Le Papillon

Felt it was like a year since my last visit to a high end restaurant. I was excited to see this restaurant. To avoid disappointment, I was not told the name of the place before the arrival. The nickname of the place was KFC. It was a smart way I have to admit. I was quite glad to walk in this restaurant. A delightful place. The menu was simple. Two pages, few appetizers, few soup and salad dishes, few entrees, and a tasting menu. Was tempted to think to try the tasting menu. But, after a second look, no, I wanted to order courses by myself instead of a combo menu.

Complimentary Appetizer
Nice presentation. Four small pieces of tease. All of them were based on filo dough. Two kinds: pate and prawn.

Lobster Teased with Avocado (Appetizer)
The true name of this was not found on Le Papillon website. Based on my memory, I gave it this nickname. The lobster quality is above the average. The sauce in this appetizer was suspected to be carrot based.

Foie Gras with Apple (Appetizer)
As above, this is not its true name. I like foie gras but I don't have to order it. I think the reason I ordered it was because I wanted to make a comparison. I wanted to compare it to my previous foie gras experiences at other high end restaurants and see if Le Papillon stands out. Two forms of foie gras were presented. Cold and seared. Cold with a smashed apple sauce underneath. Seared with a piece of apple to balance the strong taste.

Pan Roasted Veal Loin with Madeira Reduction, Morels and Sweetbread Fritters (Entree)
This is its true name. I did not get a full explanation of what I ate. It looked like the cook cut various parts of veal and used the side dishes to enhance the flavor of the veal. Quality was above the average. The only complaint was that the portion was too large.

Grilled Lamb (Entree)
By looking at the name you know this is not its true name. I just recall its name is super long. Two lines. It looks like it is a special. The lamb was by all means fantastic. I could not remember exactly how I felt about this lamb entree. I was almost full at that time. When I was full, my taste became less sensitive.

Salad with Fig, Lamb, and Bacon (Salad)
Its true name is more fancy than this. Average quality.

A Selection of Artisan Cheeses (Cheese)
Four types. At that time I was 100% full. Could not tell its quality.

Complimentary Mango Sorbet (Desert)
Quite surprised to see this. If I was not that full, I would be able to enjoy it more. By the taste, it was a great desert with a suitable size.

Soufflé Grand Marnier with Fresh Berries (Desert)
This was superb. I love Soufflé and yet I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I saw it. I assumed this was a chocolate Soufflé. It was not. Later on I learned the chocolate Soufflé would not come with grand marinier (liquor). With my over 100% full condition, I was surprised to know I could still scoop this well done desert more than 10 times. 10 sounds a lot. I intended to cut the portion at my each scoop. A cheerful ending for this dinner.

This dinner experience was amazing. I had not had such a wonderful night for almost a year. I appreciated this chance. A sweet night.