Abbey S.
Yelp
PARTIAL REVIEW
Ambiance:
-Flaveur is a small dining room with lightly coloured walls, bright lighting and massive cut-out wooden fish on the walls. It isn't "sexy" as far as date night spots go, but it is definitely comfortable.
-Light jazz music plays in the background to supplement the gentle chatter in the room. The tables are fairly well spaced apart, making it an ideal spot for date night where you want to easily speak with your partner.
Service:
-Two servers took care of the entire room throughout the night, both of which spoke beautiful English and were remarkably friendly and professional.
-They were well versed on the menu and wine pairings, ensured cutlery, and wine arrived at the appropriate time and in order, and were attentive with refilling our bottled water.
-Having said that, perhaps this is my Americanized standards, but the meal was uncomfortably long. We specifically went with the shortest pre-fixe option because we knew we had to get up early for our flight, and still it took us a whole 2 1/2 hours to get through. Seeing as some of the most extensive tasting menus in the world are only an hour longer, I can't help but consider this an exorbitant amount of time for a 4 course meal. It was almost comical watching the two servers bob about the room offering bread to tables in an effort to hold them off. But for me, filling up customers on bread does the chef and restaurant an injustice as by the time the main course rolls around I am often too full to even enjoy it. I also wonder if it's a tactic to sell more wine. Either way is not so enjoyable for me.
Drinks:
-La Flaveur offers a generous menu of all French wines by the bottle, with 14 of them available by the glass (7-12€). Diners also can choose to allow the restaurant to pair the tasting menu or pre-fixe with the appropriate wines (27-45€ depending on the size of menu), which my partner decided to do. I, on the other hand, opted to just go by the glass, first with a bright and slightly grassy 2011 Terre de Fume, then a fabulous not-too-sweet Blanc D'Hiver with dessert. We both agreed that while the wines (all white for our particular menu) were not particularly spectacular, they paired nicely with the food and were very easy to drink.
Food:
-Le Flaveur essentially offers you two different menu choices - the "Spice Road" Flavors and Discovery three course meal for 50€ with an option to add a cheese dish for 13 €, or a 6 course Menu Decouverte for 80€. Having been told that the tasting would take a minimum of 3 1/2 hours, we opted to streamline and go with the 3 courses plus cheese. These things are never only the number of courses they specify, anyway.
Squid-Ink Ice Cracker with Spanish Sausage, White Turnip and Caviar of Olive Oil; Cured Spanish Beef; Speck of Smoked Haddock; Chickpea Puree with Falafel; Seabream Ceviche with Whipped Potatoes and Wasabi
A little selection of starters to get our appetite revved up- my favourite by far was the fabulous seabream ceviche, whipped potatoes and the crunchy spicy wasabi flakes. I also loved the baby falafel idea- what an adorable passable hors d'oeuvres idea for a party!
Half-Cooked Salmon, Combawa and Granny Smith Salsa, Haloumi Cheese, Avocado Puree and Kiwano
The salmon was perfectly cooked so that it merely melted on the tongue and its sweetness was nicely complimented by the tangy combawa and apple salsa. I also loved the bounty of aromatic dill in there, which really brought all the light fresh flavours together.
Mediterranean Umbrine, Champonzu and Gyozu Ravioli, Christophine and Colombo Bouillon
The Christophine is a fruit that has a texture and flavour somewhere between an apple and a jicama. It's crunchy, sturdy, juicy, and mildly sweet- perfect to counterbalance the chewy Asian ravioli. The fish had a nicely seared crispy skin and a delicate white flesh, and the broth was neither too salty nor too bland. A flawless dish.
Cheese selection: Camembert, Brillat Savarin, Goat Cheese coated in Wood Charcoal, Ewe Milk Cheese, Shaved Saless with Quince Fruit Paste
A nice spread of cheeses, my favourite of course being the Brillat Savarin (my all time favourite cheese), followed closely by the delicious ewe milk. But that camembert was so stinky (and in a bad dirty sock way) that we just had to leave that one alone.
Rose-Lychee Crispy Tuile, Pink Champagne and Longane Jelly, White Chocolate Mousse and Sorbet
A beautiful presentation- this would be a gorgeous dessert for a baby girl shower or a pink themed event. I liked the combination of the white chocolate mousse with the juicy sweet lychee, but I thought as a whole, the rose was a bit overdone. I like a hint of floral flavour, but too much rose can become...