Pearl's Cafe Review

As promised, the full review of Pearl's Cafe. It was slightly edited for print, but I do not have an electronic version of that, and I do not have the time to hunt through for changes and to type. Sorry. I think we added something at the end, too. The long and short of it is EAT AT PEARL'S! Yum yum!

If one expects the façade of a restaurant to somehow advertise the quality of what is inside, Pearl's Café in Fremont will first confound then delight. The humble exterior yields absolutely nothing about the cuisine and setting that awaits the diner behind the red door that separates the restaurant from the front-yard/parking lot of what was once a humble single family home.

Although Pearl's is not in a rustic stone building in the countryside, nor has it the elegant formality of a classic haute cuisine restaurant, executive chef Christine Fahey is preparing food that will earn her a place in the canon of Bay Area culinary legends.

Starting with the freshest ingredients, Fahey uses her astounding inventiveness to combine the perfect blend of flavors and textures to live up to the dictum that in a well prepared meal, the diner should taste the food and not the cooking.

Fahey stands out from her peers by combining disparate ingredients while maintaining the integrity of the essential elements of the dish. For instance, in the first appetizer, clams and mussels in a tequila broth with tomatoes, avocado and cilantro (a special appetizer priced at $10), nothing is lost in a fog of competing flavors. Rather, the tequila structured the dish, while the cilantro and tomatoes provided a refreshing lift, with the edges rounded out by the avocado, leaving the center of the dish to be the wonderfully sweet and briny shellfish.

Our other appetizer, a goat cheese flan with fresh berries and baguette slices ($9) was exquisite. The warm flan was delicate and smooth, highlighting the flavor and texture of the goat cheese. The ripe, cool, seasonal berries counterbalanced the earthiness of the cheese with their sweetness and slight tartness.

All entrees are served with a choice of soup or salad (which can be ordered separately for $5 or $6, respectively). The salad, mixed organic greens with marinated red onions, blue cheese, strawberries, and toasted sunflower seeds, was an archtypical Californian salad. Perfectly dressed, the salad balanced the slight bitterness of the greens with the piquancy of the onions and cheese, the sweetness of the berries, and the nuttiness of the sunflower seeds.

The noble simplicity of Fahey's cuisine is exemplified in the soup of the day, which was a chilled melon and basil soup the evening we visited. Each bite of this soup exploded on the palate with two flavors that epitomize early summer. The soup was light and refreshing, a good palate cleanser between the appetizers and the main courses.

Choosing an entrée at Pearl's is one of those tasks that one undertakes with expectation and a touch of regret. From Cajun-spiced prawns sautéed and tossed in housemade barbecue sauce finished with a splash of cream over crisp fried polenta ($22) to semolina gnocchi stuffed with basil pesto and fresh mozzarella cheese ($18.50), everything on the menu tantalizes with daring combinations of fresh ingredients.

We chose the lightly smoked double cut pork chop on a warm German style potato salad with blackberry chutney and grilled asparagus ($23) and the daily special, a generous piece of escolar grilled and served with purple basmati rice, a coconut milk broth, carrots, broccoli, cilantro and a lemon grass aioli ($24). The pork was perfectly cooked, moist and not overpoweringly smoky. The sweet chutney was a good foil to the richness of the pork, and the heartiness of the potato salad. The only problem with our whole meal was the asparagus, which were slightly undercooked and should have either been peeled or had the bottom inch cut off.

The escolar was grilled to an even doneness, flaky and moist, and the preparation gave a pleasant Southeast Asian accent to the dish. The seasonings brought out the fish's delicate flavor, while the lemon grass aioli added richness that pushed the dish over the top.

For dessert we ordered the Scharfenberger chocolate and espresso crème brulee with almond biscotti and the fresh berry beggars purse with vanilla bean whipped cream and raspberry coulis (all desserts $6.50), both of which were outstanding. Each bite of the crème brulee was an explosion of chocolate and coffee flavor, with contrasting textures provided by the smooth custard and the crisp caramelized top. The biscotti were dipped in molten Scharfenberger chocolate and would have made a good dessert on their own.

The berry beggars purse was a buttery puff pastry base topped with an ample amount of warm coulis. Although the menu said it was to be finished with whipped cream, ours came with vanilla bean ice cream, which was a good contrast to the warm beggars' purse.

Portions of all of our dishes were generous, and the presentation of everything was appealing. All of the details of every dish were tended to with care and expertise. Even the bread, a homemade herb bread, and the homemade herbed butter were memorable.

Pearl's service is excellent, yet informal. Our server was exceptionally friendly, helpful, knowledgeable about the food, and attentive. The enthusiasm the staff has for the food is readily apparent in the attitudes of all the wait staff. Not only was our server able to recommend wines, but he gave us tastes of the wines available by the glass.

Pearl's Café's wine list is excellent, with some unusual varietals and blends alongside the usual offerings. Wine prices are reasonable, and the wine by the glass list is diverse enough to offer diners a match to any of the items on the menu.

In contrast to the rather subdued exterior, the interior of Pearl's Café is warm and inviting. Either in the two dining rooms or in the pleasant patio in the back, diners are surrounded by décor that harmonizes with the superb, yet unpretentious food Pearl's offers. The use of space in this small restaurant is efficient, yet does not feel cramped. There is ample room between the tables, and the noise level is acceptable.

Posted by erik at July 8, 2003 2:39 PM | TrackBack