#81: Ludo Bites

As promised in #80: Oh No You Didn't Desserts! , here is a whole post dedicated to one of the most creative and dare I say shocking meals I have ever enjoyed. Now let me start by saying that Chef Ludo Lefebvre is not only one of the new breed of tattooed "rock star" chefs in the kitchen, he is also a nomadic culinary mad scientist. Yes, nomadic. Surprisingly, Chef Ludo doesn't have his own restaurant. Instead, he takes over restaurants guerilla style with little warning. His last take over was at the Breadbar in Mid-City West, and foodies converged on this little space like little hungry piggies. Speaking of piggies, did you see Chef Ludo freaking out over his pigs ear quesadillas on Top Chef Masters? How can you not instantly like the guy after that performance?

Ok, onto the food. We ordered:

Pork Belly, Asian Marinade, Mustard Ice Cream, Frisee, Vadouvan: My favorite dish of the night. The pork belly was melt in your mouth, and the mustard ice cream on top of the frisee was surprisingly refreshing after all that fatty pork.

Fried Chicken in Duck Fat, Fingerling Potato, Tapenade, Red Bell Pepper Ketchup: Tasted like good fried chicken. Not my favorite dish, but the red bell pepper ketchup was a nice addition.

Black Croque-Monsieur, Ham, Foie Gras, Cherry, Amaretto: I loved the presentation of this dish--ham sandwiched between two slabs of soot black toast with cherry sauce underneath. The toast isn't burnt--it's dyed with squid ink! It was like a piece of art and was so sinfully rich.

Vanilla Panna Cotta, Caramel, Caviar: Tiny. I mean, the size of a half dollar. The mix of salty, sweet and creamy always works. Great (tiny) dish.

Chocolate Cup Cake, Chantilly, Foie Gras, Candied Bacon-Almonds, Maple Syrup: I'm a sucker for chocolate paired with bacon. Geez louise, this was a CRAZY dessert. The candied bacon-almonds sprinkled on top were chewy, like toffee. The bacon added a wonderful smokey aftertaste to the dessert.

Oh, and did I mention the complimentary bread with lavender honey butter? I never knew butter could be so addictive!

Chef Ludo Lefebvre