March 2007
Alta
by Celia Cheng
Tempura Oysters
lychee foam, celery leaves, and chorizo oil
It’s really difficult to master the frying technique of tempura, but Alta seems to have done it. Tempura should be light and crisp. You’d expect this deep-fried oyster dish to be greasy and heavy, like the breaded deep-fried oysters we are accustomed to eating, but it is not. The tempura oysters are surrounded by a sea of lychee foam so light and aromatic that you feel rejuvenated after tasting it. Although the celery leaves are added as a garnish, their distinctive flavor leaves a refreshing aftertaste. The beautiful orange dots in this piece of artwork are chorizo oil. They not only add a visually stunning element to the dish but also embellish it with that irresistible flavor of chorizo. What’s not to love?
