Wall Street, a place swimming with the best and brightest of our financial institutions, is home to Sho Shaun Hergatt, a restaurant venue with a menu worthy of executive patronage. On blood red banners you’ll find a circle, a concept symbolizing infinite returns. This circle is something the restaurant has tacked on to the initials of Shaun Hergatt, the Australian executive chef.

A sitting area by the elevators begins the lush welcome. They open to another waiting area, with a dark sleek bar. The couches are inviting but somehow the space is a little too groomed to seem anything like home. Custom designed “uniforms” paired with four-inch heels for the army of host and hostesses complete the surreal experience.

For someone who has moved from one Manhattan shoe box to the next, I was shocked to go through yet more negative space to finally arrive at the main dining room. Equipped with the vogue open kitchen in the back, the dining area is surprisingly quiet and pristine.

The prices are typical wall street exorbitant, so for those with a padded enough bank account to go, I’d still suggest the three course tasting menu. The server kindly suggested the 12 course, that way I can properly appreciate the technical prowess of the executive chef. If anyone reading this would like to spot me, we can comment on the technical skills together!

We were presented first with some amuse-bouche, 4 of us, 4 little bite-sized concoctions, followed by another molecular gastronomical creation paired with pureed peas–way to hide those greens. The secret’s under the green yolk…bacon foam (green eggs…and ham?).

After the parade of bite sized delights, my appetizer arrived: peeky-toe crab cake topped with uni. The other ones I remember were consistent, but by far the peeky-toe was the best. Moist, flavorful, and a great blend. I want to say the gel was a vinegar jello slice, but the dish is a lot more approachable than the other more bizarre gastronomical creations.

Entrees were up next, the star of this round was the sous vide lamb. Colorado lamb. You’d think that just having it sous vide would make for some interesting fragrances, but it was shockingly…moist and game-free. It also makes for a beautiful plate, the color pink and a nice spring match with the peas. For those who are more traditional, sous-vide is a technique that involves putting ingredients in an air-tight packet that rests in a warm water bath to slow cook. As for the black coat around the lamb, that’s seaweed. A touch of east on a very western ensemble.

I had the halibut, which was also cooked in a rather bland manner. The sauce added another layer of seafood, but as good as the texture was, it wasn’t as flavorful as the lamb.

Desserts were artistic and well crafted, but all in all not as satisfying as could be, but looking at the size 0 servers, you may not feel up to it in any case. The edible flowers were again nods to the emphasis on seasonality. By the time anyone reads this, the menu will have likely changed with the weather, so a lot to look forward to.

Of course, desserts aren’t the final say. The last hurray was the “cart” of petite fours. Placed on transparent blocks and glued with simple syrup, watch in awe as they float an inch off your table. The variety is a definite plus, but you really start feeling for the suited guy gluing sweets to acrylic.

Sho is a restaurant that like so many others before it, claims to have East meets West. In this case, the East aspect seems to only make cameos here and there, and, of course, on the banner. If you can overlook misrepresentation, this is a good place for special occasions, or occasions that call for wealth flaunting. There’s a lot of room for ego, so for once, don’t need to keep that at home.

Jessie

(We did not bring the DSLR, apologies for the lackluster photos)

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SHO Shaun Hergatt (Make a Reservation)
40 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004-2913
(212) 809-3993

May 14th, 2010 | Tags: 4Apples, Financial District, Michelin Star, SHO, Sho Shaun Hergatt | Category: Australian | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL