As a fan of traditional Japanese cuisine, it’s always a bit difficult to write about a neighborhood Japanese restaurant, where the odds of success hinge on the creativity of Americanized sushi rolls and “fusion” dishes. Trying to present my view on these places is like asking a student of classic oil paintings to judge modern sculptures. Perhaps I’m the one at fault for not appreciating some of the complex flavors and textures from these rolls, but as I learn I can only judge upon what I know.
Waza in Clinton Hill
Waza Sushi and Ramen in Clinton Hill is one such neighborhood Japanese restaurant that I recently visited. The name, which translates roughly into “craft” or “skill”, is an ambitious attempt to please both diners of raw fish and noodle in fatty pork broth. In an up and coming neighborhood where adventurous diners are still few and far between, they also have a full kitchen churning out hot dishes for those who prefer their fish less translucent.
Not surpisingly given the restaurant’s name, the sushi and ramen are the standouts. Our meal started with a sashimi platter featuring many premium cuts of fish and shellfish, with fairly pleasant plating that is more shock-and-awe than to subtle pleasure. I was very pleasantly surprised to see real grated wasabi (not sure how pure though) rather than the powder based mixture found at most Japanese restaurants. The raw seafood was very fresh, and the ample slice sizes are very satisfying.
MuCash lets you make donations quicky in increments as small as a single penny. By leaving a small donation every time you find something of value to you, you can help me keep creating content like this for you to enjoy.
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. Continue reading Mercado on Kent – Grand Plans South of Grand Street
MuCash lets you make donations quicky in increments as small as a single penny. By leaving a small donation every time you find something of value to you, you can help me keep creating content like this for you to enjoy.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Celebrity chefs are as much about their abilities in Management, Publicity, and spotting talent, rather than actual prowess in the kitchens. After all, they can only be in one kitchen at a time.
How many restaurants can a chef successfully manage simultaneously? That is always up to debate. The foodie crowd seems to give a pass to some chefs, and strike down ruthlessly at other chefs for “over-extending” his empire. Thus begin the vicious cycle: with limit dining budgets, food writers often reference others before choosing a meal. If all my fellow bloggers didn’t like a place, chances are I’ll not be giving it a shot a redemption.
Aureole's new location near Times Square.
Perhaps all I’ve written thus far is just to layout the scenario for Aureole. Desperately needing to find a restaurant suitable to treat some friends visiting from out of town, research lead to Aureole thanks to its the elegant new dining space and convenient location. However, the food blogs and professional critic reviews seem universally negative, blaming chef Charlie Palmer for turning the the much beloved Upper East Side original Aureole, a townhouse affair, into a big-box restaurant next to Times Square. That may be two Chef-de-Cuisines in the past, but with the internet reviews linger on forever. Since the 1-star NY Times review, bloggers seems to have stopped visiting.
MuCash lets you make donations quicky in increments as small as a single penny. By leaving a small donation every time you find something of value to you, you can help me keep creating content like this for you to enjoy.
I’ve long known that Terroir is famous for their Riesling, what I did not know is that they have Riesling on tap.
Terrior Tribeca.
Before we talk more about the wine bar, a bit on the name. Terrior is the somewhat controversial idea that the piece of land has an absolute impact on the grape, and subsequently the wine. While nobody would doubt that the climate of a region (such as Chablis, Napa) impacts grapes, the concept of terrior states that grape on one side of the road can be noticeably different from the other. Supporters of the concept believe that each vineyard has distinct elements that impact the fruit from the vines, while doubters argue that this is done strictly to maintain brand prestige and real estate values.
Regardless of which camp you belong in, you know that with a name like this, the folks at Terroir is serious about their wines.
Warm and comfortable.
The space at Terrior is rustic and inviting, with high chair seating and dim mood lighting. The environment stands in stark contrast to their zany menu (which looks like a binder of random mismatched clippings), their in-your-face website, and the colorful personality behind their Twitter account.
Menu looks crazy.
Thankfully the food and wine are both more on the serious side. The wait staff are tremendously knowledgeable about the wines, and based on your preference would bring sample pours of some unique wines. The food, which is prepared in an open kitchen, are tasty and pairs wonderfully with the wine. The salad of frisée, crispy duck confit, gorgonzola and shallots had great balance of sweet and savory flavors. The speck and fontina sandwich was a crowd pleaser, with nicely toasted bread and house mustard with a kick.
Duck confit salad.
Wine, great food, and a wonderful environment. Terrior is a great choice for dates, or just to kick back and enjoy some different wines.
An excellent sandwich.
CS
Rating:
Terroir Tribeca
24 harrison st.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 625-9463
Terroir EV
413 E 12th St
New York, NY 10009
(646) 602-1300
MuCash lets you make donations quicky in increments as small as a single penny. By leaving a small donation every time you find something of value to you, you can help me keep creating content like this for you to enjoy.
Five bizarrely popular restaurants later, some might forget where it all began. It started in East Village, where David Chang’s love of noodles, instant or otherwise, powered this black horse of a restaurant. In his cookbook, he writes of a bleak time when it seemed like the empire would remain un-built, but seven years later, it’s now a place where 30 minute waits are considered perfectly reasonable.
And 30 minutes is precisely how long I waited last I went. The communal tables are a bit odd for some, the elbow rubbing can be a bit much, and conversation is easily drowned out by overenthusiastic diners but give it a slurp–get in the ramen zone.
Before that, we started with the pork tails. Imagery of curly piggy tails aside, this dish was pretty delicious. The bones were so soft, that with a simple chew, it was gone. Don’t let how that sounded discourage you, just munch away. It was coupled with pickled pear, which was a tart, fun complement to the savory braise.
MuCash lets you make donations quicky in increments as small as a single penny. By leaving a small donation every time you find something of value to you, you can help me keep creating content like this for you to enjoy.
