As my birthday treat a couple of weeks back, my dad brought me out to @blackpearlsteak, a restaurant that he’s been talking about for years. Yes, I kid you not. Years. It used to be Perle Noir back in the day, but they transformed themselves from a high end steakhouse into a more casual steakhouse & grill.⠀
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The two French appetisers they’ve retained from their Perle Noir days are the escargots bourguignon ($14++) and the pan seared foie gras ($18++). The foie gras was stunningly & sinfully stellar, and I was absolutely awed by it. It’s a substantial slab of fatty liver from either a goose or a duck, and it was pan seared to nothing short of perfection. A charmingly charred crust concealed the gelatin-like liver within that quite literally melted on your tongue. It’s simply butter with a heavier, more gamey flavour, and it’s certainly an acquired taste. But goddamn do I love it.⠀
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It’s offset by a sweet and slightly sharp apple chutney & rosemary balsamic reduction, but even that can’t fully counter the hedonistic high from the ravishing richness of the fatty liver. If I were having my last meal right now, this fantastic foie gras would undoubtedly be my appetiser of choice. With an appetiser like this, I can’t lose.