🔪 Carefully-Crafted Omakase with The Foreigner
“The mission of The Foreigner is to cut the barrier between the chef and guests while culturally showing people what else is out there,” says Bruno Fonseca, the Chef behind The Foreigner, “I want to introduce the guests to something more refined, but still approachable.”
The Foreigner is a multi-course, omakase that allows an intimate group of strangers to break bread together. This close-knit dining experience often takes place at The Heavy in Winter Park, with the backdrop of rich greenery and chic decor. The dim lighting and bar seating sets a cozy ambiance that harbors a relaxing vibe.
This particular omakase experience featured Peninsula cuisine, focusing on Portuguese and Spanish influences. Check out the 5 rounds of rich flavor!
🍲 Beet Beginning
This dish was an action-packed start to the meal, featuring beet sorbet atop a Fromage Blanc. The earthy taste of the beet sorbet was balanced out with the sweet and floral flavors of tarragon and orange, complimented by honey-pickled beet beside it. The salmon roe threw a curve ball with its saltiness, making the dish much more complex.
🍄 Mushroom
The focal point of this dish was bone marrow-stuffed mushroom atop a cut of rare beef. The mushroom was slightly chewy, accented by the hint of onion flavor from a smear of Soubise. The mild bitterness of the celery and parsley salad balanced out the rich flavors from the caviar and bone marrow.
🐟 Brandade
This land-and-sea dish is composed of pork belly confit alongside salted cod fish. The potato, olive oil, and garlic delivered classic Portuguese flavors. The pork belly is topped with a quail egg that offered creaminess with its yolk. The overall flavor is amplified with the tomato and anchovy sauce. The saltiness of all these components are balanced by the wine pairing and locally-sourced mustard greens that are grown hydroponically.
🥘 Paella
This course offered a refreshing twist to a classic paella by including rabbit confit, which added a gamey flare to the dish. The meaty tang was continued with duck meat, atop a bed of rice that offered the seafood element to the bowl. The rice is prepared with lobster stock and squid ink for a robust ocean flavor. The handmade chorizo added an additional layer of saltiness.
The closing dish was a chocolate tart, prepared with coffee chantilly and accented with pistachio. The sweet-bold combination of the chocolate and coffee was the perfect ending, with additional texture from the pistachio crust.
The Foreigner offers an extremely detailed dining experience with a roller coaster of flavors. The layers of each course are highly complex, yet extremely balanced to prevent the dishes from feeling overwhelming. The dining experience works in tandem with carefully selected music, featuring songs like Ben E. King’s Stand By Me to set an intimate vibe. I would recommend this experience for anyone looking to expand their flavor palette, as I’ve learned a lot about Peninsula flavor combinations eating through each course. The close-knit group setting allows people to disconnect from major stresses in life, and connect with each other.
“I want to create a special experience for each of my guests,” clarifies Bruno, “I want you to come as you are, and remember why food is the common link between everyone.”
