Media Dinner at the Dining Room with Chef Michael Voltaggio's Menu

If you know the Los Angeles dining scene and/or a fan of the Top Chef Show, you've more than likely heard of Chef Michael Voltaggio. After weeks of competition, he's currently part of the final four contestants which includes his brother, Chef Bryan Voltaggio. The finale hasn't aired yet, so we are all waiting with bated breath to see who's going to end up on top, but before becoming a part of the reality tv world, Chef Voltaggio was Executive Chef of the Bazaar and is now the current Chef de Cuisine in the Dining Room at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena.

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Last August, I was invited to check out Chef Voltaggio's food via a Media Dinner hosted by the Langham Hotel in Pasadena and put together by their PR company, Weber Shandwick. At the time, Top Chef hadn't aired yet, so I really didn't know what to expect. Once we were all served the amuse bouche, which was Blue Fin, Hibiscus Air and Porcini Mushroom, I knew it was going to be an interesting meal. Each course was paired with wine, except for one that was paired with beer. Since I'm not much of a drinker, while I will tell you what the pairings are, I'm going to focus just on the food.

After our amuse bouche, which had subtle tart and earthy flavors, we went straight into our first course which was the Pacific Yellowtail, Sashimi Style with Compressed Soy-Watermelon, Sea Sponge and Smoked Egg Yolk. It was paired with a glass of 2008 Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrontes, Cafayate. The yellowtail was wonderfully fresh and I liked how the sweetness of the watermelon played against the smokiness of the smoky egg yolk puree.

Our second course was an Octopus dish and was paired with a 2005 Peter Howland Maxwell Vineyard Chardonnay. The octopus itself was a little chewier than I would have liked but it came with some very interesting ingredients. First, it sat on a buttered popcorn puree and than it was topped with a Piquillo Confetti and Cilantro. I wasn't too sure about the popcorn puree, but I loved it. The saltiness of it went well with the tartness of the piquillo and the spiciness of the Cilantro. By the way, the piquillo confetti had the texture of a fruit roll up.

The Pastrami Pigeon with a Rye-Infused Jus, Brussels-Kraut and Puffed Gruyere Cheese was our third course. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite dish of the entire meal. I enjoyed the light crispiness of the puffed gruyere cheese, but I found the pigeon too gamey for my taste. As for the pairing, it was matched up with a Unibroue 17 Strong Dark Ale. This was the one course that the only way I could tolerate this dish was when it was washed down with a sip or two of the ale.

My favorite course of the night was the Turbot and the ingredients of this dish included Artichoke, Tomato Granola with Olive Oil and Champagne Vinegar. It was paired with 2007 Saleway Henkenberg GG Pinot Noir. This was the only dish that was modified from the printed menu. Originally, the dish was flavored with lime and vanilla, but was replaced by olive oil and champagne vinegar. The flavors were subtle, but I really liked the delicate, mildness of the fish and the grainy texture and tartness of the tomato granola.

Next was the Suckling Pig with Pistachio Beans, Onions and an Orange Juice and Coriander Reduction. The pork was sous vide in duck fat for 40 hours, which made it quite tender and I really liked dipping it into the OJ and Coriander Reduction which added a nice spiced citrusy flavor to the meat. Paired with the Suckling Pig was the 2000 August Kesseler Pinot Noir.

The last savory dish of the evening was the Lamb Confit which had Lamb as well the Pickled Tongue with Vadouvan, an Eggplant-Raisin Puree and Fresh Hummus. This dish didn't really make an impression on me, good or bad, so I don't have much to say about it and unfortunately, my photo of it came off quite blurry, too. It was paired with a 2006 Villa Creek Avenger Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache.

Next came dessert and the first to arrive was a dessert amuse bouche which was a Jasmine Rice Sorbet with Sake Gelatin. This dessert was a total hit with me. It was cool and refreshing and after all the meat in the previous courses, it was nice to have something light.

The last course was Chef Voltaggio's take on Coffee Cake and consisted of Baked Honey, Espresso Mousse, which was made with liquid nitrogen and Lemon Curd. That baked honey was really awesome and was like a thin wafer. What I liked was that the Espresso Mousse wasn't that sweet, but got its sweetness when it was eaten with the baked honey.

We thought our meal was over until we were served one last treat, a plate that included Chocolate Bark with Pop Rocks and Passion Fruit Gelees. I wasn't sure if I had room but the little kid in me couldn't resist Pop Rocks and Chocolate.

Overall, except for one miss and one so-so dish, I really enjoyed Chef Voltaggio's food at the Dining Room. Since this meal, I've been avidly watching him on Top Chef and have found him to be crazily creative when it comes to his food. I certainly got a preview of that from this particular meal. Come on. Butter Popcorn Puree? Tomato Granola? You'd have to have an interesting culinary mind to come up with that kind of stuff. Based on this meal and what I've seen from this show, I am definitely looking forward to enjoying even more of his food in the future.

For those of you who have yet to visit the Dining Room, you may want do so soon. They will be closing for renovation in January 2010, so you may not have very many opportunities left to enjoy Chef Voltaggio's cooking at least at the Dining Room.

The Dining Room
The Langham Hotel and Spa
1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue
Pasadena,, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900

Click here to read about my previous Dining Room experience.

Click here to read about the Chocolate Afternoon Tea at the Langham.





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Checking Out the Summer Select Prix Fixe Menu in The Dining Room

After I blogged about the Chocolate Afternoon Tea at the Langham Hotel, I was invited back to check out the Summer Select Prix Fixe Menu at their restaurant, The Dining Room. Again, I have to say thanks to Tara of When Tara Met Blog and the Langham Hotel. Given that The Dining Room was the only hotel restaurant to receive a Michelin star in 2008 under Executive Chef, Craig Strong, I was really looking forward to the meal; however, I should note that by the time I dined at The Dining Room, Chef Strong had taken a new position with Montage Hotels in Laguna Beach.

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Before I talk about the meal that my guest and I shared, let me tell you about this "Summer Select" menu. First, it consists of three different appetizers, main courses and desserts and was designed by Chef Strong. Highlights include Beef Carpaccio, Pork Belly Confit and a Chocolate Tart with Whiskey Ice Cream. This menu is available Tuesday through Thursday nights and is priced at $59 per person, not including alcholic beverages, tax or gratuity. Finally, it is available until July 30, 2009. Now on to the food itself.

It all started with bread and I especially enjoy it when I'm a presented with a tray of different types of bread to choose from. Decisions, decisions. First, I tried the Brioche, which I liked, but I absolutely loved the Black Olive Bread, which was crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. I wouldn't mind having one right now with pats of butter.

Before our first course arrived, we were treated to an Amuse Bouche which was liquid polenta, quail egg and Serrano ham. I wasn't that much of a fan of the liquid polenta. On its own, it tasted like a salty cornmeal flavored soup. When mixed with the yolk of the quail egg, the salt was cut back enough so I enjoyed it a little better, especially when eaten with the Serrano ham. I think I would preferred a polenta pancake or cake, but perhaps that's too conventional to be interesting.

My guest and I ordered two different items items from each course so that we could sample at least two thirds of the menu. When it came to our appetizers, we shared the Squash Blossom Tempura and the Oven Dried Tomato and Grilled Eggplant Terrine. First, the Squash Blossom Tempura which were stuffed with brandade and came with micro greens and a Romesco sauce. This was actually my first experience with brandade, a puree of salt cod, olive oil and milk and it was an eating experience I enjoyed a lot. It reminded me of a better version of a tuna salad and I could see myself eating it with a cracker. As for the squash blossom, its preparation was on target. The light tempura usage gave just the right amount of crispness without overwhelming this delicate flower with too much batter. I also appreciated that the squash blossom themselves weren't mushy.

The second appetizer was the Oven Dried Tomato and Grilled Eggplant Terrine with baby lettuce, balsamic walnut vinaigrette and shaved aged goat cheese. I'm an eggplant lover so just the name of the dish already pre-sold itself. While not outstanding, it's a solid dish and prepared well, although I do think that the terrine needed a little more seasoning though. Perhaps, fresh herbs?

Soon it was main course time. I started out with the Pork Belly Confit with semolina gnocchi, Tuscan cabbage, carrot and cassis mustard sauce. The pork belly meat itself was fatty, juicy and tender, just the way I like it. What threw me off was the topping. I think it was some kind of hard cheese? I really didn't think the pork needed it and in fact, I found it to be dry and distracting; however, I absolutely loved the bitter notes of the Tuscan cabbage and the soft tart and sweet flavors coming from the cassis mustard sauce.

After I had my share of the Pork Belly, I sampled the Skate Piccata with fingerling potatoes, spinach, preserved lemon butter sauce and fried capers. Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing dish of the whole night. Simply, it was too salty. I think we honestly should have returned it and given the kitchen a chance to rectify the situation. Considering the level of service at The Dining Room, I don't think this would have been a problem, but having a Filipino sensibility of being too polite stopped us.

With appetizers and our main courses behind us, it was time for dessert. Unexpectedly, we were served a dessert amuse bouche which included a slice of chocolate pound cake, chocolate gelato (with coffee bean and vanilla) and a cherry brandy and tarragon sauce. One bite of the chocolate pound cake was enough since it was quite dry. The chocolate gelato with hints of coffee and vanilla was a hit and that cherry brandy and tarragon sauce was killer.

Finally, the two desserts we ordered arrived at the table. The one I tried first was the Lavender Panna Cotta with blueberries, candied almonds and lemon poppy seed cake. Just like the green tea panna cotta that I had at their Chocolate High Tea, this one was stellar. It was creamy and I could definitely taste the lavender. What I found interesting was that the the tartness of the blueberries and the sweet nuttiness of the candied almonds complemented as opposed to overshadowing the lavender.

I also enjoyed digging into the Chocolate Tart with the Whiskey Ice Cream. The chocolate itself was rich and dense, as chocolate should be (at times). Since I'm not much of a whiskey drinker, I can't say without any certainty if the ice cream tasted like whiskey or not, but I liked it and its light flavors complemented the richness of the chocolate tart.

At this point, I thought our meal was over, but not yet. To the right of our table was a table that held trays of various mini desserts and after our two empty plates got swept off the table, our waiter served us a plateful of these little goodies, which included Madeleines, Vanilla Bean Cakes, Shortbread Cookies, Coconut Roches, an Apricot Gelee and a Berry Gelee. Of the six, my favorites were the Coconut Roches, which tasted like macaroon cookies and both Gelees.

I did wonder if Chef Strong's presence would have meant a different dining experience, but that's really hard to say. After all, even the most talented of chefs and kitchens have better days than others. Overall, it'll be interesting to see what changes as a new chef is brought in and puts their own stamp on the menu.

For now, while there were hits and misses to this meal, I think that what was good was good enough for me to make a return visit one day, especially when the new executive chef is on board. After all, with an overall experience that included service that was spot on and a nice setting, the Dining Room still has a lot to offer and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

To see all the pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157619344270844/

The Dining Room
The Langham Hotel and Spa
1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue
Pasadena,, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900



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