Thursday, August 7, 2014

Bistro Blanc's Janny Kim Having Success In The Kitchen And In The Mason-Dixon Challenge

The chef from Bistro Blanc is carrying the Howard County flag into a local battle among restaurants.

Janny Kim has reached the semi-finals of the Mason-Dixon Challenge, a contest where chefs cook head-to-head similar to Iron Chef or other reality shows.

Kim takes on a Timonium chef on Monday in "Battle South East Asia" at the Inn At The Collonade in Baltimore.  You can buy tickets to the event.

We need to get out and give Bistro Blanc another try.  In April, the Glenelg restaurant got a resounding review from Richard Gorelick in the Sun.  Gorelick loved everything from small plates to fish to dessert.  It's another place on my list to re-try.

8 comments:

  1. We were unimpressed like you were when we went a couple years back. But the food was excellent, the service was just not there. We def. will retry too.

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  2. Best restaurant in howard county by far!

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  3. I heard the chef was only 25 but handsome so my girlfriends and I made reservations to Bistro Blanc the following day. The service was mediocre but ALL the food was very well composed. Chef Kim is not only easy on the eyes but so are his dishes.

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  4. Anyone else heard the rumor that Bistro Blanc may be moving from its current location in Glen Elg?

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  5. We have confirmed that Bistro Blanc will be moving from its current location in Glenelg to a location near Route 32 and Cedar Lane. The move won't be happening until 2016 as the construction has yet to begin.

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  6. We've dined at Bistro Blanc in Glenelg many times and have always enjoyed our meals, but on our latest visit a few weeks ago, the chef truly outdid himself. We began with the crispy Brussels sprouts in a maple and lime glaze and the soup du jour, a split pea with pork belly and apple salad. The soup was inventive and complex, with anise, cardamom, Vietnamese cinnamon and black and white pepper adding a spicy punch to the broth. A small micro-salad served atop croutons sat in the middle of the bowl. This was totally unexpected and a true gastronomic treat. Our entrees included the lamb burger and the absolute star of the evening, the grouper. The burger was cooked perfectly and served with crisp, fresh cut fries. The grouper was perhaps the best seafood dish I have ever had in a restaurant--it was cooked perfectly with flesh that had an almost creamy texture. It was served atop a heavenly mix of roasted edamame & hazelnut chutney, wild hedgehog mushrooms, pickled pearl onions, and micro arugula. A burnt miso 'butterscotch' emulsion also adorned the plate . I'm usually not at a loss for words when describing my dining experiences here on OpenTable, but this dish left me speechless and bested meals we have had at Volt, Alchemy, Highland Inn and Tersiguel's. Bartender/waiter Andy provided wonderful service and solid menu recommendations, as usual. A fantastic job all around. If you've not been in a while, you must go back.

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  7. Unfortunately, Chef Kim has departed Bistro Blanc as of the end of 2015. You can definitely tell the difference in the way the food is prepared and presented. Pity.

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  8. Yes, you are correct Chef Kim is no longer at Bistro Blanc and now that their transition phase is completed the new Chef (Diego), has commenced to prepare flavorful and memorable dishes which guests’ are now talking about.

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