Update: Since my last visit, Chef Peru was unceremoniously fired from the project while he was overseas. The restaurant cited visa issues. It seems that the direction of the restaurant is changing drastically. Whatever will happen to the place remains to be seen, but I’m not feeling hopeful at the moment.
Mercado on Kent is a project that would be ambitious even in Manhattan. So much so that I was surprised to have never heard about the project until a week prior to its soft opening. The gleaming new restaurant space is two stories tall, and with its unique position on a downward sloping street, appears bigger than it already is. Spanish chef Peru Almandoz, whose impressive resume that includes El Bulli and Arzak, presents a Basque style Spanish tapas menu. His sous-chef Nicholas Porcelli recently had a solid run on Chopped and prior to that worked under the Craft Restaurant Group.
Mercado on Kent
If you go into the basement, you’ll see a gigantic wood fired oven from Italy the size of most New York bedrooms. The place bakes all its breads in house, and plans to start a retail/wholesale presence. The baker is Johnny Peralta, an alumnus of Balthazar.
The basement kitchen for bread.
The reason you probably haven’t heard about this till now? It’s in Williamsburg Brooklyn, south near the bridge, next to the defunct Dominos Factory. It’s a few blocks away from all the bustling Williamsburg shops and restaurants to the East and the North. The neighborhood is quickly transforming, and Mercado on Kent is here to serve its future neighbors.
On a recent visit, during their soft opening period, I had the opportunity to sample the menu, which is a simple list of small plates, larger plates, salads, cured meats and sides. Since the reservation was early, and the crowds still thin, it was interesting to watch the open kitchen spring to life shortly after you order. The wood fired oven was especially awesome to watch, as fresh logs burn and crackle.
The first thing you’ll notice is the bread basket varieties, which are all fantastic. The cocoa roll was an absolute treat, and would be a welcome part of any breakfast table in my opinion. When the retail operation comes to fruition, I can see myself becoming a regular.
The wonderful bread basket.
Small plates soon began to arrive. I was very surprised to see the pork belly stuffed piquillo peppers to arrive covered in a light, fluffy cheese that’s been baked inside the oven. Not exactly the Basque style presentation I was expecting. However as soon as you dig your pepper out, the flavors are exceptional. Pork belly provided good flavors, without being overwhelmingly rich in taste and texture.
Paquillo peppers, they're in there.
Omelette in a glass was a simple poached egg yolk covered by potato foam. Having watched numerous shows about El Bulli, I cannot help but imagine the concept and presentation to be inspired by the famed Spanish restaurant. Whether or not this is true, it was a very well executed dish that you eat like a soup, but taste complex and refined.
Omelette in a glass.
Croquettes filled with 4 different fillings didn’t quite do it for me. Then again, I was never a big fan of croquettes. I suspect that these being Spanish croquettes, in addition to the filling it was filled with becham. The creamy, thick texture simply overpowered the mushroom, clams, Iberico ham, and especially the cheese.
Then came the duck prosciutto, cured in house and served with more of the excellent bread. I’ve never had duck prosciutto, and it was better than expected. The charcuterie will be an important part of this restaurant once the wine starts pouring, and this duck prosciutto is a must have.
Duck Prosciuitto
Crab toast is a classic Basque pintxo (tapas). Spicy, tomato based, and served on a slice of toast. There’s an ample amount of crab, with just the right amount of heat. This would be an excellent afternoon snack, with a glass of Spanish wine.
Crab on toast, classic Basque tapas.
Our salad of shrimp and octopus came last, which is not your traditional salad for it only has but 2 sprigs of greens. That said, the seafood is meticulously seasoned, and a great way to cap the savory portion of our meal.
Shrimp and octopus salad.
For dessert, I absolutely adore the cheesecake, which is plated in a deconstructed style and placed next to incredibly tasty tart passion fruit. While raspberry and cranberries have traditionally been cheesecake garnishes of choice, passion fruit trumps the berries in my opinion.
Cheesecake and passion fruit.
The classic Basque Gateau had a intricate sugar decoration, though personally I wasn’t too fond of the almond cake. It was a bit coarse, by design, for my taste.
Showy, but a bit too dry for my taste.
Williamsburg has undergone a significant transformation in the past few years, and if all goes well, the waterfront area along Kent Ave. will be transformed within a matter of years. In some ways, Mercado on Kent is ahead of its time, and will do quite well as the neighborhood flourishes. Even in it’s early guise, missing a few key licenses and certifications, you can sense the potential already, and I’m hoping it improves from here. I’ll definitely visit again when they get their all important licence……. the sous-vide license (here’s a link to a 16 page NYC notice on Sous Vide, in case you’re wondering why it’s so tedious to get some of the paperwork in tact). Welcome to NYC chef Peru.
From the Notebook: Full review and score will come after subsequent visits, with the all important sous-vide license. The back of the room will display Jamon Iberico ham on a rack, which seems to be a growing trend in the city. Chef Porcelli, who I met at one of his previous restaurants comped 2 dishes, which in no way influenced my writing, nor was I asked to write.
CS
Mercado on Kent (Make a Reservation)
291 Kent Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11249
(718) 782-8810
