his high-end one. All have a similarity though, in the surprise factor of the menu. In fact they like to present the food with no explanation and then come back to see what you thought it was – just like his other place (Restaurant Pierre Sang Boyer) that Frankie visited on 12/5/15. There is a great wine list and helpful staff to navigate it with you as well as attending to your every need.
The snacks were all quite good. They included a fried fish ball of John Dory and Hake with tarragon, a piece of fried Nori (seaweed) with housemade mayo and smoked Korean beef sirloin on a rice chip. A crusty bread and butter were also served. The bread had a wonderful crust and a nice doughy interior.
The first appetizer was scallops with apple, jelly of celery and apple and olive oil. It was accented with Borage leaves and a Bergamot sorbet with pink pepper. The pepper made the sorbet a bit hot which was a nice twist and the other ingredient’s flavors were all nicely strong. It was best when eaten all together.
The next appetizer was lobster in a lobster and pumpkin and lobster bisque with brussels sprout leaves, finger lime and a fried slice of lotus fruit. The pieces of claw and tail meat were perfectly cooked and blended well with the rich pumpkin that had a slight seasoning of vanilla. A heavenly dish.
John Dory was plated with Béarnaise sauce. Interestingly the fish was at room temperature and covered with Japanese white mushroom cap slices then drizzled with olive oil and topped with nuts. A bit of purple shiso finished it off. With the moderate temperature the flavors almost seemed more intense. The fish was cooked to perfection, remaining moist and lovely. It was another outstanding plate.
Backstrap venison fillet that had been marinated in cinnamon was served with popcorn and black cocoa sauce mixed with meat juice. Completing the plate were salsify and Swiss chard. The venison was amazing, maybe the best I’ve had. Not a bit of dryness and very tender, it was cooked nicely rare and was great with the sauce and other ingredients.
An extra course was a slice of wagyu beef rib steak from Spain. It was served on lentils with kimchi alongside a dab of chef’s special sauce containing peanut and sesame. A great combination of flavors. The kimchi was a fun and different addition that really worked well with the dish.
The cheese course was a cow’s milk soft gouda cheese with truffles. It was adorned with dried apricot jelly, pepper and towncress leaves. The truffle taste was really there and the cheese worked great with the apricot flavor. A nice course.
A white wine poached pear was served with almond cake and pear sorbet. The pears were sourced from South America and tender, sweet and wonderful. A chocolate and cream chip provided a bit of textural contrast but so did the amazing almond cake. I could have eaten a whole one of these cakes. Another genius combination of flavors for a splendid finish of a spectacular meal.
