Restaurant Review: Farewell, Manresa

Farewell, Manresa

Tucked away in an alley just off the main road that rolls through downtown Los Gatos, a small, quaint, expensive town just west of Silicon Valley, sits a modern building, completely out of place amongst the old buildings, a dilapidated bank, and a sprawling parking lot. Before the building’s renovation, it seemed more like an old house with a garden along the side and a private dining room. After its renovation, there is now a terraced walkway that passes by large windows looking into an immaculate, but small kitchen. Other than its simple elegance, nothing makes you suspect that you are about to enter one of the greatest restaurants in the world.

Since 2002, Manresa, Chef David Kinch’s flagship, has sought to separate itself from the rest of the Silicon Valley fine dining scene by offering food, service, and an experience like other world class restaurants. Many of the Michelin star restaurants around San Jose, like The Plumed Horse or Le Papillion, serve multi-course fair, but allow a diner to choose between options for each course. Some local Michelin star restaurants, such as Adega, have a regular ala carte menu, not necessarily distinguishing the dining experience from traditional great restaurants. Manresa started as such, trying to push the local diners to eventually accept a chef’s tasting menu as the only option. Manresa in its earliest days had a three-course menu, a four-course menu, and a five-course menu for dinners to choose from. Each course came with several options. Chef Kinch, understanding his audience, put both more traditional fair (on one occasion in the four-course meal, I had a squab with raspberries that was amazing) with far less traditional (one of the best dishes I still have ever had was a shellfish served with unripe strawberries). However, as time went on, the choices were eliminated, eventually moving towards a chef’s testing menu where you simply put yourself in the hands of a master. In that evolution, Manresa used to place a card on the table of 100 ingredients that would all be used in the meal. Now, more like the French Laundry or other three star restaurants, you simply sit down and wait for the multi-course meal to begin.

Having dined at many of the great restaurants in America (The French Laundry, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Daniel, Masa, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Atelier Crenn, etc), Manresa always stood among the top. I was not surprised when it was awarded the coveted three Michelin star rating of which there are only thirteen in all of the United States; however, I continue to be surprised that Kinch chose to open Manresa in Los Gatos. Many of the great restaurants you find in traditionally foodie areas (Napa, Portland, New Orleans) or in large metropolitan areas (New York, L.A., Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco), but Manresa opened in a small quiet town… in an alley…

What made Manresa special, in a different way than the elegance and precision of the French Laundry, or the playfulness of Restaurant at Meadowood, or the French tradition of Daniel, or the story / poem inspired food of Atelier Creen, or the sophisticated seafood of Le Bernardin, is that Chef Kinch continually challenged me as a diner and gourmet. He challenged me by presenting me with dishes that I didn’t think were possible. Dishes that if they were on another menu, I would skip them, but in the hands of a master, you place your trust in him.

In my fifteen times dining at Manresa, I have never had a dish miss, meaning that it does not taste satisfactory. I have had dishes that were merely good, but the vast majority of Kinch’s culinary creations utilize a variety of cooking techniques learned from Ebuli in Spain where he was trained, to traditional French techniques, to Japanese concepts and understanding of simplicity in food, to create truly unique experiences. He fuses those with local vegetables, which he often somehow makes the star of dishes even when they have protein. In doing this, Chef Kinch continually pushes boundaries. For example, one dish that is seared into my mind was a honey dew melon soup with mackerel cooked escabeche. I don’t like mackerel to begin with. I find the fish too oily, and as a result, with an unpleasant fishiness. When you say you’re going to serve mackerel with a honey dew melon soup… I am out. But, once again, when you are dining at a restaurant like Manresa, you put yourself in the hands of a master. Cooking escabeche takes a cooked protein and soaks it in vinegar which removed the fishiness. Then, the honey dew melon soup was only slightly sweet and when paired with the escabeche created a natural agrodolce. The sweetness of the soup brought out the sweetness of the fish I had never tasted before. In the soup, there also was a fried squash blossom stuffed with homemade tofu. This gave the dish both a needed textual difference (crunchy from the fried blossom and spongy from the homemade tofu) that accented everything perfectly.

Through many years, I have been inspired by Manresa. I went to one of Chef Kinch’s annual celebrations of tomatoes: a dinner of twelve courses each featuring tomatoes. It inspired me to do my own version of the dinner which I have done five times (links below). I went to his celebration of his victory against Bobby Flay where they showed the Iron Chef America episode: Battle Cabbage. That night, everyone received a free bottle of bubbly and we all tasted several of the dishes Kinch made, including a “meat course” of fried Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and a beef demiglace that was amazing. I have gone to a new year celebration there as well. And, of course, celebrated various personal occasions throughout the years.

One time, I was introducing my friend Chad, a brilliant mixologist and chef in his own right, to the restaurant and was speaking about one of my favorite amuse-bouche ever, Kinch’s Andalusian egg. The Andalusian egg is a soft-boiled egg, with the top of the shell removed and then topped with a sherry foam, dots of maple syrup, chive, and salt. It is one of the most luxurious, unctuous tastes: creamy, with a richness from the yolk, cut with dry tartness of the sherry, complimented by a little sweetness and herbaceous-ness. After describing it, I noticed something unusual: there was a slowness in the service. It is extremely rare in a restaurant of this quality for there not to be a perfect flow from one dish to the next, but we were waiting for a slightly longer time. Finally, the waitress came over to inform us that she had overheard us talking about the Andalusian egg and she went and asked Chef if they could make one. Chef Kinch had said yes. That is service and it was as good as I remembered.

Now, after twenty years, Chef Kinch announced he is closing Manresa. This is the end of an era. Manresa taught me what fine dining means. It showed me how to be grateful for the dish being served, the importance of the quality of the products that go into making it, and the technique used to cook it. It inspired me to travel around the US to the great restaurants in America and to share that love with others by cooking.

When I heard that Manresa was closing, I immediately called two friends and told them, we had to get reservations. We immediately did. And so, to celebrate this amazing restaurant, here is the last meal I will ever have at Manresa:

November 17th, 2022 – Fall Garden Menu

When you walk into Manresa, there is the smallest bar of any great restaurant with only four seats at the counter. However, there is a slightly larger lounge sections with couches for those who are waiting for their table to sit at. My friends and I gathered around and ordered cocktails to begin our evening. After which we were soon shown to our table.

Amuse-Bouche

Black Olive Madeleines, Red Pepper Gelee, Nut Crisps with Goat Cheese and Sashimi of Aji

A number of years ago, Chef Kinch, with a sense of playfulness, began to serve what looked like petit fours at the start of the meal. Amuse-Bouche, small bites, are usually served to wake up your palette. Here, the amuse-bouche are in the form of petit fours and so it seems like you’re about to end your meal when in fact, you are just beginning.

The first two amuse are black olive madeleines and red pepper gelee. The madeleine is still a butter intense cookie, but the saltiness, of what I am assuming is a salt cured olive, makes it slightly less sweet and wonderfully salty. The much more expressive amuse is the red pepper gelee which tastes more of red pepper than actually biting into a bell pepper.

The next amuse is in the form of a “cookie” but it is actually a seed and nut cracker. These crackers are waver thin and really feature the seeds and nuts, which provide a variety of textures and flavors. The crackers are filled with a goat cheese mousse that is light and delicate with just a hint of tartness.

I admit these are great, but I have had these many times as they have become a mainstay at Manresa. I almost wish that they varied them more, but I appreciate the idea of beginning at the end.

The next amuse blew my mind: a sashimi of Aji, also known as Horse Mackerel, on top of a gelee of dashi and cauliflower sprouts. I have already mentioned my dislike for mackerel, and so once again, approached this hesitantly. Rather than vinegar toning down the fishiness, instead, it was smoke. The sprouts of cauliflower had been grilled. Dashi is made with Benito which has a smokey flavor, and finally, I think the fish itself was kissed with a cold smoke. It was luscious, cold, with a hint of crunch from the sprouts, but the true test of any sashimi is the texture. The fish was almost melt in your mouth tender.

 1st course

Sea Urchin Custard paired with Christian Moreau, Chablis “Clos” 2018

First of all, the urchin came from Hokkaido, Japan. The currents and cold waters off the coast of Hokkaido create some of the greatest seafood in the world. The Sea Urchin was briny and rich. The custard reminded me of a chawanmushi, which is a Japanese steamed custard. The custard is topped with a broth. The entire dish tasted so brilliantly of sea urchin with just the right accompaniments… probably a little white soy, probably a little acid, either rice wine vinegar or citrus.

2nd course   

Into the vegetable garden, Mercy… Mercy… paired with Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Saison

This dish has appeared on every version of Chef Kinch’s menus going all the way back to his optional three, four, or five-course menus. Every time it is different, created based on what is coming out of Kinch’s personal garden at the time. One time, it was a number of different cabbages, some served steamed, some roasted, some served raw. The vegetables were served on a chicory crumble which looked like soil and topped with a ham and white wine foam. The result looked like vegetables growing out of soil covered with dew. It was amazing.

This journey into the garden focused on bitter winter greens. Brussel sprouts were featured both raw and also in a slaw. There was a sorrel cream sauce and roasted beets, topped with flowers. The dish had a brilliant interplay with creamy and crunchy textures, bitter and sweet notes. It paired perfectly with Sante Adairius (in my mind… the best brewery in the Bay Area… I know that’s controversial) Saison that is tart.

3rd course

Caviar with Nantucket Bay Scallop and Lobster Jus paired with Buisson-Battault, Meursault “Genevieres” 2019

This course was decadence in a bowl. I know that most people disagree with me, but I prefer small scallops to larger sea scallops. The smaller scallops have a sweeter taste and when cooked correctly melt in your mouth. These were cooked perfectly. They were topped with an absurd amount of caviar. Then, the dish is topped with a lobster jus that was fortified with Armagnac. The luscious richness of the jus with the scallop tasted like butter. The saltiness of the caviar cut through that and provided a popping sensation to go along with the smoothness of the scallop. Another aspect that was fascinating is that both the scallops and jus were hot, meaning they warmed the caviar. Having caviar warm changes the flavor slightly, making it less intense, but still wonderfully salty.

Because the dish is so decadent, the pairing was extremely important. The wine, even though a Chardonnay like grape, had a butteriness that paired, but had enough acid to cut through some of the richness so that your palette was cleansed, and you could take another bite.

4th course

Amadai with Collard Green paired with Nigl, Gruner Veltliner “Privat-Pellingen” 2019

This dish is an incredible example of the importance of texture and how Kinch makes vegetables the focus of dish even when there is a fantastic piece of fish. Perhaps my favorite fish is Sea Bream and Amadai is in the same family. In this dish, Kinch fried the scales of the Amadai so that they looked like spikes or stalagmites emerging out of the flesh of the fish. They were as crisp as the best potato chips. The fish itself was soft and silky, tender and would fall apart almost by just looking it. When it did flake apart, the flesh was moist. But the star of the dish were the greens. The collard greens in the bottom of the dish were slightly chewy and rich with long stewed flavors. Their pronounced bitter, acidic flavor was offset by the slight ocean scent of the fish, but more importantly offset by the crispy and smooth texture of the various parts of the Amadai.

5th course

Trenette with White Truffle paired with Poderi Colla, Barbaresco “Roncaglie” 2017

Pasta is perhaps my favorite dish of all time. The possibilities are endless. That being said, many fine dining establishments do not necessarily make pasta that isn’t stuffed pasta. Regular pasta can feel common place, although Vetri’s in Philadelphia elevates ordinary pasta to godlike cuisine. However, there is a dish that every winter makes an appearance on most great restaurant menus: pasta with white truffle. White truffles may be the greatest ingredient in the world, better than any seafood or spice or steak. The aroma themselves are almost too much to handle. For Chef Kinch’s version of this dish, he used the pasta Trenette, very similar to Fettuccine. You want a pasta that is going to have a nice chew to provide some texture to the dish. In this preparation, the sauce is always simple as the point is the white truffle. In this case, the sauce was made of a smoke gouda which gave a wonderful slight smokiness to the dish as well as a creaminess. The pasta was topped with a single shaving of an aged Parmesan, the undisputed king of cheeses. The nuttiness and saltiness of the Parmesan is a natural pairing with truffle. Finally, comes the truffle. Truffle needs to be served raw and cut in front of the guest. The shaving aroma dissipates quickly and the taste is also so rich but fleeting. Eating this pasta reminded me of the goodness in the world and the joy of living.

Then, to gild the lily, the dish was paired with my favorite wine: Barbaresco. Usually pairing a red with a white cheese sauce wouldn’t work. You also want to avoid overpowering the truffle. This wine danced on your tongue, enhancing the smokey-earthiness of the dish and giving a slight reprieve from the richness of the dish.

6th course

Guinea Hen with Matsutake Mushroom and Onion paired with Domaine Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges “Roncieres” 2018

Following such a rich dish, it was a brilliant idea to turn to something more subtle. To continue with this level of richness might end in dishes that were too much to be enjoyed. The choice of Guinea Hen is a fascinating one. The texture of chicken but with a slight gaminess but with none of the rich fat of duck or squab. The Guinea hen was roasted to perfection, but again, the surprise was the accompaniments. Carrying on with the earthiness from the truffle from the previous course, matsutake mushrooms both shaved raw and roasted accompanied the Guinea hen. They were the stars both in texture and flavor with just a little onion to round out the dish with a slight sweetness.

7th course

Wagyu with Cauliflower Mushroom and Coffee Potato paired with Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux 2005

For the final course, a piece of New York Strip Wagyu. Wagyu is like combining the flavor of beef with the texture of butter. The tenderness shatters all notions of what meat can be. It melts in your mouth. It is always a special experience. While Wagyu is always special, what separated this dish from other Wagyu I have had is that the dish was finished with a beef tendon vinaigrette. I know I was eating Wagyu, but the texture of the tendon, small cubes, were chewy and added a different dimension to the dish. The acidity of the vinaigrette, although subtle, cut slightly through the richness making it the perfect end to a meal.

8th course

Brown Butter, Grapefruit, and Parsley

The brown butter was used two ways in the dish, turned both into an ice cream and to create a tuile. The texture of the ice cream was unironically like butter, with a nutty sweetness. The tuile added the perfect textural difference. There was a grapefruit sauce in the bottom of the bowl, which again should not work with brown butter, but added a floral citrus note. Finally, the dish was finished with parsley oil, which again, shouldn’t work, but the grassy note of both the oil and the parsley played well with the floral note of grapefruit and the texture of the ice cream.

9th course

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Apple and Vanilla paired with I’Archiviste, Maury 1977

While chocolate bread pudding is considered a chef-y dessert, therefore easy to make, you’ve never had a bread pudding quite like this. I don’t know how it held together considering the texture was almost like melted ice cream. The richness of the dark chocolate was the focal point of the dish and everything else accented it. Accompanying the pudding was a vanilla ice cream with charcoal dust, adding a slight smokiness to the incredible ice cream, but more importantly enhancing the chocolate. There was an apple sauce on the bottom to provide a little sweetness as almost none was coming from the bread pudding itself.

Petit Fours

Strawberry Gelee, Chocolate Madeleines, Pistachio cake with Strawberry Preserves, Marshmallows, Sea Salt Caramels, Anise and Rose Truffles

Ending our meal, my friend decided to buy us a glass of 25 year Glen Roths Scotch. The smooth rich caramel and smokey notes paired perfectly with the petit fours.

Leaving, I felt both exuberant and grateful because this type of meal comes rarely and is a gift, reminding me of the great possibilities in life, the importance of sharing food with friends and family, and the blessings in my life. There was of course a tinge of sadness that comes from any party coming to end, of any drive home after a vacation, of cleaning up after guests. Sad that it is ending but knowing that the experience will last in your memories.