The last time we ate at Addison Restaurant in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar was in Aug 2021, during Covid.  Then the restaurant had one Michelin Star and all dining was outside.  This trip we got to eat in the dining room.  The restaurant, still under Chef William Bradley, now has 3 Michelin Stars.  They serve only a 10-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings on Tues – Sat, with the last seating at 8:30.  It’s on the pricey side at $385 per person and their pairings, like the wine list, are quite marked up.  They also offered to add a separate caviar course and/or upgrade the quail course to wagyu – no prices given. We turned down both supplements, because caviar was already on the menu and we were looking forward to the quail.  The large dining room was divided by a low wall and serving table, with one portion being next to the window wall overlooking the gardens with a tile floor and the other side with carpet by the fireplace.  We were happy to sit in the more interior room but both had large white cloth-covered tables.  Our side had tables spread way apart, with the four corners offering a booth-like option.  Music from the 1980s played in the background, sometimes a bit too loudly.  The restaurant is up on a hilltop and not in the same building with the hotel so they provide transport to and from as it’s too far to walk.  After checking in with the hostess she guided us to the bar/waiting area which included outside seating too, as we were early.  The service was great, pacing varied, portion control was spot on, the room elegant and the chef came out to chat with some of the guests.  The food was very good, contained lots of luxury ingredients and attractively presented but I would have liked to see more change in the menu from the last visit.  It’s a fine dining experience but you’ll have to decide if it works in your budget. For me I’m glad I went back but don’t think I’ll go again.

Set-up

Food

Tepache started the meal.  It is a traditional Mexican drink of lightly fermented pineapple with cinnamon.  An alternative to kombucha it had a mild pineapple sweetness that was good.

 

The Prelude section was basically the amuse bouche, consisting of 4 bites.   All were nice with a good variety of tastes and textures between them.

Sake-cured kanpachi (yellowtail) was “nigiri-style”.  The fish was under a leaf topped with wasabi and on top of semi-solid foam.

Sage Hill Ranch garden greens was a crust package filled with stinging nettle and olive, topped with mustard greens.

Spanish anchovies were on potato and topped with dots of wild arugula and Meyer lemon jam.  The potato squares got a good crisp to their exterior.

Chicken liver churro were accented with bitter chocolate.  The light liver flavor was paired with mild chocolate in a crisp shell.

 

Ama ebi (sweet shrimp) sashimi was topped with Perilla flowers in a fermented ginger and Ponzu (citrus) sauce.  Dots of shrimp mayo and shiso mayo were alternately on the top of each piece.  Shrimp sashimi was made from fresh, cold-water shrimp from Hawaii, known for its sweet flavor.  All was nice here and I preferred the shiso over the shrimp mayo as a seasoning.

 

Shellfish chawanmushi contained scallops, broccoli, bok choy and celtuce and was topped with sea urchin.  The dish was deep, so the server recommended making sure to dip all the way down to get all the layers in each bite.  The celery added a good crunch to the smooth custard while the cool urchin provided a temperature contrast to the lower portions.  It made for tasty combinations.

 

Regiis Ova Reserve caviar topped  Koshihikari rice with smoked sabayon and sesame in between.   Some coconut was in the delicious mix too, that was topped with crunchy balls.  This was a real lick-the-plate course with the flavors blending perfectly.  Yum.

 

Malt vinegar crisps were served with burnt onion dip and dill relish on a sweet and sour cornichon.  The chips were thin, crisp, not greasy ribbons that were very lightly salted.  The dip had more of a dill flavor than onion.  This was a course that was very similar to our past meal and felt more like an appetizer than a course.  The pickle was more sweet than dill.

 

Splendid alfonsino (deep water snapper) was plated with flavors of spring in a crab consommé.  The fish was cooked with its scales crispy.  The flavors of spring included some asparagus and peas and their tendrils.   The consommé was a deeply flavored broth.  It was good.

 

Crispy Horse mackerel from Japan was plated with “green garden” and Koji clam butter.    The fish had a light bit of coating all around the filet. It did pick up a little grease but otherwise was delicious.  The garden included avocado and chard.  The fish and greens were good but the strongly flavored clam sauce did not seem to complement either.

 

Sourdough  bread was served with goat’s milk butter and browned honey butter.   The bread was made from Heirloom grains that date back to the 1700s with a 6 year old starter.  It was crisp on the outside and doughy and dense on the inside.  The goat butter was whipped and very light while the caramelized honey was sweet.  The bread seemed to have been coated with something to give it a caramelized look on its own.  I preferred it plain, without spread.

 

Quail “egg drop soup” contained silken tofu and shiitakes. The roasted quail was the base of the stock that was swirled with the egg whites.  The mushrooms were quite good but it wasn’t a standout dish.

 

Cantonese quail was plated with Yu choy and five-spice quail jus.  The Wolfe Ranch quail was prepared Cantonese style with the tenderloin in the middle of the breast and leg sections.  Some mousse made with the liver was on the plate along with pieces of the heart and liver.  Some cranberry was mixed with something and wrapped in the cabbage,  garlic 3 ways and quail jus filled up the plate. The caramelized miso was outstanding as was the quail.  This was possibly the best quail I’ve ever eaten.  A fabulous plate.

 

Everything lemon contained meringue, sherbet and lemon jam flavors. Some black lemon was in the meringue to give it the dots and some verbena was mixed in the sherbet.  It was very lemony and good.

 

Last treats were some small bites.  Cocoa crunch with Mexcal, passion fruit and toasted coffee fluff had lots of textures but didn’t meld to me.  Berry-beet tartelette, verjus and vanilla were also flavored with hibiscus.   They were dark with a creamy filling. Okay.  Yuzu custard, candied ginger and ceremonial matcha was the cup filled with green.  Some finger lime ‘caviar’ gave it texture.  Tres Leches was the taco shaped item.  The crisp shell had a fun flavor.