Special thanks to Amanda for the invite!
ZOTT’S TRUE ALPS offers an epicurean adventure, trekking through the Alpine ranges of Europe to taste exquisite und authentic local dishes from France in the west, all the way to Austria in the east.
We were in for a treat as Chef Lorenz-Maria Griesser put together two gourmet travel ‘itineraries’ for tasting. Each of the 5 course menus promised to take me on a journey through several ZOTT’S culinary regions.
From the pen of Mr Zott's daughter, a really dark tale of cannibalism from an animal's point of view drawn.
Decor of the place is well thought through, especially when Mr Zotts has placed huge emphasis on experience of the restaurant. The restaurant doubles up as a art gallery showcasing Polish artist Konstantine's works, art lovers can look forward to rotating exhibitions every quarter.
Art installation on the walls.
Glasses ready to be filled with bubbly.
Guess what lies behind these doors.
I love the toilets and if one day I am adventurous enough would take up Alexis' challenge of starting a blog on toilets.
The pretty sink and tap.
Modelled after the barn with lots of wood, cow bells, Aesop handcare range and recorded barn sounds, I could stay all day in the toilet!
This is love.
Napkins in a lust worthy bag.
Alot of thought went into every thing they placed on the table and truly, it was a joy just marvelling at the table cloth artwork or the cutlery.
Bread, bread on the wall..which is the yummiest of them all. Chef wants his diners to be drawn to the fresh bread smells off the walls.
Delicious sniffs.
How about some dessert?
The rest of the items on the wall.
Before we began the meal, we were shown Mr Zott's late pet - the taxidermied Hieronymous.
Chef Lorenz maintains that his cooking style focuses on preserving the integrity of the ingredients without over flavouring it and presenting it in its best and natural form as much as possible.
I have to mention the little details that the team at Zott's pay attention to - their hay infused napkins that smell so incredibly good.
Menu.
A bread platter comprising of Konig Ludwig Brot – traditional Bavarian rye, spelt and malt bread, made in-house daily, served with chives, radish and lard made the opening statement already interesting.
I thought the red radish went well with most types of bread. All bread are freshly baked in house and daily, so freshness if guaranteed!
“Carpaccio d’espadon” ($28)
Marinated, thinly sliced swordfish with a frozen Topaz apple creation
Anyone remembers Snow White and her evil apple? The plating of the dish reminded me so - a beautifully moulded apple mousse and slivers of thinly sliced sword fish. While I thought the cold apple mousse overshadowed the swordfish, it was a creative attempt.
“Tellerfleisch” ($75)
Several cuts of beef boiled in its own juice, served in three courses:
1st course: Baked “Schulterscherzl” (oyster blade) with parsley dip and sauce tartar
Fried like a tonkatsu, delicious breadcrumbs coated around a tender cut of beef. Easy to love and very easy to eat.
2nd course: Broth with homemade oxtail raviolo and bone marrow
This in comparison was a lighter tasting consumme, very hearty to taste with a raviolo stuffed with oxtail which was in my opinion lacking in meat.
3rd course: Haunch and prime rib with carrots, leeks and freshly grated horseradish
Almost like a meat loaf, naturally flavoured beef eaten with the carrots, leeks and horseradish was a lovely contrast.
“Topfen-Nougat-Knödel”
Poached curd cheese dumplings, filled with nougat and served with rhubarb ragout and
yoghurt ice cream
The cheese dumplings were too clumpy and yogurt icecream possibly the best of the dessert. I am not a fan of this though.
“Insalata di finocchio arance e olive” ($26)
Fennel salad with oranges, olives and goat cheese mousse
All hail olive blobs, almost like molecular gastronomy with the rich olive juice captured in a sphere. That was the draw of the otherwise healthy toss up.
“Saint Pierre” ($56)
John dory fish with sugar snap peas, “plum coals” and kumquats
"Plum coals" took the stage for best feature of this dish, I would describe it as plum tempura. John dory fish was less stellar in the taste department being overshadowed with the plum and kumquats.
“Kaiserschmarrn” (As a starter: $29 / As a main: $45)
ZOTT’S style, with pan-fried foie gras and pineapple-goose liver ice cream
This dish is meant for those with a sweet tooth and would not mind dessert for mains. Your wishes have been heard and meet Kaiserschmarrn, in short I call it the foie gras dish. The slab of foie gras could send me straight into a cardiac arrest, and the uber smooth pineapple-goose liver icecream so laden with fats, food coma was on full blast. I would give up salted caramel icecream just for this pineapple-goose liver combination.
Mind you, the portion shown above is only starters, I cannot quite imagine how detrimental the mains portion would be.
“Wiener Schnitzel” ($48)
Thinly sliced veal escalope, breaded and pan-fried, served with potato foam and red
radish salad
They say, the only way to tell if a schnitzel is done well is to notice the separation of crumbed skin and meat, if it sticks together it ain't considered a schnitzel.
Well of course, this separates perfectly and the potato foam is more than just gimmicky, a creamy concoction of raisins and nuts.
“Griessbrei” ($16)
Semolina pudding served with pear ice cream, cinnamon sugar and mint basil butter
The batter tasted like undercooked pancakes, very dense and mushy.
We had two cocktails and an Austrian white for the night. Waldie, the amazing mixologist served up two specialties. The bar will be fully operational in May so till then do pop by to have a feel of their bar.
These were laid out way ahead for their creation.
Concoction in progress.
Such is Waldie's concentration.
The magic ingredient for our first drink.
Almost ready.
Haystack ($24)
Vodka, Birndl pear liqueur, lime juice, Rose’s lime juice, sugar and matcha tea
This is one cocktail that needs no introduction - served in a test tube and a heap of hay that makes drinking very experiential.
Buttermilk ($24)
Buttermilk, elderberry syrup, blackcurrant syrup, Kernlos plum liqueur, Vodka and cream
Amanda saved this for the last promising that we would all love it and I definitely did. Creamy and somewhat like a fruity milkshake than a proper cocktail but the potency of it was saved for the very last - one ultimate finish and tipsy I probably was but it is definitely a chick's drink. Heart and soul for another dosage of this.
Last but not the least, the Austrian white we had for the night.
A smooth and fruity white.
Thank you to the talented yet very serious team for the amazing night out. There were of course hits and misses - the do fine seafood yet flavouring may be contentious since it may come across as bland at some points. I would however return for the amazing foie gras mains, oyster blade and definitely buttermilk!
Zott's
97 Amoy Street
ZOTT’S TRUE ALPS offers an epicurean adventure, trekking through the Alpine ranges of Europe to taste exquisite und authentic local dishes from France in the west, all the way to Austria in the east.
We were in for a treat as Chef Lorenz-Maria Griesser put together two gourmet travel ‘itineraries’ for tasting. Each of the 5 course menus promised to take me on a journey through several ZOTT’S culinary regions.
From the pen of Mr Zott's daughter, a really dark tale of cannibalism from an animal's point of view drawn.
Decor of the place is well thought through, especially when Mr Zotts has placed huge emphasis on experience of the restaurant. The restaurant doubles up as a art gallery showcasing Polish artist Konstantine's works, art lovers can look forward to rotating exhibitions every quarter.
Art installation on the walls.
Glasses ready to be filled with bubbly.
Guess what lies behind these doors.
I love the toilets and if one day I am adventurous enough would take up Alexis' challenge of starting a blog on toilets.
The pretty sink and tap.
Modelled after the barn with lots of wood, cow bells, Aesop handcare range and recorded barn sounds, I could stay all day in the toilet!
This is love.
Napkins in a lust worthy bag.
Alot of thought went into every thing they placed on the table and truly, it was a joy just marvelling at the table cloth artwork or the cutlery.
Bread, bread on the wall..which is the yummiest of them all. Chef wants his diners to be drawn to the fresh bread smells off the walls.
Delicious sniffs.
How about some dessert?
The rest of the items on the wall.
Before we began the meal, we were shown Mr Zott's late pet - the taxidermied Hieronymous.
Chef Lorenz maintains that his cooking style focuses on preserving the integrity of the ingredients without over flavouring it and presenting it in its best and natural form as much as possible.
I have to mention the little details that the team at Zott's pay attention to - their hay infused napkins that smell so incredibly good.
Menu.
A bread platter comprising of Konig Ludwig Brot – traditional Bavarian rye, spelt and malt bread, made in-house daily, served with chives, radish and lard made the opening statement already interesting.
I thought the red radish went well with most types of bread. All bread are freshly baked in house and daily, so freshness if guaranteed!
“Carpaccio d’espadon” ($28)
Marinated, thinly sliced swordfish with a frozen Topaz apple creation
Anyone remembers Snow White and her evil apple? The plating of the dish reminded me so - a beautifully moulded apple mousse and slivers of thinly sliced sword fish. While I thought the cold apple mousse overshadowed the swordfish, it was a creative attempt.
Anchois Provencale – $22
Pickled anchovies with melon sorbet and pistachios
I love my anchovies. Melon sorbet was both a palette cleanser and neutraliser of this heavily salted anchovy.
Sudtiroler Apfelsuppe ($26)
Cream apple soup with kaolin potatoes and marinated “Saibling” (char, lake fish from the Alps)
Served deconstructed, the soup was administered via another bottle. A sweet based cream soup that reminded me of curry somehow. Special mention goes to their kaolin potatoes, looking just like charcoal potatoes.
Bouillabaisse Marseillaises ($87, 2-3pax)
Provencal fish broth with poached fish and fennel, served with
toasted ciabatta and sauce rouille (red scorpion fish was specially
imported from the alps)
The real bouillabaisse is made with 4 types of fish and one of the most important ingredients was red scorpion fish, not easily and readily available here.
The theatrics behind the toasted ciabatta and sauce rouille (a combination of egg yolk and butter) was both creative and interactive - take the ciabatta and douse it with sauce before soaking it in the broth for a hearty bite.
The theatrics behind the toasted ciabatta and sauce rouille (a combination of egg yolk and butter) was both creative and interactive - take the ciabatta and douse it with sauce before soaking it in the broth for a hearty bite.
Bondage Chicken, Bavarian style ($36)
Juicy
roasted poussin, served with truffle mayonnaise or fruit sour cream.
This was done bavarian style: seasoned with sweet paprika powder, curry and cayenne
pepper with the chicken served upside down. Think beer chicken only this is best eaten ripped apart in pieces and dunked in their condiments.
“Tellerfleisch” ($75)
Several cuts of beef boiled in its own juice, served in three courses:
1st course: Baked “Schulterscherzl” (oyster blade) with parsley dip and sauce tartar
Fried like a tonkatsu, delicious breadcrumbs coated around a tender cut of beef. Easy to love and very easy to eat.
2nd course: Broth with homemade oxtail raviolo and bone marrow
This in comparison was a lighter tasting consumme, very hearty to taste with a raviolo stuffed with oxtail which was in my opinion lacking in meat.
3rd course: Haunch and prime rib with carrots, leeks and freshly grated horseradish
Almost like a meat loaf, naturally flavoured beef eaten with the carrots, leeks and horseradish was a lovely contrast.
“Topfen-Nougat-Knödel”
Poached curd cheese dumplings, filled with nougat and served with rhubarb ragout and
yoghurt ice cream
The cheese dumplings were too clumpy and yogurt icecream possibly the best of the dessert. I am not a fan of this though.
“Insalata di finocchio arance e olive” ($26)
Fennel salad with oranges, olives and goat cheese mousse
All hail olive blobs, almost like molecular gastronomy with the rich olive juice captured in a sphere. That was the draw of the otherwise healthy toss up.
“Saint Pierre” ($56)
John dory fish with sugar snap peas, “plum coals” and kumquats
"Plum coals" took the stage for best feature of this dish, I would describe it as plum tempura. John dory fish was less stellar in the taste department being overshadowed with the plum and kumquats.
“Kaiserschmarrn” (As a starter: $29 / As a main: $45)
ZOTT’S style, with pan-fried foie gras and pineapple-goose liver ice cream
This dish is meant for those with a sweet tooth and would not mind dessert for mains. Your wishes have been heard and meet Kaiserschmarrn, in short I call it the foie gras dish. The slab of foie gras could send me straight into a cardiac arrest, and the uber smooth pineapple-goose liver icecream so laden with fats, food coma was on full blast. I would give up salted caramel icecream just for this pineapple-goose liver combination.
Mind you, the portion shown above is only starters, I cannot quite imagine how detrimental the mains portion would be.
“Wiener Schnitzel” ($48)
Thinly sliced veal escalope, breaded and pan-fried, served with potato foam and red
radish salad
They say, the only way to tell if a schnitzel is done well is to notice the separation of crumbed skin and meat, if it sticks together it ain't considered a schnitzel.
Well of course, this separates perfectly and the potato foam is more than just gimmicky, a creamy concoction of raisins and nuts.
“Griessbrei” ($16)
Semolina pudding served with pear ice cream, cinnamon sugar and mint basil butter
The batter tasted like undercooked pancakes, very dense and mushy.
We had two cocktails and an Austrian white for the night. Waldie, the amazing mixologist served up two specialties. The bar will be fully operational in May so till then do pop by to have a feel of their bar.
These were laid out way ahead for their creation.
Concoction in progress.
Such is Waldie's concentration.
The magic ingredient for our first drink.
Almost ready.
Haystack ($24)
Vodka, Birndl pear liqueur, lime juice, Rose’s lime juice, sugar and matcha tea
This is one cocktail that needs no introduction - served in a test tube and a heap of hay that makes drinking very experiential.
Buttermilk ($24)
Buttermilk, elderberry syrup, blackcurrant syrup, Kernlos plum liqueur, Vodka and cream
Amanda saved this for the last promising that we would all love it and I definitely did. Creamy and somewhat like a fruity milkshake than a proper cocktail but the potency of it was saved for the very last - one ultimate finish and tipsy I probably was but it is definitely a chick's drink. Heart and soul for another dosage of this.
Last but not the least, the Austrian white we had for the night.
A smooth and fruity white.
Thank you to the talented yet very serious team for the amazing night out. There were of course hits and misses - the do fine seafood yet flavouring may be contentious since it may come across as bland at some points. I would however return for the amazing foie gras mains, oyster blade and definitely buttermilk!
Zott's
97 Amoy Street
Did the chef shake your hand??!!
ReplyDeletelollll i TOTALLY understand what you mean. I winced in pain big time. rofl. But I suppose this is what a proper handshake is??
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