KMRA Tasting Club’s latest group event highlights life in symmetry

Chicken Ballotine Topped with Chicken Crisps at KMRA Tasting Club. // Photo By Lauren Textor

I’ve been looking forward to having dinner again with KMRA Tasting Club since I was first invited to an event last May. 

Although Feb. 14 was far from the lighthearted, romantic day I imagined, I tried to leave the heaviness behind as I sat down at a long dining table with a handful of strangers. My friend Maggie, who I invited as my plus one, sat across from me. She initiated the conversation with the couple next to us while I sipped my first drink—A saffron blood orange cocktail with sea salt.

Soon, I felt myself relax. Conversing with the guests at Chef Forrest Wright’s events is easy. They’re a mix of interesting people who enjoy communal dining. Half the appeal of Forrest’s events is knowing that you’ll learn something new. Sometimes it’s about the people next to you. Sometimes it’s about your own culinary tastes. Often, it’s a pleasant mix of both.

A Truffle Box of Curious Creations Featuring Caviar and Goat Cheese at KMRA Tasting Club. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Our first course was artfully served in a black chocolate box. A different style of sweet occupied each of the six slots: A foie gras truffle, a champagne and brie mousse, and a caviar donut. 

Forrest said he based the course on his memory of the flavors I enjoyed most last time. That’s a perfect example of the thoughtful, personalized touches that come with a KMRA reservation. 

For our next round of drinks, Maggie received a rose lychee gin with a butterfly clothes pinned to the rim. It’s a stunning presentation and the perfect symbol of the symmetry theme that Forrest embodied throughout the meal. It also served as a reminder of the brevity of life. How things can change in the flap of a butterfly’s wings. Truthfully, it underscored the day better than any words I’ve channeled so far. 

My drink was a foie gras-washed bourbon. I’m not typically a bourbon drinker, so it took me several minutes of small sips to finish the drink, but the drink was a warming relief. 

Uni Cannolis at KMRA Tasting Club. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Of all the courses, the uni cannoli best exemplified the theme for me. It’s just creative as hell. Uni, as I learned during my last KMRA dinner, is the edible part of a sea urchin. It’s the softest, most delicate protein, and it was paired with a hard shell that cracked satisfyingly between my teeth. 

One of the things I enjoy about Forrest’s dinners is that they remind me what it is to consume. Sometimes, eating feels like an item I’m checking off a list. But these dinners force you to slow down and consume the meal fully, both in presentation and in practice. Often, I find myself thinking, What is that flavor? How is this texture translated as I chew? These are not so much conscious thoughts, but more so as back-of-head noticings. 

Toro is the fatty belly of a tuna. It was served in rectangular chunks with pickled radish and a slice of yuzu—An East Asian citrus. A line of golden caviar garnished the top. The entire thing was cradled in a crispy squid ink tortilla. 

Toro Caviar Yuzu and Pickled Relish on a Squid Ink Tortilla at KMRA Tasting Event. // Photo By Lauren Textor

A common question at a KMRA dinner is “How do I eat this?” There is no correct answer. 

I usually opt to tear a mouthful from as many ingredients as possible, so I get the full effect of the flavors. In this case, the standout flavors were the bright, buttery toro and the sharpish, tart yuzu. 

Next, a squab “lollipop.” Food & Wine has called it “the tastiest bird you can legally eat.” That’s a fair assessment, especially when you’re encouraged to (for lack of a better word) suck the meat straight off the bone. I felt like a cartoon cat, licking my lips after catching the canary. I think a common attitude is that smaller meals make you more mindful and that it takes less to make you feel full. I don’t know if that’s true, but I could have eaten a whole plate of squab by myself. And, I did bite into the edible rock the bird was served on afterward, but it contained only a minimal meaty flavor where the squab once lay. 

My favorite drink of the night was a mint cachaça with lime espuma. It’s essentially a frothy alcoholic beverage, made with fermented sugarcane. This sweet drink is originally from Brazil, where it was popular amongst slaves who used it to dull their pain. Despite its dark history, it remains one of the most beloved Brazilian beverages. 

Lamb Meatballs And Feta with Crostini at KMRA Tasting Club. // Photo By Lauren Textor

The last three dishes were gone far too soon. Maggie was hard-pressed to choose a favorite, between the lamb meatballs, the whole chicken ballotine sandwiched between crispy poultry skin and a smear of sweet potato purée, and the most gorgeous dessert I had ever beheld. 

Let’s start with the meatballs. I’ve never not been a fan of a dish topped with feta or black truffle. And, as a bonus, there was a side of crostini—A crispy little crust of bread with which to scoop up more sauce. 

If I was alone and the chicken ballotine was laid in front of me, I would pick up the entire thing and eat it with my hands. Then, I would lick the purée off the plate. It was that good. A little fatty, a little crunchy, and all mouth-watering. 

Frozen Peach Hibiscus Woman an a Swipe of Blackberry Ganache at KMRA Tasting Club. // Photo By Lauren Textor

For the finale: A peach hibiscus mousse in the shape of a naked woman’s torso. As it thawed, it slowly melted and began dripping, adding more streaks to accompany the blackberry ganache. It was frozen, floral, and a light denouement to the previous heavier dishes. This, too, felt like a metaphor for life’s breakneck pace. The more we spooned off sections of the torso, the quicker it melted. 

This dessert felt a little cannibalistic, prompting some awkward jokes, but it—as with everything else—was delicious and thoughtfully crafted. Each of the bodies was slightly different, like our own. 

KMRA often rotates venues, but I received an exclusive tour of the back room of 3307 Terrace St. The plan is for this to become a community building, shared by local businesses at the heart of KC. Currently, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters is occupying the building, but there’s a clear vision for future expansion and inclusion. 

KMRA Tasting Club’s summer events are filling up fast. Perhaps most impressively, they’re going on tour with a select number of bookings available in Texas and New York. 

Kansas City group hostings are available on May 7, June 7, and June 13. KMRA also hosts private dining events. All inquiries can be made at booking@kmratastingclub.com.