La comida Mexicana

During the weekends, we tend to go a little more "casual" in our menus because many of our clients are coming in for fun, and not with vendors. As much as I love doing fine-dining, I also love doing delicious home-cooking and comfort food. (I even did fried chicken once!)

I had the pleasure today of having José (our server) show me how to make authentic Mexican food. Hilda (our dishwasher and prep) also helped with the salsa verde and avocado salsa. They are both excellent cooks - I've talked them into making staff meal a couple times. Hey, doesn't food always taste better when someone else makes it?!

Instead of bread, we fried up some chips from corn tortillas and served the two salsas with it.

Amuse bouche: Seared shrimp, spicy corn


Chicken enchiladas con salsa roja (made with Guajillo peppers)


Carnitas, rice, and pinto beans. Salsa made from chile de arbol.

You must cook in lard!




And of course, flan with rum crème chantilly


Unmolding a flan and watching the caramel oozing and dripping out is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Seriously.

I'm so happy to have clients that can appreciate both worlds of food as well. They loved it! It's always nice to come out and say hello and see them completely satisfied and relaxed after the meal... and sometimes on the verge of napping. ahhahaha. Food coma :)

After the clients left, Greg (golf pro), José, Hilda, and I dined on la comida Mexicana. It's not often that we sit down and dine together for staff meal. Actually, this might be the 3rd time since April.



It was awesome!


SERIOUS food coma. <3's it!

Pork!

A couple pork dishes from the lil cochon de lait.

The pork replaced the daurade from the other menu (non fish/seafood eater), but with the natural jus of the pork.


Suckling pig rack, braised pork shoulder au apicius

This week's menu - a compilation of ideas with Andrew

Tuna with ponzu, avocado mousse


For the non-fish eater - Egg à la toque


Louisiana White Shrimp, heirloom tomato, feta cheese


Mediterranean daurade, bell pepper mélange, cannellini beans, squid, warm vinaigrette


Free-range chicken breast, tzatziki sauce, pumpkin foam (bad lighting!)


Colorado dry-aged lamb loin, tzatziki sauce


Rasberry tarte with chocolate ganache and praline crunch. I was like three rasberries short...


Simple and fresh flavors this time around. The guests really enjoyed it, especially the shrimp dish and tzatziki sauce. =)

I really wish I had my cooking friends from France here with me on a daily basis for menu planning. It's funny how once I start chatting with them (especially Andrew and Amir), all these ideas start coming up. Bien fait!

Cochon de lait

Oink oink.

Seared Halibut cheeks, Orange beurre-blanc, smoked cabbage puree

Meyer lemon mini-macarons

"Hemorrhage"

is what Diana used to describe the "crêpes" we ordered from Twist Café in Campbell.



A big, sloppy, gooey, mushy mess. Yuck. And the sad thing is, it was super crowded. Yelp gives it an average of 4 stars by 119 people. (Not that Yelp is the best resource, but come on... 119 ppl)

WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO ?!

Here is my attempt to replate the "Hemorrhage." Using the goo, the useless pieces of packaged and old mixed salad with no salad dressing, slice of orange (?), and a couple fried sweet potatoes (that weren't bad, really), out came "Hemorrhage Deux."



At least it was a beautiful day to ride the scooter and spend some time with Diana and Chino.

Cheers, girls!

P.S. You are better off making crêpes at home. Seriously. I think I paid something like $17 for this crêpe (it was spinach, egg, cheese, mushrooms) and a bad cappuccino. AND they DON'T USE SALT !

Commis restaurant

Chef James Syhabout, whom I met during my brief stint at Manresa, opened up his restaurant this summer. I decided to treat Raf here for dinner before his big move to Philly to attend Wharton. It was a fabulous decision, to say the least.

Commis is a relatively small restaurant, having only 33 seats. The decor is simple, modern, and crisp - very Amsterdam-ish.

Corn pudding amuse bouche. Amazing. Best corn pudding I've ever had. This is what an amuse bouche should be.


House-churned butter. The cream comes from a farm in Petaluma.


Cute mini-rolls. Perfect size so you don't stuff your face with bread during the meal.


Chef James doing his thing.


Soft farm egg with potato and alliums. Fermented black garlic, pork jowl. This was a fabulously balanced dish - with the pork fat, garlic, and veg.


Raf got ronde-de-nice squash soup and bay shrimp.


Salad of young carrots. I loved this as well. I gotta say those coming from Manresa sure know what the heck to do with vegetables. Raf hates carrots but loved this dish!


Monterey Bay Sardines, lightly cured and smoked. Very fresh, crisp, and delicious.


Tender, perfectly cooked medium rare lamb


Corn fed chicken poached, then roasted in summer savory. NO JOKE, the best chicken I have EVER had.


Now onto dessert!

Melon soup, fruit




I'd have to say that this was the most exceptional meal I've had this year in California. It's very reasonably priced too, $59 for 3-course. I'm a bit jaded now in terms of fine dining here in California, but this place hits the spot. It was completely satisfying and perfectly balanced. I was full, but I didn't leave feeling like I ate up to my throat. (I don't care for heavy tasting menus where you feel like throwing up towards the end.) Simply put, everything was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, perfectly portioned and plated, and perfectly delicious. I'm very excited for James - his restaurant is already a huge success. I defintely see stars in the future. Raf absolutely loved it too. I found Commis to be a very inspiring place to be, considering I am relatively new in my career as a cook.

I can't wait to go back.

Commis Restaurant
3859 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA‎
Tel: (510) 653-3902‎

More Coquilles St. Jacques

Seared MA day boat scallops, carrot gnocchi, cream sauce, asparagus colis, cauliflower/zucchini/carrot

Tuna ceviche... on a pillow

"Oyster Shooter" +++

Oyster, secret spicy sauce, lemon juice, blood orange gelee, Hefeweisen beer foam


Beef tenderloin, polenta, fresh seasonal veggies


Bing cherry soup, bing cherry + apricot compote, gingerbread, Cheesecake ice-cream

A lil Moroccan love...

Masami Ranch Kobe rib-eye cap, date sauce (tasty!!!), couscous with pine nuts and golden raisins, olive sauce, purple cauliflower/squash/carrots



Was a bit too rare for the folks so cooked it a bit more the next day.

Foie + monkfish, lamb

Foie gras, monkfish, corn, braised leeks, morilles, lobster cream broth


Lamb, port wine sauce, brioche-crusted croquettes


I loved the croquettes. I tami'ed them twice, then added creme fraiche and a lot of piment d'espellette. Thin layer of crunch on the outside, melt in your mouth soft inside. Yummy.

Galapagos SHRIMP

It's a SHRIMP, not a prawn. Loves it!

With Coconut-habanero sauce.


Was quite popular, this one.

Added a lil heirloom tomato and avocado

Tuna ceviche, more diver scallops, and blood orange

Watermelon and tuna ceviche


By popular demand: Sea of Cortez Scallop, Vanilla-saffron sauce


Pallette cleanser: Blood orange sherbert


Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take a picture of better plating... but here is Squab breast, baby squash, squab sauce, blood orange sauce.

Amuse bouche: Fried Striped bass "gnochi"

Fried Striped bass "gnochi" with crispy skin

Scallops, Striped Bass, Yogurt ice-cream

Sea of Cortez diver scallop, asparagus, vanilla-saffron sauce, basil oil


Striped bass, spinach, mushroom sauce


Yogurt ice-cream, strawberry-Grand Marnier granité, fresh berries of the season