Raw Almond 2015 - Momofuku Shoto

Raw Almond will forever hold a special place for me. It certainly harkens to the old adage of not letting go of the good things in life. The pop up restaurant epitomizes the community and bonds that humans share through food. The chefs are not pretentious, they are not there to make money, they are simply there to showcase their food and engender the deep rooted bonds within the food[ie] community. Therefore I did not hesitate when given the opportunity to dine at Raw Almond again.

I was extra-specially thrilled over this dinner as a spot at the Momofuku table had opened up. Momofuku is a legendary group of restaurants owned by David Chang. The first restaurant popped up in 2004 in New York City and became well known for its take on nouveau Asian fusion cuisine. It quickly spread like wildfire and has now spawned sister restaurants in Australia and Toronto. I became aware of Momofuku when visiting a friend in New York and frequented the milk bar. I still to this day remember the incredible blueberry & cream cookie I had. Thus I was thrilled when Mitchell Bates, head chef at Momofuku Shoto decided to come to Raw Almond.

Unfortunately I was initially not able to secure a seat at his table. Then, with a stroke of luck, tickets to his table had opened up in front of my eyes! What an opportunity, I thought! With no regrets and never any remorse, I was on my way to Raw Almond again. It was after this meal that I can declare that Raw Almond is one of the greatest dining experiences I have ever had. When I arrived I had no expectation of the others at the table (I was dining alone this night) but I left with lifelong friends. As if the stars were lined up, I was situated with some of the friendliest, warmest and thoughtful group of diners. All staff from a local business they all shared a passion for great food and unique dining experiences. We hit it off immediately! And while the conversation went deeper, the food started to arrive.

As I write this I am reminded again of the community and bonds Raw Almond creates. As someone who everyday works with hard working no nonsense physicians, it was a refreshing departure to meet and share food and drink with artistic and creative folk.

The initial snack today was Deep Fried Pork Skin, Paprika. The crispy pork skin was nicely prepared and paired well with the paprika. The light crunch of the pork skin melts in your mouth and warms your soul as we prepared for this meal.

The amuse bouche was cleverly presented. A Beet Parfait with Foam and Caviar, the chef showed an intricacy of flavour with the strong rustic beet mixed in well with the salty caviar and creamy foam. A strong offering to start, albeit a bit difficult to consume.

Next up was a Pureed Kohlrabi soup with XO Sauce. This truly harkens to Momofuku's standard of Asian fusion cuisine. The kohlrabi was expertly done and exceptionally smooth. I am a sucker for XO sauce and thought its addition here was splendid adding a layer of salty, sweet and bitterness to the creamy kohlrabi.

This was a marvel to behold: BC Striped Shrimp, Fermented Black Bean, Pickled Onion. The shrimp, very lightly blanched was incredibly tender and contrasted with the sharp black bean sauce well. I was impressed by the freshness of the shrimp and the chefs ability to cook it to a perfect doneness to avoid any rubbery-ness.

Beef Carpaccio, Bacon, Soy Reduction was a solid effort. The tender carpaccio was paired with crisp bacon and a soy reduction. I love the pairing of beef and soy but thought the bacon a little strong and overpowered the delicate flavour of the beef. Furthermore the combination of the bacon's saltiness with the soy reduction made this dish a tad salty for my tastebuds.

Next came the Goose & Foie Gras Wonton, Goose Consumme, Kale, Mustard Oil. This dish was divine. The wonton, incredibly rich, tender and fatty, was paired well with the strong consumme broth. The addition of kale affords the dish some brightness and freshness while the mustard oil adds a sharp dimension to the fat in the wonton. This was across the board a table favourite and something I will attempt to recreate at home.

The starch of the night was a Cavatelli, Turkey Sausage, Black Truffle, Aged Parmesan. The cavatelli was left intentionally chewy so it would contrast the lean soft turkey sausage. The black truffle adds luxuriousness while the aged parmesan holds the whole dish together. Well done!

Another table favourite was the Roasted Halibut, Oyster Creme Fraiche, Razor Clams, Chorizo Fat, Roasted Onions. First off, the halibut was exceptionally tender. The chorizo fat added a fattiness that was cut by the oyster creme fraiche. I felt the razor clams were left to the side here with small bits of cut up clams that did not give the dish anything extra. Overall I was impressed by the perfect doneness of the halibut.

Smoked Beef Cheek, Brussels Sprouts, Sour Cream was incredible. The already tender beef cheek was made even more so by the smoking process. The sharp brussels sprouts, which were wok-tossed to add a slight char, was a great accompaniment and the sour cream a nice cooling component of the dish. Not to mention how beautifully plated this was!

The most unique dish was the Shaved Foie Gras, Reisling Jelly, Quince, Black Walnuts. I was not taken by this dish. I thought the foie gras too fatty and too strong in this dish and overtook any textural or flavour contrasts in the reisling jelly or the quince. The walnuts added a nice crunch but I was simply tasting fatty foie with no other notes.

Fortunately Chef Bates did not leave us disappointed. The Spiced Carrot Cake, Chai Tea Meringue, Carrot Sorbet was a superb end of the meal. I enjoy desserts with a savoury component and thought the chai tea meringue added a well needed earthy component to the rich carrot cake. The sorbet was easily my favourite portion of the dish with smooth cool sorbet dulling the spice of the carrot cake.

Overall Raw Almond is a tour de force of the Winnipeg food scene. Never have I been more satisfied with my dining experience than the last two meals I had at Raw Almond. Being able to fulfill my dream of dining at a Momofuku is one thing, meeting a bunch of brilliant and loving people is another. To be able to rub elbows with some of Winnipeg's greatest chefs, have deep discussions with like minded diners, all in a warm award winning restaurant on the river, will be one of the greatest culinary memories of my life. With that I thank Momofuku and Raw Almond for the awe-inspiring meal.