I just had an apostrophe.

Lightning has just struck my brain. That's a reference many of you may not get. Here's a clue.



The lightning that just struck my brain made me decide to abandon the food blog because it's too much of a pain. I'm going to keep it here. Nobody, including me wants to follow another link. I'll review restaurants here and list recipes at the food blog.

That picture also is a very appropriate representation of me last night. Belly hanging out and saluting a culinary captain. I've been married to my lovely wife for four years now. To celebrate, we decided to go out for dinner. Based on a recommendation from Fish I decided on a restaurant in P-town that his friend Andy (of Dew fame) just opened up. It's called Rooster and it's awesome.

image jacked from YHO.

We had the traditional pork and chive dumplings, bulgogi dumplings, thai basil rice, curry chicken noodle soup, molten chocolate lava cake with hazelnut whipped cream, and creme brulee with fresh blueberries. I can't stop gushing.

The dumplings were steamed, and then wonderfully pan-fried to a slightly crisp perfection, served with micro greens and two dipping sauces (C liked Andy's lighter sauce better, and I loved Simy's chili sauce).

The Thai basil rice was other worldly. Typically when I go to a restaurant, I can pick out components of a dish. I'm always thinking when I'm eating. I argue with myself over the ingredients, the quantities, the techniques etc. This dish left me blown away. I had no idea how they cooked that heavenly pork. I loved every bite.

I love a good curry. I'm firmly in the Vietnamese-style camp. Little to no sweet, more heat please. The curry chicken noodle soup was amazing. At first, you get notes of coconut, then some salt & pepper, ginger dances around on your tongue and the heat builds pleasantly. That's just the sauce/broth. The lemongrass barbecued chicken that tops the noodles was perfectly executed. A nice, flavorful char, but not over cooked. It couldn't have been better. I liked the noodles, but the biggest surprise was the pickled greens that accompanied the dish. The crunch, flavor and texture was spot on and totally unexpected. I found myself wanting to tip the bowl up and slurp the broth down. I refrained because it would have mortified my wife. It was that good.

The creme brulee was bruleed table side and was fantastically smooth and creamy. The fresh blueberries were very nice. The molten lava cake was also spot on, and worth the made from scratch as you order, 18 minute wait. The hazelnut whipped cream was divine. More dense than regular whipped cream, it was like the consistency of whipped butter. I told Chels that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it like ice cream. I would have if he put it in front of me.

In short, the flavors were complex but perfectly balanced. We also left there for under $50 with a tip. You just can't beat that. Kudos to Andy and Simy (the owners, who we met and conversed with at length, super friendly and all about the food) for a job well done.