Super Satisfied with Fine Dining in Seattle

Where to eat in Seattle - Cafe Juanita 📍Kirkland 🌕 Having recently dined at Altura, we approached Fine Dining with a “no expectations, no disappointment” mindset. But Cafe Juanita truly surprised us! Everything was delicious and totally understood our palates. 😋 🌕 The amuse-bouche was a truffle series, which even surprised my husband who isn’t a truffle fan. 🤣 🌕 For the second appetizer, one was raw beef and the other a seafood medley (scallop, marinated shrimp, octopus). Both were fantastic, with flavors that blended perfectly and were incredibly fresh! 🌕 Next was porcini mushrooms with aged Parmesan. The porcini flavor was intense, and I found it amazing with the cheese, but my husband wasn’t too fond of the taste. 🌕 The fourth course was a beetroot salad, sweetly seasoned to counterbalance the saltiness of the previous dishes, paired perfectly with goat cheese. 🌕 The refresher that followed was also delightful, with a raspberry flavor (so much better than Altura’s cilantro flavor…). 🌕 For the main course, we chose venison and Seabass. I was excited yet nervous about the venison due to its low fat content, fearing it might be tough or not tender. But it was cooked to perfection, incredibly tender, rivaling the tenderness of wagyu! The roasted cauliflower on the side was also delicious, making this the most impressive dish for me. The seabass was very mild in flavor, served with a pumpkin consommé, tender but personally, I found the venison much more enjoyable. 🤣 I might prefer the seabass if it were dry-fried or steamed like a traditional Cantonese dish with soy sauce. 🤣🤣🤣 🌕 For dessert, we had chocolate hazelnut and cheese. The chocolate hazelnut was pleasantly good, but the cheese was the best I’ve had here! 🌕 Overall experience: The pacing was spot on, the food more accessible, the service was good, and the menu allowed for substitutions. Personally, I was much more satisfied with Cafe Juanita than Altura. 😆 However, they did mention at the start that there’s an additional 4% charge for kitchen staff, separate from the tip. A set menu is $205, and with drinks, various service fees, it’s not a cheap meal either. 🫠 #Seattle #SeattleLife #SeattleWeekend #SeattleEats #SeattleFoodExploration #SeattleDaily #SeattleEastSide