08.22.08
Review of Degustation, Tuesday July 2008
[I finished acting school but had to start a corporate project immediately thereafter. They're not so keen on the blogging during work hours, so posts will probably still be slow.]
239 E.5th St. & 2nd Ave., 212-979-1012
Great for: adventurous palates, oenophiles, people with quiet taste in interiors
Tuesday was the first day Commodities Broker and I could get a reservation here – they book up quickly, and there are only eighteen seats. I was pretty excited. It’s a sister restaurant to Jewel Bako, one of my favorite sushi places in New York. In fact, they share a door.
We opted for the $50 five-course tasting and $45 wine pairing, as most of the things we would have ordered were in the tasting. I’d had a really stressful day so we got a head start on the vino with a lovely large flute each of 2004 Llopart Leopardi brut rosé. Our first course was crudo of seasonal bonito with almonds, strawberries, asparagus, shiso flowers and marcona almonds in a red wine reduction. The lightness of the other ingredients, especially the almonds, offset the heavy-tasting fish well. I enjoyed the pairing with a 2006 Chardonnay.
Next, we had a crazy concoction of slowly poached egg, jamón Serrano, chorizo, smoked cheese foam and rice cracker-crusted asparagus. Somehow it all worked. The egg almost melted in my mouth, while the ham was balanced perfectly between chewy and soft. The slight blandness of the broth was a great contrast. It was a bit salty; you’ll need chapstick afterward. The 2007 rioja blanca was another lovely pairing.
I enjoyed our last appetizer of grilled octopus confit over potatos, caramelized cipollini onions, celery and piquillo pepper salad covered in micro cilantro emulsion. The octopus was a bit chewier than I’d like but nicely charred. I generally don’t even like octopus (everything in the eight-legged family is too rubbery for me) so this was quite good – enough that I managed to finish the disturbingly large tentacle, with the help of generous swallows of 2005 Ribeiro blanco.
For the main course we had suckling pig garnished with tomatillo, velvet pioppini mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, lemon zest and Fresno peppers. I really enjoyed the sauce - not so much the inch of fat on one side. But overall it was satisfyingly spicy and salty, with tender yet firm meat. The red Pago Fiorentino pairing nicely soothed the excitement caused by the spices.
Last, we had a terrific twice-caramelized torija (brioche) and raspberries and citrus. The fruit cut the sweet softness of the bread, which was crunchy outside and soft like custard inside. I could have had a bit more of it. Definitely more of the delicious Château Lafon Sauternes as well.
The service and decor matched the food in excellence. Our waitress was lovely, and the chefs were quiet and focused, just like at Ko, but emanating much more good humor. It’s amazing how many completely different beautiful wineglasses they have. Every time we had a new wine, it was a pleasant surprise to see what kind of glass it would come in. The whole place shows attention to detail without looking fussy. The stone tiles make it feel homey, while the quality of the materials keep it refined. After the sodium-fest that was Mercat and the fiasco politely called Fiamma, it was delightful to just have a great meal. I’d come back here any day.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $285 ($50 5-course tastings + $45 wine pairings + 2 $14 flutes of champagne)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: very low. Reserve at least 3 days ahead, even for an early weekday.
