AUBERGINE

Over the weekend, my family of three visited my favorite restaurant in Monterey Bay, L'Auberge Carmel. The restaurant's head chef, Justin Cogley, is a fun-loving multi-talented individual. He was born in Chicago and previously served as the Executive Sous Chef at the renowned Elysian Hotel, where he was responsible for opening a new kitchen. Additionally, he is a well-known figure skater. During his time residing in Japan, he became deeply fascinated by Asian culture and learned the techniques and essence of Japanese cuisine. His innovative dishes combine French creativity with the fusion of Japanese influences into modern American cooking. He has received multiple Michelin star ratings and, after joining Aubergine, led the restaurant to receive the Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence and Forbes Travel Guide's top five-star rating. Food & Wine magazine has also named him California's outstanding chef.

Our dinner began with fresh oysters accompanied by yuzu sauce and cucumber jelly, which awakened our taste buds with their exquisite flavors. Next, we enjoyed an artful cake filled with blue mussels, honeycomb, and mint, creating a perfect combination. We also tasted sea urchin paired with sweet soy sauce and potatoes, offering a truly unique flavor. In addition to these dishes, we indulged in fresh tomatoes with lemon thyme and caviar, as well as sardines with a lemon-infused taste and trout roe. The dining experience lasted for a total of 2.5 hours, during which we immersed ourselves in the presentation of Japanese sushi served in a jewelry box, as well as lobster infused with creative soup. A few glasses of wine accompanied the meal, and time flew by.

The restaurant is also known for its extensive wine cellar, housing over 3,500 bottles of top-quality wines from around the world. We opted for the Reserve Wine Pairing, which offered unique and lesser-known boutique wines that perfectly complemented each dish. It's worth noting that the tasting consisted of 8 rounds, with the first round featuring Japanese sake, followed by 7 rounds of various wines, including mixed drinks. The portions were quite generous, so those with lower alcohol tolerance should proceed with caution.

As for the cost of the meal, the Tasting Menu for two adults was priced at $265 per person, and the Reserve Wine Pairing was an additional $250 per person. Additionally, my husband and I chose to upgrade to 2 ounces of HOKKAIDO WAGYU | A5 Japanese snowflake beef, which incurred an extra $200. Our child ordered desserts, grilled salmon, noodles, and milk. The total bill came out to less than $1,700. If you exclude the wine and HOKKAIDO WAGYU | A5, the price would be significantly lower.

Although the restaurant currently holds only one Michelin star, I believe it is even better than many two-star establishments. So let's conclude today's sharing by providing the address of this restaurant: Monte Verde at 7th Ave., Carmel-by-the-Sea, 93921, USA.

さすがにミシュランです^ ^サービスもお料理も最高です。コース料理の構成も良く、ペアリングにも日本酒の大吟醸［醸し出し九平次］がスタートで出ました！さすがにシャンパンが好きなのでチェイサーでシャンパンのアンリジローをオーダーしましたがお料理が日本の食材が多く、日本酒のペアリングが最高でした。語り尽くせないほど素敵な時間でした。オシャレでレストルームも清潔、サービスクオリティも高く、カーメルに行ったらまた行きたい場所です。オーベルジュなので次回は泊まりたいです。今回から滞在したハイアットからも近くバレット付きで便利です。

As expected, it's Michelin ^ ^ The service and food are excellent. The composition of the course menu was good, and the Japanese sake Daiginjo [Kushidashi Kuheiji] was served as a pairing to start! I love champagne, so I ordered the champagne Henri Giraud as a chaser, and the food had many Japanese ingredients, and the sake pairing was great. It was such a wonderful time that I can't say enough about it. It's stylish, the rest rooms are clean, and the service quality is high, so it's a place I'd like to go to again if I go to Carmel. It's an auberge, so I'd like to stay there next time. It's convenient because it's close to the Hyatt where I stayed this time and comes with valet service.

TOP

Perfect execution paired with innovative flavors and artistic plating.

Incredible experience. Like another reviewer stated, “it’s like a dream”. One of the top 3 culinary experiences in my life. We went big, $1200 for two. Can’t do that very often, but for my 60th, it did not disappoint!