Elements — Restaurant in Princeton

I came with my dad for the 16 course tasting menu. It’s organized into 6 bites, 5 seafood dishes, 1 vegetarian dish, duck, wagyu, and 2 desserts, plus a bread basket and petit fours. We didn't realize that it would take 4 hours. We didn't eat slowly; there were gaps between the larger courses which seemed unintentional, like the kitchen was struggling to keep up. While we enjoyed the longer experience, I think the expected length is something guests should know when reserving.

Some miscellaneous thoughts: The stuffed oysters had a nice crunch, and acidity from the charred lemon. The smoked brassicas were served on a plate filled with charcoal lumps (still not sure how I feel about that), and the outside was nicely crunchy, contrasting with the creamy interior. From here, I feel that the savory dishes were all very rich (they usually either had a thick cream somewhere or used fatty meat) with little crunch, acidity, or tanginess to balance it out. Palate cleansers (e.g. sushi ginger) would have helped a lot.

The first dessert, the white chocolate with anise, was a perfect palate cleanser, beautiful, and delicious, and my favorite menu item. The tuna served 4 ways was fun, and the vegetarian dish was amazing. I found the bread crusts in the breadbasket to be tough to bite off, but the inner sections of bread were delicious, as was the butter.

For the prawn dish (where we were served one delicious bowl of soup with a flan-like texture, and a separate crunchy part), we were told to finish with the crunchy part. However, I would have preferred to start with crunchy and wash it down with the soup. I think leaving people to eat in the order they desire would work better here. The duck also tasted just a tad tough.

Other than that, the individual dishes were delicious, although as mentioned, more textural variety and acidity, or palate cleansers, would really make each dish’s flavors stand out more. I found myself craving lettuce throughout. Something light, cool, crunchy, and refreshing to contrast with the fattiness and creaminess.

The dish presentations were showstoppers. Snapping turtle served in a turtle’s shell, whole crab claws with burnt ends to create a gorgeous ombre, fish collars with fish fins sticking out and lovely green and yellow flowers/leaves draped on top, mother-of-pearl plates, etc. Definitely ostentatious and unique. My dad felt that it bordered on faffiness, but I suppose that may be expected at this price point (the bill was $520 for 2, including gratuity and 1 mocktail).

The lighting is dimmed to something comfortable and relaxing. You can see the theme in the decor, with many of the items recalling earth, water, air and fire. The open kitchen is so cool. I loved seeing the chefs pluck fresh herbs from the plants. And I appreciate the high quality and variety of ingredients used. Nothing overdone like truffles or caviar.

A note on service—our main server Caroline was clearly the most experienced. She was warm and friendly, and absolutely elevated our experience. However, some dishes were brought out by servers who I think didn't realize that with the ambient noise, it was difficult for us to hear them while they were explaining the dishes to us.

There was also the issue that, when putting the plates down, the cutlery sometimes got upended. Given that everything was put on placemats, I'd hope that the restaurant would train its staff on how to place the cutlery using the placemats as a guide to ensure proper distancing. Also—empty water glasses. Sometimes, our water glasses were filled up promptly, and sometimes they weren't.

Overall, I can't say I'd recommend the 15-course chef's menu, given the price point and the issues I've mentioned. My dad and I certainly enjoyed our time here. The dish presentation was truly extraordinary and unique, even amongst the fine dining places we've been, and seems to be where the team truly excels. However, there are some obvious improvements that could be made to the food...

I spent New Year's Eve with my sweetheart at elements and were impressed by the dining experience, in particular, the boldness of flavors that graced our palates. We are admittedly not accustomed to upscale gastronomy, but wanted to try to 5-course tasting menu to sample the experience. As far as tasting menus, we were surprised by the small portions, but understood by the end of the meal that everything added up to ensure our satiety. We did not have wine with our meal so cannot comment on the quality of the pairings.

Prior to our first course, we were served an amuse bouche - a potato-leek vichyssoise that was delicious, and cleansed our palate. Even my sweetheart, not the biggest fan of daring accents of flavor during this course, enjoyed the offering.

For our first course, we had the foie gras torchon and composed salad of citrus, buratta, avocado and absinthe. I savored the buttery texture and flavor of the foie gras, particularly when mixed with the tarragon sherbert, not too different from foie gras dishes at other restaurants I've been too but still well-executed. I also tried the salad but was less impressed by the flavor profile - the buratta was tasty however, and was a new flavor for us. I wonder if the absinthe confused our palates.

During our second course, we both had the crispy skate with onion ring, potato salad and remoulade. The fried skate was cooked perfectly, though the fried coating was thick in some places. It mixed well with the tartar-sauce-like remoulade. The potato salad was fantastic, and the onion ring was very light, similar to ones served at Cheeburger Cheeburger.

Our third course was the pasta course in which we had the chestnut agnolotti stuffed with smoked ricotta and cavatelli highlighted by celery root. The chestnut agnolotti (similar to ravioli) was perhaps the best dish of the evening - an explosion of the succulent ricotta flavor with each bite. The cavatelli was also delicious, although reminiscent of a cream of spinach - one of my favorites.

During our meat course, I had dared to try the dry-aged wagyu beef. We were told it was a rare beef in the states, and it really had the melt-in-your-mouth wow factor. I certainly enjoyed the 2 oz on my plate. My sweetheart had the 48 hour (sous vide) short rib and loved it as well.

We concluded with the chocolate souffle, which screamed pure indulgence. It was complemented well with a homemade pistachio ice cream.

Overall, we loved the bold flavors and their progression throughout the meal from the lightness of the vichyssoise, the smoothness of the foie gras, the parcels of sweet ricotta in the agnolotti and the savory wagyu beef - a pleasurable journey that relaxes into the warm sweetness of the souffle.

Some other thoughts: Absolutely beautiful exterior, and the interior boasted an edgy modern design The ambiance was very elegant, although the lighting was a bit dark Expect to use the valet parking - I felt I didn't have a choice The service was exceptional and courses were brought out in perfect timing The bread basket had its own highlights, and did much to fill the rest of our stomachs in light of the small portions of the meal The petit fours at the end offered a nice variety of...

We opted to celebrate our 6-year wedding anniversary at Elements in Princeton, and were incredibly amazed and satisfied with the journey that the culinary team and staff took us on. Yes, that is correct, journey is how we would describe our experience with Elements.

For starters, Elements is located in the same building (uses same entryway) as Mistral. It took us a bit to figure that part out, but once we did the check-in was hassle free. We were able to sit and have a couple of starter drinks at the bar downstairs until we were seated at our reserved time.

Located on the second floor, the venue emanated with a speakeasy-vibe as you ascend into a totally different arena of what would have been the same restaurant. You are immediately greeted with quite a busy open-kitchen before being promptly seated at one of the 9 distinct tables. We were seated at one of the two tables located on the far end of the venue (furthest from the kitchen) in a glass bubble of sorts that overlooked Witherspoon street. It was not what we expected in regards to the layout, but it turned out to be very enjoyable.

The entire staff was engaging from start to finish. Once seated, we were greeted at different times by an entourage of specialists. From utensil change outs to course presentation, the entire service was immaculate. A key highlight and note - the sommelier provided an experience in-itself with the wine pairing add-on. Our sommelier was very knowledgeable and passionate about the wines that were curated for the experience, providing rich details and history about each pairing. Additionally, our sommelier had a very enjoyable personality and attitude which added to our unique dining experience. It was a thrill to converse with the sommelier throughout.

The reservation required that we select one of two prix fixe tastings. We opted for the 5-course tasting which turned out to be quite filling. Additionally, the prix fixed menu offered add-ons and "upgrades" at additional costs that serve to amplify the tasting. As oyster-lovers, we naturally added those for ours starters. The delivery of the oysters was interesting with the ponzu sauce and roe. They weren't the best oysters we had, but they played ultimately into of the culinary plan that was expertly masterminded by the creative passion of the chef.

Thereafter, we were treated to the amazing courses that were rewarding both to the taste and visual senses. The plating and presentation of each course built upon each other until we arrived at the main course. As stated before, the add-on oysters prepared our taste buds for the ensuing fusion of the various flavors that were expertly crafted to give our appetites the fullest enjoyment. Accompanying each course were generous portions of the wine pairing that helped further bring out these flavors.

The last dining experience we had with a prix fixe menu prior to Elements was at Picasso in Las Vegas, Nevada. Elements wins hands-down with no contest in regards to experience, tastes, and pricing. It was a dining experience we would not forget. 10/10 would recommend to anyone seeking to make memories...