American – Page 5 – Food & Pixels

Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare — Well Worth it

“I had a dream. I was floating in the clouds. I took a bite, and it tasted like chocolate. I wish that dream never ended.” Except that wasn’t a dream. That is how we describe the frozen chocolate souffle we had at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. And that was only the last course of our memorable night.

Let me go back and start from the beginning.

Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (CTBF) is the smallest restaurant in New York City to have been awarded Michelin 3 stars; also the first and only one that is in the outer borough. Opened in 2009, immediately praised by critics, and got 2 stars from Michelin in 2011. It has since expanded from 12 seater to 18 seater, and with another star. Of course the price is also 3 stars. Back in 2011, CTBF was $165pp vs $306pp now. Even though with a hefty price tag, it is still one of the hottest seats in town. A reservation at Chef’s Table does not come easy. It requires planning and extreme persistent. CTBF takes reservation 6 weeks ahead. Calendar is posted on their website, with specific instruction. I called CTBF as instructed, at 10:30am sharp on Monday. The phone keep ringing. Line was busy. I hung up, dial again, and repeated. Over the next 37 minutes; exactly 159 times after, I was finally connected. Jackpot!!!!

We headed to Brooklyn on a quiet Wednesday evening. Across from a subway station, two doors down from the grocery store, there it is, CTBF’s minimalist simple storefront kitchen.

“It’s a dream come true and my best experience throughout this entire process”
– Jean-Luc Naret of Michelin said in an interview.

With that in mind, we walked in with high expectation. Simplicity is the key here at CTBF. A huge stainless steel counter/ bar took up almost the entire place. No fancy décor, the only decoration is the copper sauce-pots hanging above the the prep station. We arrived a little after 6:30pm, and were seated at the far right end of the counter.
In front of us was a simple black vinyl place mat, with chopsticks, and chopsticks only. There is no menu here. All are tasting menu, or should I say Omakase. It seems more appropriated.

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“Would you mind if I take pictures?” I asked politely as the restaurant’s host placed down my rose.

“Not of the food. We welcome you to take pictures of the place, just not the food.” he said with an apologetic smile.
We have heard of CTBF’s no pictures policy before, but still thought I would try. With huge disappointment on my face, I put my camera away.

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There are two sitting 6:30 and 7:15. First group of dinners finally all settled in at around 7pm. Moments later, Chef Ramirez appears. White shirt, black trousers, black thick rim glasses, he looks more like a professor than a chef. After detaily checked his stations, he greeted us with a smile.

“ I know that you brought a camera. Feel free to snap a picture or two.” Chef Ramirez said with a soft voice.

“Really?” I must have sound overly excited.

“Yes. I see that you brought a camera. The thing is with all the smart phones pictures. There is no quality control. They sometimes turn out very blurry and dark. Which might not be appetizing.” He explained.

“Ah… Thank you!!”
So Chef Ramirez does not have a problem with pictures, he just has a problem with bad pictures. I will try to do you proud to repay your kindness.

Then the show begins.

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ctbf07 Tobiko– incredibility thin crust layering with sea trout roe.

ctbf10 Hokkaido Uni– Uni piled over toasted brioche with a round of Périgord truffle
white truffle is in season. And you can actually taste the fragrance.
it’s a high class party in a bite.

ctbf11 Fish– Charcoal grill Japanese baby red snapper with kelp

ctbf15 Egg– Caviar topped sabayon- there were smoke sturgeon, bacon bits, potato cubes and crunchy bread crumbs in the thin glass.

ctbf19 Lobster– Perfectly poached Maine lobster wrapped in pickled daikon

ctbf22 Crab– Chiramushi with king crab and truffle and squash. hearty and sweet

ctbf26 Fish– Poached wild Turbot from holland with mushroom Brussels sprouts and flowers

ctbf30 Vegetables– vegetables are flew in from a Ohio farm, Amazingly gorgeous dish.
We counted 14 veggies, 3 flowers, 2 small leaf and 1 big leaf
The veggies that I recognized were… daikon, cucumber, scallion, leek, baby Chinese broccoli, figs, tomato, mushroom, artichoke heart, applewood smoke potato with nori sauce, bamboo shoot

ctbf32 Beef– melt in my mouth Miyagi beef with grated daikon and horseradish

ctbf34 Duck– 20 days dry, green tea smoked Cross breed upstate NY duck with plum butter-squash and ginger. The breed is a mix from Peking duck and normandy. The skin is as crispy as peking duck but not as fat. That’s where the normandy duck comes in. rich, deep, meaty favor with crispy skin of a peking duck. Genius!

ctbf36 Shiso sorbet– unlike other icy shiso sorbet that we have had, this one is creamy. More ice-cream like texture. Secret? It’s coconut milk. A pint to go please!!!

ctbf40 Canadian huckleberry ice cream – Huckleberry is in season! Sweet!

ctbf41 Frozen chocolate soufflé -Fluffy, airy, extremely light. There were also some rice crispy (I think they are rice crispy) at the bottom of the plate. With a spoonful of the souffle and rice crispy, they were the greatest coco puffs! And it added a crunch to this dreamy souffle. Chocolate was just the right balance. #divine!!! This is most certainly the best souffle ever!!! This alone is well worth the trip to Brooklyn. By itself, I would paid $35 for this. Too bad that they don’t sell it by itself. What an remarkable way to end an extraordinary dinner. I would be dreaming about this for a long time.

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This 10- course upscale tasting menu is a truly a unique dining experience. We enjoyed every moment sitting in this open kitchen watching Chef Ramirez choreographed his beautiful creation. Him and his staffs are intensely focused. Like a well orchestrated symphony, there is no confusion, no mistake. Everyone knows their place, everyone is in the rhythm. And the thoughts and efforts that put in every single dish is tremendous. That vegetables dish alone, requires every single component to be perfect. May it be toasted, roasted, grilled or smoked, etc., they all bring a unique flavor to the plate. To be sitting in this kitchen, watching this crew assemble each course, is a profound, intimate experience.

Chef Ramirez makes his rounds to get to know his guests at the table as well. During our 3 hours there, Chef Ramirez came around to chat a few times. We learn that Chef. Ramirez is raised in Chicago, spent time in Japan for a while. Although his restaurant is in Brooklyn, he does not do anything in Brooklyn. We both enjoy Maera and miss Chef Masato. We were both heart broken when people waste the food; when people who were able to afford the price but did not know to savor it. We were deeply sadden when we saw perfectly cooked kinmedai found it’s way to the trash. Devastated when cups of caviar went swimming with dishes; utterly shock and depressed when we saw “fat” were cutted out from melt-in-our-mouth Mirage beef. Despite what I have read in pervious controversy, Chef maintained his posture and greeted those dinners with warm smiles.

Chef Ramirez loves sushi, therefore the obvious Japanese influence in his food. Like those great sushi chefs whom inspired him, Chef Ramirez holds the same quality and he is proud of it. The dedication, and attention to food, ingredients and details. Unfortunately, Chef Ramirez had already left the building when we were floating in the souffle, we couldn’t thank him for this extravagant dinner.

Chef Ramirez , It was an honor to be sitting at your table.

(October, 2015)

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Fuku+ … … A??? for super spicy

I don’t like spicy food. Not that I can’t take it. I mean I used to not be able to handle my spice. But over the years, I have improved. My tolerance has somewhat built up. Prove? I can handle a whole bowl spicy cumin lamb noodle from Xi-An Famous Food without a drip of water. So why don’t I like spicy food? I don’t like those that are extremely spicy. So much that it numb your tongue, and blind your senses. And you can’t tell what everything else taste like anymore. Then what is the point? I know, I know. Everyone’s standard is difference, so to let you know my standard, Xi-An is petty good ??; Taiwanese chili spicy hot pot is too too numbing?????. I have yet to test how I would do at Mission Chinese, but recently I got a little taste of that famous burning sensation at Fuku+. And let me tell you. That chicken finger was not burning hot…. It was explosive hot. ????
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Fuku Chicken sandwich, better with daikon. This was from downtown Fuku. — Fuku Chicken sandwich, better with daikon

Opened early September, Fuku+ is the latest venture by David change’s Momofuku empire in New York. Base on the success of Fuku, Fuku+ expanded its menu, and find itself another “hole in the wall” location in mid-town. Yes, it is a hole in the wall, but it is a “high end” hole. Balcony of Ma Peche, and behind the midtown Milk Bar. Momofuku basically took over the Chambers Hotel’s lobby, and make it become the hottest eating spot. There is about just 20 seats and some standing spaces. No reservation necessary; first come first served, so therefore there’s always a line. But don’t expect the seats turn over like those at downtown Fuku sandwich place. Because. With a full bar, and along come the Danny Bowien Mission Chinese collaborated fuku fingers, people will take some time to enjoy/ take in the goodies.

We were told there would be 45 minutes wait for a table, and standing space would be significantly faster, so we chose standing place. About 15 minutes later, we were led to the left end of the bar. After a glance at the menu, I think we should treat Fuku+ as a bar rather than a restaurant or a fast food joint. I understand that Mr Chang’s version was to make Fuku a fast food brand, but when the drinks menu is more extensive than food menu, it would only be fair to think of it as a bar.

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The Seven Spice Sour (L) and Daiquiri Royale (R)

We had the mission Chinese Fuku fingers and Sichuan pork flatbread. Not a lot of food, but already plenty for us. Because those chicken fingers totally burnt us out and we couldn’t have anything else. There were a lot of black pepper on the chicken fingers; on top of it are the red hot chili pepper and dripping spicy red oil. These ingredients combine together, it is explosive!!! The chicken fingers are petty crunchy, but other than spicy, it is still spicy. As we take our first bite, both of us cough in tears?, and reach for water at the same time????. It took us about 5 minutes to regain our composure before we take another bite. I looked around. There were a number of tables have a full bowl of chicken fingers but have pushed aside. Some had tried a bite, couldn’t take the heat and went on to get something else. I tempted to do the same, but decided to tough it out. After all, i might never order this ever again… … We managed to finish all the chicken fingers, but it was a battle. We worked up a sweat. Good thing that i had a standing space instead of a table. I walked around a bit between pieces to pace myself. Once I got past all the spice, and reach the other side, there were a hint of sweetness. The truth juiciness of chicken uncovered. The downside of it? I honestly couldn’t tell what the Sichuan pork flatbread tasted like, because these HOT HOT HOT mission Chinese Fuku fingers had totally deprived all my taste buds?. After the spicy chicken explosive, I swear everything else taste like cardboard. (Sep, 2015)

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Noreetuh- Aloha from East Village

Noreetuh…. I honestly could not pronounce the name of this restaurant. Is it Hawaiian? Japanese? Chinese or Korean? It didn’t really matter. There’s good food, reasonable priced wine, great vibe; and no, there is Tiki drink with an umbrella!! Mahalo!!!
Just opened not too not ago in East Village, it is on the “Heat Map”. This Hawaiian influenced restaurant is run by not one, but three Per Se vets. The night is young when we arrived. Only half of the tables are filled. But as the dark grows, people started pouring in, all the bar seats are occupied, as was the next door annex dining room. The crowd is young, loud (in a good way) and the place is chill.
No cocktail menu here, only wine and sake, and price tags are very friendly. Dinner menu is very affordable too. Other than the venison for two, the top priced entree is at $25. And poke!! We have our eyes set on poke. We are addicted to sushi, adore tartare and ceviche, so of course, we love poke. But first, let’s have some UNI!!!

Silken tofu, uni, shiitake, shiso

Corned beef tongue musubi with cilantro, peanuts
Musubi is not Hawaii’s official state snack, but it pretty much goes without saying. Not spam, nope, not the regular musubi you would find in any gas station or supermarket in Hawaii. Much better, it’s beef tongue. Thick slap of beef tongue wrap with rice and some cilantro sauce and peanuts. I personally can do without the peanuts, and maybe need a little more seasoning, would love for it to have a little heat.

Grass-fed beef tartare, smoked egg yolk, daikon, wonton chips
The wonton chips were great! Works perfectly with beef tartare. Not oily, and really light and airy. If you mixed the smooth, smoked egg yolk with beef tartare, put it all on top of the wonton chips, something magically happen. The flavor is quite interesting. Not cooked but smoky.

Big-eye tuna poke, macadamia nuts, pickled jalapeño, seaweed
Big chunks of firm tuna. The cloud ear was a nice surprise, mixed with sesame oil and seaweed, carry the heat very well.

Monkfish liver torchon, pear, cilantro, passionfruit, Hawaiian roll
This is an amazingly beautiful plate. A round column of pink monkfish liver lay on top of a bed of passionfruit. Decorated with diced sweet pear and cilantro. Rich, creamy, fresh, a little sour, a little sweet. The Hawaiian roll is fluffy and airy, and so perfectly toasted. Take all these goodness in one bite… I’m in haven.

There are so much more on the menu we want to try. Octopus poke, the mentaiko spaghetti, and the garlic shrimp over rice (hope it’s as good as the shrimp truck!). Next time. There’s always next time. In a near future I hope. (July 2015)

Tavern on the Green (Restaurant Week summer’15 dinner)

Just shy of 2 weeks left in NY restaurant weeks, where have you been to??

We didn’t plan ahead for restaurant week this time around, by the time we really start looking at our options, places we want to go were all booked. We were surprised that Tavern on the Green was still available for a 7pm reservation.
The place was built in 1870, became a restaurant in 1934. After closing it’s kitchen on New Year’s day 2010, it reopened as a more casual restaurant last year. However, it has not been warm-received by critics.

I have never been to Tavern on the Green before; I always think of it as a higher class place, more sophisticated, more expensive. So Restaurant week is a great opportunity to take a look at this “newly” re-opened place. We walked in from 66th street to west side of Central Park; there are areas still being blocked off for renovation. Turn the corner, there is a beer garden off the side, but no sign that it is open yet. We were greeted by the iconic red awning, open the door to a grand foyer. Flowers on a round table in the middle, almost feel like I walked into someone’s grand mansion. There’s gift shop on the left, and step to the right is the bar/ lounge/ sitting area. This used to be the original Crystal Room, now it feels like a very nice rustic country club. Fireplace, chandeliers , nice oversize comfy couches, and of course a bar in the middle of it all. With a carousel chandelier!!! I’m a little taken by all the nice lighting fixtures.
Dining room is deeper inside, modern and sleek, entirely different atmosphere. Floor to ceiling windows let in plenty of sunlight. On the other side is the semi-open kitchen. There are booth seats for more cozy companies; we were seated by the window overlooking the patio.

There was a thunderstorm earlier in the afternoon, everything is soaking wet and no one is out in the patio. But by the look of it, it would be a very nice place for an afternoon tea or a sunny Sunday brunch. The room is a little loud, no tablecloth or curtains to absorb the sound, we found ourselves getting louder and louder as the night goes on.
On the restaurant week menu, there are 3 appetizers and 3 entrees and 2 desserts to choose from. The wine pairing option is at very affordable $20 for 3 glasses of red, white and/or dessert. Regular menu is not super expensive, we decided to do half and half.

White Gazpacho– Red Grapes, Toasted Hazelnuts, Basil
Part of the summer menu, this one is not much of a looker, but a great summer soup. Super light and yet creamy. A mix of cauliflower, celery and cucumber with a little red grapes as decoration. A hint of nutty favor from hazelnuts. NICELY done!!!

Avocado Toast– Red Onion, Cilantro, Lime, Radish, Grilled Sourdough
So Tavern on the Green has an “Afternoon” menu. And this is a twist from it. The one on the afternoon menu listed at $22. There is plenty of avocado on it, but the disappointment is on the toast. It doesn’t taste like it had been toasted. The grape tomato is great, but it totally over crowded the “toast”. Just some sloppy avocado slapped on an “not-so-fresh sourdough”. Not even sure it is Sourdough.

Shrimp Scampi– frascati, Garlic, Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
2 big prawns over a bed of spaghetti. Shrimps are cooked just right. For a cacao e pepe, there is enough pepper but not nearly enough cheese. The house-made spaghetti was great! Right texture and just al dente. It’s a little salty for my taste, but could also be just too much pepper.

Hickory Smoked Beef Short ribs– East Texas Baked Beans, Pickled Vegetables
Short ribs was a disappointment. Just as it looks in the picture. It is dry. Desperately need sauce. The tiny little drops underneath it wasn’t much help. The dish became blend and plain. However, I do love the little mushrooms that were mixed in the beans.

Long Island Striped Bass– Tomato-Onion Confit, Citrus Olives, Pomme Paille, Petite Cress 34.00
(From the regular dinner menu) Good size of bass filet, perfectly seared, the skin was very crunchy, but not oily at all. Seasoning was light but it didn’t matter. The tomato confit makes it a great summer dish.

Cioppino– Mussels, Clams, Scallops, Chorizo, Shrimp, Grilled Sourdough 32.00

Also, at average $30+ per entrée on regular menu, the portions here are very generous. The cioppino has plenty of seafood in the mixture. I was looking around, our next-table neighbor had the $56 rack of lamb, and it was gigantic! Huge, huge, huge rack. When they listed whole rack, they were not kidding. And I also saw they were shaving the black truffle on top of the lamb table-side. The server literally took out a good size of whole truffle and it started raining truffle slices. And he even handing out (shaving) truffle slices to diner’s hand at that table. WHAT!?! There was also a mountain of fries came along with that rack of lamb. The amount of food on that plate was unbelievable.
Back to the restaurant week menu. Chicken Pomodoro, the one entrée we didn’t ordered looked decent size too. It was a whole chicken leg, thigh included. Don’t know how the lamb nor the chicken taste, but sure looks good.
As the night falls, the outdoor patio lights up. How wonderful it would be to have a mid-summer night party here.
Tavern on the Green- a well known place with an expensive zip code; a historic landmark; a symbol of upper class Manhattaners. Through numerous renovations, scandals, and troubles, if these walls could talk… and I couldn’t understand how it could go from making $38million in 2007 to bankruptcy in 2009… I guess it is all just a part of New York history. Glory, downfall, rebirth…
Owners, chefs came and went, Tavern on the Green still stands its ground in Central Park overlooking sheep’s meadow. Will it reclaim its glamours days? It is still early to tell.
(July 2015)