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Before digging into her new digs, Monsod — the acclaimed toque behind downtown's Asian-fusion gem, Animae, and San Diego's first-ever James Beard Foundation Best Chef California finalist — ventured across the Atlantic to stage in high-profile Parisian kitchens. In doing so, she not only immersed herself in French restaurant culture but witnessed firsthand a multitude of cutting-edge innovations being put forth by the city's young, hungry chefs. is included techniques and ingredient combinations so avant-garde that they challenged time-honored French gastronomical tenets. at adventurous spirit inspired Monsod as she endeavored to update and personalize classic French cuisine for Le Coq, adding fresh, seasonal, and unexpected ingredients plus micro-infusions of her Asian heritage. e result is a menu that, while largely made up of French standards, is abundantly interesting thanks to clever twists lending one-of-a-kind status to many of Le Coq's dishes. ough billed as a steakhouse, one could just as easily enjoy a bistro- style experience, even skipping viande rouge altogether. Regardless, a house-made baguette gets things rolling in the right direction thanks in large part to imported French Pamplie butter. Rich yet airy, this "chef 's butter" is positively transportive. Compound versions infused with seaweed, caviar, and more are also available along with a jam du jour. ere is no incorrect choice here. << ranchandcoast.com 60 AUGUST 2024 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE