We went to Alo for their New Year’s Eve menu one day early, since they still had some seats. We hadn’t been in-person since pre-pandemic and pre-Michelin star. We were pleased to see that the quality remains very high, with interesting compositions and delightful flavours. Service was excellent, with the sommelier taking extra time to provide detailed answers to our queries about each of the drink pairings.
As were were nearing NYE, we started with some Champagne Thierry Fournier Reserve, very festive and lovely.
They started us off with a delightful caramelized gougère, stuffed with bechamel and Comte cheese.
Our first pairing was Christoph Hoch “Kalkspitz” NV Pet-nat from Kremstal, on the lees, Gruner Veltliner blend - nice, yeasty, and fruity. This accommpanied a series of canapés:
- Whipped foie gras parfait, with pearled rice and walnut, gastrique of bourbon and calvados, young watercress and Granny Smith apple - beautiful balance of rich creaminess and acid.
- Savoury pizzelle with creme fraiche, nicely cured and seared mackerel, tartar sauce and Petrossian caviar.
- Tart of PEI yellowfin tuna tartare in tom yum sauce, with grapefruit and Vietnamese coriander - fragrant with citrus and herbs.
- Lightly grilled lobster with rich scrambled egg emulsion, shaved white truffle, cured quail egg yolk underneath, and creme fraiche.
Our next pairing was a sake: Miyakanbai Junmai Daiginjo Miyamanishiki, Miyagi Prefecture - kind of mushroomy, but also chocolate banana. It came with a fresh sea bream crudo, enhanced with blood orange-shiso oil dressing, caviar, kinome leaf, tangerine lace, and burgundy shiso leaf.
Our third pairing was Ximinez Spinola “Fermentacion Lenta” PX, 2018, Jerez - not sherry but so oxidized it tastes like a dry sherry. It came with a rich squab and foie gras terrine over a light black truffle dashi broth, with glazed black trumpet mushroom, brown butter croutons, crisped Brussels sprout petals, and gold leaf.
Pairing #4 was Produttori del Barbaresco, Langhe Nebbiolo 2023, Peidmont - tart red fruits and grippy tannins. It had enough structure to match the casoncelli (candy wrapper pasta) stuffed with ricotta and taleggio, with morel mushrooms stuffed with chicken mousseline, black truffle beurre, and crispy chicken skin with Catalunya truffles - I could have eaten many more of these.
The next pairing was Hatzidakis Nykteri Assyrtiko 100yr vines 2020, Santorini - mineral, salty, slightly smoky, lemon. This went with Kurama shrimp, Hokkaido scallop, grilled east coast razor clams, grilled artichoke with lomo (cured Iberian ham), chili espelette infused foamed bouillabaisse over crab and herbed beurre blanc - a delicious sampling of great seafood.
Pairng number 6 was Veyder-Malberg Liebdich 2022 Gruner Veltliner, Wachau - fruit plus sweet potato earthiness. This accompanied Kinki fish from Hokkaido with uni, and yuzu lemon sauce and lemon purée - more straightforward, very fresh.
Our next pairing was a familiar one: Pearl Morissette dix-neuvieme chardonnay from 2018 - ripe apple, preserved lemon, quince and a little mushroom. This came with a super-rich A5 wagyu ribeye, with chanterelle purée, confit chunk of myoga, roasted maitake, and three little sauces: wasabi, Kuroshio mustard, umeboshi puree, and beef fat vinaigrette poured over. On the side was their amazing pain au lait and cultured butter from Normandy, which we inhaled.
A palate cleanser followed of olive oil sorbet, with verbena leaf and lemon shaved ice and Tuscan olive oil drops on top.
Our dessert pairing was Ca la Bionda ‘le Tordare’ Recioto della Valpolicella - fragrant and raisin-y. This led into a set of wonderful desserts:
- Vanilla mousse, horse chestnut cream vermicelli, sugar tuile with dolce stamp, macadamia nut chip, white truffle ice cream, caramel sauce with fleur de sel,
- Canelé with lemon vanilla.
- Mini macaron with pandan leaf and calamansi; pâte de fruit of pina colada; banana cream pie over chocolate tart base and caramel cream pearls, pearled banana and grated chocolate; truffle bonbon of mango passionfruit pineapple ginger and lime
- Double chocolate cake for my wife’s birthday.
