06.05.08
Review of WD-50, Sunday May 2008
50 Clinton St. & Rivington/Stanton Sts., 212-477-2900
Great for: adventurous palates, crazy good cocktails, a foodie date
I used to be afraid of WD-50. I enjoy science but the idea of molecular gastronomy always turned me off. Plus I’m fairly picky about food – aside from the slew of vegetables I don’t like, mixing sweet and savory is usually a good way to annoy me. Wylie Dufresne’s reputation as a mad scientist in the kitchen did not bode well for me… or so I thought. Mr. Ko persuaded me to give the place a try. I’m really glad I did.
The initial flatbread was a good sign. It’s paper thin, strangely addictive sesame salty bread. I tried to stop eating it but my hand kept breaking off pieces and putting them in my mouth. I was halted by the appearance of my popcorn soup with shrimp and lemon confit discs, tamarind-soaked jicama, shiso oil and ground popcorn on top. The soup was buttery like popcorn and the texture was thick as pea soup or something. The shrimp was almost sweet, cut into chunks and pressed together, while the lemon highlighted its deliciousness. The only jarring note was the jicama – it was so sour I gave the rest to Mr. Ko. He got the foie gras with fresh shavings of fennel, malt and sherry vinegar jam. He was “retraining his palate” after the orgasmic foie at Momofuku Ko. Fortunately, this one tasted so different it was not a letdown. We found it melded tons of flavors interestingly and deliciously. The malt balls were like crunchy ice cream, which was a good offset to the creaminess of the rest of the dish.
I was not as brave with my entrée. I got the lamb loin med over potato noodles, dijon mustard crumble, micro mustard greens and pretzel consommé. The meat was a bit chewy but delicious, with a thin layer of fat on top of each slice. I could only taste the pretzel when I had the broth by itself. The crumble was basically hard bread made of mustard. It was a good contrast to the other things, though I got tired of it. I liked the veggies too. Potato noodles are a great idea. They’re probably fewer calories than regular noodles. Mr. Ko’s Wagyu flat iron came with coffee gnocchi, cipollini onions, sylvetta (a shoulder cut of beef) and a sweet coconut emulsion. The gnocchi barely tasted like coffee and were an interesting combination. We found the meat really flavorful and pretty tender. The onions were great too. I could have done without the fluffy coconut slathered over half the plate though. It added nothing to the dish – it was just something to eat around.
Our unsolicited but welcomed pre-dessert was Greek yogurt inside an olive oil tuile (a straw we could eat) with rhubarb leather, sweetened rhubarb, toasted pinenut finish and olive oil marjoram jam was really cool. I liked the texture and flavor juxtaposition. The tuile was crunchy and sweet, contrasting with the creamy, slightly sour yogurt. The “leather” was kind of stringy in a good way and the rhubarb and jam were yummy.
Our actual desserts were wonderful too. They also reminded me of Murakami artwork. Mr. Ko’s warm gianduja chocolate with ice milk, hazelnut and fennel resembled a Smurf village. I loved the odd sacs of chocolate, while the ice milk plus random crumbly bits kind of tasted like a waffle. My passionfruit tart with black sesame, argan oil and meringue was a delicious Mandelbrot set. I enjoyed it, even its tartness. It was almost a shame to destroy the beauty of the dish.
Now I get to tell you about the drinks. I started with the pH: Absolut, raspberries, lychee and rose. It tasted very strongly of raspberries, and was tart, different and good. I was also pleased at the size of the glass – I have water glasses at home that are smaller. Mr. Ko went for the Son of a Preacher Man with Jim Beam, Canton ginger and lime. You must like rye and ginger to fully enjoy this drink but I still thought it was quite tasty. The Pumpernickel with Jim Beam and Brooklyn brown beer tasted amazingly like its namesake bread. My Old School was basically liquid, alcoholic peanut butter and jelly. The bartender gave us some extra Cabo St. Lucas which is a startlingly deep magenta color, but fortunately doesn’t taste as strong as it looks. There is an impressively extensive wine list too.
I found the decor interesting. The dining room walls are all different primary colors, which don’t really go together but somehow collectively shout “Lower East Side.” I liked the mosaic in the bathroom. It’s confusing in there; just push on the wider wooden panels, those are the stalls. It’s a good metaphor for the restaurant – forbidding and confusing, but when you give the place a chance and just go in, everything actually turns out well. I look forward to expanding my palate’s horizons again sometime soon.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $260 (2 cocktails each)
Noise level: fairly quiet
Chance of walking in: better earlier in the night. Apparently it’s less packed on weekdays.
Goodfood said,
June 22, 2008 at 02:32
Nice review. It’s funny how many people have had great experiences at wd~50 after hesitating to eat there for a long time.
Recently I had my first taste of wd~50 and it was a memorable experience
http://goodfood65.blogspot.com/2008/06/wd50-lower-east-side-manhattan-new-york.html