I usually avoid French food and places that serve french food, cos basically, well, I like food in a warm, congenial atmosphere, and I love food that covers most of the plate and fills most of me.
So, when I was told I had to go to to lunch at L'Ecrivain for a meet n' greet with the Cali Tourist Board, it hardly filled me with joy, unlike any opportunity to consume food often does. Although, I was totally psyched to meet the Californians. I feel me and Cali are a kindred spirit.
I would have preferred you're odd mainstream restaurant, I'd even have done with Italian (see my fanatic dislike for Italian food in the post below). Anything to avoid this. But I have to say L'Ecrivain did not disappoint. It is famous for some reason and yes it is their superb food.
I was so busy telling the Californians how much I hearted their state and how I was meant to be born there and live there that I barely would have paid any attention to the tasty morsels going through my mouth if it weren't for ...erm...those very tasty morsels. (See my total obliviousness to food when it comes to conversation. I got my priorities straight. Convo 1, Food 2...)
Anyway here's what I got:
Soup: Wild Mushroom
Starters: Goat's Cheese thingy with mango chutney
Main: Fresh cod with asparagus, and a sweet orange sauce
Dessert: A mocha mousse thing
I'm afraid I can't remember all the proper names and ingredients of the dishes. But I remember the taste. And wow hat's off to Mr Derry Clarke! The soup was delish, the goat's cheese the softest, warmest I've ever had, the cod flavoursome and the dessert just right. Plus the portions were not bad at all, the table we were sitting at was big enough to place the big plates on.
One cool thing I realised was that the sweet sauces for both the starters and the mains added a perfect kick to the dishes, which for an Asian person is a slightly odd concept, as we're used to more savoury dips, hot sauces or tangy yoghurts to bring out (or tone down even) the flavour of food.
Oh and I couldn't take any pics, (which is a shame cos the presentation of the food was so pretty) I thought it may look a bit crazy, me dressed in my best, whipping out my Sony DSC-H5 and taking pics of my plate in front of Arnie's people...
