Table No. 10

We had a very good meal at Table No. 10 earlier this year and I’ve been wanting to return again. So last weekend, we had a dinner there and also did some catching up with some friends. Unfortunately, we were in a very dark corner of the restaurant so the photos didn’t come out so well.

Red Velvet Smoke 

On our first visit, we tried a cocktail for 2 involving dry ice called the Flux Capacitor. We really enjoyed the drink and so we were interested in a new one added to the menu, Velvet Smoke.

Made with dry ice, the beaker came out bubbling. Unfortunately, it was too dark for me to capture it. I did manage to get one semi-decent photo when my camera took in the light  from one of my dinner companion’s camera.

The drink had a blackberry puree base that made it look like red velvet. It was smooth and strong, with hints of smoke, but I preferred the Flux Capacitor we tried last time.

Scallop, Pork Belly, Sunchoke, Coconut Cream, Natural Reduction

On our previous visit, this was our favorite dish. I had to have it again, and I was pleased to find it tasted exactly the same. The pork belly was moist and tender, the scallops plump and sweet.

Robuchon Potatoes

I was really excited to see this new addition to the menu. I’ve had Joel Robuchon’s famous potatoes before once at The Mansion in Las Vegas. They are like no other mashed potatoes I’ve ever tasted. Velvety smooth, extremely rich, with such a thick consistency that it clings to your throat as you swallow. I remember researching it soon after tasting them for the first time. It’s a lot of work and a ton of butter. Too labor intensive for me so I’ve never attempted it, which is why I was really excited to see Table No. 10 offering it.

You can see the way the layers sit up, instead of just blending into each other. TYou need to eat this in small bites, otherwise you might have trouble swallowing because it is so heavy. I thought Table No. 10’s version wasn’t quite as thick and rich as the Robuchon version I previously tasted, but these were still pretty good and I scraped up every last bit.

Duck Confit, Parsnip Puree, Market Mushrooms, Squash Agnolotti, Orange Gastric

By this time, I was having difficulty seeing the food which made it a little harder to enjoy. I liked the duck confit, but wished the skin was a tad crisper. I also really enjoyed the buttery, savory mushrooms.

Because I was so busy chatting, I was not being a good food blogger that evening and didn’t actually take any photos of the food from the rest of the table. Our friends seemed to enjoy their choices, but not to the level of the dishes they had tried on their previous visit.

Overall, we had a solid meal here. We were a little sad that some of our favorites from our previous visit were no longer on the menu, but were also excited to see new additions like the Robuchon potatoes. There was also a Tiramisu donut that looked enticing, though we were too full to indulge. While this visit wasn’t quite as good as our first, I still enjoy the food and atmosphere here and would return again.

You can read about my first visit (with much clearer photos) here.

Menu:

Table No. 10
369 10th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101