Mexican Egg Benedict Recipe and Some Exciting News

My family members are big fans of Egg Benedict!  We have it for breakfast quite often.  Instead of the same old Egg Benedict, I make different variations all the time, such as this hearty, yet refreshing Mexican Egg Benedict. 



The traditional Egg Benedict consists of two halves of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. Those are good, but this Mexican Egg Benedict is even better!



My Mexican Egg Benedict consists of toasted English muffin, topped with ground beef seasoned with taco seasonings; then covered with grated Jarlsberg Cheese (it’s mild and nutty) and sliced Avocados from Mexico (super smooth and creamy).  Then I topped it with a perfectly poached egg, a drizzle of salsa, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and served with a couple of lime wedges.  If that doesn't sound like the perfect breakfast, I don’t know what does.  I think Mamma is always right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and let’s make sure we all eat well.



Before we head over to the recipe and pictorial, I want to tell you about some exciting news!  So, are you ready?  I bet you are.  Here are the juicy details.  I’m joining Kitchen PLAY’s Breakfast Duos event, featuring Jarlsberg cheese and Avocados from Mexico.  It’s a great party that you don’t want to miss.  Yes, you are invited to the Breakfast Duos Twitter Party!  Best of all, it’s free to join and there is a treasure hunt at the party.  So, please follow all of the ten Breakfast Duos posts here and collect the clues about Jarlsberg and Avocados from Mexico that are included. They could be your ticket to winning one of six fabulous prizes at the Twitter Party (valued at approximately $100 each).  And my friends and readers, here’s is my clue for you:  Jarlsberg is available in a wheel, in a loaf, and in deli slices.  So, what are you waiting for?  Simply click here to register for the Twitter Party.



Wait, that’s not all, Avocado from Mexico is running an awesome sweepstakes and here is some of the information:
-Enter to win $2000 worth of cookware and other great prizes including free groceries!
-Over 500 prizes will be awarded
-You can enter on the Avocados From Mexico breakfast sweepstakes page
-Hurry, sweepstake ends April 14^th!
For more information and to enter the sweepstakes, please click here.

Please also join Avocado from Mexico’s Facebook page here and follow all of their exciting news.



Alright, now that I've got all those exciting news covered, let’s check out more pictures of this scrumptious Mexican Egg Benedict, shall we?



I love poached eggs and I can probably make one with my eyes closed, or not.  I love that the gorgeous yolk runs all over and mixes with the rest of the ingredients.   



Here’s how I make these beautiful Mexican Egg Benedict. 
1) Split the English muffins in half and toast them to golden brown and crispy.
2) Grate the Jarlsberg cheese, set aside.
3) With a wooden spatula, break the ground beef into small pieces as they brown in the skillet.
4)  Then, add the taco seasoning package.  Set beef aside.




Next, we get the poached eggs ready.  Here’s how to make the perfect poached egg:

1) Bring a small pot of water to a simmer, NOT boil, just simmer.
2) Add about a teaspoon of vinegar into the water. 
3) Stir with a wooden spoon in one direction to create the circular motion in the water.
4) Gently slide the egg into the water.  (Note: it’s better to crack the egg into a small bowl first instead of cracking the egg directly into the water to prevent breakage)
5) Let the egg cook for 2 minutes, the circular motion in the water will help fold in the egg white.  Then, gently flip the egg and cook for another minute or two, until the egg white is set and the yolk is still soft.
6) With a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and gently tap on a paper towel to remove excess water.

Note: I usually poach two to three eggs at a time.




Last but not least, let's get the avocado slices ready.  Here’s how to cut the avocado to get the perfect slices:

1) With a sharp knife, run the knife over and around the skin of the avocado to split it in half.
2) Gently twist the two sides and it’ll split in two halves.
3) Tap the knife into the pit and twist.
4) The pit should come right off.
5) Slice the flesh of the avocado; be careful not to cut through the skin.
6) With a large spoon placed between the flesh and the skin scoop the flesh out.  You should get perfectly sliced avocados.



Now that we've got all the ingredients ready, here’s how to assemble the Mexican Egg Benedict:

1) Place the toasted English muffin on the serving plate.
2) Spoon the cooked ground beef on top in a single layer, as much or as little as you want.
3) Sprinkle a layer of grated Jarlsberg cheese on top.  The heat from the ground beef will melt it slightly.
4) Place a few slices of Avocado on top.
5) Top with the poached egg.
6) Drizzle the salsa, sprinkle some fresh cilantro leave on top, and serve with a couple of lime wedges, enjoy!



Pretty simple, isn't it?  I hope you all enjoy today’s recipe and give it a try soon.  I know you'll love it.  Please don’t forget to register for the twitter party and sign up for the sweepstakes!  Good luck everyone.






Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post for Kitchen PLAY, Jarlsberg cheese and Avocados from Mexico.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles — with Carving Pictorial

The very first time I carved a watermelon and made this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles was back in my college years. Oh well, that was many, many years ago…ahem…Those were the good old days. It was always fun to make and serve this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles at parties. With this watermelon basket as a centerpiece, you can expect to get all the “ohhs and ahhs” from your guests. The recipe was slightly different back then. The “sparkling” ingredient was wine coolers instead of the sparkling white grape juice that I used in this recipe. Why did I switch the wine cooler out and use sparkling grape juice this time? Because my kids adore watermelons! With this kid-friendly version, everybody can enjoy this wonderful treat.



So, when Kitchen PLAY invited me to participate in this month’s Progressive Party to create a watermelon dessert recipe, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to get started. My kids were on their winter breaks and they were just as excited when they saw the fridge filled with watermelons. My kids ask for watermelons all the time, even in the winter. Good thing is that watermelons are available all year-round, typically as a mini-watermelon, or pre-cut melon as found in the produce aisle. I love using the mini ones as they are usually sweeter. Plus, they are perfect for carving into these lovely baskets (I’ll show you the step-by-step pictorial in just a second).  




I love serving these Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles to my kids. Not only are they refreshing and delicious, but they are packed with nutrients that your body needs. Did you know watermelon is 92% water? Oh yeah, with the dry weather during the winter, you can feel good about filling up, as it hydrates while satiating your appetite. Watermelon is a multivitamin unto itself; it is packed with lots of Vitamins A, B6 and C. For more information about health and nutrition on watermelons, feel free to visit Watermelon.Org.




Are you ready to learn how to carve this watermelon basket? It’s way easier than it looks. Before you get started, I have two important tips for you. Tip number one: have a sturdy and stable cutting board. Place a damp paper towel underneath the cutting board to prevent your board from sliding around when you carve. Tip number two: use a very sharp knife for carving. It’s much safer when your knife is sharp so it cuts through the skin of the watermelon with ease.
So, here’s what I did.

1) Slice 1/4-inch off the bottom of the watermelon to provide a stable base.

2) Cut vertically from the top, 1-inch to the right from the center of the melon until you reach half way of the melon.

3) Cut horizontally in the middle of the melon until you reach the corners of the vertical cut.

4) This slice of watermelon should come off easily, set it aside. (You can slice this piece into 1/2-inch thick slices and out flesh into star shapes ones with a cookie cutter, see pictorial #8 below)



5) Do the same on the other side of the watermelon to create the “handle” of the basket.

6) Scoop out the flesh with a melon-baller, be careful not to scrape too deep on the bottom as part of the skin was cut off as the base.

7) Make zig-zag cuts with a paring knife, all the way through the rind and on the handle.

8) Use a cookie cutter to cut out other fun shapes.



It’s fun and easy, right? I hope you enjoy today’s pictorial.



Lemon zest and lemon juice really brighten up the flavor of this dessert. The basil adds a nice zing and depth of flavor to the melons. When I bit into one of these melon bubbles, it burst in my mouth because of the sparkling grape juice it absorbed. It’s so much fun to eat.



I hope you’re inspired to get your own watermelon and carve something fun. Give this recipe a try; I’m sure you’ll love it as much as my family does.





Join Kitchen PLAY, the National Watermelon Promotion Board and some of your favorite food bloggers for a Twitter Party on January 22 at 7 PM ET where we’ll be chatting about this tasty, nutritious and versatile fruit, and testing our watermelon knowledge.  You’ll also be eligible to win great watermelon prizes, so RSVP for the Twitter Party here!
Also, beginning today, read all 6 posts at Kitchen PLAY sponsored by Watermelon for clues. Each post contains an "watermelon fact" that may appear as a trivia question during the Twitter Party.

Tuesday, January 22

7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PST

Follow the hashtag #All4Watermelon

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post by the Watermelon.org and Kitchen PLAY.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own. 

Rainbow Salad

People say, “Have an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”.  I say, have a rainbow a day would probably do the trick much more efficiently.  Of course, I meant eating foods the colors of a rainbow, not the rainbow itself.  I wonder if it was my doctor (or possibly my Mom) who told me to eat the colors of the rainbow every day.  Or did I hear that from Elmo?  Any way, as you can see, I took that advice to heart. 



When my kids saw this salad, they screamed “rainbow!” at the same time.  So, I guess my “crafting” skills aren't as poor as I thought, if only this rainbow “construction” thing is considered crafting.  Well, I guess, not really, but I wish! 

How did I get the inspiration to create this rainbow salad?  It all started when Kitchen PLAY contacted me to try Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets; I couldn’t be more happy about it.  Beets are one of the foods that I disliked as a child but adore and can never get enough now.  Do you see that deep red gorgeous color of the beets?  That means they contain the powerful antioxidant, Betacyanins.  These  antioxidants are good for your heart and may even lower the risk for certain cancers.  I wanted to create a recipe that showcases the importance of the colors in our diet.  So, this Rainbow Salad was born. 



Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets are picked and pickled at their perfect ripeness.  They strike a natural balance of sweet and tangy.  The flavors of the beets complement the peppery and spicy baby arugula that I used in this salad.

These baby whole pickled beets are sized just right for one bite, which is perfect as an appetizer for any gathering.  I tossed them into my salad without additional chopping or slicing, which also saved me time in the kitchen.  I used the pickling liquid to create the beautiful Pickled Beet and Herb Vinaigrette for the salad, which was easy to make and really refreshing.  Yup, you know me: nothing goes to waste in this household.  So, make sure you don’t drain your pickling liquid.

Check out each of the ingredients from this Rainbow salad in the picture below. 

Red=Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets
Orange=Orange Bell Pepper
Yellow=Hard Boiled Eggs
Green=Green Beans
Blue=Blueberry
Purple=Red Cabbage
White Cloud=Feta Cheese
All ingredients sitting on top of Baby Arugula:



This Rainbow Salad is certainly a show-stopper.  So, be sure to serve up on your next gathering.    It’s so simple and easy to put together that I made this on a week night.  And my Baby Girl already asked me for more the very next day.




To have even more fun with Aunt Nellie's full line of glass-packed vegetables, sign up hereto receive a coupon good toward the purchase price of any Aunt Nellie's product. Then, create your own fun dish using that product for a chance to win $250 from Aunt Nellie's and Kitchen PLAY. See specific rules at Kitchen PLAY. Limited quantities available. Sweepstakes ends 8/31/12.



Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Kitchen PLAY and Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets.  All opinions are my own and always will be. 

Health and General Disclaimers.





Rainbow Salad: (Printable Recipe)
3 eggs
1 cup green beans, trimmed
1(1pound) jar of Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Whole Baby Beet
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 cups baby arugula
1 Orange Bell Pepper, thinly slices
2 cups blueberries
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese


In a medium saucepan filled with cool tap water, place the eggs in the pot before heating on the stove.  Make sure the water covers the eggs by at least an inch.  When the water comes to a full boil, cover and remove from heat.  Let the eggs sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water until completely cool to the touch.  Remove the shells and cut each egg in slices.  Set aside.

Return the same sauce pan of water to a boil; Blanch the green beans for one minute.  Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drained and pat dry, set aside.

Drained the baby beet and reserve 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid.  Place the pickling liquid back to the jar; add olive oil, thyme leaves, salt and pepper.  Close the lid and shake the vinaigrette until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble: on a large platter or serving plate, scatter the baby arugula in an even layer, place pickled whole baby beets in an arch shape on the top of the arugula to form the rainbow shape.  Follow by orange bell pepper, sliced hard boiled eggs, blanched green beans, blueberries, and red cabbage.  Place 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese on both ends of the “rainbow” and enjoy.  Serve with pickled beet vinaigrette on the side.

Mélisse -- A Zagat Rated, Michelin 2-Stars Restaurant Review

Hope you still remember this gingerbread house that my kids created for Christmas.  You might wonder what does it have to do with my restaurant review on Mélisse, right?  Well, EVERYTHING!  That's because I submitted this particular picture to the Zagat 12 Days of Foodie Cheer Photo Contest and won a $500 gift card.  What am I going to do with this gift card?  EAT, of course!  LOL....I used it to dine at Mélisse to celebrate my birthday.  




Mélisse is a Zagat Rated and 2 Michelin Stars Restaurant located in Santa Monica, California.  I've been wanted to try this restaurant for a while but was a bit hesitated to go on my birthday.  Why?  Because of an “unfair” negative comment about Mélisse on a very popular restaurant review site.  One particular customer "complained" she had a bad experience there because of the wait time for the 10-course meal and food wasn’t spectacular, etc.  What is a girl who loves gourmet food, such as yours truly, going to do?  Make a visit to find out the truth!  That’s the “uTry.it” spirit! 


When I called for reservation, the hostess asked if we were celebrating any special occasion. I advised her it’s for my birthday celebration, hence, the little “Happy Birthday” card sitting on the table (see picture below).  Other than that, they had no idea I was going to take pictures for each course, write a review of the restaurant and the whole nine yards (This is also true as any previous Hotel or Restaurant reviews that I’ve done).  That way, I know I can get a true, honest, and fair review of the place as a typical consumer and not receiving any special treatment. 

(Another note about the “unfair” comment I mentioned earlier.  What had helped me to determine that particular negative comment was “unfair” is because we were advised, as we were reviewing the menu, that the entire experience would be around 2.5 hours if we order “The 10” (the 10 course tasting menu).  This is without us even inquiring.  Could that previous customer who provided the 'unhappy' review online not getting informed of the duration?  Possible... but based on the services that was provided, it seemed unlikely.)


We ended up ordering “The 10”, and the Server was right on target on the timing as well.  There was a little wait time in between each course, as expected, but we didn’t feel it was a long wait at all.  So, how was the food? Sit tight and you’re going to find out next. 

Before we begin, I just wanted to let you know that there was a sign right at the entrance area that says no flash light is allowed.  I bet many people were taking pictures of the gorgeous food there and caused some disturbance to other customers, hence, the restriction on the flash light.  With the somewhat dimmed light inside the restaurant, I apologize for the lighting on these pictures in advance.  I promise, I’ll make that up to you at the end!  So stay tuned.

First, we started with an amuse bouche (see picture below).  The one on the left was liquefied goat cheese in red grape juice “shell”.  When I bit into it, there was a burst of goat cheese aroma along with the slight sweetness from the grape “shell”.  A nice play on the molecular cuisine.  The 1/2 sphere on the right is Red Grape covered with goat cheese and crushed pistachios.  The combination is wonderful and it was such a refreshing way to start the meal.

Amuse Bouche

While we were waiting for the first course, we were offered different kinds of breads.  My favorite was the one on the left (see picture below), Basil Brioche!  So good!  I’m going to try to replicate it at home in the future!    The one on the right was a Focaccia.  The crust was wonderful and the bread packed with sun dried tomatoes and other herbs, yum.





The two below were Olive bread on the left, and regular brioche on the right.  These two were wonderful as well.  I have to warn you, you can easily get filled up by the bread as they were so tasty and the supply was pretty much “endless”.  We were offered more bread as soon as we finished the ones on our plates.  I realized I better say “no” (it’s so hard though) because there were 10 courses coming out soon! The Maître d' and servers were all very friendly.  Some came to compliment on the pictures that I’ve taken (by looking at the display screen on my camera).







Each course was presented by the server and explained to us briefly on the ingredients and how it was prepared.  The second amuse bouche was Oyster with Passion Fruit Jelly.  I love the sweetness and tartness from the Passion Fruit Jelly as it’s so refreshing.  The oyster was super fresh and I could taste the natural sweetness from it.  

Amuse Bouche

The next course is Egg Caviar.  This was one of my favorite courses of the evening.  The soft boiled egg was rich and creamy.  Balanced perfectly with the slightly tart Lemon Crème Fraiche along with the briny and salty caviar.  The buttery biscuit was perfect for dipping!  hm….so rich and so good that I even forgot to take a picture inside the egg (sorry!) as I was too busy enjoying and savoring each bite.  I would go back to Mélisse any time just to eat this!

Egg Caviar—Soft Poached Egg, Lemon Crème Fraiche, American Caviar

Up next was Wild Florida Yellow Tail Snapper.  The snapper was serve raw, very fresh and lovely. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the Fried Silver Fish as much because it got a little too soggy in the Fennel Broth for my liking.  The flavoring is wonderful though, especially the charred Grapefruit.

Wild Florida Yellow Tail Snapper—Fried Silver Fish, Fennel, Pink Grapefruit, Roasted Fennel Broth

This Chestnut Veloute was amazing. My hubby doesn’t even eat chestnut, but he kept "woo-ing” and “ah—ing” as he was enjoying this soup.  The flavor was intense and the texture was smooth and silky.  I especially love the crunchy Chestnut, Mushroom Hash, and the crispy Truffle Cromesquis on top for some contrasts on the textures.  I can definitely drink a BIG bowl of this soup as a meal on it’s own!

Chestnut Veloute—Chestnut and Mushroom Hash, Truffle Cromesquis

Next was Seared Foie Gras.  It’s rich, creamy, succulent, and outrageously good!  Another of my favorite from this menu.  I especially love the crust from the searing.  My husband and I both think that it was a very generous portion of Foie Gras to serve on a 10 course meal.

Seared Foie Gras—Santa Barbara Pistachio, Zapote Blanco, Ginger Lime Reduction

Up next was the Scallop.  The Basil Infused Carrot Emulsion was poured into our plate right at the table.  The Roasted Carrot puree is heavenly!  The sweetness from the puree and scallop were both amazing and complement each other very well. 

Maryland Day Boat Scallop—Roasted Carrots, Cauliflower Mushrooms, Basil Infused Carrot Emulsion

This Black Bass was my hubby’s favorite.  The scales on top of the Black Bass were crispy and crunchy.  The "doneness" of the fish was perfect and the light seasoning let the natural sweetness of the fish shines through.   

Black Bass “En Ecailles”—Kabocha Squash Gnocchi, Braised Radicchio, Eringi Mushroom, Rich Broth

For the next course, there was an option to select Prime Rib Eye Confit in Herbs or Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb.  Therefore, my husband and I ordered one of each so we can try both of the dishes. The flavor of the Prime Rib Eye was wonderful.  I especially love the Truffle and Potato Galette on the side.  However, the texture of the Prime Rib wasn’t as tender as I would expected it to be.  On the other hand, the Braised Beef Short Rib exhibited 'melt in my mouth' kind of texture.  Very succulent!

Prime Beef Rib Eye Confit in Herbs, Grilled Over Apple Wood—Braised Beef Short Rib, Truffle and Potato Galette, Mustard Greens, Red Wine Herb Jus

The Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb was amazing.  The flavor was rich and complex.  I bet it’s been cooked for a long time to achieve that tenderness and developed that deep flavor.

Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb—Romanesco Cauliflower, Nicoise Olive, Japanese Yam, Lamb Jus

Here comes the Fourme d’Ambert (one of France’s oldest Cheeses, it’s a type of cow’s milk blue cheese that’s usually pasteurized).  From left to right.  This little curl on the far left was made with apple, sweet and tart.  Then, came this amazing blue cheese in it’s natural form. This cheese itself was to die for.  The little cube in the middle was apple Jelly.  Same type of apple but in a different form.  The fourth item from the left was the Fourme d’Ambert mousse.  The texture was silky and creamy.  So good that I decided to hunt down this cheese from my local market!! The green thing on the right was rather mild in taste after the flavorful blue cheese.  The texture was like avocado but I had no idea what that was.  The crust on the bottom was crispy, buttery and flaky.  I love the combination of creamy cheese and flaky crust!   

Fourme d’Ambert—Quince, Sorrel, Marcona Almonds

To accompany the up coming assorted desserts, I ordered a cup of cappuccino and my husband ordered a coffee.  The cappuccino was good, but surprisingly the pot of French pressed coffee was wonderful!  Especially when we both love strong coffee.  It’s rich and bold without any bitterness.  It’s smooth and silky as well!  Although it was almost 9pm, we couldn’t help but to finished up the whole pot (around 3 of these cups total)!







Here’s comes the Chocolate Trio.  We should have started off with the peanut butter mousse cake on the left because that’s the mildest in chocolate flavor among the 3 desserts here.  Don’t let the deep brown chocolate layer fool you.  Then, the chocolate caramel mousse in the glass.  It was smooth and silky and melt in my mouth kind of goodness.  The most intense in chocolate flavor was the chocolate sorbet.  Since we thought we should finish the sorbet before it got all melted, we did it in the “wrong” order!  hahaha…nevertheless, these chocolate trio were amazing.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Caramel—Valrhona Abiano Sorbet, Mochaccino

Last thing on the menu was Apple, Green Tea and Crème Fraiche.  This is a unique and refreshing course, acting as a palate cleanser to finish off the meal.  We enjoyed it so much and we love the refreshing and crisp apple aroma lingering on our palates.

Apple, Green Tea and Crème Fraiche

The next item wasn’t on the menu.  I guess it was compliment by the chef?  I didn’t ask because I didn’t paid close attention to the menu when I order.  So, we didn’t even know this was “extra” until we started counting meals later in the evening.   It was a simple Strawberry and raspberries with cream and raw sugar… simple and fun.  I know my kiddo would love to have their berries served this way at home too! 







Last but not least, assorted dessert minis.  The one on the left were pineapple macarons.  My husband doesn’t even eat pineapple, but he enjoyed it so much.  After tasting it, he said it felt like he’s in Hawaii!  (I wished that too!) And I totally agree with his comment!  The pineapple flavor was very intense yet refreshing.  The ones in the middle were canelé.  I’ve been wanted to make these but haven’t had the right tools yet.  Hm…these were wonderful pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust.  Last but not least, mini chocolate chip cookies.  What a wonderful way to end a meal!







So, when it’s all time to check the damage (paid up), I took out my Zagat gift card for the bill.  That was when the Maître d', Matt, asked me how I got such a large amount of credit on a Zagat gift card.  So, I explained how I got it and he asked if I also write a food blog.  After chatting a bit about my blog, Matt asked if I would like to visit the kitchen.  Of course I said YES right the way!  I almost jumped out of my chair too! hahahaha…. I bet not many people got the opportunity to do that and I really appreciate Matt’s thoughtfulness.  It’s really the best Birthday gift for a foodie food blogger!  So, come inside to the Mélisse’s kitchen with me, would you?


It’s busy inside the kitchen, yet, very clean and organized.







The picture below are different dishes lining up to get finished off before heading out to the customers.







Another side of the kitchen.  I was standing at a corner very closed to the kitchen entrance as I didn’t want to get in the way.  It’s very fast pace and seems crowded in there.







Remember I mentioned at the beginning of the post about the lighting and that I’m going to make it up to you?  Here comes more pictures of different courses I took inside the kitchen right before they were carried out to the customers!  See the difference in the color of the picture with better lighting?  Each dish was a piece of art!







What a gorgeous salad!







There were courses that had fresh Perigord Black Truffle on top, with supplement (we didn’t select those options) and the server would do the shavings right at the table!  See the size of this black truffle? Amazing!







See the “traffic” inside the kitchen? 







Another beautiful creation from the chef.  I’m glad that I had a full stomach when I walked into the kitchen!  Otherwise, I’ll be drooling over the plates!  Maybe I still did.  Shhh…..







Each dish got clean off before heading out to the customer.  I love how they pay attention to the details.







All cleaned up and ready to go.









This is Chef Ken Takayama, Chef De Cuisine of Mélisse.  See how focus he was working on the dish?  Each dish had to go through Chef Takayama (to get his magic touches) before heading out to the customer.    







This was the beautiful Black Bass with the crispy and crunchy scales.  I say it looks more like a painting in an art gallery, don’t you agree?







A picture of me and Chef Takayama.  It was such an honor to be able to meet and take a picture with the Chef!  I had an amazing experience at Mélisse.  I definitely will be back for other celebrations.






Price: $150 per person for "The 10" Tasting Menu

Wine Pairing option: $95 per person.  We didn't try the wine paring as we had a long drive home afterwards.  


If you have a special celebration and enjoy fine dining, I highly recommend Mélisse.  It might seems pricey but with the quality of food and services, I would say is worth the money. 

Check out their Valentine's Day Menu here if you're interested to take your significant other there to celebrate.


*Disclaimer
I was NOT compensated by Mélisse in any way to write this review.  All opinions are 100% mine and always will be.