Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton

I would rank my dinner at the Dining Room at the Ritz as the best dining experience of my life. We came here for the boyfriend's big 3-0 and everything, from the food, to the service and ambiance, were pretty close to perfection. Such a memorable experience!!

We arrived a bit early for our 7:30 reservation but the maître d' seated us right away. It's so rare to see white table clothes these days and it definitely lends a touch of elegance. The table was round so we got to sit next to each other, which I preferred. 

The waiter brought us an amuse-bouche of chicken stuffed empanada. The pastry was light and buttery without being oily; definitely wetted our appetite. A few minutes later, the kitchen presented us with the first of two hors d'oeuvres, a fried crab ball topping a mango and jalapeno sauce. They could have used less breading for because the crab was so delicate, but the flavors were en pointe. The second canapé was a boneless chicken wing with a light coriander and peach broth. The chicken skin was so crispy yet moist. It turned out to be Orin's favorite of the night. 

Crab Puff

Chicken Wing

We decided on the tasting menu and share a wine pairing. The boy got himself a Makers on the rocks and our meal awaits. Even the butter was richer and creamier than the run of the mills stuff at grocery stores. The only draw back was that the bread was not freshly baked and a bit stale. It was probably for the best or else I would fill up on starch.

The first course opened with a bang. It was a sashimi dish with tuna, geoduck, crab, seaweed, caviar and some sort of gelée. The tuna melted in my mouth like butter and the seaweed added texture to the dish. There was no sauce on the plate so the natural sweetness and flavors of the fish could shine through. 

Sashimi

The second course was the abalone. It was braised in a shiitake mushroom, misome and dashi broth. This was the first time that I had abalone and I enjoyed the texture of the dish. From my understanding, abalone doesn't have much taste on its own so it relies on other ingredients to lend it flavor. The broth was rich and complex, with a depth that really soaked into the mollusk. 

Abalone

Next on the docket was the salmon. It came with several types of mushrooms and tops a few stalks of Chinese greens. The salmon was probably my least favorite of the night. The fish was a bit more well done than I would have liked, but still moist and had a nice crispy crust. It was on the unimaginative side compared to the other courses though.

Salmon

Following the lackluster salmon, we got another seafood dish, the lobster. It sat on a bed of green peas and corn. The lobster was perfectly cooked and had a nice bite. The peas and corn really made the dish though. Orin thought the corn's sweetness overpowered the lobster, but the corn added nice crunch and freshness to the dish for me. As with the abalone, I wished they gave us real steak knives instead. The protein was simply too difficult and awkward to cut with regular knives. 

Lobster

When the waiter brought out the dessert wine glass for our wine pairing for the next course, the hairs on the back of my neck perked up. Dessert wine glass could mean only mean one thing -- it's foie time!! We each got a generous portion of the delicacy and it was scored and seared to perfection. A slice of peach and crouton accompanied the dish. I thought the peach was a tad too sour and detracted from the foie and a sweeter fruit would be better. The foie also could be cooked for maybe a minute longer. Having said that, it's foie gras and its rich and decadent and danced on my tongue. 

Foie gras

Our next dish was duck breast over a lemony ravioli. The skin of the duck isn't as crispy as I would have liked, but all the fat under the skin were rendered out so it didn't taste oily. The tang of the light and velvety lemon ravioli contrasted the sweetness of the duck very well. There were also a few spears of root veggies on the plate, although I couldn't quite distinguish what all of them were. I'm pretty sure I tasted beet and parsnip.

Duck breast

Our final savory dish of the night was steak and potatoes. The dish came with a giant potato crisp, a fancier version of the potato chip. I chomped that down right away and it was oh so delicious. You can cut the steak with a fork and it melted in my mouth. The meat had so much flavor and the chef didn't mess with it by adding too many accompaniments. The potatoes were creamy and waxy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you go to the Ritz for their a la carte menu, this would be the must order.

Steak

For a little respite from our continuous gorging, we got a palate cleanser of sorbet. I think it was nectarines or some sort of stone fruit. Whatever it was, it was delicious!

Palate Cleanser

For the finale, came our dessert. Orin's plate had a little candle and "happy birthday" written on the plate with chocolate sauce. I was glad that the waiter didn’t make the entire room sing happy birthday. The course had two parts, a cardamom panna cotta and chocolate cake. The panna cotta was the best that I've experienced. The texture was silky and very fine. The cake was a bit dry, though. I’m generally not a fan of dark chocolate and even with the ice cream and basil foam on top, it still tasted chalky to me.

Dessert

Lastly, the server rolled around with the candy cart. At this point, we were pigs ready for the slaughterhouse. We rallied a bit and tried most of the pieces of candy. I can’t remember all of them, but there were two caramels, a hazelnut cake, a PB&J cake, a marshmallow, a chocolate truffle, a chocolate with caramel center, a meringue, a dense cake and a cheesecake-like concoction. The items were a bit of a hit-and-miss. We were so full by that time, our taste buds were pretty overwhelmed. It was a classy and unique way to finish the meal though.

Candy Cart

Assorted Candies

All in all, I loved the ambience of the Dining Room at the Ritz. It’s a lot quieter than most other quality establishments that I’ve been to. The service was also impeccable, I especially love that the waiters come in pairs with our plates. At first, the servers and sommelier were very thorough with the explanation of the food and wine, but sensing our disinterest and lack of questions, they backed off and left us alone to enjoy the food and each other’s company. It takes a seasoned staff to know when to disappear into the background and I truly appreciate that. The food was solid, although not as daring as some other places that I’ve tried. I wish they had more choices on the tasting menu as many restaurants that I’ve been to offer at least two options for each course. I would definitely recommend this place as the top choice for any special occasion.