10 course "Spanish Kaiseke" - the intersection between Spanish and Japanese cuisines.

Crane's was a gamble that paid off. Our dinners were booked but "Spanish Kaiseke" was too curious a description to avoid. I love each separately - how do you combine those? What's that like? A reasonably priced ($150 for 10 courses) lunch seemed in order.

Walking in, you are struck with how enormous this place is. It has to seat...200 people? A very unique feature for a Michelin restaurant. On this Monday lunch (on the federal holiday of Juneteenth), the seats were mostly empty. Maybe 20 people total in the end. We were oddly sat at a small table tucked against a support beam, while other more spacious tables were literally within reach. Our very friendly and informal server gladly moved us when we requested it. 

Pacing was also curious. The meal was slow. Like, way too slow. Courses came out every 20 minutes or so. In the end, I requested the check with our final course so we could get out of there. It had been almost 3 hours at that point. Too long for small bites in an empty restaurant for lunch service. Made me wonder how this place functions when all chairs are full.

We received a very brief overview of the restaurant's vision. The chef is from Spain but lived in Singapore and went to Japan a lot - hence "Spanish Kaiseke". There was so much more opportunity for a deeper dive into the vision, the meal to come and placing everything within context. For such a unique concept, it was warranted.

The food got off to an odd start. The first dish - Tomato chata, cherry kombucha, cocoa nibs - was not our favorite. It worried me that this gamble was a poor one. 

But that's where it ended. Every other course made sense, was well cooked and varying levels of delicious. Plating was very creative, varied and fun. The scallop dish was the standout. Brilliant in conception and execution. I still crave that back-of-the-throat heat that teased and grew just enough with every spoonful. The lamb 3 ways was outstanding and perfectly cooked. (I do love my lamb.) The desserts were also standouts. The Shiso anglaise with strawberry was very unique and shockingly delicious. Didn't think I had much room left but the way I devoured the final chocolate dessert begged to differ.

This would be a fun night out. It won't break the bank for a rich and varied meal. I'm not sure it hits the mark of a must try, but if I lived in DC, I would find my way back here regularly. Solid cooking for an excellent price point.

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