The real thing. Chef Anthony's perfectly curated 12 course dinners are a delight to the senses,…read morewith each course a harmonious exploration of locally sourced ingredients moulded into an arpeggio of flavors crafted using classic French concepts.
From the first bite of succulent, textured tiny greens splashed with a delicate hint of raspberry in the infused balsamic vinegar and presented with tiny garden flowers, all the way through to a truly masterful tarte tatin: a perfect, quintessentially modern interpretation of this most recognizable French dessert, each dish marries a base ingredient with a classic yet unconventional process that makes the tasting experience seem at once familiar and new.
Quenelle-shaped accompaniments of sometimes savory and sometimes sweet sorbets, single leaves of mint, rhubarb jam, tiny pieces of smoked duck or cured fish, all act as punctuation that help you see familiar tastes with new eyes.
Mushrooms, of course, make several appearances. Small earthy mushroom crumbles with a savory robustness as a bed for a caramelized mushroom looking something like a tiny, translucent candied orange. Stuff that leaves you thinking about mushrooms for days, and how these particular ones only grow on oak trees. Curious beasts that always engage the mind as well as the palate.
Then there's the wine-pairings, which are a masterpiece. Cinsault and Grenache in this Rosé reminiscent of Mourvédre and Bandol make those three first amuse-bouche courses sparkle, leaving you primed for the rest. The flinty Pinot harmonizes perfectly with the bouillabaisse one evening, and a bold biodynamic Carignan highlights other meat flavors without compromising the brightness of their contrasting greenery.
Virtually everything is locally sourced, and brought together in a symphony that never misses a note from the opening allegro to the final rondo.
There are many places in Santiago that try to replicate uncompromising gourmet experiences in New York, San Francisco, or Paris, and they do well, but they are Disneyland or Westworld, a copy. This is an original thinker with an outsize amount of creativity and expertise expressing an idea of how locally-sourced ingredients can create culinary greatness on a regular basis. This is Chez Panisse in 1973.
