Chef Michael Bump Dessert Tasting (Il Desco, Bistro AIX)
Michael Bump has been one of my favorite pastry
chefs ever since his wonut graced my lips. For those of you not familiar
with a wonut, it is a cross between a donut and a waffle with
different toppings and flavors added to it. When Chef
Bump left Orsay, he also left the wonut. This created a hole in my
heart, a hole that could only be filled by another delicious pastry
creation.
Chef Bump was recently hired on with Forking Amazing
restaurant group as Executive Pastry Chef overseeing all of their restaurants in town (Il Desco, Bistro AIX, and
Ovinte). Recently I was invited to try some of his new dessert
offerings for Il Desco and Bistro AIX, so I had very high expectations.
He did not disappoint.
Our first course was Seasonal Roasted Fruit
(Cinnamon, ginger, vanilla bean shortbread, buttermilk ice cream, phyllo
crisp). My favorite part of this dish was the shortbread. It was
crumbly and delicious. I tried to take a bite that included
all of the ingredients, and that really highlighted how well everything meshed together.
Our second course was a Chocolate Nutella Crepe
(Nutella spread, chocolate mousse, chocolate caramel, hazelnut brittle).
Wow, this was fantastic! The crepe was very soft and the hazelnut
brittle added a nice crunchy element.
The third course was a table favorite, Tiramisu
(Madeira & marsala mascarpone mousse, lady finger sponge cake,
coffee anglaise). It had a nice coffee flavor that wasn’t overpowering,
and mousse to sponge cake ratio was just right.
Our forth course was the one that changed my
life, Beignet Feuilletee (Vietnamese cinnamon, Frangelico crème brulee,
candied hazelnut, fresh raspberries). This beignet finally filled the
wonut sized hole in my heart! It was everything
I wanted in a dessert and more. The beignet was already fabulous, but
the crème brulee took it to the next level. I also loved the addition of
the Vietnamese cinnamon. This dessert was magnificent, and I am
counting down the days until I can have another one.
Our fifth and final course was the most decadent
and rich of them all, Chocolate Praline Torte (Chocolate sponge cake,
praline feuilletine, dark chocolate mousse, vanilla anglaise, hazelnut
brittle). A lot of people had to tap out on this
round, but I’m still the heavyweight (literally) champion of cleaning
my dessert plates. This cake was so chocolatey and dense, and I loved
every second of it.
Verdict: Loved it!
Chef Bump is great at what he does, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to attend this tasting. Every course was extraordinary. While there were a few table favorites, I didn't hear a bad word spoken about any of the dishes all night. If you ever find yourself having dinner at one of these restaurants, do yourself a favor and save lots of room for dessert!
Note: As a blogger I am sometimes invited out to restaurants where the meal is comped in exchange for a review. The review that follows is 100% my honest opinion. I believe that my readers deserve the honest truth regardless, and I will stay true to that statement with all of my reviews, positive or negative.
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