Stella restaurant, opened in 2001, slowly raise into one of the top restaurants in New Orleans under the guidance of Head Chef Scott Boswell. A graduate from Culinary Institute of America, Chef Boswell had spent his early career working in Provence, Florence, and Japan. Recently, he had been staging at various top restaurants in US including: Jean-Georges, Alinea, Charlie Trotter, Per Se, and Daniel. It was curious to me how these various influences had transformed and integrated into the menu at Stella restaurant.
The restaurant was situated in hotel Provenical, and was seperated into three smaller dining rooms with home like appeals. In order to sample Chef Boswell's newest inspiration after returning from his staging at Per Se and Daniel, we ordered the 7-course tasting menu with wine pairing.
Amuse bouche
Raw shrimp in mango sauce
The waiter first presented us with an amuse bouche. The mango sauce was quite sweet; then, the texture of the raw shrimp slowly came through and cleans away the sweetness of the mango sauce, interesting.
1st course
First harvest figs, fresh hearts of palm, garden basil, Spanish cured ham,
First harvest figs, fresh hearts of palm, garden basil, Spanish cured ham,
aged balsamic vinegar and wild purslane
The ham gave saltiness, the figs counterbalanced with sweetness, the hearts of palm contributed texturally, and the wild purslane provided fresh aroma. Everything was then tied together by balsamic vinegar. This was a very well composed dish, simple yet to the point.
2nd course
Roasted hearts of palm panna cotta with chilled English pea puree, hearts of palm, summer squash pearls, green almonds and virgin olive oil
Roasted hearts of palm panna cotta with chilled English pea puree, hearts of palm, summer squash pearls, green almonds and virgin olive oil
This dish was very sophiscated. The palm panna cotta was soft and delicate, while the surrounding chilles pea soup was sweet and smooth. What set this dish apart were the raw squash pearls and the bitter corn husk, so refreshing.
3rd course
Canadian lobster risotto with caramelized baby shiitake mushrooms, garden baby corn, local scallions and Australian summer truffles
Canadian lobster risotto with caramelized baby shiitake mushrooms, garden baby corn, local scallions and Australian summer truffles
The third course was the climax of the night. Perfectly cooked risotto acted as a warming bed for the truffle aroma to permeate. Every mouthful was a pounch of rich flavors and perfect textures: al dente yet creamy. This was a dish to remember.
4th courseFish and chips ~ tempura beer battered Louisiana black drum with sweet potato puree, curried taro root chips and spicy red chili caramel
If the meal the night so far was a well chorographed symphony, then this course was where the orchestra had a melt down. The deep fried fish and baby bak choy looked as if they were from a chinese take out box. The red chili caramel and sweet potato puree were overly sweet. The taro root chips were ok, but wasn't refined. This course was a disappointment.
5th courseSteak and egg ~ seared filet of prime beef tenderloin and sunny side up clyde’s farm araucana egg with breakfast potatoes, truffled hollandaise and texas toast with foie gras butter
This course was quite good, though not quite as amazing as 2nd and 3rd course. The filet was juicy and fork tender. The egg yolk and hollandise sauce added a nice fattiness to the often lean filet. A great breakfast to close up the savory courses of the night.
6th courseBerkswell with dried bing cherry compote, honey and toasted almonds
Berkswell was an unpasteurized hard milk chesse from england which tasted granular. As one chews on, every bite revealed more of its complex flavors - roasted nuts, caramelized onions and meadow flowers with prickly tang. The cherry compote, almonds, and toasted brioche complemented the chesse with sweetness, acidity, and textures.
7th courseChocolate cake with hot buttered pink lemonade
The warm cake was a decadent, and the tangy lemonade helped cut down the bitterness of the chocolate, just delicious.
In summary, my dinner at Stella restaurant was great, and I enjoyed it better than my dinner at August. The tasting menu at stella compared strong against any Michelin one star restaurant in US. My only wish was for the restaurant to use more new orlean ingredients such as crawfish, oysters, and red fish.
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