Volvér

Volvér
300 S Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 | 215-670-2303
http://philadelphia.volverrestaurant.com/home

Stopping in for a bite to eat would be a horrendous categorization of the experience that is Volvér. Volvér is Spanish for "to return." This is different from the Spanish verb "regresar", in that "volver" has a more voluntary connotation.  Hence, the take away message here is a longing or desirous return for the world class culinary experience that is Volvér.

I will not mince words, this is not a "lets stop in for a bite" type of restaurant.  This is a once a year on your birthday restaurant that will probably be one of the best meals you ever eat, as well as the most expensive.  We got there a few minutes late for our 530 reservation, as the 12-course menu is expected to take about 2 and 1/2 hours to complete. We had reservations at the orchestra afterward and didn't want to be late for the curtain.  While this caused the last few courses to be rushed, not leaving extra time for driving and parking at 530 in center city Philadelphia on a Saturday afternoon is our own fault.

Without further ado, I present Volvér.

The first course was brought out and casually introduced as some "snacks" to start off the night.  I chuckled as the server's carefully rehearsed, memorized recitation of froufrou describing in meticulous detail each "snack" made even my head spin--and I write food reviews all the time.

After some research, I am able to to reproduce here just exactly what those courses were.  In the order of "recommended consumption," you have:

Right: Siberian Sturgeon Caviar. Bioche Migas, Whipped Creme Fraiche, Chive.
Left: Deviled Egg. Butternut Squash Mousse, Pedro Ximenez Gelee.
Center: Pan Con Tomate. Santa Barbara Uni, Sourdough, Lardo.

I will comment on the Pan Con Tomate (trans bread with tomato). topped with lardo.  Lardo is a type of salumi made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices.  That was probably my favorite of the starting dishes.  I didn't care much for the caviar, but I in general don't really eat caviar.  Hence, I can't fault the restaurant on it, and I'm sure it was very good, but in general, fish eggs are not a preference of mine.

The deviled egg was spot on, although I wish I could taste the Pedro Ximenez more (I have a huge sweet tooth).  The deviled egg and light whipped texture of the butternut squash mousse were second to none. Pedro Ximenez is a white wine grape best known for its role in the sweet sherries of Jerez, Spain.

As if three immaculate "snacks" were not enough, a Foie Gras, blood orange macaron was served on the side on a slice of tree bark.  I had to laugh at the pretentiousness of it all.   Here it is in all its glory.

Last but not least the "starter course" or technically speaking, the tail end of the "snacks" service was  a Bacalao Takoyaki.  Eel glaze, Togarashi, Yuzu Kewpie Mayo, Bonito. When the server explained it my head was spinning and even now after after extensive research, it is still spinning.  However, I can honestly remember, yes, it was good.

So what are we looking at here? Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod. Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion.  In this case, it was filled with Bacalhao.  The spice flakes visible on the plate include Tōgarashi (唐辛子) : Japanese for genus Capsicum, or specifically the species Capsicum annuum, and commonly translated as chili pepper. Yuzu Kewpie Mayo is a specialized mayo.  Japanese mayo has a rich creamy texture with a higher egg ratio than western mayonnaise. It also tends to suit Japanese flavors more because it’s made with rice vinegar and has an umami (sweet and savory) characteristic not present in western mayo.

After the first course-- yes the last 5 items consisted of "the first course" of twelve...bread service was brought out with a Croissant with thyme which separated nicely into three pieces upon pulling.  The butter was seasoned with some "six time fermented pepper."  But to me honest, my bourgeois taste buds could not tell the difference.  We are now about 45 minutes into dinner and the first "food" course had not arrived.  I was beginning to worry we would be late for the orchestra.

This was the Tsukiji Market Fish. Horseradish cream, pickled mustard seeds, fennel green apple snow. Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji Shijō) is a large wholesale market for fish, fruits and vegetables in central Tokyo. It is the most famous of over ten wholesale markets that handle the distribution of fish, meat, produce and flowers in Tokyo.  This was a fantastic dish.  The green apple snow (seen about 1 o'clock) was extremely tasteful combined with the creaminess of the horseradish.  The pickled mustard seeds balanced the dish and made it quite fantastic.

This was the most playful dish of the evening and is appropriately titled Milk and Cereal. Rice Flakes, Quail Egg, Bacon, Chicken Oyster, Truffle, Thyme Marshmallows, White Asparagus Milk. The milk itself came in a clear plastic carton that was fantastic in its originality and evoked the childhood years in the school cafeteria with the little milk cartons from grade school.

Here we can see the milk carton (partially) with the white asparagus milk being poured onto the cereal. This was probably one of my favorite dishes of the evening, and I felt like a kid eating cereal at my kitchen table at home many years ago.  The difference was the cereal had been elevated to pure ecstasy in taste.  The warm asparagus milk which was not overpowering, balanced the rice flakes which had been sweetened with simple syrup and the addition of the bacon and thyme marshmallows was genius.

Course four was the "From the Garden" course.  Live lettuce from Luna Farm, carrots, pistachio puree, curried raisins, cauliflower, goat cheese dirt, meyer lemon puree, duck skin crumble, almond milk crisps. Luna Farm is of course named for the Garces Family’s adorable Bull Dog and the region’s breathtaking harvest moons. Luna Farm is a sustainable, all-organic 40-acre farm in Ottsville, PA.  Here the highlight of the dish was probably the almond milk crisps and the duck skin crumble.  They added the special zest that the dish needed.

These were live sea scallops in a ham broth, clam croquette, edamame in salsa verde, and caviar. The clam croquette really did it for me. These breaded clam tidbits had just enough flavor to bring out the scallops and finish nicely with the edamame and broth.

This was perhaps one of the most emotional dishes of the evening.  The KFS or Kentucky Fried Squab, biscuit, celery root. It has been said that Chef Garces bought the same pressure fryer that KFC uses to make their fried chicken as an homage to his childhood years when his family would go on picnics and have KFC during these social, emotional family gatherings around the picnic table. In all, a fantastic dish, but I would argue the squab was ever so slightly undercooked.  For your information, in culinary terminology, squab is a young domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old, or its meat. The meat is widely described as tasting like dark chicken.

The seventh course was baby artichoke. Whipped olive oil, lemon, parmesan. This was probably the only dish I could have done without.  For me it did not add significantly to the meal.  It did serve to cleanse the palate between dishes here though in preparation for the 8th course.

Veta La Palma.  Seasonal fish, shrimp, bomba rice, fumet, nasturtium, espelette. The fumet was a condensed, reduced seasoned stock with mixed well with the nasturtium. Nasturtium is a genus of seven plant species in the family Brassicaceae (cabbage family), best known for the edible watercresses Nasturtium microphyllum (Rorippa microphylla) and Nasturtium officinale.

Beef on Embers.  Wagyu cooked on embers, beet root crema, provoleta, salsa criolla, charred pepper puree, nury potatoes. At this point in the meal, I felt like a sultan sitting on a high throne consuming Wagyu.  Wagyu (和牛 Wagyū?, literally "Japanese cow") refers to several breeds of cattle, the most desired of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from such wagyu cattle is known for its quality, and commands a high price.  The beet root, provoleta and salsa criolla was a nice combination tot he beef itself--bringing out intense flavor while being sure to be light enough as not to mask the taste of the meat itself.

The tenth course, Blossoms & Berries.  Elderflower panna cotta, whipped blackberry.  Simple and elegant.  This was a hit in my book.

This eleventh course was entitled Variations of Persimmon.  Winter spiced persimmon curd, creme fraiche, walnut powder, walnut crumble, anise hyssop. Persimmon is of course the orange edible fruit seen here with some delicious combinations, especially the anise hyssop.  The leaves and tiny lavender-blue flowers of anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) smell and taste of anise, but its square stems and opposite leaves tell you it belongs to a different family entirely, the Lamiaceae (Labiatae), or mint family.

The final course was Chocolate in Textures.  Caramelized white chocolate mousse, brown butter, 72% venezuelan chocolate, and liquid gold. Just over the top pretentiousness, and I savored every bite.  After this 12th course, the meal ends and you are given Petits Fours (some small treats) a copy of the menu and some delicious lollipops to exit.

The box of housemade petits fours include a caramel-chocolate truffle, miniature Madelines, tiny cubes of black currant pâté de fruit and a light-green mint marshmallow. It all makes for a memorable and vibrant movie that plays over and over in your head as you make your way home, sucking on the lemon-green tea lollipop handed to you on your way out the door.

Items of Note:

Posh contemporary glass tables with leather chairs set with lint-free napkins.

Waiters dressed in full suits and an open kitchen visible from the dining area.

Twenty Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA overlooking the street.  The huge floor to ceiling windows make this a fish bowl to passers by.  If you wish to be "seen" this is certainly the spot.