We went back to AQ with some friends to eat the other half of the summer menu that we didn’t get to during our previous visit.
The compressed Watermelon dish was served with buttermilk ice, lovage and various types of basil leaves:
The kitchen was kind enough to send out a small plate of tripe with savory plum broth so we could complete the starter experience. This bowl was pleasantly spiked with more ginger than we had remembered:
The special appetizer that night was a perfectly cooked lobster risotto with chanterelle mushrooms:
Pan seared fluffy potato gnocchi with baby rapini, cherry tomatoes, cheese curds and pesto whey sauce formed a beautiful summer wreath on the plate:
Cucumbers and dayboat scallops were garnished with purslane and fennel fronds. The almond bits offered a nice textural contrast to the interesting dish:
We drank a bottle of sparkling Gruner Veltliner from Austria to go with the starters. We chose a 2006 Reserve Tempranillo to pair with the remainder of the meal:
The kitchen sent us an appetizer of “liver” with chanterelle mushroom cream soup. The pickled green strawberry slice cut into the overall richness of this excellent dish:
The striped bass, topped with egg white salad, was served over a red heirloom pepper piperade spiked with chorizo. The nicely spicy padrón peppers and a smoked egg yolk brought it all together:
Wild salmon was served with a sweet corn relish with beans. Corn silk surrounded the sous vide lobster pieces that served as the base for the crispy salmon skin. A hominy grits “soldier” and corn bread pudding completed this ultimate summer dish:
The artisan cheese plate was served with a rhubarb compote and a strawberry meringue kiss:
Peaches were served with a buttermilk frozen yogurt and peach syrup-soaked brioche:
A roasted milk chocolate pavé served with chocolate sorbet, blackberries and chocolate corn flakes was the perfect ending to another excellent dinner at AQ:
The 4 chefs in the kitchen worked in total harmony throughout the dinner service. This picture is a good example of Lytro’s living picture capabilities where you can click anywhere on the plates in the foreground or on the chefs in the background for different focal points (click here for more info):
While there is a trend toward fewer ingredients on a plate, Chef Liberman and his crew are putting together refined dishes with combinations that continue to surprise.
BarFlySF 