The Perfect Dish, Lamb Chops at Ten-01

Every once in a while I come across a dish at a restaurant that is really special. A dish that lingers in my mind for days and makes me want to stick my nose right into the plate to inhale the rich aromas. I love that giddy feeling of anticipation of knowing that I’m about to have a great meal. I’ve been known to drive for hours for that feeling and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve spent the last few dollars in my checking account all for the love of Duck Confit. With that in mind I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite dishes around town. So for the maiden voyage of The Perfect Dish I want to tell you about the roasted lamb chops at Ten01.

In May of 2007 Jack Yoss came to Portland as the executive chef for Ten01. Most recently he was the executive chef for the W Hotel in Los Angeles and prior to that he was the chef de cuisine at Wolfgang Pucks Postrio Restaurant in San Francisco. At Ten01 he has put together a great menu that focuses on seasonal American cuisine made with local sustainable meats and produce.

The first time I had the roasted Lamb Chops at Ten01 I thought to myself, this is the perfect dish. If you closed your eyes and thought about what spring tastes like, this was it. Here is how the dish plays out. The lamb chops are roasted to a beautiful medium rare and served on the bone. They are resting on top of an incredibly smooth creamy sweet onion puree and surrounded by fava beans, pea shoots and goat cheese gnocchi. The dish is then finished off with a bright herbaceous gremolata made with orange zest, rosemary and chilies.

From my description the dish sounds nice enough, but what you really have to experience for yourself is the goat cheese gnocchi. They are magic. These gnocchi are not actually made with potato, but they have the same size and texture of gnocchi. They are like small little pillows of lightly browned goat cheese. The tangy creaminess of the gnocchi plays so well with rich lamb.

It’s been really fun to watch this dish evolve over the last several months as the seasons changed. Sometimes the puree has changed and vegetables changed through the summer to include squash and others things. Currently the lamb chops are served with honey glazed baby parsnips and toasted walnuts. In its current form the lamb is settling in for winter.

So go try the roasted lamb chops and while you are there be sure to get to know Erica Landon. She is one of Portland’s top sommeliers. I’m sure she’ll be able to pick out an incredible bottle of wine to go with that lamb.

Ten01
1001 NW Couch St.
Portland OR 97209
503 266 DINE