Crate and Barrel! Who would've thought! I cannot wait for you to get here!
Friday, May 27, 2011
A Truly Unforgettable Experience
Yesterday was our second menu tasting at The Langham Huntington, and it was absolutely phenomenal and had everyone rendered speechless. Perhaps I need to start at the beginning with our first menu tasting back in April...
The first menu tasting experience was a less than enjoyable experience. How do I even begin to describe what we went through? For me, as the bride, the menu tasting was one of the events I really looked forward to, as a foodie, there was nothing more exciting. The experience started off pleasant enough with our event coordinator greeting us and taking us to their Terrance restaurant where the tasting was being held. The first dish came...and I was less than blown away. Not only did it not live up to my expectations, it didn't seem possible that a five star hotel could bring such an item out of the kitchen. The rest of the meal continued on and everything was less than stellar. I can honestly say not one dish was memorable, oh wait I forgot, there was the amazingly salty lobster bisque that looked more like a paste than a soup. Not only was the food terrible, the attitude of one particular chef was what really upset me. He was snobby, indifferent, and unprofessional. The experience left me wondering, "Had I made the wrong choice on the venue?? Is this really the best this hotel can offer?" With the deposit made and contract signed, there was no backing out now. I went home ready to cry thinking I was going to hate the food at my own wedding.
But of course, the Langham did not disappoint me. After conveying how we felt to our wonderful coordinator, she reassured us everything will be fixed and exceed our expectations. We were given the chance to work personally with Executive Chef Denny, who oversees all the chefs in the hotel. Being a native of France, he knew exactly what we were looking for in classic french cuisine. Fast forward to the tasting...
I have to admit, I was a little bit afraid of having such high expectations the second time around, but I trusted that they would not disappoint. When the Chef came out to greet us personally, I was more than reassured...then the first amuse bouche arrived, and it blew my mind. It was almost impossible, but every single course topped the previous one in terms of presentation AND taste. By the end of the meal I was ready to jump up and kiss the chef, he had just given me one of best dining experiences, EVER. Everyone at the table was extremely pleased with the meal, and we were a group of asians, what did we know about french cuisine? But it made everyone smile, and at the end of the day that was all that mattered. The Chef's passion and enthusiasm showed in his dishes and his constant attention to us after every dish.
The Langham more than made up for the first unpleasant experience, and I am excited for all of our wedding guests to go on this culinary adventure.
No pictures this post because I don't want to spoil the surprise!
The first menu tasting experience was a less than enjoyable experience. How do I even begin to describe what we went through? For me, as the bride, the menu tasting was one of the events I really looked forward to, as a foodie, there was nothing more exciting. The experience started off pleasant enough with our event coordinator greeting us and taking us to their Terrance restaurant where the tasting was being held. The first dish came...and I was less than blown away. Not only did it not live up to my expectations, it didn't seem possible that a five star hotel could bring such an item out of the kitchen. The rest of the meal continued on and everything was less than stellar. I can honestly say not one dish was memorable, oh wait I forgot, there was the amazingly salty lobster bisque that looked more like a paste than a soup. Not only was the food terrible, the attitude of one particular chef was what really upset me. He was snobby, indifferent, and unprofessional. The experience left me wondering, "Had I made the wrong choice on the venue?? Is this really the best this hotel can offer?" With the deposit made and contract signed, there was no backing out now. I went home ready to cry thinking I was going to hate the food at my own wedding.
But of course, the Langham did not disappoint me. After conveying how we felt to our wonderful coordinator, she reassured us everything will be fixed and exceed our expectations. We were given the chance to work personally with Executive Chef Denny, who oversees all the chefs in the hotel. Being a native of France, he knew exactly what we were looking for in classic french cuisine. Fast forward to the tasting...
I have to admit, I was a little bit afraid of having such high expectations the second time around, but I trusted that they would not disappoint. When the Chef came out to greet us personally, I was more than reassured...then the first amuse bouche arrived, and it blew my mind. It was almost impossible, but every single course topped the previous one in terms of presentation AND taste. By the end of the meal I was ready to jump up and kiss the chef, he had just given me one of best dining experiences, EVER. Everyone at the table was extremely pleased with the meal, and we were a group of asians, what did we know about french cuisine? But it made everyone smile, and at the end of the day that was all that mattered. The Chef's passion and enthusiasm showed in his dishes and his constant attention to us after every dish.
The Langham more than made up for the first unpleasant experience, and I am excited for all of our wedding guests to go on this culinary adventure.
No pictures this post because I don't want to spoil the surprise!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Fun at the Dog Park
Took my babies to the dog park yesterday, but Ticky is as anti-social as ever! At least Foxy played with the other dogs, even if it was only a little bit. Too bad there was a lady there that ruined it with her dogs. They were super possessive and one of them bit a puppy! The owner didn't even apologize to the other dog owner and still had the audacity to stay in the dog park! The poor puppy was crying and whining so loudly I felt so bad for him. His owner eventually had to take his dog and leave because the other dog wouldn't leave his puppy alone. PLEASE people, have some manners! Don't take your dog to a dog park if you know it is aggressive.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Home
My house would look like this. Maybe this is possible for a future cottage/vacation home? *hint HINT* But for now, I'll settle on having my bathroom space give off this vibe. =)
Wedding Shoes
I never understood why people spent $500+ for a pair of shoes...now I do! These shoes are surprisingly the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever tried on. And they are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Most likely the first and last pair of Choos I will buy since I just cannot justify spending this much money for any other occasion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
