The Best Meal I've Ever Eaten | Sony Headquarters in San Diego, CA

The Sony Foodie blogger event happened nearly two months ago, but I still can't stop thinking about how awesome everything was from the food to the WX9 to the outings they organized, each detail was thoughtfully planned and prepared by the Sony Electronics staff and Chef Chris Ivens Brown, vice president of culinary development at the Compass Food Group (the world's largest foodservice company).

So far, I have shared a few aspects of the two-day event I attended. I've posted images of the field trip we took to the Oceanside Farmer's Market followed by the picnic overlooking the beach, and the lavish Rancho Bernardo Inn they put us up at for two nights. However, there was one part of the trip I have neglected to share, which happened to be the best part of the entire event!

After a breakfast buffet at the resort, and the amazing picnic lunch we had by the ocean, thinking about having another meal in a few hours seemed almost impossible! We had some time to spend at the resort to relax and get ready for the next get-together, although it wasn't nearly enough time to gain an appetite. Nonetheless, I knew we were in for a treat after the lunch they cooked up for us, so it didn't matter if I was hungry...I planned to eat anyway!

The charter bus picked us up at the resort and carted us to the Sony Electronics headquarters. We checked in at the front desk for our visitor passes before heading upstairs. It was explained that the dinner would take place in the Sony 'cafeteria', but the space we walked into was unlike any cafeteria I'd ever been in. It was pristine, chic and extremely modern, definitely not what I was expecting! Tall glass windows surrounded the expansive room, and the panoramic view we had was lovely, especially once the sun started to set.

Once we had the opportunity to take it all in, we were ushered into the kitchen where Chef Chris Ivens-Brown gave us a cooking demonstration. He showed us how to make the potato baskets we would be eating later. As soon as I saw the food, I was ready to start nibbling. Forget the fact that I wasn't hungry! The appetizers looked too delectable to pass up. I'm glad that the portions were tiny! After mingling and viewing 3D images taken with the Sony WX9 on a huge 3D TV—which was wicked cool—we took our seats to begin the amazing seven-course meal that I managed to somehow make room for.

 A few of my absolute favorites included the slightly tangy Ahi Tuna & Baby Beet Carpaccio with pickled papaya, baby arugula, clementine, whipped goat cheese, & orange blossom honey. The Spring Asparagus Salad with black truffle, prosciutto rose, mascarpone cream, & a meyer lemon emulsion was light and refreshing. I found out how much I love prosciutto during this course!

While the food we had thus far was all extremely delicious and masterfully presented, I was blown away by the course we received mid-way through our meal. The Sweet and Sour Lobster Salad with white radish and ginger salt was incredibly good, however, what really blew me away was the actual presentation. It was served with a LIVE beta fish swimming around the bottom of the bowl! This was Chef Chris' take on the Chik-fil-A's cows that urge you to eat more chicken. Well, his beta fish is telling us to eat more shellfish, hence the lobster salad on top. I wanted to take mine home, but he wouldn't pass security, I'm sure.

Chef Chris and his crew continued to stun our taste buds during the rest of the dinner with the Smokey Cedar Striped Black Bass with eggplant caviar, bok choy, spicy tomato ketchup, and potato bite basket. Another interesting course was the 3 Way Cannelloni with fillings of beef, rabbit, or duck topped with horseradish foam. I was really only a fan of the duck, the others were way too salty for my taste. At this point, I was only taking a few bites of each plate because I had little room left and I wanted to make it to the end.

For dessert, we were pleasantly surprised with a steaming pot of Pineapple Pot Pourri, a seasonal fresh fruit salad with a hazelnut nougat semi freddo (like a very light ice cream). It was a shame that I couldn't enjoy more of this, but I was stuffed! I don't know how I made room for the Chocolate Malt Shot we were served at the end, but I downed the chocolatey goodness with ease.

After all of the amazing food we were served, our evening ended on a patio outside by a fire. It was chilly, but the lights blanketing the town below were dazzling. What an incredible evening my dinner at the Sony Electronics headquarters was, and not just the evening, the entire day they planned was perfect in every way. I'm so grateful that I was able to be a part of this special event! Hands down, it was the best meal I've ever eaten. EVER!

Now that I've made myself supremely hungry by revisiting and reliving this event, I think it's time to eat!

What part of this Sony Foodie post makes you hungry? 

Anything you wish you could try yourself? 

All of the Images in this post were taken w/ the Sony Cybershot WX9. 

On June 9th, I will be announcing how you can win one of these awesome little point and shoots, so stay tuned!  

Find WW on Facebook for exclusive photos & videos not featured on the blog or anywhere else!

Interested in finding out more about my trip to San Diego? 

Follow these links:

• Rancho Bernardo Inn: A gorgeous resort!
  
• 10 Reasons Why You Want to Win a Sony WX9: Detail about the new Sony camera I tested out.
• Oceanside Farmer's Market & Picnic: !Warning! This post will make you hungry :D
• Sony Foodie Sneak Peak: An Overview of my San Diego Trip and how I got there?!?

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