What It's Like To Eat A $445-Per-Person, 5-Hour Dinner At The French Laundry In Napa Valley
The French Laundry is located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley wine country.
It's surrounded by gardens and greenery, and you enter through this pretty blue door.
Source: The French Laundry
Now let's get down to the meal. Here was the first course of gougères, a savory French pastry with a cheese-y inside.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Salmon cornets (plus one vegetarian version) were presented in elegant napkins. It's a delicious mix of red onion crème fraîche and salmon tartare in a buttery cone.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The cauliflower panna cotta was next, topped with beluga caviar.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The following cardoon gratin dish was made from cardoons (similar to artichoke), with nicoise olives and a San Marzano tomato compote.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Then it was time for the delicious pain au lait from the Bouchon Bakery down the street. It's served with an unsalted goat's milk butter and a whipped salted cow's milk butter.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The "vol au vent de legumes l'automne" included romaine lettuce leaves, sugar snap peas, fennel bulb, shaved radish, with a port wine reduction.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The Fuyu Persimmon salad was an assortment of sliced and arranged vegetables with dollops of sauce for dipping.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The moulard duck foie gras au torchon takes four days to prepare, and was absolute perfection, said Inuyaki.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
It was accompanied by a series of well-presented salt selections.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Next was the grilled pavé of Japanese Toro. Before it was cooked, the waiter showed the group the tuna they would be eating.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
And here's the finished dish with satsuma mandarins, eggplant, fennel, and pimenton (a type of paprika).
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
A bread course of ciabatta and baguette was also laid on the table for diners to enjoy.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Chanterelle mushrooms "a la grecque" had a sauce made of olive oil, lemon juice, and assorted seasonings.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Next, the roasted potato royale was an other-worldly combination of marbled potatoes, lobster Bearnaise, and scallions.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The white truffle custard was next served in an egg shell with black truffle ragout and a chive potato chip.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Another outstanding course from the truffle tasting menu was the Risotto with white truffles from Alba with brown butter.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Tokyo turnips, picked garlic, and a red wine reduction accompanied the Korege Beef tartare.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
This ham dish had marcona almonds, arugula, and flowering quince.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
This nature-fed and perfectly-cooked veal was another knock out, with yukon gold potatoes, brussel sprout leaves, horseradish créme fraîche and sauce "borscht."
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The hand-rolled parsnip agnolotti had pearl onions and was topped by huge black truffle shavings.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
One cheese course was served with Hobb's bacon, comté cheese, caramelized onion pain perdu, and romaine lettuce.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The other combined the Vermont Shepherd cheese with sweet peppers, 100-year aged balsamic vinegar, and panisse.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
To clean the palette, diners ate the Maui Gold pineapple sorbet with spiced gingerbread and bananas. This course was called the "Dark and Stormy."
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The Feijoa sorbet was presented with Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, satsuma Mandarin oranges, and toasted pili nuts.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Thomas Keller's signature cinnamon-sugared doughnuts were served alongside a cappuccino semi-freddo. The course looked picture-perfect.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Then it was time to take a break and go back to visit the kitchen. Appropriately, "Finesse" was defined above the entry way.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The diners entered the expertly-run kitchen where all the chefs were making sure each dish was ready to go.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
They even got to meet chef Thomas Keller, and see the live video feed from the Per Se kitchen in NY (another of Keller's restaurants).
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
A few tips from the famous chef before it was time for dessert.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
The group celebrated two birthdays with an opera cake with coffee ice cream.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
As well as Gateau Saint Nizler with mango chili relish, Valrhona cocoa nibs, and coconut milk sorbet.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
There was also a bakewell tart with huckleberries and créme fraîche sorbet.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Then it was time for the mignardises. They included a pecan pie with Créme Chantilly.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Toasted macadamia nuts rolled in chocolate and caramel, then dusted with confectioner's sugar.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
They were even presented with signed menus by Keller, as well as shortbread cookies and French Laundry chocolate bars.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
And, of course, the staggering bill. That's $445 per person, including wine.
Source: Inuyaki — 'Surprisingly Good'
Even more pictures to satiate your inner foodie:
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