CYRUS...ANNIVERSARY EDITION

i first went to cyrus last year for flag day...a day where my foodie, regina, & other foodies enjoy michelin-star restaurants. when i came home from that food adventure...i was so excited to share this wonderful experience with the husband, who, unbeknownst to me, was very jealous! not for leaving him behind, but he enjoys good food too and enjoys experiencing things like this with me. i promised him that we would go together, which was both for him, but definitely for me again. so, we made a reservation a couple months before our anniversary.

i know that the second time around isn't usually as exciting as the first time, but this was one of those rare occasions where the sequel was better! i don't know if it was because we were celebrating a special day or because it was exciting to see the husband's first experience at cyrus, but the combination of these factors truly made this a memorable time.

huckleberry lemonade - this was officially called "oh my darlin", maybe for the southern inspiration. the vodka was infused with huckleberry, which was mixed with lavender syrup, yuzu, lemon juice, lavender bitters, & spritz with seltzer for carbonation. this was so refreshing, i didn't want it to end. i love lavender anything and although it wasn't incredibly present, i loved this drink!

short stack - the husband chose the manlier of the cocktails, but also the sugary, sweetest...is that an oxymoron? anyway, it had rye infused with brown butter, maple syrup, white verjus, balsamic vinegar, & bitters. it was rimmed with roasted hazelnut & sea salt. it was like liquid pancakes in all the best ways possible.

canapes - the 5 tastebuds produced in mini bites to prepare for the meal. on top was bitter () & salty (brie brioche), middle was sweet (same sweet liquid from the first time) & sour (yuzu jellie), and bottom umami (mushroom broth with yuzu) - my favorite!

amuse bouche - hamachi sashimi was very light and settled my tastebuds.

first course A - chilled salmon with ginger and daikon in snap pea-basil broth. the salmon was fresh & light, the broth was very refreshing.

first course B - "bacon and eggs" was a fabulous play on food. the pork belly was seared nicely and went well with the sunnyside up quail egg.

second course A - lobster with cauliflower cream & uni froth. the lobster was so tender and the cauliflower was totally transformed into cream, but i do not like froth...it's just foamy air that doesn't do anything for me. otherwise, this was good.

second course B - foie gras & cherry blossom parfait with barley, sea beans, & shiso. if you don't know, california passed a law that foie gras needs to be humane if served, so it's a real treat to enjoy it, but also know the poor duck wasn't being force-fed to produce it. anyway, this was very custardy and rich. i didn't find any hints of the cherry blossom, but this was good.

third course - striped sea bass with pea sprouts, asparagus, & lemon verbena. the first time i went to cyrus, the sea bass course was one of my favorites. this time around was still tasty and light, but not the sam wow factor as the first time. i did like it, but in a different way.

fourth course - duck with kujo nega, myoga, aged bamboo rice, & ponzu. the knife was dusted with seasoning, so that when you cut into the duck, you'd add just the right amount of seasoning. this was where the wow factor was! the duck was so tender, the bamboo rice was like brown rice taken to the next level and it was topped with seared duck liver, which was gamey in the best way. the presentation alone was amazing...i mean the serving board was warm to keep the food tempered. i didn't want this to end ever!

fifth course A - seared beef cheek with tonburi, green & black garlic, lotus root, & natural jelly. i've heard that cheek is very tender and that it was! this was definitely heartier in flavor. i knew whatever was to come after the duck was going to be a hard act to follow, so that was just not as compelling.

fifth course B - spring lamb tataki hot pot. i have had a serious love affair with lamb - i love it! so, i was excited to see it in one of the courses. the broth was, again, hearty and earthy. the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender. this was good, but still couldn't compare to the duck.

sixth course - cheese course. this was one of the courses i was looking forward to because the first time, we were presented with 15 different cheeses, which were personally chosen to your preference. this time, they had pre-selected cheese made with the same milk, but with different processes. i still enjoyed them, but i was looking forward to saying, "i like blue cheese, brie, & goat anything!" and then, getting to try the different offerings chosen for the husband.

anniversary course pt 1 - chocolate chip cookie. okay when i saw the contraption coming to our table, i started getting giddy! i didn't want to assume it was for us, but was so excited that it was! the bottom of this dome was lit, which encased freshly baked cookies. to the side, there was a gold balloon that was inflated and connected to the dome. our server asked me to turn the nozzle, which deflated the balloon to reveal cocoa powder that showered the cookies! it was just the thought of this presentation that had me and the cookies definitely tasted more special.

anniversary course pt 2 - so, when we thought it was over, they presented us with a mini cocoa italian soda. it was fun and helped wash down the richness of the cookies. the straw was pretty cool because it was metal!

seventh course - goat milk panna cotta with rhubarb & parsley-lime ice. remember when i said i like goat anything...i mean it and was happy to have my own serving of this dessert. again, very refreshing and light. the goat wasn't overly present, but i think that's okay.

eighth course A - cocoa nib affogato & condensed milk semifreddo. the chocolate cake was drenched in a rum-based liquid and it was a little too strong in flavor to me. i also love condensed milk, but didn't get to really taste that.

eighth course B - yuzu cremeux, bergamot meringue, & cream cheese ice cream. okay, the photo does not do this dessert justice! the best way to describe it was a deconstructed dippin dots lemon meringue pie. it was so much fun!




okay, so we did get the other goodies at the end and i wish i took a photo, but my phone was at 5% battery life...i was glad that presentation was intact.

this was a great day and i think we found a new tradition for our anniversary!