Boston | No. 9 Park

No. 9 Park
9 Park Street
Boston, MA 02108
http://www.no9park.com

Price: $$$$
Recommendation: 5 Stars

The elegant and sophisticated No. 9 Park represents the pinnacle of fine dining in Boston. Created by celebrity chef Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park is the flagship shop of her dining empire in Boston; I believe it is one of the only few Michelin star worthy restaurants in the city. Overlooking the iconic Boston Commons, the restaurant attracts a very smart and classy crowd in its exquisite dining room and bar.

No. 9 Park is one of the most popular restaurants over the Boston Restaurant Week. I had to make a reservation a month in advance to ensure a spot at this exclusive diner. While the heavenly food is absolutely delicious, what impressed me the most was the top-notch and impeccable service from our waitress and busboys. Our waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable about the food as well as the wines. More importantly, other waiting staffs and busboys were incredibly polite and made sure our water glasses were always filled. On top of that, whenever I finished my bread, another freshly baked goodie would appear on my bread plate immediately. The service was just spot on! It definitely added to our already great dining experience.

In addition to the restaurant week menu, we ordered additional wine pairings with our set. Each dish was accompanied by a specially-selected and unique wine. The choices were excellent, but I wished they poured a little more. It was certainly not enough for alcoholics like me!

Seared Labelle Farms Foie Gras (with $$$ supplement)

lentils du Puy, duck rillettes, hedgehog mushrooms

Perfecto. The seared duck foie gras was truly made to perfection. The creamy foie gras and spongy texture of the hedgehog mushrooms went extremely well together. And the delicious smell of duck fat would linger in my mouth until I had another bite of this delicate dish.

Fluke Crudo

Marcona almond, preserved lemon, harissa

Roasted Scottish Salmon

fennel, great northern beans, broccoli rabe

The roasted Scottish salmon was incredibly prepared at the right cooking temperature and time. The fish was warm through the middle with a hint of red - just the way I like it.

Daube de Boeuf

Macomber turnip, bacon, petite vegetables

Devil's Food Cake

malted cream, coffee, honey

The cake was a bit on the dry side, but it seems to be how devil's cake are supposed to taste like (?)

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

coconut, almond, mango

The aromatic blend of tropical fruits and nuts mesmerized my taste buds, along with the amazing smooth taste of panna cotta, I practically stole this dessert away from Chantal.

Marshmallow and Chocolate Cookie

With our check, the waitress presented us four petit dessert bites. The bitter dark chocolate cookies coupled with fluffy white marshmallows ended our night with a very sweet note!

Chantal <3

My absolutely beautiful and amazing food buddy and partner in crime in Boston. Miss her lots!

Boston | Restaurant Week - Winter 2012

Boston Restaurant Week | Winter 2012

It's that time of the year again - Boston Restaurant Week! I can't even tell you how excited I am for this food- and fun-filled festival in the city. Of all the restaurant weeks in the states, I absolutely think Boston offers one of the most fascinating and best valued flairs, starting at $15.12 for 2-course light lunch, $20.12 for 3-course lunch, and $30.12 for 3-course dinner. That is an awesome deal considering entrees at high-end restaurants could cost almost twice as much as the 3-course dinner price (for example, the No. 9 Park).

Unfortunately, this is probably my last restaurant week in Boston, as I will graduate from M.I.T. in June. Therefore, I went to as many restaurant as I could in 4 days damaging my weight as well as my wallet...

3/18 Lunch at Asana

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Pink Strawberry Lime Truffle

Mascarpone and Strawberry Cream, Almond Cake, Lime and Basil Jelly

3/19 Dinner at the No. 9 Park

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 6/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Seared Labelle Farms Foie Gras

Lentils du Puy, Duck Rillettes, Hedgehog Mushrooms

3/20 Lunch at Mooo...

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4.5/5

Bar at Mooo...

3/20 Dinner at Mistral

Food: 5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambiance: 4.5/5

Classic Profiteroles

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Sauce, Pistachio Croquant

3/21 Dinner at Sorellina

Food: 5/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Ribeye

Gorgonzola Baked Potato, Red Wine Braised Cipollini

full reviews of the restaurant coming soon!

Tips for next year:

Since the Boston Restaurant Week is sponsored by American Express, AMEX card holders get premium access with an early reservation period as well as a $20 statement credit when you spend $100 at 3 or more restaurants. I definitely took advantage of those two perks!

Boston | The Blue Room

How awkward is it when your table in a restaurant is right next to your college advisor's? Even better, if he is with half of the department, including a TA from the class that you almost failed. Yeah, it happened to me last week.

I was totally shocked when I was getting seated at The Blue Room, a celebrated Mediterranean inspired restaurant in Cambridge. As awkward as it got, I managed to have a good time with my friend and tried not to peak at that corner.

The Blue Room is situated in the energetic business district in Kendall square. Dating back to 1991, the trendy and cozy restaurant has been a local favorite. Many people dine here for business as well as for a relaxing after work meal. Everyday the Portuguese executive chef creates delicate dishes from the freshest available local ingredients. You can also see him in action in the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant.

Neon Lights and the Open Kitchen

The appetizers were disappointing. Though served in beef broth, the bland pork and veal meatballs were dry and rough. And the squid came in cold, which tasted quite weird.

Pork + Veal Meatballs

beef broth, orzo

Sauteed Squid

borlotti beans, mustard greens

The hangar steak, oooh, was made to perfection. I can still remember every bite and every taste of the tender and juicy steak. Carved into generous slices, the heavenly prepared steak gave off a delightful flavor from its natural beef au jus. Both Justina and I loved it! Not to mention, the gorgonzola polenta, seasoned with exotic spices, was the perfect side dish for the steak.

Hangar Steak

gorgonzola polenta, mushrooms, rapini

The baked apple streusel kept the apple's skin, which added to the texture of the dessert and brought a pleasant sour taste. It would have been better if it was actually hot! The chocolate campari pots de creme was topped with fresh whipped cream and a mint leaf for decoration; it was a pretty average chocolate mousse.

Baked Apple Streusel

calvados raisin anglaise

Chocolate Campari Pots de Creme

The Blue Room is very busy at night, and the place can be really cramped. Besides the somewhat disappointing appetizers, the service at the restaurant was annoyingly slow. We finished two rounds of bread before our entrees came and had to ask the waiter to bring us water. However, one thing I thought was pretty neat about The Blue Room. On their menu, they recommend a wine pairing for every dish from appetizers, main courses, to desserts. Despite all of these, I might go back again for that amazing steak...

The Blue Room

1 Kendall Square

Cambridge, MA 02139

http://www.theblueroom.net/

Recommendation: 3 Stars

Fantastic main courses and good collection of wines.

The restaurant can be really packed and busy, expect the service to be really slow.

Boston | Clink. at the Liberty Hotel

Typically when people say they're going to visit you from another city, they don't actually mean it, or they're just trying to be nice, i.e. it will never happen. However, it is not true for Caroline! A good friend from LA visited me for her spring break. For someone adventurous (or crazy) like her, she wanted to dine at the relatively new restaurant, Clink. at the Liberty Hotel. The now luxury hotel was the former Charles Street Jail, a historic jail built in 1851.

Clink., situated on the lobby level of the hotel, kept the original jail cells in this new American restaurant. Rather than having a creepy prison feeling, the restaurant sends a comfortable and modern vibe. I really like the warm hard wood furnitures and the open kitchen that showcases the preparation of the dishes.

Photo from Hospitalityonline

The Appetizers were perfectly prepared and gave a great start to our meal! The light salad was served with very fresh fatty salmon, torched and lightly glazed with miso sauce. I think I could've eaten another plate of those. The soft scrambled duck egg was delicious, too! The creamy scrambled duck egg (tasted exactly like chicken egg) topped with sauteed savory mushrooms complemented the soft and buttery brioche toast.

Torched Salmon Salad

cucumbers, miso, and shiso

Soft Scrambled Duck Egg

mushrooms and brioche toast

The fully cooked mahi mahi was accompanied by savoy cabbage, fingerling potatoes, smoked bacon, and sweet Maine shrimps.

Mahi Mahi

The green apple and rhubarb crisp differed with typical apple cobblers. The smooth sour taste of green apples added to the flavor of the dessert, and the rum raisin gelato on top just made it even better. I didn't like the butterscotch pots de creme at first, but the more I ate, the more I liked it.

Green Apple and Rhubarb Crisp

Butterscotch Pots De Creme

The dinner was very pleasant, and the staffs took good care of our needs. Caroline and I both had a great time catching up and enjoying the food. The architecture and interior design of this historic landmark hotel is definitely worth checking out!

Clink.

The Liberty Hotel

215 Charles Street

Boston, MA 02114

http://www.clinkrestaurant.com/

Recommendation: 3.5 Stars

Experience the prison life and enjoy fine dining food!

Boston | Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel

Meritage has always been on the top of my list of new restaurants to try. Not only does it have great reviews, but many of my friends also recommended me to try it out. To kick off 2011 Boston restaurant week, I decided to visit Meritage right away and figure out why people love it so much.

Located in the 5-star Boston Harbor Hotel, this new American restaurant offers an elegant atmosphere as well as some of the most beautiful waterfront views in Boston. Although we arrived Meritage a bit late, we were quickly seated and greeted by our server. Famous for its extensive collection of fine wines, I ordered additional wine pairing with my restaurant week menu. All three wines were excellent, especially the cabernet sauvignon - even for a white wine lover like me, I cannot put down the glass!

3 Course Wine Pairing

The portion at Meritage was quite generous, considering it was restaurant week menu. For my first course, I had the steamed lobster tail. The strong tangerine fragrance and refreshing citrus taste really whetted my appetite and prepared me for the following courses; however, the lobster itself was a bit over cooked. It could have been divine!

Steamed Maine Lobster Tail on the Half Shell

Buttered Snap Peas and Satsuma Tangerine Essence

Wood Grilled Fillet Mignon with Soft Whipped Potatoes, Horseraddish onion cream

Meritage Syrup

The tasting plate featured three small and playful desserts. The green apple was very tasty, but others were just okay.

White Fruit Tasting Plate of Bread Pudding, Green Apple Sorbet, Lychee Cream Eclair

For some reason, I wasn't exceptionally impressed by Meritage. It was probably because I had too much expectation for this restaurant. Meritage does have great food and attentive service, but it is just like any other fine dining restaurant, noting too special. Oh well, the wine pairing was awesome though!

Meritage, The Restaurant
70 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
http://www.meritagetherestaurant.com

Recommendation: 4 Stars
Great fine dining restaurant with good food and service, but nothing too special.
Get their wine pairing!

Boston | The Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza

I'm sure we all have read The Great Gatsby some point in our lives. Ever wonder what life is like during the roaring 20s? The Oak Room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza takes you back to that glamorous era. Since the hotel's grand opening in 1912, it has represented Boston's rich history and refined taste. The restaurant prides itself as a traditional steak house but offers some of the best Bostonian flairs, such as lobster bisque, raw platters, and Boston cream pie.

The food experience at the Dining Room was absolutely surreal. I felt as if I was in an old movie set in the earlier days of America. The high ceiling is decorated with gold and delicate designs, framed by dark wood and grand windows. The atmosphere of the Oak Room is simply fabulous!

The Dining Room

Our waiter delightfully introduced us to the wide collection of champagnes as well as great red and white wines. I was really tempted to have a glass, but I had a lot of work to do later that night - we all know that nothing will be accomplished after drinking......

Champagnes and Wines

Bread Basket

In addition to the typical butter, the restaurant brought us olives and hummus spreads. They complemented so well with the flavorful selection of warm breads.

Three Spreads: Olives, Butter, Hummus

The lobster bisque was definitely the best I have had for a very long time. The creamy bisque gave a strong and tasty lobster aroma - which I absolutely loved!

Oak Room Lobster Bisque

Grilled 7oz Tenderloin

Au Poivre Sauce, Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Root Vegetables

As recommended by my friend, I ordered an additional side of truffle mac and cheese; it was light and tasty with a strong scent of black truffle - an interesting dish to try.

Truffle Mac and Cheese

Oak Room Boston Cream Pie & Cappuccino 

Rice Pudding, Poached Pears and Passion Fruit Jelly

Complementary Cotton Candy!

The Oak Bar is such a classy spot to drink. Just look at the room! I think they are famous for their excellent martinis.

As part of my restaurant week adventure, the check ended up $33.11 plus tax and tips. The service was excellent and on par with the food. The place can be pricey without the restaurant menu, but I think it's definitely worth it just for the special experience.

Well, now I know I can also live the life of the old money.

The Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza
138 St. James Avenue
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Boston, MA 02116
http://www.theoakroom.com

Recommendation: 4.5 Stars
For the decor and atmosphere, the restaurant is definitely a Boston top choice!
The lobster bisque is simply awesome. I still think about the soup!