Carte Blanche—True Fine Dining in Dallas

🌟Carte Blanche—doesn't the name just sound like the French version of Omakase? Hearing that it's a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star recommendation, I had to give it a try. 🦌 The first amuse-bouche consisted of a beet and cheese tart, a radish and Appalachian cheese sandwich with pesto, and a coconut corn porridge. After just these three small bites, I knew I was in for a treat. The flavors were perfectly balanced and appetizing, showing that the kitchen was genuinely focused on crafting delicious dishes, not just putting on a show. 🦌 The shrimp was presented in three different ways: raw shrimp dipped in buttermilk with a hint of lemongrass, shrimp head tempura stuffed into green peppers, and saffron shrimp broth. 🦌 I tasted the Pacific barrel-eye fish for the first time, served with mango foam and plantain crisps. The refreshing white fish flavor, complemented by the sweetness of mango and the crunch of fried chili peppers, was delightful. 🦌 I had the best foie gras mousse I've ever tasted. I usually dislike foie gras because it can easily become too gamey or greasy if not prepared well. But here, it was paired with freshly baked croissants from the restaurant and a chili sauce/pickled figs, which perfectly balanced the richness and made for a fantastic taste experience. 🦌 The scallops were served with caviar. The seaweed sherry soup and the scallops themselves were already rich and flavorful, but I highly recommend adding the almond-flavored caviar for an elevated taste experience. 🦌 Compared to the main courses, the desserts were slightly less impressive. The apple funnel cake, lemon chiffon cake, and small dessert station all felt very Americanized, a bit understated compared to the previous dishes, and extremely sweet (even using tart Granny Smith apples couldn't offset the sweetness). #Houston