manresa

having checked into "hotel los gatos" (which is home to a michelin single starrestaurantwhich goes by the name "dio deka") in the idyllic boutiquey town of los gatos; i became cognizant of the fact that my hotel was within striking range of yet another michelin star restaurant; which twinkled with the radiance of 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (there understandably are only 14 of these in the united states) that goes by the nomenclature "manresa".

this is probably the first time in my life that i even got an opportunity to see a michelin 3 star restaurant, let alone set foot inside one. i came to know that this seemingly beatdownrestauranthad a waiting list spanning 2 months, in the event you wished to enjoy a sit down dinner at one of their modest tables. how i actually managed to dine at the “manresa” without any notice whatsoever is kinda classified and all i can say is that i finally got an opportunity to get up close and personal with a michelin 3 star restaurant. period.

paraphrasing from the michelin guide... quote one star signifies "a very good restaurant", two stars are "excellent cooking that is worth a detour", and three stars mean "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey" unquote.

of all the culinary odysseys undertaken by me, this undoubtedly was a revelation that broadened my culinary vistas and presented the answer to a longstanding existential question (such as "why are we here?" in other words what is the singular most important purpose of a human being on this planet: coz some wanna make a difference in this world, some folks wanna be the good samaritan and help and heal the world, some just wanna carry out crusades for the lord almighty, some just wanna make shitloads of money, some just wanna kill, maul, plunder and blow up things just for the heck of it and ludicrous as it might sound, i just wanna eat as much as good food as possible, before i kick the proverbial bucket) that has plagued mankind in general and me in particular. if plating of food was an art; these folks were probably its pablo picasso equivalent. the dramatis personæ that i sampled from their menu were as set out below;

champagne - j.lassalle brut chigny-les-roses...

assorted nuts - glazed with honey and sesame seeds & toasted nori (a kinda seaweed used to wrap maki sushi)...

sea bream - garnished with radish, chives & shredded nori...

duck country pâté - duck pâté with toasted pistachios and dried persimmons garnished with cilantro with a dollop of pickled vegetables...

foie gras - the terrine of foie gras topped with roellinger pepper with margaret river rock-salt, mustard and fig jam on the side...

profiterole - it's an elderflower pastry with strawberry sorbet over it topped with with fresh elderflower spume garnished with dehydrated and baked strawberries including a white strawberry (a rare and special variety of white strawberries grown by a farmer in stanford)...

of the foregoing, might i state that the “pièce de résistance” were the duck country pâté and the profiterole.

igniting an explosion of gustatory sensations on my palate, a peregrination as experiential as this, shall forever linger on at the very core of my inner being, long after i've journeyed into a world we know not where.

manresa has been awarded two michelin stars for eight consecutive years and was named one ofrestaurantmagazine and san pellegrino’s “top 50 best restaurants in the world” in 2012. in 2010, kinch was awarded the best chefs in america award for the pacific region from the james beard foundation. this year, bon appetit called manresa one of the “20 most important restaurants in america.”

....manresa stands out as the best fancy meal i’ve had in years. it seems odd to say that arestaurantwhere the service is so heavily choreographed (the waiters practically dancing, their steps so coordinated) had the most personal service of all of these, but it’s the truth. servers sensed needs, tailored cheeses were, suggested wines, and all the while it felt—whether or not it was the truth—like our enjoyment, not making money, showing off, or sticking to script, was

short summary: a great meal. however, with all the accolades and such, this dinner was more of a technically precise meal with impeccable ingredients used than a mind-blowing one that has me thinking about it for days. in the end, i respect manresa more than i love it, but i sure do like it a lot. therestaurantis like one of those beautiful girls that are perfect both physically and mentally, but given a choice between her and your flawed true love, you still have to follow your heart. manresa is therestaurantfor those who follow their brains. there are very good reasons why just about everyone in the world sings manresa’s praises. having one of the most talented chefs in the country heading the place, using only the best-quality ingredients available, classic fine-dining atmosphere and service – it’s only logical. but for me, the whole package can feel a little stiff for such an culinary-uneducated

manresa in los gatos is acclaimed as the world’s 48 th bestrestaurantin the world. the monster would like to vociferously disagree.

being from la, driving to david kinch's manresa was annoying—i had to take some small highways i've never heard of and found therestauranttucked away on some tiny street in some tiny town. but, i found the 2-michelin star establishment completely packed