10.30.08
Review of Graffiti, Friday August 2008
224 E.10th St. & 1st Ave., 212-677-0695
Great for: dumplings, pork buns when the Momofukus are too busy, cheap wine, birdlike eaters
E and I had heard a lot about this little place, and were happy to take the opportunity to try it one cold summer night. I’m glad we did. Though not amazing, it was consistently good, and when you’ve had several mediocre resto experiences in a row, that is something to be prized.
The simple menu broken down by price – $7, $12 and $15 dishes – was paradoxically difficult to choose from. Everything looked so good! We finally settled on six things. The fantastic prosecco lychee martini is included in the $7 section and comes with lychee sorbet, a brilliant twist on the usual splash of juice and a lone lychee drowned at the bottom of the martini glass. Not that I haven’t enjoyed tons of those, but this one is special.
The six (or was it eight) chili pork dumplings with grapefruit confit and chickpea semolina shredded on top were also great. The hint of fruit contrasts nicely with the spice, and somehow everything blends subtly together. We also liked the seaweed duck roll with onion confit, sesame seeds and a touch of Korean chili. I didn’t care for the seaweed (I only like it dried) but the duck was roasted perfectly, with an almost beef-like texture. The onions on the side were a bit spicy, while the sauce was not. The dish was basically six delicious little bites of art.
The braised pork bun with apricot chutney was a salty, spicy, flavor orgy. Before I tried the Momofuku version I thought these were heaven. They still come pretty close. The buns also had crunchy puffed corn, puffed rice and peanuts inside. The chutney, traditionally Persian-style with pits, was heavy, sweet and surprisingly good. Both things were hedonistic in their own ways. Be sure to have some water on hand, as the bun portion will set your mouth on fire.
We quite liked the green chili shrimp with mirin, daikon and mung bean salsa, bean sprouts and green papaya over pickled radish salad. The shrimp was so tender it verged on raw. I wasn’t totally on board with that. For a wonder, I liked the salad too, which was hot in a refreshing way. The chickpea-crusted skate in mint yogurt sauce, accompanied by beet greens and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, was delicious. Crispy outside (the chickpea used as breading), soft within, the fish was perfect. The greens were spinach-like and I even enjoyed the minty stuff.
Tipplers without trust funds, take note: every glass of wine is $8 and every bottle is $25. I had a lovely large glass of bold cava, and E’s Chardonnay grenache and Matthias Dostert rosé were yummy too, though the afore-mentioned lychee martini in an interestingly sexy glass was definitely the star of the drinks. Our waiter was very self-assured and helpful, about the wine especially.
The cozy space has a few large communal tables and a pair of chairs at a side area. Try not to carry any bags as you will either have to sit on or rest your feet on them. Despite its small size, the restaurant’s darling, thoughtful décor makes the whole space feel inviting. And though each dish was fairly small, we felt like we got good value for our money while trying a good representation of what the kitchen can do. I hope I can come back soon.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $130 (2 drinks each)
Noise level: pretty good, unless a giant party sits behind you
Chance of walking in: low except at early times.
RYErnest said,
December 1, 2008 at 05:20
Nice post u have here :D Added to my RSS reader