Ember Room – My Favorite Todd English Restaurant

Read the title carefully, and based on your personal view on Todd English, it could be either high praise or backhanded complement.

For me, it’s a little bit of both.

There are certain chefs who are universally loved, and some who are widely hated. Todd English tends to be a polarizing figure of the latter. Whether it’s his personality, style, or his high churn rate of restaurants, something about Mr. English seems to rub people the wrong way. I have no issues with someone’s personality as long as they can deliver solid food. However after visiting 3 of his establishments, I have yet to be impressed.

I did not like the now defunct English is Italian when I dined there years ago, I was extremely disappointed by Todd English’s Tuscany in Mohegan Sun, and lately I walked out unimpressed by the Plaza Food Hall. Then I heard about the Ember Room, an American-Asian fusion barbecue concept. Expectations cannot be set any lower, but then again, no expectations, no disappoints… right?

Situated on 9th Ave, a few blocks from the broadway theaters, this location has no shortage of foot traffic. The dark tones and design elements are a stark contrast with other restaurants in the neighborhood. If you’re a wondering tourist that want a meal at a “cool” restaurant, this might be it.

I was expecting the restaurant to be big, even grand based on pictures found on the website. As it turns out, it was small, narrow and seating was a bit tight. A massive oven adorned with the letters T.E. dominates the space. (Surprisingly, that’s the only reference to Todd English I found. Quite a welcome change from his other establishments, where everything reminds you that you are in the house of Chef English)

The menu was very simple and straight forward. You have small plates, larger plates, and sides. Most of the items are designed to be shared. Drinks are on the back, and feature familiar Asian and South East Asian ingredients.

For small plates, the miso Japanese eggplants had a nice crisp charred texture on the outside, having most likely just spent some time in the “TE” emblazoned furnace. The flavors were more sweet than savory. I was missing the taste of the miso, the only shortcoming.

In contrast to the heavy-handed, grill-mark laden eggplant, the scallops on the other hand, looked delicately seared and plated. The flavors were executed nicely on this dish, and the scallopers had great flavor.

Pork belly slabs were tasty and the fatty cuts melted straight in your mouth. The apple and celery “strings” (resembling shoestring fries), with ground pepper and vinaigrette was an excellent complementary dish to the heavy pork belly slices.

Prawns were beautifully charred, releasing ample umami from the shell. The sauce works well, if only it was used in moderation. The whole dish tasted over seasoned.

Now onto the bigger dishes. Sea bass medallions were exception cuts of fish, and cooked nearly perfectly. The flakes of fish literally fell apart with the gentle touch of your fork. An excellent effort from the chefs. After the prawns, however, my sense for salt was impaired temporarily, and the sweet cauliflower paste tasted a bit too sweet for my liking.

The trend of alternating levels of saltiness continued and reached a pinnacle with the spice rubbed half chicken. The dish came with 3 sauces of varying spiciness, an impressive presentation. However, while trying to figure out which of the three sauces best complement the chicken, your taste buds are already overwhelmed by the sheer amount of salt on the chicken. The chicken breast and thighs are brilliantly cooked, incredibly juicy with a flavorful charred surface. If the chef just held back slightly on the seasoning, it would have been one of the best chicken dishes I’ve had in New York.

That said, the restaurant only recently opened, and a bit of inconsistency is not out of the norm. Chef Ian Chalermkittichai has demonstrated talent and creativity, and judging from the reactions of the diners, people are excited about this eclectic menu. There you have it, my favorite Todd English restaurant by a mile, and overall a solid new restaurant in the midtown dining scene.

I think English is more Asian than Italian.

CS

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Ember Room (Make a Reservation)
647 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036