New Years Eve

New Years Eve
2007

Welcome to my family household with my cousins in Sun Valley, Idaho. Here, we prepared a feast, and here are some of my most-favorite parts. All my family recipes are a secret, but this is for me to remember the presentation and foods that we took joy in.

Bon Appetit!

Cornucopia Salad
My most-favorite family salad, by far. I love the avocados, and the sugary dressing!

Roasted Squash & Zucchini with Tomatoes
& Thyme

Roast Asparagus & Sweet Onion
with Thyme

Mom's Sauteed Garlic Potatoes

My most-favorite potato dish. These are so flavorful, and rich in cream & herbs! Yummm....

DiVine Wine

DiVine
Wine Merchant & Bar
Sun Valley, Hailey, Idaho

What a cosy, classic European wine bar! This place had nooks and crannies and large, sturdy wooden dining tables and sofas for customers, not to mention romantic and cozy wine caves for a group of seven. The little table in the back, tucked away under an archway for the wine nook was were we sipped and splurge the late night away.

The walls are warm colors, and the lights are fairly dim so as to allow your eyes adjust to the night. The nook entrance is a brick entry overhead with warm brown-cherry walls surrounding a large, square tables with booth seating. I'll never forget this place. It's cozy and inviting with a warm atmosphere and young service. The cheese fondue was fantastic and a take back to the 70s, and the wine was di-vine :)

Bread Stix & Marco Felluga Pinot Griogio
This Marco Felluga, 2005 was crisp with a nice, light pinot grigio grape flavor to it. Yes, it was fairly light, but I enjoyed it and I thought it was good, though I'm not a huge fan of Pinots. This was a nice one though.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Too flat, with crisp apple flavors. It also tastes a bit like a grass-drink. I seriously did taste grass. Not my type of wine.

J Pinot Noir
Simply not good. This was far too spicy, with very strong tannins.

Trust Syrah
A great wine, amazingly smooth. Impressively smooth, even. This is a mix of balanced tannins with the right adjustment of spiciness. This is a calming blend of rich flavors. Enchanting, isn't it?

This is the wine cave, the intimate wine cave of secrets. This booth table was great. At nearly midnight, we feasted here on great wines and cheese fondue, and not to mention entertaining conversation among family. Who could ask for more?

Cheese Fondue
with fresh baguette bread bits and apples
This Cheese fondue is a medley of gruyere, comte, and maybe a Stilton. Basically, it is full of mature, aged cheeses with hard flavor that tingles your senses. Served hot, don't you wanna go back to the long hair, headbands, and peace signs? This is a fantastic group appetizer, which is truly contradictory to the word because it is FILLING. I mean, come on, melted cheese and bread? Yeah, this is a meal.

I can't wait to come back here.

Da Vinci's

Da Vinci's
Sun Valley, Idaho

Romantic, intimate atmosphere, candlelight, seven tables, a kitchen the size of the broom-closet, this is the classic Italian nook in Sun Valley. The service is very prompt and direct, but friendly. The waiters don't search for compliments like some high-maintenance servers; it's quite refreshing, and our waiter read our mind consistently, always bringing us more bread baskets and wine lists. This is a comfortable, all-around great service Italian restaurant with simple, incredible food that has complexity of flavor. If I lived here, I'd keep coming back as a regular. The prices are appropriate as well. They absolutely score with the food though. Go for the food, service, and a relaxing, romantic, & quiet night out.

Colvin, Carmenere, 2001
This red wine was easy, with a bit of spice and ripe tannins, not overwhelming though. This was a lovely Italian dinner wine, and went with everything. I quite liked it. I'm unfamiliar with the Carmenere grape, but this was lovely.

Fresh Italian Bread
Heavenly, just... heavenly. Soft, thick, fresh, full slices, and smooth. This is the kind of bread I always crave. This place scores right away with the bread, and they bring huge loaves of it sliced up for you, served hot. I could live off of this. The aroma of these freshly-baked Tuscan loaves sends you soaring, savaging for more.

Starter:
Fresh Clams (Chef's Specialty)
White Wine Sauce, Butter, Garlic, Parsley
These clams, so full of meat and fresh flavor, were steamed in the most amazing white wine broth I've ever had. The broth was absolutely incredible, and wonderful to dip their full, Italian bread into. I've never seen clam meat so large in a medium-sized clam. This entire meal was impressive for me.

Steamed Mussels in Chef's Special Broth
Scallops, Zucchini, Roma Tomatoes on Bed of Angel Hair Pasta
I didn't care for the pasta, but then again I didn't order it, they just gave it to me extra. My main was superb. The mussels were the largest mussel meat I've ever seen, like the clams. Upon inquiry, I found that the shellfish were from Washington. Oh wow... I won't forget these. This was the most satisfying dinner we had out all week and these are certainly the most memorable mussels and clams I've ever had.

Mud Pie
Whip Cream with Cocoa Powder topping an Everest Mountain Crest
of Mud Pie of Ice Cream
~ Cookies & Cream and Almond Java Coffee Ice Cream ~
with an Oreo-Brownie Crumb Base (cm thick) in a pond of Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge

I think the description says it all. The mud pie scored as our dessert. We couldn't finish it, and we had 6 adults at our table. This thing is rich and full in amaretto, almond, cookies n cream, dark chocolate, and whip cream flavors. The medley is orgasmic. Really, that's the only way to describe it. I'd come here just for this dessert.

It was all fresh, and more-for your buck, with exclusive quality and flavor in every presentation. The funny thing is, everything was so simple. I mean, "steamed clams", "steamed mussels", house salad?? They're all simple, but the cooks know how to combine flavors and make the freshest of the fresh turn your head and leave you craving more. None of this food is junky, it's allll fresh. I loved it!

Desperado's

Desperado's

Mexican Restaurant
Sun Valley, Idaho

I don't care for this place except for the fact that this place is a tradition for us after skiing in the early afternoon. The servers are like family to us, and the food is way cheap, and they serve house wine. This is a fantastic family restaurant, friendly... always. It's fatty Mexican food is not delicious or anything; it's plain and simple, served on a plate in no sophistication, but the service is great and friendly to us, always welcoming with a smile. They're like family to my cousins, so that and the cheap prices is why we come back. Don't go here for a fantastic food meal though. It's just... Mexican food, but it's the freshest around.

Corn Chips & Salsa Assortments
Red Salsa (medium), Green Salsa (spicy), Diced Tomato Salsa (mild)
Simple, greasy corn chips, but these are homemade, not store bought. They're not overly salted, so they have that pure corn chips flavor. The salsa dips are simple, but complex in spicy flavors. I'm a fan of the green salsa. It's the most diverse in hot flavors.

Nachos & Bean Dip,
with refried beans & melted cheese
Nothings special, but the hot refried beans are a comfort food, and with the cheese covered corn chips, these make for a good fatty afternoon snack. The great thing about all of these chips is that they are not really salty, which means you don't have to down gallons of sodas or water to get that icky salt flavor to go away. Nice, eh?

KMT Salad
Steak Tips and Tortilla strips, Cheese, Parsley, & White Balsamic Vinaigrette
The steak tips were good. They were filling, and a good topper on this salad. The feta cheese on this was a nice compliment as well. These are whopping salads, and for the KMT you can choose chicken, steak, or fish (prawns, etc) for the topper. These are filling and the food is fresh.

We keeping coming back, not for the food, but for the casual, friendly family atmosphere. The comfort food is nice once in a while, and when you have the house wine, diets don't matter.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve
2007

Here is my family feast, well, parts of it.

Hungrybella's Roasted Vegetables
Carrots, Aubergine (Eggplant), Courgette (Zucchini), Squash, Tomatoes, Golden & Red Beets, Sweet Onions on Escarole & Kale.

Mom's Scalloped Potatoes

Lawry's Creamed Corn
I absolutely love this corn. It's my favorite. It's so creamy and mildly sweet. I could eat this whole pot.
 

Irene's Sweet Potato (Yam) Casserole
with melted cheese

The famous Cornucopia Salad
My favorite.

All of this goes alongside our traditional Christmas Honeybaked Ham. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, all!

The Napa Rose

The Napa Rose
Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland

Quite the experience of fine Californian cuisine and dining. Apart from all of the restaurants in Disneyland where you can walk in with sweatshirt and jeans, this one stands out. I wouldn't wear a sweatshirt in here, it's far too sophisticated for that, but I'm sure the waiters wouldn't care. This is nothing like the Blue Bayou or Club 33. This dining room is fine, with the best food in all of the Disneyland resort, and surely... the best wine list.

Fresh Bread Basket: French Bread, Cheese Crispy Bread, Ciabatta Roll
The Ciabatta and the French Bread slices were the best by far. They were fresh,
soft, and full of their natural flavors. The French bread had a mild bit of wheat flour in it as well, I'm sure, and maybe some olive oil (?)

Villa Mt. Eden, Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley 2005
One of the best Chardonnay I've ever had. This was buttery, with oaky scents and flavors, a beautiful smoothe body, and full of aged chardonnay flavor, while still being dry and crisp. I loved this. I've been looking for it all over since.

Appetizer:
Pizzetta of Shaved Prosciutto, Red Caramelized Onions, Flame Grapes & Cambazola Cheese

Wow, what an scrumptious pizza! I loved the caramelized onions on this that add a bit of a sweet kick with the mature cheese on top. The green grapes are traditional of the Californian wine theme. The shaved proscuitto was tender and sliced ever-so thin. The combination of ingredients makes for the perfect pizza to leave you wanting more because of it fantabulously sensational flavors.

Porcini Mushroom Crusted Monkfish Roasted Fennel, Braised Veal, Chard & Roasted Vegetables
Absolutely outstanding! I'm not quite referring to the monkfish though. The monkfish was good, but the veal was unbelievable. It was incredibly tender, juicy, and full of the cream sauce of mildly sweet tantalizers, probably including some mango and butternut squash or sweet potato. I loved this glaze. The vegetables on the bottom included some carrots and broccoli, maybe also some spinach leaves in there. This was delicious. I ate all of the veal. The monkfish was heavily crusted with bread crumbs and some very very fine mushroom bits. I couldn't get over the thick amount of bread crumbs on it though, so I had to scrape some off. There was a bit of butter and mushroom flavoring in the glaze, for the record. This was a fine menu item, and delicious. You'll be teased by the veal though... best I've ever had. I couldn't believe how tender and fresh it was.

Autumn Harvest Vegetables
"with roasted acorn squash, broccoli and heimloom carrots"
This is officially the Christmas 2007 side plate option for the entrees. These vegetables were scrumptious as well. Tender and full of a soft, smooth butter flavor. The acorn squash was a hit! Sweet, and mushy when you scoop it into your mouth. Everything was served hot, by the way. All was fresh, all was hot, all was delicious!

The Sizzling Beach Rock
"A combination appetizer of garlic seared shrimp, soy glazed spare ribs
and lemon grass chicken cooked on a hot beach stone"

This is actually an appetizer to be shared for two. I was going to order it before I saw the veal and monkfish. Lauren ended-up going for it, and it was a hit. We all found it absolutely hilarious though that there was just one lone jumbo prawn sizzling on a large pebble-rock in the center of the tray. Amusing, yes. Everything else was presented in the corners of the tray in little bowls, tapas size. Everything was submerged in an Asian or cream sauce. You can say this was a "saucy" appetizer, but the flavors were bold and turn heads. The chicken chunks were even submerged in a sharp Teriyaki/Houssin sauce with Asian, Thai flavors, and sesame crusted of course. This is more of a Chicken Tempura, really. It is absolutely covered in a dark-fried tempura layer with a heavy, thick sweet sauce and sesame seeds. There is a little dish of light broth and herbs with medium shrimp sitting in it as well in one corner, but the king shrimp sits on his own on the lone, middle rock.

The glazed spare-ribs are pretty bare rib meat, looking a bit like pinkish pork. It is rather heavy meat, but there are only two small bones of this, so it won't fill you up. Also, they are sitting in the glaze, so it's your decision how much sauce you want on them. Overall, it's really the presentation of this appetizer that is memorable, and it's fun to get to try a whole bunch of little, different food bites. I'm the kind of person who wants to order EVERYTHING in the menu to get to try it all, and this dish gives you that opportunity for the appetizers in the meat and seafood category.

Eggnog Creme Brulee Tart
with Armagnac Essence

This and the Walnut Apple Cobbler were my favorite, by far. This did not really taste of eggnog at all. Eggnog can be quite sour, but this was not. In fact, it was pretty light. It was lightly crystallized around all of the outer shell. This is deceiving; doesn't it look like it has flour in it? Well it doesn't, this is actually a very thin layer all around of fired custard. This entire thing is custard, with the sides being comprised of a quite thin layer of baked philo dough, very thin. It sits on top of seasonal berries, including fresh raspberries and cranberries. The plate is actually drizzled with a sweetened eggnog glaze, which compliments the light vanilla bean custard. The creme fraiche on top was lovely, as it always is, and balances the mildly sweet flavor of the custard. This was so light in sweetness and was sensitive to my palette. I liked it, and it's definitely a delight on dessert menu. Oh, and to top it off, there is a spirit of Irish mint. Cool, eh?

Baked Heirloom Apple Walnut Crisp
with Bourbon Ice Cream
I was in love with this. This was essentially a posh apple cobbler. One of my most-favorite desserts, ever! This was served hot, with the apple so smooth, soft, and rich in flavor. The bourbon adds a flavorful kick and adds the magical "spark" to this thing in taste. There are little dapples of strawberry glaze on the dish, along with apple, caramel sauces drizzled all around. The ice cream is found melting along the top in striking juxtaposition to the steaming challenge of warm apples below. There are bits of walnuts interspersed along top in the midst of a cobbled layer of baked brown sugar and cobbler chunks that are traditionally found on these crisps. To top it all off is the dusting of powdered sugar, making it deliciously tempting and evermore appealing. This wins my pick of the night for the desserts. Not to miss.

PS: It's not sickingly sweet, in fact it's mild in sweetness, and the trueness of the fresh apples is refreshing, standing out with the soft balance of walnuts to create a peace among the rivaling flavors that mesh together in this outstanding treat.

Scharffen Berger Flourless Chocolate Cake
with Double Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream & Milk Chocolate Drizzle
This was the official birthday dessert given to Kel on her 21st, but of all of the desserts, this one actually lacked richness. I was unimpressed by it, and it was kind of... blah. Flourless chocolate cakes can be quite boring if they don't have a spark in their chocolate flavor, and this lacked the spark. It was boring, un-enlightening chocolate, and the milk chocolate sauce really deducted from it's essence in a usually-all-exciting menu of flavors. This was the only disappointment really. Kel ate it, but I knew she liked the others better, as well all did. The white chocolate curled-oval shells on the top were nice. They were plain white chocolate, but it's always nice to have a decorative topping. You'd be fooled by looking at this thing. It IS impressive in looks; too bad it's flavor doesn't match its appearance.

Napa "Pick Me Up"
Valrhona Chocolate-Espresso, Mousse Cake & Bailey's "Pot au Créme"

Gorgeous presentation! I wanted to cry. This was one chocolaty, rich baby. The fine chocolate shaving on the side of the mousse were incredibly fragile, but pretty and feminine. It's all better in one's stomach, of course :)

The Bailey's Pot au Creme was awesome. This is a great touch. It's a simple thing to serve Bailey's alongside chocolate, but this looks nicer than just a whiskey glass filled with ice and Bailey's. The light caramel creme drizzled on the plate is actually Bailey's I believe with a bit of coffee-espresso flavor (?) I can't remember, but I think that's what it was, and the espresso flavor was rather strong. Make sure you're a bitter gal before you order this. The espresso flavor must suite you, or you're probably not going to fancy this. It is also served with a little crispy biscuit, seen in the middle with some nut shavings and cocoa. Like I said, this is rich, crisp, and chocolaty-bitter. It's gooood.

For every time I've been here, I remember everything that I've had because it's always so out of this world. The food is memorable, and worth remembering. I don't know who the chef is, but I want to commend him. The food and ingredient-pairings are remarkable, as well as the sommelier assistance with their cornucopia of wines.

Henry's Bistro

Henry's Bistro

The Balboa Bay Club Resort
Newport Beach

Henry's Bistro at the Balboa Bay Club is an exclusive, member's only dining at the club. Despite its exclusiveness, it is a comfortable dining experience, oceanfront and right next to the pool with a balcony that overlooks the bay and Balboa peninsula. Here, you can casually wear a Hawaiian shirt and nice slacks, or a suit and tie; either will suffice. This is generally a quiet restaurant, peaceful, with a sort-of Tommy Bahama twist to it. I think it could use a few more paintings, but it's a nice place to go for a good lunch. The food wasn't impressive, but it was good and consistent. Everything is relatively good here, and fresh. Henry's has an impressive wine list as well, which compensates for its limited menu of cafe items at lunch.

Jordan Chardonnay, 2005
I've always liked Jordan, and his had more of a fruit flavor to it but it was still really good.

Ferrari-Carano, Chardonnay, 2006 (?)
This was nice, I liked the Jordan better though. Nonetheless, it was still really nice, and easy to drink

Warm Sourdough & Crisp Bread Crackers
The Sourdough was simple and served warm, but didn't stand out to me. The crispy bread was just a crisp bread, like water crackers. It didn't really have a particular flavor. It had some sesame seeds on it, but once again, it didn't stand out. The sourdough is fresh though, and that's the first thing I look for.

"BBC Mariner"
"Lumb Crab Meat, Smoked Salmon, Lobster Tail, Jumbo Prawns on leafy greens"
Served with Cocktail sauce and a thick-creamy white balsamic dressing with poppy seeds. It looked more like a Champagne dressing, really. This was quite a fresh salad, even including asparagus, roma tomatoes, and some raspberry with blackberry. The seafood meat was huge, and more than filling! This was a simple salad with no complicated ingredients or herbs, but I loved the seafood meat. The smoked salmon in particular and the prawns were delicious as fresh-alone, simply cooked.

Teriyaki Salmon Salad
This teriyaki-marinated Salmon was juicy, tender, succulent, and sweet. The teriyaki was a thicker consistency on the grilled salmon that was perfectly darkened. This was a simple salad, on crisp mixed-color greens. It came with a light teriyaki sauce dressing on the side with sesame seeds and roma tomatoes as well, oh, and also with some crisp bread.

Mediterranean Pasta
Fettuccine, Parsley, Cherry & Yellow Tomatoes, tossed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This pasta was cooked perfectly. It was just a tad beyond al-dente, and the flavors were traditional-Mediterranean, fresh and full of life with the parsley herb extravaganza. Martha did well in ordering this. The olive oil in this really brings out a wonderful flavor in this. We all liked this when we tried it, and it is definitely because of the olive oil and herbs with the nicely-cooked pasta.

Creme Brulee
You can't really go wrong with creme brulee. This was tasty. It didn't stand out to me, but this was a good dessert. The presentation of it was remarkable and noteworthy. Here, it is picturesque. The restaurant takes great pride in their presentation.

Cheesecake
I have to say, this cheesecake was beautiful and satisfying. The specialty of this cake is in its presentation, with the petit berry compote drizzle along the plate and dusting of powdered sugar. Topped with whip cream, mint leaves and fresh berries, this light cheesecake medallion put a smile on its client's face. Good choice. I enjoyed this.

Henry's offers a picturesque view of the bay as well, overlooking the pool with palm trees and yachts just in the horizon. This is the kind of place where you can wear a suit or an Hawaiian shirt. It's a comfortable atmosphere with maturity and professionalism.

Paul

Paul
Gloucester Road, London

Poppy Seed Ciabatta Roll
I've had this before, and last time it was fairly stale all around the exterior. This was almost the same, except I found that the inside, which is mostly hollow, was actually fresh and had a nice ciabatta texture and taste. The crust of the roll is incredibly stiff and hard though, and it almost hurts to bite through it. I guess that is just how this roll is supposed to be though. This roll is simple and the poppy seed flavor with the ciabatta are lovely and soft, certainly refreshing for a morning roll.

Clarke's

Clarke's
Kensington Church Street, London

Clarke's makes for an ideal last night in London. This cozy nook of elegant flavors, nestled in the streets of South Kensington just across from Kensington Place, surprises you with tastes and ingredients you never thought would have gone together or never would have known of. The chef is known for her no-substitution menu, but in the past year she has opened up to providing a few options for her admirers. Each dish is truly a unique creation, and the menu changes every night, at least every few days. The items are served in 3-4 courses, at an un-hustled pace. The servers are friendly, and borderline-professional. They just need a bit more confidence, but they really do a great job -- they're young.

I really appreciated the peace within this restaurant, the quietness and romantic, homey atmosphere. There are only a few tables in here, while there is also a small downstairs area with a few tables also. The lighting in here is so dim though, only lit by candlelight. The restaurant is purely clean and tidy, with few artwork on the walls, white table clothes, and bent-back woven chairs (with cushions of course). It's comfortable, and charming -- there are even fairy lights around the windows!

Olive Bread & Sauvignon Blanc
The olive bread was superb, just as fresh as the raisin bread. Served warm as well, this bread is soft and a bit moist, probably from the olive oil. Look at how thick this is! It is soft, but quite thick to tear through. There is a bit of sea salt in this, but not enough to make you need water. The olives are fresh, and beautiful Spanish black olives, I'm sure. I loved this bread.

The sauvignon went gloriously with everything.

Raisin Rosemary Bread
& Pugliese (to left)
This raisin rosemary bread was new to me, with the sweet hints of raisin balancing a traditional, but soft and thick French bread loaf. This was truly fresh, and served warm, and oh so soft! The rosemary really is what surprised me. I mean... raisin and rosemary..? Weeeiirrrd... but it was impeccable! Try it sometime.
I've always loved their pugliese. I've gotten it for a while at their bakery, fresh, soft, and pure ingredient bread flavors bursting in your mouth. I love the TASTE of bread, the flour, yeast, and salt.

Outer Hebridean "hot" Smoked Salmon Risotto with Prosecco
dill, celery and creme fraiche
Outstanding, this was a prize starter, certainly more-tasteful and exciting than the salad. The risotto is soft and had the most elegant touches of dill. Amazing! Dill is usually paired with Salmon, but this was mind-blowing. It was a small dish, but full of flavor, fresh herb flavors and salmon. The flavors were bold, but the cooked risotto in creme fraiche balances out its strength on your palette. Creme fraiche + strong dill = peace in your mouth and a memorable flavor you'll never want to forget, it's so divine. The prosecco was hidden somewhere. I didn't find it, but I only got one bite, since my mother was in love with this.

Salad of Buffalo Mozzarella with Surrey Pear
black olives, fennel, toasted fresh walnuts, and rocket leaves
"Pear, Greens, Shaved White Onion, Parsley, Mozzarella, tossed heavily in olive oil"
This salad really didn't have any flavor other than that of the pears. I didn't care for it. It was lacking flavor all around. When you can really taste the leaves you know something is wrong. I was a bit disappointed in this, and it was the only downside of the meal. My main and dessert were nice.

Roasted fillet of Cornish Sea Bass
with anchovy, spring onion, lemon butter, leaf broccoli and hand cut "chips"
"Broccolini & Spinach leaves with Tartar Sauce & Lemon"
This sea bass was fresh, tender, bountiful in size for the filet, and the lemon/white wine reduction and butter sauce on it livened up the otherwise-flavorless fish. The filet was cooked to perfection, holding its natural juices. The chips were delicious! They were huge, thick, fresh potato fries, probably tossed in truffle oil. The leave broccoli was a bit unusual, looking like shriveled kale and soaked to the bone in the bass marinade underneath the fish, but it was good. It was the leave though, not broccoli itself.

Breast of corn-fed Chicken roasted with black truffles
bay leaf, and cream sauce, baked Belgian endive, and potatoes in parchment
My mom liked my meal better, but her chicken was still really good apparently. Overall her meal experience deserved a star. I couldn't taste the black truffles, but the cream sauce on her plate was incredible. You know, I could taste the truffles in the cream sauce, and THAT was incredible with the tender chicken, but there were no official black truffles just sitting on her plate. The potatoes in parchment were essentially roasted potatoes with a few herbs, rosemary I believe, or sage. She had some broccoli leaves on her plate as well.

Dark Chocolate & Chestnut Meringue Vacherin
with Chestnuts in Syrup
Sheer sugar syrup is what the syrup is, with a few roasted, shed chestnuts served warm. This was so good. I loved the layer of chilled dark chocolate along the top, which melts as soon as he sets it on the table. The mint leaf made for a lovely touch as well. The meringue, vanilla meringue is hardened and found along the bottom and the top, amidst the mousse chocolate. It really isn't a big part of the dessert, but the mousse rocked. Look at that huge layer!

Cranberry and Clementine Trifle
with Vanilla Cream
A Classic English trifle, with raspberries, and ice cream on the side and dusted in powdered sugar. This was good. Quite fruity with the clementine. I liked it though. Trifle is a light white cake with layers in it of creme and such. The presentation of this was gorgeous though; the presentation for EVERYTHING was beautiful, really.

Dark Chocolate Truffles & Tea
I've always loved these truffles. Clarke's serves them in their shop and bakery, and they are filled with the most-smooth, glorious secret of dark chocolate ganache, rich and served at room temperature. The outer layer is spackled with dark cocoa powder, and the shell is made of semi-dark chocolate. When you pop one in your mouth, that's really all you need to satisify you for the whole of the evening. It really does recreate those feelings of love as the studies say. Makes you want to hop on a plane and fly there, eh? I'm not kidding...

I had a Chamomile tea with creme & sugar to accompany this surprise, compliments of the chef as far as the truffles go. The chamomile is the best pairing for a tea selection with this chocolate.

I couldn't have had a more-perfect last evening in London. I'll remember this forever. It was all beautiful and intimate, and right in my own backyard on Kensington Church Street. I would qualify this as a "fine" dining experience. The prices are up there, but not as bad as Gordon Ramsey, and everything is worth the money.