Aurora Maison de Cuisine

We had a very disappointing experience at Aurora for a birthday dinner. While we had few complaints about the food, there are plenty of other excellent restaurants in Dallas where you can get similar quality for a lower price, and without the artificially snooty atmosphere. At Aurora, the sense of formality they press upon you is not commensurate with the overall level of service, or with what you get for the price you pay.
From the moment we were seated, we were put off by the pretentious and somewhat unaccommodating demeanor of the waitstaff; they seemed a little annoyed that we did not want to partake in the champagne cart to start off with, due to the fact that half of our party did not like or drink champagne. We wanted cocktails, just not champagne. But then the waiter rolled his eyes when we asked for a list of wines by the glass, which they do not have. He told us he could offer us a glass of wine «depending on what they had open.» I had just assumed that a restaurant that has such pride in a lavish tasting menu would quite naturally have a list of wines by the glass, or would offer pairing options on their menu or by sending over the sommelier. Since our party of four had ordered a variety of starters and entrees that would make it difficult to pair with one wine, we were not interested in getting a bottle. But it seemed like pulling teeth to get them to offer us some pairing options for our selections (I was the one that inquired whether they had a sauterne to pair with the fois gras), and even once the sommelier got involved he did not offer us a choice of wines or divulge the prices by the glass. We weren’t too concerned about the prices, but I still think if you don’t have a published menu by the glass, you should let customers know what they will be spending. And why should I be limited to the bottles they have open? You either offer to pair or you don’t, and I’ve never had this reaction before at restaurants of such reputed caliber.
The amuse bouche definitely started things off well — an egg custard topped with smoked salmon. Everyone at our table was impressed. My starter of foie gras was excellent and paired marvelously with the sauterne which the sommelier finally offered us. My entrée of Dover sole with diver scallop was also out of this world, and was paired perfectly with a Pinot Noir. My husband’s duck entrée was, in his words, «good but not phenomenal.» For the price of about $ 40 we figured it should have been better than «good.»
Our desserts were also both very good, so I was glad we stayed for them; by the end of our entrees we had considered getting the checks and having dessert and coffee elsewhere. We also noticed that the chef/​owner hobnobbed with the other tables, but never even greeted ours. I wondered to myself if the restaurant reserves their best treatment for the customers who go for the pricey $ 175 Grand Tasting menu and partake in the champagne cart. Friends of ours who did enjoy this for an anniversary told us they were treated like royalty. Our treatment was nowhere close and, in fact, felt a little condescending.
We agreed we would probably not go back. As excellent as the food was, there are just too many other excellent restaurants in Dallas where the food is just as good and the service is friendly and appreciative. We have eaten at many 5 star restaurants across the country, so our opinion is not due to price-​consciousness, but rather our feelings as to the the overall experience, which we felt was disappointing.
We will continue to rely on our old faves: Craft, Stephan Pyles, York Street, Abacus, and Fearing’s.

After reading the previous reviews of this restaurant, I was optimistic about it. However, we decided to try the lunch first, to check out the chefs. I’m glad we did, so I don’t have to blow serious money on a dinner there.
Aurora tries hard to appear classy, but just comes off pretentious. The wait-​staff is marginal — we had to ask the waiter to repeat himself several times, he was mumbling so much. Anyway, we tried the Goat Cheese Gnocchi — it was good, but over-​salted, so you couldn’t taste much else. My wife had the fish of the day (salmon), and liked it, though it was quite greasy. I tried the Dover Sole and Scallops, and once again, couldn’t taste much past the huge dose of salt. I just don’t get why some of these chefs don’t have enough confidence in their skills to let people actually taste their food, rather than slamming them with salt and pepper. I’m told that it lets them get away with cheap ingredients.
Anyway, after the main, we tried the brownie with ice-​cream, which was good, but served after so long that we had already finished our coffees and had to wait around for over 10 minutes after that. Ditto for them processing the payment, it took almost the same amount of time. Given that there were diners at only two tables, I’d hate to imagine the quality of service when they actually are busy. But then again, maybe if I was bowled over by the champagne cart I wouldn’t notice :) When I spend $ 60 on lunch for two, I do expect better.
The French are justifiably famous for their cuisine, and I love the food there. Unfortunately, too many of the wannabe French places in Dallas focus on snootiness, and not the basics of fine food and service. And the best part is, French waiters are unionized, and don’t demand tips (though I’m happy to reward them when their service is good).

absolutely amazing.
i came here for lunch and got the prix fixed menu. i had the parsnip soup which was extremely smooth creamy and buttery. for my entrée i had the fish of the day which was a crab cake. plenty of crab. minimal cake. the flavors the of the food were spectacular.
the service was impeccable. my glass of water was never less than half full… truly attentive without being intrusive.
i can’t wait to come back for dinner. the grand tasting menu looks amazing. and if lunch was any indication of the dinner cuisine. i’m sure i’ll have a truly special meal

I happened into Aurora this afternoon, I was across the street making a bank deposit and we decided to give it a try. On our way in, we noticed the 18.95 prix fix lunch and I am here to tell you it was a GREAT deal. I eat out a lot and don’t mind paying the price if it is good and great value is always appreciated. I had the lightly curried crab salad accompanied by an appropriately thin slice of watermelon and served with organic greens (4.00 supplement) the salad was very good and the portion of crab surprisingly generous, next I had bone in chicken breast stuffed with machego cheese, chorizo and in a light demi-​glacé, an excellent version of a Spanish Cordon Bleu, beautifully presented with wild mushrooms. My lunch companion had salmon (perfectly cooked, seemed poached and then finished off on a very hot griddle to give it a little color and crisp) with a light buerre blanc with a hint of citrus and served with Isreali couscous, haricot vert,.and fingerling potatoes. For dessert a selection of sorbets, raspberry, mango and my favorite guava. What I saved on the food, I spent on 2 glasses (nice pours) of a medium dry Moet rose champagne. The service was good, the setting pleasant and I always love an open kitchen-​In my book an excellent sign. The bottom line, imagine a European Michelin 2 star or possible 3 star at a very reasonable price. I am now encouraged to go back for dinner on a special occasion. Give it a try, the lunch deal is a winner.

The Chef of the kitchen here is a world class master. He exsels in everything he does along with his staff. This place is very nice, it has class, style, and it has that feeling that dinners will sometimes get when a restraunt is so perfect that you feel rude talking in anything but a wisper. The menu changes faster than a fickle woman’s mind when trying to pick out shoes, so don’t expect to go every time and get the same thing, it will change at least once a week.
Along with the food, the chef, Chef Avner Samuel offers cooking classes that are a real treat for anyone that likes to cook. These arnt the fru fru classes that they have at viking or a community collage (not that I have anything against them :)), but are the true «you will watch and help only if I ask» style of cooking class, but still maintains an air of friendlyness that is pleasing to learn in. The classes, like the food, cost a little more than the majority of the world are accustom to, but its worth it everytime.
Tips: Meet the chefs! Ask your server and they will see if they are available to talk. Take cooking classes here, you’ll learn to make exotic dishes and mouthwatering morsels (but bring a video camera or something of the like, or at least a notepad, this class is serious, not for amateurs!). This is not a place to take the kids, not because the staff dosent like kids, but because the food is not something a kid would really appreciate, and for the price the food goes for, your only wasting your money.
Final word of advice to any future diners looking to eat here is this: The place dosent stick out! Drive out to see this place before you go so you know where it is!!! =)

I ventured to Aurora after reading in «D» that they had integrated more organic ingredients into their menu and lowered their prices. What a winning combo! I enjoyed the 3-​course prix fixe lunch for $ 18.95. Fantastic!
The parsnip soup (voulette) was very good although, a drizzle of some type of chili oil would have been a welcomed enhancement. I enjoyed the salmon with basil sauce served with ratatouille. The ratatouille was cooked perfectly, not too much tomato and the veggies were a little firm. The sorbet trio was refreshingly simple… kiwi, white peach and strawberry.
A couple of key details… the restaurant is very intimate so make reservations, the prix fixe menu only has 2 choices for both the first and second course. The third (sorbet) is decided for you. You can make order off of the menu but it is a bit expensive for lunch.

Purely on elegance, I would have given this a 5, but the portions were just SO small that I couldn’t possibly give this my full out praise, though the flavors were dead on. I went with a friend for lunch to just scout out how the food and décor were approached, and I was blown away by the artsy/​modern theme to this strip mall location of an upscale restaurant. You get to see right through the glass wall in the back to the kitchen and all of its great works. The restaurant as a whole is very clean cut, but I was a bit saddened to hear that the restaurant is turning more casual to fit the economy, and the back kitchen is being turned into a counter type casual look. Booths are replacing the conventional tables and many dishes are being replaced with lower-​grade items. I will return to see how it turns out; I believe it changes in February. Switching gears to the actual food. We were given an amuse bouche of salmon chunks on top of crème fraîche on a crostini. Nothing out of the norm, but executed flawlessly with a very clean taste. Definitely the ideal palate cleanser. My friend had the amazing lunch deal $ 19 for a 3 course meal with a salad of peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes in a light lemon oil dressing. This was quite light and crisp. What you’d normally expect. The salmon was the fish of the day, but it was prepared with precision, but just so plainly, though served with a signature basil sauce. The sorbet offering was strawberry, kiwi, and peach, all of which were quite delicious, light, and retained their actual fruit flavor. You could even see the kiwi seeds. I had the quail with ratatouille. The ratatouille had a different take than usual, as it contained olives and was formed into a mound rather than a molded layered type of dish. My quail was perfect, but the entire entrée consisted of one 6 oz. quail, half of which is probably bone weight. All in all the food was excellent, but I walked out just as hungry as when I went in. I almost went with the scallop but that would’ve been worse, as it is $ 11 for a single scallop. I do recommend checking this one out before they change into a less fine atmosphere.

The French usually know how to make dinner into an experience and Aurora does not disappoint in this tradition. Pulling up to Aurora is a bit odd since it is located in a strip mall next to Talbot’s, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Upon being seated at Aurora you are greeted by a Christofle champagne cart and chef’s appetizer to awaken your pallet. For starters, my companion and I enjoyed the ravioli and lobster, Foie Gras, mushroom cappuccino dish. For our entrees we had the Sole and Cod; the Cod is absolutely divine. The sommelier stopped by and gave some recommendations and shared personal stories from his trips to wineries around the world; ensuring he is up to date in the world of find wine. To finish our evening we enjoyed the chocolate bomb and the vanilla risottos pudding. Both desserts were very unique; the bomb reminded me of my childhood with the use of ‘pop rocks’ with the sugars popping around in my mouth.
Last but not least, was our post dinner show. From our rounded booth we had the chef’s table view into the kitchen where we could see the passion of Chef Avner Samuel at work. He had an eye on everything that was happening in the restaurant, from the waiters and hostess on the floor, to all the dishes that were being prepped by his kitchen staff. He was crafting his dishes like works of art, ensuring that when he finished putting the last touch on the dish they would be served immediately, else he would growl at the staff so that they would serve his dishes and not have them sit waiting a minute longer for their debut.
The standout feature of Aurora for me is the attention to details. From the champagne tray, to the sommelier, to the awakening of the pallet, to the butter and dishes served with a lid to keep air out, to the fine christofle silverware all details were covered. The only three details that I thought were missing were the traditional cleansing of the pallet with sorbet, the cleaning of the table and the wrinkled suit our table captain was wearing. I assume the first two missing details were a deliberate decision made my the chef, I’m just not sure why.
As everyone else has pointed out this is an expensive dinner option; for two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts, one bottle of wine and 1 starter champagne glass each the total bill was $ 350.

Wow. An amazing meal. First, they ask if you would like a glass of champagne. Why, yes I would (It is $ 19 a glass, but worth it).
The food. There is a master in the kitchen. Gnocchi was fantastic. The Lamb was perfectly cooked. And desert, well it was, yes, fantastic.
Pricey is the word, but it was a fine dining experience.

This place is pricey but one of the best culinary experiences of my life! Amazing food! I love the gnocchi — both the regular and sweet potato versions are very good. The scallop dish is very good as well and all of the appetizers are very enticing. Dessert is a must and the hazelnut financier is outstanding since the pastry chef is one of the best in the city. If you want to go but don’t want to break the bank go for dinner or maybe stop by later in the evening just for dessert since it is very good!

Probably one of the finest dining experiences of my life. The waitstaff dressed in full formal attire bringing us a lovely amuse bouche with salmon and caviar began our evening on the perfect foot. Every aspect of the meal was impressive, from the service to the incredible food. The flavors were delicious and memorable. However, the atmosphere is what truly won me over. I have eaten at a lot of nice restaurants in my life but this one is tiny… only 56 seats. Therefore, we felt like kings as we dined in this beautiful setting. We were pretty close to the kitchen, which we could see, but it was not distracting. Every dish was served on cue with perfect choreography. This IS the restaurant if you are looking to impress b/​c it is small, intimate and extremely expensive. However, we felt that it was worth every dime or hundred dollar bill!