COUPAGE

She says:
My first visit to this charming restaurant in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood was in early August, to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Following a fabulous dinner, I knew that I had to take Downtown Boy back. I was sure that he would love it as much as me (and GQ magazine, which recently named it the restaurant to dine at on a weekend getaway to Seattle). Luckily for us, the stars aligned…

The restaurant itself is delightful. The cool blue walls are warmed by booths the color of red wine, and a black and white mural covers the upper half of one wall with Parisian-style sketches of couples in a swirling café. It’s a small space, and both times I was there it was relatively empty, which made it feel all the more intimate.

Coupage is French for “blending,” which is exactly what the chef, Thomas Hurley, does with his flavors (largely Asian) and cooking techniques (mainly French). The result is a menu full of unique and delicious items.

He says:
We started dinner off with the pumpkin custard crab cakes. The freshness of the crab came through easily enough, but I had difficulty registering the pumpkin. Perhaps the palettes of those with finer sensibilities can glean the pumpkin flavor in the custard, but I couldn’t. To me it simply tasted like a pretty good crab cake.

She says:
On my first visit, I had roasted duck breast that was cooked to perfection – juicy and tender, with a slender line of fat bordering each slice of meat. The details of the rest of my meal are hazy to me now, but I remember being incredibly impressed by the side dishes as well (look at the picture and use your imagination to fill in the details).

My second time around, the menu had changed with the season, and I have to admit to being rather disappointed. It seemed heavily weighted toward beef and pork, neither of which I eat. Even the duck dish contained venison sausage. In this situation, I would normally choose a fish dish instead, but the offerings included Chilean sea bass, which is a big no-no according to the venerable Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Fortunately, my mom agreed to split the Apple Wood mesquite smoked chicken, which serves two. As far as chicken goes, this is probably as good as it gets. The meat was incredibly soft and not the least bit dry, and was saturated with complex smoky undertones. The chicken liver fried rice that came with was a little overpowering, mainly because I don’t like the taste of liver.

He says:
I ordered the famous “Coupage burger,” a freshly ground short rib patty served with seared foie gras, red onion kimchi, and tomato confit on a kaiser roll. It also comes with three different dipping sauces. I’ve had chichi burgers in the past, and this is one of the best of that fashionable genre. The meat was perfectly grilled, and the kimchi’s bite offset the richness of the foie gras – an excellent pairing. Still, when it comes to burgers, I believe simplicity rules. At the end of the day, I prefer a bold, juicy cheeseburger from Red Mill or Bartley’s over the subtle elements of a “glamburger.”

She says:
Over the course of my two visits to Coupage, I managed to try five different desserts, all of which were very good. My favorite was the opera gateau, whose distinct orange flavor, combined with rich chocolate and light layers of cake, really made it stand out.

Dinner at this enchanting neighborhood spot is not a cheap endeavor, but it’s worth the splurge. Although the menu could use some fine-tuning to be more environmentally friendly (not an unreasonable request in Seattle), the food itself is fabulous.



He says:
Without question Coupage has got it going on. But I’d need more than a fancy hamburger to give it five forks.



Coupage
http://www.coupageseattle.com/
1404 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122