Locking myself in my house for the foreseeable future. This was one of the most expensive meals of my life. And I wish I could say it wasn’t worth it.
I made a last-minute booking. A YOLO moment, if you will. I almost went for the Quatro – A Four Course Session. That would have been the sensible decision. But am I a sensible gal? Never. I went for the 10-course Confiance Dinner. And of course, when I got there, I couldn’t help but get the wine pairing. I have a problem, ya’ll. I’m aware.
The Parking: An identical parking situation to Coro, but one lot over. This time, I made it in time to catch a dedicated spot for Foreigner guests.
The Atmosphere: This is fine dining at its finest. I always feel out of place, yet that never stops me. I could feel the elevated atmosphere as soon as I stepped in. An intimate chef’s table experience with just one long dinner table on the floor. Assuming they seat various parties together. For a fancy place, it’s a great concept to bring people together at one table. The entire staff is involved with setting things up, helping in the kitchen, and serving. A true team in tune with each other, with Chef Bruno leading the charge. He leads the chef’s table experience, but makes a point to go around to everyone. Adding a great personal touch to such an upscale experience.
The Food: As soon as I arrived, I was given a refreshing hibiscus pineapple beverage. Just a touch of sweetness, a nice start. There wasn’t a menu, and I already felt weird being that girl taking pics of everything. I didn’t write down what I was having. So some of this is from memory.
First bite was such a great bougie treat. A potato and turnip mousse, over a poached oyster, topped with brown butter crumble, and Osetra caviar. I mean, come on! I can’t even explain. The creamy sweetness of the mousse worked so well. The oyster was perfectly poached. And the saltiness of the caviar. There are a few things I love more than browned butter. What a great, thoughtful addition. And that was just the first bite!
The first of my wine flight was my favorite. I enjoyed it so much, they poured me some extra. A champagne – Philipponnat Réserve Perpétuelle Brut, to be specific. I took a photo. I may need to invest in it. Crisp, with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Next was a tartlet with caramelized banana at the bottom, with fois grois topped with a coconut whip. A combination of flavors I didn’t think was possible, but wow. The sweetness of the banana and coconut whip cut through the richness of the fois grois. A truly exciting dish.
The wines came out quicker than I was expecting. Next was a rosé. I appreciated that things started light and worked their way up. As I mentioned, nothing stacked up to the champagne for me. But I will say this paired rather nicely with the salad that came out with it.
The salad looked and sounded so simple, yet I would never be able to recreate it. Greens tossed in some good olive oil and parm. Accompanied by, I forget if it was a fruit or veg. It was mildly sweet, but added some texture and a different flavor profile. Plus some chopped hazelnuts. Why don’t I think of this? I feel like salads could be so fun if I put some effort into them! Anyways, if someone made this salad for me, I’d eat it on the regular.
Next wine was a light-ish red, a YL 2023. That’s pretty much all I can offer here. Twas good. Accompanied by a seafood dish. I couldn’t really give you details of what it was, but it was delicious. I do love that they plate the dishes in front of you. Watching the chefs put on the final touches is a show in itself. After that bite came a tower of small bites with charcoal cocoa sourdough bread. The highlights were the tartare bite and the sourdough with black garlic butter.
Even before I could finish my last glass, the next glass of wine was pouring. A Loire Valley-inspired wine from California, the 2023 Monte Rio Cellars Côt Lodi. Before continuing with the meal, there was a palate cleanser, a caja sherbert. I’m not familiar with the caja fruit. The sherbert was super refreshing. There was a hint of mango. A fun introduction to a new fruit I may have never known about.
Can’t deny, I was losing track of wine at this point. It was a Lucien Boillot & Fils Bourgogne. Just like the meal, the wines started light and built up over the meal. And then we entered the meat portion of the night. Plate of dry-aged Guinea Hen. Came as a cut of meat plus a sausage-like version covered with sweet potato as the ‘casing’. I appreciated two varieties. Both were flavored so well. One thing I love about tasting menus is trying things I may not otherwise order.
And we’re onto the last portion of the main course. Shouldn’t come as a surprise. I was beyond full at this point. The size of the tasting menu bites always deceives me. They seem so small, but it adds up!
Of course, a glass of Farella Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, a fuller-bodied red wine. And I really couldn’t tell you anything about it, because I barely took a sip. I was reaching past my limit in all ways. Paired with a cut of steak with mushrooms and some kind of starch. This dish was so nostalgic, of course, fancified. I want to say it reminded me of a fast-food meal, but I can’t put my finger on it. Whatever the sauce on the meat, combined with the meat, just brought me somewhere. It was cooked perfectly and was so delicious. After a bite, I had to pack it up as a snack for later.
But we still weren’t done yet. There was a coffee and sweets break, but I just could not. Luckily, I got all the sweets packed up to go. One macaron and 3 bonbons. I’ve tried the macaron, decadent and delicate, wonderful. I haven’t tried the bonbons yet. The coffee was probably the only thing all night I didn’t love. Less than average cup of Joe, imo.
Made it to the last few items of the night! A small glass of a white dessert wine, the Chateau Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2010. As expected, super sweet. It does the job. I appreciated that it was a smaller pour than the others. And finally, the main dessert for the evening, a take on the mille-feuille. A combination of flavors from chocolate, persimmon, yogurt, tahini, and pomegranate. Another refreshing dish, with a great crunchy texture. I had to pack it up, even though it had some shaved ice that would melt on top. I wasn’t letting anything go to waste.
Oh, and of course, this is one of the fancy places that give you a little treat on the way out. So with my macarons and bonbons, there were a few more sweet treats packaged up to go.
I barely made it, ya’ll. And yet, if I skipped lunch, I would have probably been fine. You know… If I actually planned.
I wish I could say this was a pretentious, nonsensical fine dining experience. Actually, no, I don’t. For the price point, this is exactly what I wanted. Thoughtful menu with locally and seasonally sourced ingredients, made into deliciously creative meals. And on top of that, a beautiful presentation. Then, the icing on the cake, attentive and friendly staff.
Now, I will not be going back soon. Well, maybe for that Quatro – A Four Course Session… But not for a while! The 10-course is $195. It makes me guilty admitting I spent that much on food. Especially in these times. Food experiences like this are what make dealing with the corporate hamster wheel worth it for me. So even though I won’t be able to frequent Foreigner, I have no regrets and am so grateful to have been able to dine here.
Rating: 9.8/10
Address: 2816 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32803
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