may.

(amsterdam)

This blog has taken a massive backseat over the past three months. I've kept telling myself that I'll get to it soon- again, and again, and again I've told myself that, and over that period, I've gotten more and more busy. First, it was finals; then, it was traveling to see my girlfriend; then, it was a trip to Amsterdam; now, it's been a full-time internship in D.C. and weekend trips away. I kept telling myself I would make it important later. But then, a few weeks ago, I began to fully realize that the blog won't write itself. So, without further ado (and owing significant inspiration debt to my binge watch of The Bear), here are my three best meals of May.

Spectrum.

From here on out, when I talk about the best meal of my life, I will never be able to avoid mentioning Spectrum. This was by far the nicest meal I've ever had, and it legitimately took me weeks to get over. The ambiance of the restaurant itself was solid; honestly, my one suggestion to this place would be to offer some differentiating physical and decorative features. Really, it was the service that hinted at the incredible quality of the meal to come. The waiters were very personal and attentive, and intently worked to find our perfect drink pairings and nail the timing of the meal. I know this is the way that a lot of fancier restaurants are, but I couldn't stop fixating on how incredible it must feel to nail the production of such an experiential meal for a guest. The whole ordeal took around 4 hours. Over the course of those 4 hours, we enjoyed the following dishes (pardon the blur!):

Before I even get to the food, I want to point out how creative the actual plates and bowls themselves were. Every dish was delicately matched to a corresponding piece of ceramic art-- this was perhaps best exemplified by the bed of stones which accompanied the lobster tail. The meal drew very strong inspiration from seasonal Dutch cuisine, but it was the furthest possible thing from bogged down in tradition. Take the Dutch bread, for example; a very simple dish, made excellent not by over-dramatically emphasizing the traditional pieces, but by subtle innovation. The bread was cubically cut, lightly salted with a seasoning blend, and quickly fried. There are too many incredible dishes here for me to highlight, but I want to give special mention to the white asparagus enclosed in a caramelized parmesan sphere; this dish built upon seasonal Dutch crops while also creating a tactile and sensory experience that was unlike anything I'd tried before. At the end of the night, the crew brought out a massive marble slab, upon which were arranged 12 chocolate half-spheres. Each chocolate was infused a sweetened version of a corresponding dish. If I didn't know that Spectrum has two Michelin stars beforehand, I would have been able to guess they did after that sort of sweet-treat stunt.

Maketto

Another meal that rocked my world (albeit slightly less) in May was from D.C.'s Maketto. This restaurant serves fantastic Chinese food, and is 100% an establishment that is more valuable as a shared experience. My most notable bites here (among many)were the dumplings, scallion pancakes, and fried chicken. Maketto is at its best when it is absolutely nailing a relatively simple meal. The dumplings were bursting with flavor without overdoing any saltiness. The scallion pancakes were incredibly fluffy, which is often not a bright spot of the dish at other restaurants. Most notably, the fried chicken was both stunningly crunchy and very well-seasoned, making for a very enjoyable dish. Some of the other dishes were very solid, but unfortunately got bogged down by a tendency to "do too much" in terms of sauces and elements. Overall, however, this was a great celebratory freshman-finals-week meal.

Meyhouse

Last but not least was a great outing to a Turkish restaurant in Palo Alto called Meyhouse. Nic and I went to Meyhouse after I surprised her in California (thanks to her sorority Big Sister!), and it was everything we needed it to be (+ then some). Aside from a lackluster opening bread course, the Turkish food all hit it out of the park. We ate a dumpling appetizer that did a great job of nailing the best aspects of a traditional dumpling (a light and simple exterior shell, for example) while also providing a tasty and distinctly Turkish beef filling. My main course of beef tips with hummus was an excellent testament to the importance of good marinating and slow cooking to ensure tenderness. It was some of the juiciest beef I've ever had. I want to note that Meyhouse's service, particularly their prioritization of celebrations (I.e. Nic's birthday cake), was quite good. Our server was a new hire in training, and he did an excellent job.

May was a month of good food. It's not lost on me how fortunate I am to be able to say that. I'm grateful for the joy it brings.