Wine dinner at Raffles Hotel; Domaine Bouchard Pere and Fils

Tags

Beaune Greves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus 2011 2010 2009 2003, Chapelle Chambertin 2009, Charmes Chambertin 2010, Chevalier Montrachet 2008, Chevalier Montrachet 2011, Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte 2011, Corton Charlemagne 2003, Corton Charlemagne 2009, Corton Charlemagne 2010, Corton Charlemagne 2011, Le Corton 2009, Meursault Genevrieres 2011, Meursault Les Perrieres 2006, Nuits Saint Georges Close Saint Marc 2005, Pommard Les Rugiens 2011, raffles hotel, red wine, tasting notes, Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot 2011 2010 2009, white wine, wine dinner

I attended a wine tasting dinner the other day featuring one of the biggest Burgundy Domaines: Bouchard Père & Fils. Here’s the list of wines that we tried that night, though regrettably I couldn’t finish tasting all of them =(

Whites

• Chevalier-Montrachet 2011 & 2008 Grand Cru
• Chevalier-Montrachet « La Cabotte » 2011, Grand Cru
• Corton-Charlemagne 2011, 2010, 2009 & 2003, Grand Cru
• Meursault « Genevrières » 2011, Premier Cru
• Meursault « Les Perrières » 2006, Premier Cru

Reds

• Chapelle-Chambertin 2008, Grand Cru
• Charmes-Chambertin 2010, Grand Cru
• Le Corton 2009, Grand Cru
• Beaune-Grèves « Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus » 2011, 2010, 2009 & 2003, Premier Cru
• Nuits-Saint-Georges « Clos Saint-Marc » 2005, Premier Cru
• Pommard « Les Rugiens » 2011, Premier Cru
• Volnay « Caillerets » Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 2011, 2010 & 2009, Premier Cru

As you can see, there were vertical tastings for several of the wines, I couldn’t possibly finish tasting them all right? =p

So I went, for my own education and for the delicious wine. Whatever opinion I may put down on this blog, it is of my very very beginner level wine learner’s not-so-humble opinion. It is not a replacement for professional tasting notes whatsoever.

At the reception before the dinner, they lined up bottles of some of the reds and whites as listed above. The rest would be savoured with dinner.

I started off with a Mersault Genevrieres 2011. It came to be one of my favourites of the evening.

The wine colour is not so golden, more of a pale lemon colour and has a nice soft, floral nose. Smooth on the tongue and complex, it tastes light, fruity and fresh and has a nice long finish. Actually the ones I actually tried to time had a pretty long finish, all 6 seconds and above. I forgot which ones but the selection that night was really good so it doesn’t matter to me.

Please forgive my morbid looking nails, I’m quite ashamed of them =( fixing them soon!

And so, after pouring away (to my regret) the excess wine, I moved on to the second wine in line; the Corton Charlemagne 2009 and was slightly taken aback by the taste, coming from the floral Meursault.

I tasted the 2009 and 2010 bottles. Both wines are complex, and befuddled me at first. I can’t truly do justice to these, though I could have understood them better if I stayed a while longer to slowly figure out the different tastes. The 2009 had minerals, slight oak nose as well as in taste, not as much fruit as the Merseault but more of… stone? Lol if that made any sense at all. 2010 had a stronger smoky nose and it was apparent while drinking as well. Slightly heavier, minerals and not overly acidic but I don’t think its ready to drink yet.

Nice light straw colour to it.

Next up, the heavyweights: Chevalier Montrachet. Tried the 2011 bottle and I remember it was delicious. Had some floral and citrus notes to it and it was pleasing to drink. However I preferred the next bottle, the Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte 2011.

It was outstanding!

It was richer, grander and had hints of butter and citrus flavours that last long after you’ve swallowed the lot. Good fruity perfume on the nose and a gorgeous full bodied mouthful. Very good indeed.

By this time I was already flushed and hot, even before dinner! And I couldn’t try the reds that were lined up there =( which was such a waste.

Judging by the number of glasses lined up at the dining table for each person, I think it was a good idea to have stopped myself from the red wines at the tasting table! There were 10 glasses for each of us! Not including the water glass.

Started off with a smoked salmon appetizer.

Here, they had already poured the Meursault Les Perrieres 2006, which tasted a little young but pretty balanced, clean and sharp. Also some fruit in the palate, but surprisingly after I went the whole round of whites and reds and back to this glass, it tasted a little like barley. Strange. Not bad though.

Maine lobster salad with avocado and chardonnay vinaigrette.

I don’t have a picture of it but I also tried the Corton Charlemagne 2003, which was a tad buttery and a hint of citrus/lemon. Again, similar to the other Cortons, there’s the inevitable toasted oak on nose and palate as well as minerals. Not too fond of these attributes in all the Cortons, although the toasted oak was much more subtle in this one than the other two. I’m just more of a fruity person XD

Another white wine that I tried with no picture: the Chevalier Montrachet 2008 had apparent toasty cedar oak notes and minerals to it. I mistook this for the Corton at first.

And then came the reds. We started with the Le Corton 2009 (Number 3). This seemed a little light, not as much concentration of fruit as I would have liked but it makes for a delicate wine. Slightly peppery, a little herbs and minerals with toasted oak aftertaste. The colour is also pretty transient.

Next was the Beaune Greves 2009 (Number 4) This was one of my favourites as well despite the light red of it. Red fruit and sweet but still balanced by the acidity. Smooth and even a little bit minty. It made for an easy drink.

Number 5, the Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 2009, Premier Cru, was a nice dark red color. Rich, sweet and silky with cherry notes and long finish. It was served alongside the Number 4 Corton with the Welsh lamb shoulder that was cooked for 36 hours, which was also surprisingly good and tender. I love red wines that go well with red meats.

Here are the wines numbered 1-4. I can’t remember which is 1 and 2 as I’m confused between the Montrachet and the Corton. Have to check the names again.

Glass number 3 is La Corton 2009 and number 4 is the Beaune Greves 2009. Notice that number 4 has a deeper colour to it than number 3.

Wines numbered 5-8

No. 5 is the Volnay 2009

No. 6, Chapelle-Chambertin 2008; Of acid and tannins and slightly spicy with 6 seconds finish in the mouth. It seemed pretty structured with what I think was bouquet in the nose. I could be way off the mark 😉 That is the mark of an amateur.

No. 7, Charmes-Chambertin 2010; Had purity of fruit, as did the Chapelle Chambertin (according to the expert present, though I have absolutely no idea what that is supposed to taste like), and seemed delicate but yet complex with long finish as well. I guess most of these wines here are really good that most if not all have a nice long finish. Its probably good to wait a few years before it would make a good drink.

No. 8, Nuit Saint Georges Clos Saint Marc 2005, Acid and tannic with plum and spice. I’m not sure if I like the spiciness in a wine.

No. 9, Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 2003, had more depth, darker in color and was more full bodied than the 2009 vintage. Fruit and bouquet in the nose, a nice smooth drink that tasted of berries and again, the deep full bodied, meaty flavour to it that makes it perfect for pairing with meats. This can keep for many more years and is also one of my favourites of the night.

I love lining them up side by side so I can compare the differences in colour of the different wines.

My favourites for the night, Meursault Genevrieres 2011, Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte 2011 and Beaune Greves Vigne de l-Enfant Jesus 2003 and 2009. 

Ended off the night with a raspberry tart (skipped the beef course that came after the lamb).

That night I went home with a raging headache, having tasted 17 different wines. So much more I have to learn =(.

Hoedeopbap / hwedeopbap – Korean Spicy Sashimi salad Rice bowl

Tags

chogochujang, dinner, gochujang, healthy, hodeopbap, hoedeopbap, hwe deop bap, hwedeopbap, Korean, korean spicy sashimi salad, lunch, perilla leaves, red pepper paste, rice, salad, sashimi, sesame oil, shiso, spicy, sweet and sour

I’m currently on a Korean craze. I also am hopelessly addicted to Running Man, a korean variety show. But way too often do they show delicious, mouthwatering looking korean dishes and delicacies. Like sizzling Korean bbq, grilled oysters, kimchi, ramyeon, sea urchin, spicy ddukbokki and the list is endless. One of these demonish dishes I just saw on another episode is something called ‘ganjang gejang’, which is raw crab marinated in soy sauce and fermented. It sounds disgusting but it looks so good T______T I googled countless recipes on it but then decided against making it. One because I have no clue how to get the freshest of crabs in Singapore, and secondly, I don’t think I have the courage to successfully pickle/ferment the crab LOL.

So I settled for this dish instead. Technically its supposed to be a spicy sashimi rice bowl, but, like chirashi-don (sashimi on vinegared rice) versus just sashimi and rice in separate bowls, I really prefer to keep them separate. I like my rice hot, and this would wreak havoc onto sashimi if placed onto the rice directly like that. So yeah, I put it in a separate bowl. The sashimi salad is spicy, sour and sweet and has a nice crunch from all the vegetables in there. It could have been spicier, perhaps next time I’ll add some sliced chilli padi into the sauce for for a “BURN TONGUE BURNNNNN” experience =D 

Ingredients (2 pax)
I adapted the recipe from here http://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-sashimi-bowl-hwe-deop-bap-221946

• 2 cups cooked rice (Japanese or Korean, preferably)
• 2 ounces tilapia fillets/other white fish sashimi (I used tai)
• 2 ounces tuna, sashimi quality
• 1 cup salad greens, any combination (I used only butterhead lettuce)
• 1/8 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 carrot, thinly julienned
• 1/4 English cucumber, thinly  julienned
• 2-3 inch daikon radish, thinly julienned
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
• 1 chili pepper, thinly sliced (I’m replacing this with chilli padi next time)
• 4 perilla/shiso leaves, thinly julienned (*edit* Korean perilla leaves)
• 16 Perilla/shiso leaves for wrapping (*edit* Korean perilla leaves, no other substitute unless you don’t mind a lettuce wrap)

Cho Gochujang (sweet and sour chili sauce)

• 3 tablespoons korean red pepper paste (gochujang) or more if you wish
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, taste before adding (optional)

Instructions

1. To be really specific, julienne ALL THE VEGETABLES thinly and around the same thickness and length where possible.
2. Arrange the vegetables in a bowl.
3. Julienne your sashimi too, not as thinly as the vegetables, but try to cut it into long strips. Makes it easier to pick up with the vegetables later on, rather than cutting it into cubes.
4. Mix all the ingredients for the Cho-gochujang in a bowl and taste. Add more spicy or salt if you wish but I think the salt content is fine without the optional salt.

5. Arrange the sashimi on top of the vegetables, top with minced garlic, and cho-gochujang sauce and garnish with shiso leaves.

Tastes a bit like the Chinese Yu Sheng which I really really like. And it is pretty healthy isn’t it 😉

Take a few photos of your slicing efforts

Then you mix the salad. Toss it and mix it and get the sauce into every nook and cranny.

Get your hot rice ready, alongside some shiso leaves for wrapping. If you don’t like the taste of shiso leaves, you can replace them with lettuce or other vegetables.

And so, you take a leaf, plonk some of that hot rice on top, followed by the sashimi salad. Stuff it into your mouth. Charming.

Yummeh~

Egg and Bacon Salad with honey mayo mustard dressing

Tags

appetizer, bacon, brunch, eggs, hard boiled eggs, healthy, honey, light meal, lunch, mayonnaise, mustard, parmesan cheese, romaine lettuce, salad, Snack, starter

I saw this in one of Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks and had to make it! I love green salads with eggs. Caesar salads for one =p. The recipe in Nigella’s book calls for mustard, vinegar and worcestershire sauce for the dressing but I used honey, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. It was as I liked it 😉 sweetish sour with a slight kick from the mustard.

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a starter, or Serves 2 as a full meal)

1. 4 eggs
2. 1 head escarole or frisee (I used Romaine lettuce, you can use other leaves of your preference)
3. 1 teaspoon garlic oil
4. 200g smoked lardons or smoked streaky bacon cut into chunks (I just cut up some sliced bacon)
5. small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
6. For the dressing: 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 4 tsp cider vinegar, a dash of Worcestershire sauce
7. Parmesan cheese (Optional)
8. 1 Chicken fillet (Optional)

Instructions

1. Put the eggs into a saucepan of water, bring to the boil, let boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the pan for 10 minutes (the egg would come out still golden in the centre and not hard boiled all the way, and the whites would be silkier).
2. Wash, drain and tear the salad leaves into bite sized pieces and place it into a bowl.
3. Heat the garlic oil in a frying pan and fry the lardons/bacon until crisp.
4. Drain the water from the egg pan and run cold water on the eggs. Once they are cool to the touch, peel them.
5. Transfer the lardons/bacon with a slotted spatula onto some sheets of kitchen roll.
6. Add Dijon mustard to the juices in the bacon pan and whisk to mix, then add the vinegar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, whisk again and pour this over the salad leaves, tossing to mix. (Here, I just mixed honey, Dijon mustard and mayonnaise together until I liked the taste. No extra bacon oil here)
7. Now add the bacon to the salad and toss again. Then quarter the eggs and add them along with the chopped parsley, before giving the whole salad a gentle mix to combine.
8. If you’re adding chicken, brush the chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle salt, pepper other herbs of your choice. Place in a baking tray and bake at 190 degrees celsius and roast for 15-25 minutes depending on the breast size until the juices run clear. Remove from oven, let it rest for 15 mins before slicing/shredding to add into the salad

Result… a very filling and satisfying salad! Omit bacon and cheese to make it healthier 😉

 

 

Daiwa Sushi 大和寿司

Tags

akami, anago, breakfast, brunch, chutoro, daiwa, daiwa sushi, fish, fish market, food, hamachi, hirame, japan, japanese sushi breakfast, maguro, miso soup, otoro, restaurant review, sea urchin, sushi, tsukiji, tsukiji fish market, tuna, uni

Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場)

When it comes to sushi at Tsukiji Fish Market, two places immediately come to mind: Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi. Personally I never tried Sushi Dai, I’ve only gone to Daiwa sushi. And I’m so well satisfied I can’t imagine another place topping it. I should also think that they are similar in quality and standards according to some of the comments on the web.

The queues are always long at both in any case. The very morning I landed in Tokyo (around 6 am) I immediately dropped my bags and headed to Tsukijishijō Station (築地市場駅, tsukiji shijō eki) and meandered my way through forklifts, grumpy ojisans and the overwhelming smell of fish which, by the way, you can smell even in the station as it is right next to the fish market.

Finally got to Daiwa Sushi at 9am (just look for super long queues and the signboard). I was in line for 20 minutes, which was not too long of a wait as it is easier to seat one person compared to two people.

The fish market is probably one of those places in Japan where you do not get much politeness and you may get yelled at or pushed if you’re in the way. Don’t be surprised by it.

This is the “menu”, their set is pretty value for money as well. For 3,500 yen you get 7 nigiri sushi, one rolled sushi and miso soup. Good stuff. That day I went for a la carte and the bill came up to 5,400 yen but its all worth it.

Its a tight squeeze in there, barely enough room to squeeze through to sit even.

This is just some of the fresh offerings that they had that day. Oh by the way, I went to Daiwa twice during my stay XD it was that good.

Friendly chefs.

I was worried the grumpy obasan would not allow us to take photos at all, the last time we came and took out a camera or a phone to take pictures, she was like “NO NO CAMERA” -___- I was so upset then. But this time around I think they’ve completely relaxed that rule. People around me were taking pictures to their hearts content!

And so I started to order:

Akami (the leanest part of the tuna) and Tai. Large slabs of fresh, fresh fish, perfectly marinated with soy sauce and a dab of wasabi. You don’t actually need to pour more soy sauce into the little saucer. As a maguro lover, I absolutely loved the temperature, texture, and taste of their maguro. The sushi rice is of the sticky short grained variety that Japanese rice is expected of. Delicious. I rarely order tai (red snapper) but I thought I’d try it this time. The way that they slice the fish is also different. Did you realize that on the maguro you do not see any sinew? Compare this to a usual sushi joint, a maguro slice would probably consists of 4-5 bits of tuna joined together by sinew. Maguro without sinew like this one just melts in your mouth and you’re allowed to concentrate on the full flavour of the lean tuna. Whereas on the tai, the skin is left on and is cut in such a way so that you enjoy the taste and texture of this variety of fish. It was sweet and the best tai I’ve ever had.

A generous bowl of miso soup that comes with your meal, made with seaweed, little clams and lots of spring onions ❤

Next up, chutoro (semi fat tuna) and hirame (flounder).

Chutoro again, well sliced without sinew and laced with fat to make it richer than the akami, but not as buttery as the otoro. Still melts in your mouth XD Nice and thick slice there to satisfy my maguro craze. The hirame has more of a chewy texture which releases a subtly sweet flavor. Spend a little bit of time to chew on this so as to fully appreciate the taste of this. Would suggest to eat this first before heavier tasting fish like aji or maguro.

I forgot to mention, all of the fish come at room temperature, which is the perfect temperature (to me that is) to experience their natural flavours.

Then two orders of uni!! I had a little problem with this…. it was so tall and packed with uni that I couldn’t fit it into my mouth. I tried to take a bite out of it but the uni spilt out onto my hands T___T Then I learnt my lesson, please put the sushi into your mouth, uni side first, then stuff the rest of it in. Its a good problem to have =)

The uni was fresh obviously, and had no fishy smell. Just creamy, briny, meltingly amazing dollops of golden roe.

Then came the hamachi (Japanese amberjack), with a bit of its skin, and beautiful pink flesh. I had this fish fresh from the sea when I was at the Maldives and its flesh is indeed beautifully pink. Its taste is a little stronger than the other white fish I had, and is fatty too.

The next picture shows anago sushi (from my second breakfast at Daiwa…you didn’t think I could eat that much in one sitting did you? =p) which was nicely broiled and glazed with that sweet sauce. Really well done. 

And here’s another photo of chutoro and akami, as I forgot to take a picture of the otoro, which was mind blowingly good. Absolutely buttery and melt in your mouth.

I need to go back soon. When I think of all the expensive restaurants I’ve been to in comparison to this sushi place at a smelly fish market? There is no comparison if you want to put value and quality together, Daiwa sushi wins hands down for me.

If you’re looking for a Japanese sushi breakfast, please do consider this place. Try not to come too late as I’m not sure when they will run out of fresh fish as they did once some years back at 11am!

Daiwa Sushi. 03-3547-6807. Tsukiji / Sushi. Tsukiji-Shijo 5-2-1 #6.

Closed on Sundays and National holidays (and some Wednesdays)

Opening Hours: 5.30am – 1.30pm

Fu Sing dim sum – Hong Kong, Sunshine Plaza

Tags

century eggs, chee cheong fun, dim sum, fu sing, fu sing sharkfin seafood restaurant, Hong kong, lunch, Noodles, polo char siew pao, polo pau, roast pork, siew yoke, sunshine plaza

I must say, I’m not a big fan of dim sum. And tapas for that matter. I never understood why food must be in small portions and shared among many people while I’d rather have a large bowl or plate of something and relish everything by myself. Yes a glutton I am. So I cringe whenever I hear the word “dim sum” whenever we go out to eat.

Last year however, we went to this dim sum place in Hong Kong that just blew my mind away. I regret that I didn’t take more pictures nor spend more time on the names, so I’ll have to go back to the restaurant to do a proper review. This post for now is just a bookmark on places to eat in Hong Kong 😉

I can’t remember what this was now, probably some fried shrimp/fish paste. But the crispy fried skin and the springy, flavorful insides were a really good combination.

Polo char siew pau and a part of a plate of viciously attacked char siew in the corner of the picture.

The polo char siew pau has a sweet, crumbly topping which is the first thing you taste when you bite into it. Then it just sinks in and gives way to the sweet char siew filling on the inside. The bun is warm, fluffy and has all the texture and taste to make the experience quite delightful.

And about the char siew in the corner? What can I say… the picture speaks for itself? 

Left: Chee cheong fun (Prawns wrapped in silky noodle roll)

Right: Some sort of peppery milky soup with beancurd skin

The peppery soup kinda tastes like my grandmother’s tu toh th’ng (pig intestine soup with lots of white pepper). It is nice but I’d like to concentrate on the chee cheong fun. My issue with the usual chee cheong fun is that the skin is a little too chewy and the prawns, not too fresh. Here the rice noodle skin is like silk. Really slippery and delicate but not too delicate that it just falls apart. It has a nice feel on the tongue and goes well with the fresh prawn and sauce. The best chee cheong fun I’ve tasted so far.

Glass noodles. I’d say this is good for people like me who needs proper noodle/rice dishes instead of the little portions everywhere. It tastes fresh, most likely because of the celery, yet savory and not too greasy. 

The rest of the meal. The siew yoke is divine, I’ve such a weakness for siew yoke that I love even the chunky chewy ones. These however are delicate, have crispy skins and tender, tender meat. Love this!

There was also the crispy fried yam, I can’t remember what it was stuffed with but I know I’m going to order it again when I go back.

There’s also another noodle dish in the far bottom left, made of thick rice noodle in a milky soup with mushrooms that was also pretty good.

Last but not least is the century eggs. I do not know why we can’t get century eggs as good as these in Singapore and Malaysia. I just don’t understand why. The ones in Hong Kong have a gooey yolk middle and jelly-like “whites” while the ones here are hard… I could eat two plates of the century egg along with some ginger by myself! The slightly pungent, velvety egg yolk with the sharp, tangy, crunchy preserved ginger is absolutely divine.

A proper post on this restaurant is definitely in the pipeline.

Fu Sing Sharkfin Seafood Restaurant 富聲魚翅海鮮酒家
1/F, 353 Lockhart Road,
Sunshine Plaza,
Wanchai, Hong Kong
灣仔駱克道353號三湘大廈1樓
Open from 11-3pm, 6-11pm.

Truffles Part 6 – Zafferano inspired Clear soup with winter vegetables and pastry with truffles and foie gras

Tags

black truffle, chicken soup, clear broth, comfort food, easy, foie gras, pastry, Puff pastry, Soup, soup bowl, truffle, winter vegetables

I was cracking my head on what else I should do with the remainder of my truffles. I had way too much for myself! Then my sister described a dish that she really enjoyed at Zafferano. I’ve never been to Zafferano myself, but what she described sounded just perfect as it was not heavy and full of cream and fat (well, excluding the foie gras that is). I had been pigging out on heavy, calorie-laden food while making all these truffle dishes. Clear broth sounded amazing then.

Ingredients (per person)

1) Half a foie gras slice, cut into chunks (well you can add more if you like, but remember this is going to be boiled and not seared, thus it would make the soup really oily if you add too much)

2) chicken broth to fill up to slightly more than half of the soup bowl that you will be using

3) 1/4 of a courgette,sliced and quartered

4) 1/4 of a large carrot, sliced

5) 1/4 a large onion, sliced or 3 inches of a white radish, sliced and quartered

6) Truffle shavings

7) 1/4 of a 500g Jus-Rol Frozen Puff Pastry sheet, rolled out in a square shape and trim the ends with a sharp knife. It should be large enough to cover the soup bowl

Instructions

1) Add the vegetables and foie gras to the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are sufficiently cooked to your liking.

2) Meanwhile preheat your oven temp. to 220ºC or the temperature that is stated on the cooking instructions for your ready made pastry.

3) Ladle out your soup into the bowl, I think it would be best if the soup was warm and not boiling hot because if it is the latter, the steam from the soup will cause the pastry puff sheet to sink down a lot more while baking. Mine totally sunk =(. Lastly add some sliced truffle into the soup. You could add the ends of the truffle, which is difficult to shave but too much of a waste to let go.

4) Place the pastry sheet over the soup bowl and make sure it is securely in place. Using a fork to make patterns (see picture below) helps to secure it in place. You can also go crazy with the patterns. 😉

5) Bake for 15-20 minutes until the puff pastry is all nicely puffed up and golden brown.

6) Told you my dough sank into the soup =(. With the middle bit sunken like that I had to save it somehow, so I draped a couple of sprigs of thyme and shaved the truffles on top

7) It was really good! The pastry and soup together is so comforting ~ Would totally make this again.