wd-50 by Chef Wylie Dufresne

www.wd-50.com

Visit date: October 10

Consistent questions of the night:
How is that made?
How long does the process take?
What is it like to work for and learn from Chef Dufresne?

Let Chef Dufresne's molecular gastronomy skills surprise you... deconstructed food, forms you don't expect i.e. hollandaise sauce in the shape of a cube that comes oozing out when you cut it open, or chocolate formed into a "leather" pouch to house chocolate powder... all this and without sacrificing flavor in the least.

My pictures are posted below, but the restaurant website also has pictures with better quality.

Disclaimer: If you are not an adventurous eater, perhaps this is not for you. If you crave eggs benedict and expect the traditional, again, this may not be for you.

Additional mention: There is a pretty heated debate among chefs between traditional and new techniques in cooking.

Traditionalists argue the importance of learning the basics of cooking, learning Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire published in 1903, learning how to cook an egg perfectly, learning how to bring out flavors in food without scientific manipulation and chemical additives.

Modernists don't argue the fact of learning basics, but are simply trying to present more forward-thinking flavor profiles and presentations by delving into the scientific structure of food through chemical reactions. The powders, gels, liquid nitrogen do not compromise flavor. Chefs are still chefs, they don't claim to be scientists. They are not creating new elements, but transforming already familiar ingredients and enhancing flavor with the help of science. Even my mentioning "molecular gastronomy" evokes tension... they are just trying to cook in new ways. (There is much more to be said on this topic and warrants another post another day.)

Who's side will you take? Do you think traditionalists are outdated? Do you think molecular gastronomy is necessary or just a fad in our history of food?

Yes, I was actually in the kitchen. It’s hot in there!
All the refrigeration is kept downstairs with more equipment and space.

veal brisket, fried ricotta, honey dew, black olive
(hint: gelatin added to the ricotta to make it firm)

cheese and broccoli soup, pork shoulder, pickled onions
(hint: broccoli puree is underneath waiting to be swirled together)

eggs benedict
(hint: hollandaise is in the cube; egg shaped into cylindrical tube

has been cooled, heated, cooled and reheated quickly before serving,
and finally smeared on the plate)

parsnip tart, quinoa, hazelnuts, bok choy

duck breast, apple, cheddar, kimchee-cous cous

(hint: cheddar is in the form of soup!)

lemongrass mousse, brown sugar, jack fruit, whole wheat sorbet

cheesecake, blueberries, plantain, cinnamon

(hint: cheesecake bites are round and purple)

hazelnut tart, coconut, chocolate, chicory
(hint: coconut is layered into the tart)