>A good egg

(Moved from February 9, 2007) 

Have you ever measured the size of that extra large egg in your fridge? I keep forgetting how little an ordinary hen’s egg can be.

Minimalist Manresa appropriately chose an ordinary farm fresh egg to express the chef's taste and artistry, also an homage to Alain Passard's chaud-froid d'oeuf fermier, sirop d'erable.

The EGG is an ambitious concept. This deceptively simple little soft-boiled egg with the top lopped off (the 4th amuse bouche) attempts to represent almost every facet of our contrasting flavor sensations.

Sweet represented by maple syrup,
Sour represented by sherry vinegar,
Salt sprinkled on top,
Savory soft yolk 
Texture contrast between the salt and the whipped cream top.
Cooked on the outside, raw on the inside,
I did taste a bit of pleasant bitterness as well,
And yes, the egg was delivered hot and cold at the same time.

As the casually Californian yet conceptually operatic dinner drew to a close, Luca the waiter drew a big circle in the air with his two index fingers, joining the imaginary mignardises - olive madeleine and pepper “gumdrop” gelee offered at the beginning of the meal and the chocolate madeleine and strawberry “gumdrop” gelee at the end.

It all ties together.
A good way to sum it up, in an eggshell.