Alinea, 2011

We paid our first visit to Alinea back in Fall, 2011. I had just finished reading Chef Grant Achatz's book "Life, on the line". I was fascinated by the chef's stories and his passion for food. He is known for creating dishes that can not only tantalize your senses, but also trigger emotions. i.e. people can relate certain smell, certain texture, or certain taste to their memories or stories.

It was a dining experience of a life-time. The whole dining experience was like a well-choreographed symphony. Each chapter - the dish was "well played" with layers of flavors. There were moments where we were memorized with the sensational combination of smell, taste, and texture of food in one plate. Magical!

There was a story behind the black truffle ravioli dish - this dish is unique to the chef (You can read more about how he created the dish in his book). You are supposed to have this dish with one single bite - hence, it is served on a spoon. It was an explosion of truffle, parmesan and something more. There was a contrast of different textures in the mouth. What a sensational enjoyment…