We are now in the third week of the new menu, and my dessert ideas have turned into reality. Most of the ideas were only existing in my imagination and the moment I suggested them I didn't really have a clue how to produce or present them.
The charts (the first three ones are choices in the fixed price menu, so it is normal they sell more than the other ones):
#1 bestseller (32%) :
Brownie & glace caramel beurre salé
Brownie with salted butter fudge ice cream
Originally they were supposed to be with piment d'Espelette, but the first day of production we didn't have piment in stock. Since then we decided to continue like this, and I put the spice in the caramel instead. Less expensive. The chef insists on icing sugar, which I don't agree for a brownie decoration, but then he is the chef... The ice-cream production doesn't match the sales, it is just too good and nobody in the team can resist to take "just a little spoon" from time to time.
#2 (22%) Trio de pannacotta
We started of with green matcha tea, mango and pomegranate. But then almost no customer ate the green matcha tea one (which I thought was the best flavour), so we changed it to pistaccio after two weeks, now all glasses are empty when they leave the customer table. Le patron has bought the glasses and the ardoise plates especially for this dessert following my suggestions. The pannacotta production required a lot of finetuning attempts in terms of sugar and gelatine quantinty to get the right texture and balance. Each flavour needs a very different amount.
#3 (17%) Salade Salade d'orange au mascarpone de datte et gingembre
Orange salad with date and ginger mascarpone
Quite simple in production, I got the flavour combination as I wanted it, but I am not really 100% happy with the presentation. Le patron loves it though.
#4 (14%) Sablé de tatin de poires au réglisse & crème à l'amande
Licorice flavored pear shortbread tatin with almond cream
My favourite in terms of presentation. Each time I send it out we go "wow. c'est vraiement beau".
#5 (8%) Tuile d'ananas rôti à la coco & crémeux au rhum
Wafer with roasted pineapple and coconut with rum flavored cream
The show-off-what-I-can-do dessert. This is almost "gastronomique", and I am happy I found a very simple way to produce the cylinders. Everybody is impressed.
(would somebody with English/American mother tongue please comment whether "wafer" would be the right word for this cylinder tuile. Merci)
#6 (6%) Cocotte de Camembert au pain brioche et aux groseilles
Delicious and simple to produce. Brioche, camembert and cream, with redcurrant jelly. 15 minutes in the oven. Will run more if it gets colder I guess.
#7 (1%) Tokio-Brest with yuzu cream.
Failed production and presentation and demand. Remember I struggled already with my own idea in the beginning ? Which led to negtive vibes during the production, and I didn't really succeed.
My approach with the word-play around Paris-Brest was also maybe a little too intellectual (chef thinks nobody understands) and we had only 5 orders in two weeks, so we changed it yesterday to a dacquoise (almond cake) with yuzu cream. I succeeded in a nice flavour and texture for the cream and the cake, the patron's wife loved it, so I have official blessing, now we will see if customers order...
Regarding your comments on #5, I think "cylinder wafer" is a fine Englishy description (you certainly don't want to use "cannoli shell"!!).
they all look wonderful!
I think #6 or #3 would be my choice--would be a difficult decision if I could only choose one. I just wish American restaurants would be this inventive and offer this variety in desserts; very few incorporate cheese or fruit.
Posted by: Mindy | October 04, 2009 at 07:25 PM
Hi Mindy, thank you for replying to my question ! I am glad you like the new desserts !
Posted by: Ulla | October 07, 2009 at 10:11 AM
I completely agree about the icing sugar on the brownie. It's okay, but the best way to dress a brownie, particularly if you're serving it with caramel icing, is with a few stripes of caramel sauce. The icing sugar is not unheard of, just a poor man's dressing.
Posted by: Syd | October 07, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Having just returned from Paris and dined on those lovely ardoise plates, can you tell me where in the States they might be available?
Thanks in advance.
Posted by: Fanny Aragno | October 12, 2009 at 11:03 PM
I'll take 1, 2, and 6 please! Love the presentation of all of them. Well done!
Posted by: Rachelle | October 13, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Hey, Sydney is back. I am happy to have your professional comments again ;) Merci. Good to see that you agree on the icing...
Fanny, unfortunately I have no idea where to get them in the US. Some readers told me they are called "slate plates" there. Maybe if you google this expression you will find a supplier. At Williams Sonoma online I only found one cheese plate.
Thank you Rachelle for your nice comment and your hitlist !
Posted by: Ulla | October 14, 2009 at 10:35 AM
So good to see that you have arisen from your extended snooze from your fantastic blogging!! My sympathy to you for the crises you went through on your reopening the restaurant; for some reason when restaurants are closed for some time everything seems to want to let you know that you were missed. I had closed a place for a couple weeks one time after spending six figures remodeling the place and came back to several inches of water on the floor due to the drains.
Your bicycle trip looked like fun!
Thought of you this morning after seeing the following article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/10/20/MNOE1A7P4J.DTL
Regards,
Norman
Posted by: Norman | October 20, 2009 at 10:50 PM
my goodness, great blog!
Posted by: maggie | November 01, 2009 at 04:50 AM
this is the best blog ever, thanks Ulla
the Andreoli family - Grenoble
Posted by: Patricia Andreoli | December 14, 2009 at 06:27 PM