Kat's 9 Lives

OMG! I am so upset! I don't know what is wrong, if it's the camera or the SD card. All my pictures of Saturday are GONE! GONE! GONE! SOB SOB SOB SOB SOB! I went to try out this new restaurant that I really wanted to write about and I even ordered the Seared Foie Gras for lunch! All my effort was for nothing. =*( There were only a few pics that didn't disappear so I will post without pictures for now. Luckily I liked the place and I will be back, but it won't ever be the same dishes. =*( Tofu and I went to Marche Moderne in South Coast Mall. It's the new restaurant that has replaced Troquet.
They brought out fresh bread while preparing the Seared Foie Gras with Thin Slices of Nectarine and Brioche. I liked their French bread and Tofu had a sour dough with grains on the crust. The bread comes out warm so the fresh butter glides on easily. The Foie Gras presentation was only so-so. The brioche was not what I would thought it to be. It was like a piece of bread embedded with raisins. The nectarines were very thinly sliced, but I don't know if it really complimented the Foie Gras. At first I really hated the brioche because it was crumbly and a little dry, but the flavor was good. I don't know if the components really worked well with one another. This was $23 for an appetizer and if you go for lunch they have a great deal for about the same price! It's definitely better to get the lunch than this appetizer.
I really wanted to try this place because it offered a power lunch menu that I read rave reviews about. It's called the Spontanée Menu, hence it changes daily. Our first course was the Cucumber, Fingerling Potato Salad, Cold Smoked Salmon, Dill Crème Fraîche Dressing atop Arugula. I am actually not a huge dill fan but the flavor was not overpowering. I tried everything individually and it was only okay. They worked much better when you put it all in a one bite. The flavor becomes evenly dispersed and becomes very delectable. It was actually a very generous portion.

For my main course I had Sauteed Argentinean Shrimp, Truffle & Sweet Corn Pottage and Bacon Risotto. I swear I had all these nice pictures for every dish and I am HORRIBLY DEPRESSED & ANGRY that they are gone. This dish came out in a totally different way than I imagined. It came like a soup. The risotto was in the center with 5 shrimps atop and engulfed in the sweet corn pottage. I couldn't really taste the truffle flavor, but the pottage was delicious. The bacon risotto wasn't that good and was super salty. You really need the pottage to balance the flavor, but in the end I left some risotto on the plate because it was not worth me finishing. That actually says a lot, because being Asian we are taught to never waste food. Tofu ordered the Braised Lamb Cheeks, Mint Emulsion, and Moroccan Couscous. I am actually not a big fan of couscous. They actually gave a lot of lamb and the presentation was nice. The flavor was only okay to me, but the meat was very tender and flavor.

For dessert they serve the Gateau du Jour with a Berry Sorbet. It was a Chocolate Fondant with Raspberry Sorbet and a slice of Strawberry on top. The dessert was very chocolaty and sweet, but good. I am not a big fan of raspberries but the sorbet was nice and balanced the sweetness.

All in all the food was good and it's a great deal. It really makes me nostalgic for the power lunches I have in NY. The service was very friendly and attentive, maybe a little too attentive. They weren't that busy for lunch on Saturday. There was also this shameless woman from Fendi advertising. Luckily she didn't come to our table, or I would be furious because I find it distasteful and cheap. This is another reason why I would never want Fendi, blech! Definitely try this place for lunch, I think I will probably be back soon. Especially since I was robbed of my photos! I have to go back soon so I can get more pictures! ^_^