One of the most widely sought after table delights in world dining are truffles. Black Perigord truffles are known as Perigord truffles as they predominantly found in the Perigord region of France. They are mild in flavor, a sweet aroma and they are mainly grown beneath hazelnut and oak trees. These exceptional diamonds of the culinary world need a first-class setting to show them off – La Truffe Noire is a restaurant dedicated to elegance and refinement, and to the magic of this extraordinary ingredient. Here is a restaurant that excites all the senses, and if you love truffles like I do, you'll adore this place. The owner, Luigi Cicirello, welcomed us to the table and was an incredible host the whole dinner. There isn't anything he doesn't know about truffles - types, how to get the best out of them, where they're from, whether they'll store or not. We know that putting together a vegan meal for my wife, with very short notice is sometimes difficult for kitchens but Luigi and his team made a great effort and my wife was very, very satisfied. Luigi was extremely personable and made our evening absolutely wonderful.. From the introduction of himself, his menu, his method, and his experience - it is very rare to have that kind of attention at any gourmet Michelin restaurant. I ordered the Privilege Menu and they put together 5 courses for my wife as well. We started off with a trio of appetizers, a Caramelized Tomato, a Foie Gras Creme Brulee and Carrot Juice. My vote for best appetizer went to the Foie Gras Creme Brulee but they were all good. After the trio of appetizers, Luigi rolls up a table and starts preparing the best carpaccio I have ever had in my life. He puts it together step by step and lets you smell the flavors as the dish becomes more and more complex. Tender fresh beef covered with grated truffle and white truffle oil with a similarly treated salad. Then add some Parmesan cheese, and finally sprinkle the most divine truffle juice over the whole dish. It is simply an amazing dish. Together with the bread we were served an amazing olive oil, L'Olio Tenero which is an extra virgin olive oil obtained by the single variety "Ascolana Tenera". In ancient times Ascoli and roman nobles families used exclusively this variety for infant feeding because it showed exceptional organoleptic characteristics. It is an amazingly smooth and rich olive. The next course was a ravioli filled with truffles with a rich cream sauce. Wonderful truffle aromas and great depth. The highlight of the menu is “La Croque au Sel” - a whole cooked Périgord truffle - it is hard to describe this divine dish and have the words make it justice. The dish is a whole 40g Périgord truffle cooked in a rich sauce, which sits in its own small detachable bowl in the middle of a specially handmade terracotta dish. On the plate, a row of tiny slices of melba toast are laid out together with a small bowl of fleur de sel and a quenelle of creamy white truffle butter. Luigi demonstrated how to eat it, placing a sliver of butter on a piece of toast, then adding a tiny piece of truffle in its wonderful sauce, and sprinkling a few grains of fleur de sel on top before popping it into your mouth. It is so rich and so flavorful. One of the better dishes in my life!! Like I said, my wife was extremely happy with the dishes that Luigi was able to put together for her. Her favorite was the mushroom and truffle salad. She said that it was probably the best salad she has ever had. She also throroughly enjoyed the Melon Sorbet. The next course was two different cheese with lots of truffle flavors. First I had a Swiss Tete de Moine shaved paper-thin and fashioned into exquisite flowers, drizzled with honey and flakes of Cohiba tobacco. It was a great cheese with rich flavors and very tasty. The next cheese was a Brillat-Savarin with truffles. A fun touch, since it was french food writer Brillat-Savarin who named the black truffle the "Diamonds of the kitchen". After the savory section we were served fresh desserts, my favorite was the wonderful curacao infused pineapple with a red fruit sorbet. Visually beautiful but very fresh and light, which is exactly what you want after all the truffle decadence. When it gets time to leave after three hours of truffle heaven, Luigi is there to say goodbye. From the truffle-themed napkins to the unique tableware, La Truffe Noire bears testimony to his passion and dedication of food in general and the truffle in peticular. The evening was spectacular, and La Truffe Noire is a must visit when in Brussels. For the food, for the amazing aromas, for the wonderful truffle and for the man himself - Luigi Ciciriello. We cannot wait until we return!!
2 Comments
Marilyn Grant
9/14/2014 02:14:52 am
Brandon and I really enjoyed being able to share this life event through your words and spectacular pictures. Thank you for making it possible for us to share this journey with you and Cheryl!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Eating out
In this section you will find blogs about restaurants all over the world. Maybe you will find your new favorite?? Archives
October 2017
Categories
All
|
Eating out |
Web Hosting by FatCow