Review: Elements Restaurant- Princeton, NJ

I had the opportunity to try out elements restaurant in Princeton, NJ recently- this time, for dinner. Once again, the food and the presentation were fantastic and made for an enjoyable meal. We got one order of the Chef's Tasting menu (composed of 6 courses from the regular menu), plus an order of the Laughing Shrimp (below) and Veal chop. Unfortunately the lighting went way down about halfway through the meal, and I couldn't take any clear pictures, but here's a look at some of the earlier courses:

Amuse Bouche: Left to right, Tomato tartare, Melon-yogurt soup, Deconstructed beet salad.

Laughing Bird Shrimp: White balsamic, lemon thyme, melons, Serrano ham.

Crispy Sweetbreads: Ancho, smoked agave, zucchini, jalapeno. (tasting menu portion)

Housemade Cavatelli: Lamb bacon, fava beans, mint, parmesean. (tasting menu portion)

The remaining courses in the Tasting Menu were: the Kindai Kanpachi Sashimi with a yogurt sauce; Hanger Steak with roasted potatoes, a Cheese plate, and the "kit kat" dessert, with gianduja, hazelnut, 'crunch', and milk chocolate. The other entree dish was the Veal Chop, with a basil ravioli filled with mascarpone and ricotta salata, and sun-dried tomato.

Overall an enjoyable dinner with lots of flavor and thoughtful presentation. The pacing was a little slow at times, but the dining room was packed so it wasn't too surprising. I will say though that Michel Richard's kit kat is MUCH better than the elements' version, haha.