For Those Who Didn't Get a Table at LudoBites - Please Feast with Your Eyes and Enjoy

I was lucky enough to dine at chef Ludo Lefebvre's number 7 "pop-up" restaurant event - LudoBites 007,It's a long and feisty passage to get a reservation at LudoBites,
No phone calls, no showing up at the door, just our old and faithful friend from the 21st century - the Internet.

Thanks to my friends who stared at the computer screens who clicked on the keyboards countless times,
The result?
We managed to get a table for 6 on a Tuesday night, at 9 p.m.,
And yes, the only available time determines when we get to eat, instead of WE decide what time we wanna dine at Ludo's,
The battle for a table is that fierce.

For those of you who doesn't know about LudoBites, please refer to the hyperlink and you'll have all the information in front of your eyes,
I can assure you that the site showcases better insights about the whole concept than my little brain can provide.

Gram & Papa's was chosen as the hosting location for event #007 -

I had a hard time trying to figure out the woman's name on that painting,
Luckily, the right person to ask was right there for me,
Kathy Bates she is,
You know?
The Annie Wilkes in Misery,
The Molly Brown in Titanic,
And the Roberta Hertzel from About Schmidt.
As Ludo changes menu constantly, here's our menu of the day -

Right about my head: an art work created by local chef and Matt Scofield -

Pig's head compressed and mimolette, barbeque gelée $14 -

Don't get gross out by the words "pig's head,"
Trust me, you won't even know there's pig's head inside that dish,
The taste and texture is similar to crispy pork belly skin,
If you live bacon, you'll like it.

On a side note for mimolette,
It's a type of cow's milk cheese that resembles cantaloupe on the outside with a tint of salmon-liked color on the inside.

Prawn ceviche, aji amarillo, red berries $25 -

Plancha tandoori octopus, yogurt, cauliflower, grapefruit $18 -

Amazing,
The grilled octopus was tender with a punch of heavy seasonings,
Perfect match for our little friend here, thanks to our friend -

*Slurp*~

Foie gras quesadilla, mozzarella, crispy cabbage, celery root, curry $28 -

This is definitely on my top 3 favorites of the night,
Why didn't I think about using foie gras in quesadilla while there were like 6 pieces of frozen ones sitting in my fridge!?

Egg, sea urchin, caviar, champagne beurre blanc $18 -

Not a big fan of this,
I feel like something is missing, but please, this is just my own personal taste talking.

Foie gras French dim sum, crispy kimchi, sake-black truffle cream $28 -

Foie gras tastes so good with kimchi!

This pickled veggie balances out the greasiness of foie gras,
And to compensate with the fat lost, truffle cream was put into a right place to fulfill the whole dish.

Salt crust pork shoulder, beer sabayon, imaginary choucroute, juniper berries -

Sorry,
My tongue just didn't sparkle with this one.

Epoisse cheese risotto, hazelnut, egg yolk, herb salad $18 -

Somehow all the dishes involved with egg that night failed to get my attention,
But it's ok,
All the remaining food totally won me over.

The most beautiful dish of the night,
Squid, black ash, chorizo $12 -

Look at that bright yellow and pitch black contrast,
What's even better, the taste definitely lived up to its looks.

Salt cod panna cotta, whipped fingerling potato, smoked tapioca, black olive bread $12 -

Good contrast between smooth panna cotta and crunchy "croutons,"
However, I did find the bread a wee bit too tough to bite on..
Maybe it's just my teeth..man I'm getting old.

Raw beef, rainbow carrots, shallots, red wine mayo $15 -

Even though it's more like an appetizer, somehow I find it hearty and comforting,
The red wine mayo must be the reason,
You know what? It might sound absurd at first, but I bet it'll be good serving on a bowl of white rice, like Japanese donburi.

All the above seemed not enough to fill 6 greedy hungry people, so we asked for more -

Jamaican fried chicken wings $10 -

Thoughtfully, gloves were provided so we can still enjoy the food elegantly.

Duck, cherry, spicy saucisse, beets, radish $22 -

My friend said there were two different texture of meat on the plate,
The one showing on the picture, and a ground meat version,
According to their palate, the whole duck meat tastes better,
Well, I didn't even see a bit of ground duck when the plate was passed on to me,
Call that lucky!?

My #1 choice of the day, onion tart, bottarga $10 -

This is where simplicity done right.

The dough was packed with naturally sweet flavor,
The caramelized onion also adds up to another level of sweetness,
I know we were sharing food, but a big portion of that tart ended up in my stomach, happily ever after.

Chocolate cupcake, foie chantilly $14 -

Look at that thing with tiny pieces of bacon on top,
Dense, chocolately, matched with some savory flavors,
You have to try it yourself, it can be quite an interesting roller coaster ride.

Lavender tropezienne tart, aloe vera, strawberry $10 -

Not a big fan of lavender but this one doesn't come with that strong flowery taste,
Light and not overly sweet, unlike the cupcake earlier.

I was glad it came as our last dessert selection because the tart acts similar to mint,
After all the seasonings and interesting flavors, what's left for me in the end, was a pleasant fragrance in my mouth.

Cindy's Rating: 8 (quite an experience~!)

Ludo Lefebvre
http://www.ludolefebvre.com/ludobites

Chef's Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/LudoBites