Jamie M.
Yelp
I had the good fortune of dining at Auberge du Soleil for my birthday-my very first experience at a 3-star Michelin restaurant.
Ambiance: It's beautiful, of course. As you enter the restaurant, the left wall is lit by stylized flowers lining it. Very modern, and it sets a nice tone for the dining experience-kind of like how hearing the intro theme music from your favorite show gets you excited to watch it even before it starts. You know, like how you used to feel as the into played for a new Game of Thrones episode, but I digress! Back to the ambiance. The interior decor is modern, elegant, and light. It doesn't overshadow the food, which is the real star here. We came in the evening and it was too dark to be able to see the view, which I understand is impressive in the light of day. I hope to be back to see it.
Service: Our server was approachable and knowledgeable. She helped us select our champagne and helped me figure out which courses to choose when I was struggling between two options. One of the ways I could tell we were at a Michelin-starred restaurant was when our server poured the champagne we ordered. She decided it wasn't bubbly enough and opened a new bottle for us. She was absolutely correct-the difference was noticeable. But I'm the kind of person who would never insist on opening a new bottle of champagne for that reason, and having our server be so devoted to making our dining experience a pleasant one that she made that call for us was very cool.
Food: The food was fabulous--and I can't think of one thing that could have been better or wasn't quite right, or even a minor tweak I would have made to a dish. It was all excellent.
We started out with two amuse bouches: a mushroom oyster mixture on top of puffed pastry and halibut (I think) with seaweed sitting in a green broth. Both were delicious. They served my partner with two different amuse bouches to accommodate his seafood allergy, which he also really enjoyed.
We opted for the four course tasting menu, which allows you to choose each course from about four or five dishes. This menu worked well for us because my partner is allergic to seafood and was able to choose dishes that made made navigating his allergy simple. Yay! The restaurant also offers a six course tasting menu, with dishes that were mostly different from the three or four course tasting menus.
I went with the chilled main lobster starter, with fuyu persimmon, Cara Cara, hibiscus, and yuzu kosho. The lobster sat on top of what I would describe as a Japanese take on pico de gallo and Japanese persimmon. As you would expect, the pairing was awesome, with the flavors complimenting, instead of overpowering, the lobster. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the persimmon/lobster combo.
For my second dish, I went with the yellow fin tuna, with a sesame crust, orange daikon, bok Choy, tamari lime sauce. I was really struggling to choose between the tuna and the sea bass, but ultimately went with the tuna because I liked the accompaniments more. The tuna was fantastic. I've had sesame crusted tuna before at other restaurants, but this dish was so excellent, it felt like I was tasting the dish the way it was meant to be executed for the first time.
For my main, I went with the prime beef, with celery root, grilled radicchio, baby carrots, and red wine sauce. Beef and red wine sauce is a classic combination, of course. The interesting thing to know about this dish is that it was also served with short rib (so yum) and the portion was quite generous for a tasting menu. It was everything you'd hope it would be.
For my dessert, I chose the Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate Fondant, with garden mint ice cream, whipped crème fraiche, minted marshmallows, and a cocoa nib crumble. I appreciated the little touches that made this dish feel elevated, like the cocoa nib crumble, the garden mint ice cream had a freshness in a way I've never experienced before, and the mini mint marshmallows were really fun. I was so full by this point, I could not finish it, sadly.
For my partners courses, he went with the burrata, the butternut squash and ricotta cappelletti, the prime beef, and the chocolate sorbet with rum cake and passion fruit. He loved them all but I think his favorites were the prime beef and the chocolate sorbet. He loves passion fruit, so this dish was just the perfect combination for him.
Before sending you home, they offer a few sweet treats, which the server was kind enough to box for us because there was no way I could finish them. When we ultimately ate them -the guava pate de fruit was the star, and that's not even normally my thing, as a lover of all things chocolate.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience and a great way to celebrate another trip around the sun. If life takes me back here for another dining experience, I'd be elated.