I had the pleasure of dining at Le Petit Cochon last night for the first time, and all I can say is wow, y’all. Like, super wow. I have a new favorite restaurant in Seattle. Chef Derek and his team are absolutely killing it and while they claim they aren’t for the “pretentious diner”, the dishes are incredibly elevated. They employ a “Nose to Tail” philosophy here which means they use every part of the animal possible and are committed to using only the freshest Pacific Northwest ingredients from local farmers.
Arancini over Oyster Potage
The evening began with a little amuse-bouche and it was the perfect bite to warm up my palate. I was not familiar with arancini, but they are basically stuffed rice balls that are fried (yes, please). Come to think of it, I didn’t know what potage was either (it’s just a thick soup) and it was bomb.
Pork Tartare with Chiccarrones, Nuoc Cham, Carrot Ginger Purée and Peanut
The first real course was a pork tartare. Yes, that’s right, a pork tartare. I have seen lots of steak tartares in my life, but never pork. It was outstanding. I’m looking back at the menu now and realizing this dish had peanuts in it – I hate peanuts and this dish was so yummy, I didn’t even notice. I could eat a tub of this tartare.
Tuna Noodle Bowl: Neah Bay Albacore Meatballs, Ikura Roe, Sesame Noodle Salad, Pepper Purée, Lotus Root Chips, Nori Vin, Cilantro, Mint
This dish was almost too pretty to eat (almost)! I don’t think I’ve had tuna meatballs before; these were fantastic. The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente and the lotus root chips brought the added texture that set this dish off.
Send Gnudes: Ricotta Gnudi, Mushroom Ragout, Nettles, Hazelnut Butter, Black Lemon Yogurt, Sunchoke and Blackbean Vin, Crispy Sunchokes
The name of this dish just tickles me, y’all. I dig the wordplay and I love gnudi! Gnudi is similar to gnocci but better in my opinion because instead of potatoes, you use ricotta. These were like little pillows full of creamy ricotta cheese. Until the final course came (see next photo), this was my favorite dish of the evening.
Olson Farms Phat Ass Pork Chop: Kale Raab, Grilled Carrots, Confit Cherry Jam, Onion Strings, Bagna Cauda Vin, Salsify
I think the photo speaks for itself. Holy cow (pig?), y’all. This phat ass pork chop was so damn good. I left nothing but bone and I was seriously tempted to pick the bone up and chew on it. (Real lady like, right?) I have never had a pork chop so tender and flavorful. I eat my fair share of meat, but I’m really more of a beef girl. This is one of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever had and I’ll absolutely be back to have it again. There’s also a Foie Burger on the menu; that’s on my list of things to eat here next.
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