This past weekend, Hubs and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary at é by Jose Andrés. Initially I wanted to dine at Manresa but for some reason I felt that the longer I waited to dine at é, the harder it will be to land a reservation once it got more popular. It was an act of nature (remember Snowmageddon) that landed me a reservation at minibar so I didn't want to take my chances. Besides, anniversaries are great excuses for expensive dinners.
When Hubs and I got to Jaleo, we were first to arrive so we were escorted to the bar to have a drink while we waited for the other diners. I took a look at the menu and saw a drink that I always wanted to try. It was called Clara ($9) and it's beer mixed with raspberry lemonade. It was quite refreshing and the lemonade helped offset the hops from the beer. Hubs downed it within minutes. I think it took me 20 minutes to finish it off.
While we were seated at the bar, I met one of the co-captains of é, Stephanie. She told me she was the one who was emailing me back and forth about the reservation. It's always nice to put a face to a name. Prior to the "show", the captains took everyone's drink order. Hubs and I knew we didn't want to do the drink pairing because it was almost as much as the dinner alone. We opted for a bottle of Estrella InEdit. Yup, the beer in a wine bottle. Serious foodies know about the beer and how it was made to be paired with food. It was a no brainer since it only cost $22.
Sometime after 5:30pm, we were escorted to the private dining room. The room was artistically designed and was filled with trinkets that Jose has collected from his travels.
One of the surprises during our dinner show...female chefs! Yes, two of them. Of all of the places I've dined at in the last few years, this was a first.
And of course the menu. The first few courses are small bites and snacks followed by textures and dessert.
Gin & Tonic
Spanish "Clavel"
Beet Jewelry
Caramelized Pork Rinds
Apple "Brazo de Gitano"
Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche
Jose Taco & Artichoke with Caviar
Bocata de "Calamares"
"Sandria"
Ajo Blanco
Lobster with Citrus & Jasmine
Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham
Catch of the Day
Rosemary Wild Mushrooms in Papillote
The top of the bag was cut off to reveal the mushrooms infused with rosemary. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a better photo prior to the chef putting a dollop of foam on top.
Secreto of Iberico Pork
Orange Pith Puree La Serena
Apples and Red Wine "Fredy Giradet"
Chef preparing our next dessert course. Can't have a show without fire.
Frozen Apricot Coulant
In the previous photo, the Chef was torching this thing so I had no idea it was actually frozen. It was rock hard when I stuck my fork into it. It should have been slighted melted on top but it wasn't. Weird, right?
25 Second Bizcocho
"Crema Catalana"
Fizzy Paper
"Air Chocolates"
At the end of the meal, we received a copy of the menu. The rubber stamp was a nice touch.
We were also asked to sign a guest book which we can leave a brief message to Chef Jose Andres. Hubs and I were guest#1382 and #1383. This is what I wrote:
"I enjoyed é as much as minibar and Saam at the Bazaar. Great work!"
A view of the bill. I like this presentation since regular receipts don't last very long since the ink fades after time. Tax and gratuity was added to the total bill.
The restaurant within a restaurant isn't new to Jose Andrés ThinkGroup establishments. I was lucky enough to dine at all three "secret" restaurants. In Washington DC, there's miniBar within Cafe Atlantico and Saam at the Bazaar in Los Angeles. I feel é is a combination of both miniBar and Saam. é takes the sushi bar lay0ut from miniBar but the intimate seclusion of Saam. The menus are also different. Saam's menu is similar to miniBar yet miniBar acts more like a think tank where dishes are created and tested. é on the other hand does not try to be the Las Vegas version of miniBar. Andrés has stated that é will focus on "pure product" and follow Spanish-inspired recipes with a "Modern" twist. I hate to use the term "molecular gastronomy" because no one can clearly define this style of cuisine.
Overall, I think é should be on everyones bucket list of food destinations in Las Vegas. The food was well executed and courses change periodically so you could possibly have a different menu each year. In my opinion, minibar will always be my top choice since the food and service is unparallel. I just like the vibe in DC in general. No dress code and the drinks are super strong. It just makes the experience that much entertaining.
At last, the trifecta is complete.
