Dinner | Scarpetta

After playing schedule tag for several weeks, Erin and I were finally able to find time in our crazy busy schedules for me to take her out for belated dinner to celebrate her birthday that just passed. Oh, and fun fact: our birthdays are a day apart! Since we had to scrap our original plans of having fondue at The Melting Pot in Jersey, I had to think of somewhere in the city for us to go. Then I remembered an old co-worker of mine, JB, had raved on and on about the pastas at Scarpetta, landing a spot on my list for a while now. What really sent me over the edge was when I was perusing the Restaurant Finder on Immaculate Infatuation to find that they had rated Scarpetta very high (an 8.6!), plus one of the items that they had sampled (and fell in love with) was the duck and foie gras ravioli. This one dish was the clincher. It was settled -- Scarpetta was to be the place.

The mastermind behind the kitchen at Scarpetta is Chef Scott Conant, a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. After studying pastry in Munich, Chef Conant returned to New York City as sous chef at San Domenico. He later went on to be the chef de cuisine at Il Toscanaccio in 1995 and helped revamp the restaurants Barolo and Chianti. He also took the chance to open a new restaurant, City Eatery, as executive chef, showcasing "his modern take on Italian cuisine." In 2001, Chef Conant was approached about opening a restaurant in Tudor City. So in preparation, he traveled to Italy to work with some of the country's most celebrated chefs and reconnected with his distant relatives in Beneveto. A year later, L'Impero was opened, with a menu that "seamlessly fused the classic dishes of Chef Conant's childhood with his own interpretations of Italian cuisine." The following year, L'Impero garnered much acclaim in the culinary world, including "Best New Restaurant" in the U.S. from the James Beard Foundation in 2003.

Chef Conant went on to open Alto, a restaurant whose focus laid in his interpretation of Northern Italian cuisine. A few years later, he made a huge decision to leave L'Impero and Alto to open a restaurant that would be "100% his own creation." And accordingly, Scarpetta was born. Italian for "little shoe" (or the shape that bread takes when used to soak up a dish), Scarpetta "represents the pure pleasure of savoring a meal down to the very last taste" with food that is "unexpected and soulful."

Scarpetta's interior design is intended to reflect Chef Conant's "earthy yet modern approach to Italian cuisine" located in a Greek revival townhouse over in the Meatpacking District. It is both rustic yet has contemporary touches in for good measure.

On the table at Scarpetta -- love these miniature liquid candle lamps! Makes it a little different from the usual tea lights.

Some spreads for our bread -- extra virgin olive oil, olive tapenade, and mascarpone butter -- all lovely!

Erin's first course was the braised short ribs of beef with vegetable and farro risotto. The short ribs were braised to an incredibly tender softness coated in earthy and juicy flavors. The vegetable and farro risotto was lightly creamy, plus I'm a total sucker for highly textured grains (barley, brown rice, freekeh, etc.). It was the ideal ratio between meat and carbohydrates. Very well done. It is definitely on the spectrum as a heavier starter, so if you're having a heavier main course later, perhaps I would go with something lighter.

To start, I had the seared sea scallops with sunchoke, apple, and black trumpet mushrooms. They were nicely seared at an enjoyable temperature (not too raw, not totally overcooked). The medley of sunchoke (i.e., sunflower tuber), apple, and mushrooms gave an otherwise summery bivalve a wintry and heartier embellishment. Overall, the seared scallops were pretty good, but if I end up back at Scarpetta, I would opt to try something else.

One of Erin's favorite foods is foie gras, so I insisted that the birthday girl order the duck and foie gras ravioli with marsala reduction (with permission from her to steal some bites, of course). The zig-zaggedy sauce was the marsala reduction. This is as decadent as you can get with pasta, without heavily piling on freshly shaved truffles (black or white). So very rich and absolutely delicious after every single bite of these delicate pillows of flavor as each collapses right onto your palate. Even with the hefty price tag of $26 a plate of these beauts, it is worth every single penny. I please you to order this. It is not a suggestion -- it's an order!

Alternatively, to add some variety to our menu choices that evening, I had the short rib and bone marrow agnolotti with garlic chips and fresh horseradish. Thought not equally as indulgent as the duck and foie gras ravioli, this is still pretty up there. Braised short rib meat lightly cloaked by the essence of bone marrow -- a combination of fatty yet silky -- filled these pasta packets, waiting to share its rich news with its audience. The garlic chips gave a refined crunch, providing a textural contrast to the soft cushions and tender meat inside. I was concerned that the fresh horseradish would be too pungent (even the mildest of mustards haunts me), but by the time this dish arrived at our table, I forgot there was even horseradish! So if you're looking for a different kind of pasta than the token dishes (bolognese, clam sauce, alfredo, etc.) but not so much as to venture out to have foie gras, then this will be the right choice!

I let the maître d' know ahead of time that we'd be out celebrating Erin's birthday, so when it came time for dessert, the kitchen arranged a little plate of mignardises (macarons, pâtes de fruits, chocolate brittle, etc.) with a candle and "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate.

In addition to the mignardises, we both opted to share the coconut panna cotta with guava sauce and caramelized pineapple. For such a tropical-themed dessert (Hawaiian, even), I was quite wary of how this could be executed well at an Italian dining establishment, even if the dessert's base was a staple of Italian sweets. I was so relieved to be wrong! Did I ever tell you how much I love guava fruits? Well, I really, really do. When I was in Hawaii two summers ago visiting a friend from university, I took in all the guava I could find (juice, smoothies, what have you) because I've had a difficult time finding fresh guava over on the East Coast. It was so refreshing and awesome to taste that tangy fruit once again. The guava sauce complemented the coconut panna cotta extremely well and some playful bites of cubed caramelized pineapple. Like a refreshing piece of fruit you enjoy after a heavily delectable meal, this was the most excellent way to conclude it, alongside a glass of gently chilled moscato d'Asti.

Erin and me at Scarpetta.

Findings: Scarpetta has now been added to my list of "go-to" restaurants -- my informal "Hall of Good Eats" where also resides The Dutch, Brushstroke, and Ciano -- when people ask me for recommendations. JB was totally right -- the pastas here are just astounding. I never thought I would say that (again) about pasta (with the exception of the pasta tasting at Ciano). Simply put (or complexly put -- depending how you look at it), it is ambrosia on porcelain. Even its most simple pasta (an eternal classic on the restaurant's menu), the spaghetti with tomato and basil, is said to be Chef Scott Conant's "famous" pasta -- I had no idea until I stumbled upon it on Gastronomy and

Immaculate Infatuation's "Friday Fives" Q&A with Michelle Trachtenberg. Don't worry -- it's on my list for next time!

Something I find most fascinating when I'm dining out are the stories behind a restaurant's moniker, and not just the ones where its address dictate its name (among my favorites: Alinea, Jewel Bako, Recette, and Il Pittore). Scarpetta is now on that list -- everything we ate that night had the feeling that the Italian word, scarpetta (the shape that bread takes when used to soak up a dish), so perfectly expressed: you will undoubtedly experience that "pure pleasure of savoring a meal down to the very last taste."

Price point: $18-19 for each primi, $25-26 for each paste, $11 for each dolce, $12 for each glass of moscato d'Asti.

--March 11, 2011

Scarpetta

355 West 14th Street

New York, NY 10014

http://www.scarpettanyc.com

Lunch | The Melt Shop

Sunday mornings are perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, making The Melt Shop a destination for lunch with Marcus a couple weekends ago.

The Melt Shop is actually just a "counter"-style joint set up al fresco. There are some tables set up right in front (it's in an open courtyard, down one floor from street level). If it's chilly out or if the elements are unfriendly that day, there is public seating inside the building in which the shop is connected. It was opened by Spencer Rubin, a Cornell Hotel School grad, "to cater to the kid inside everyone by serving a few childhood classics, while appealing to the mature palate with sophisticated variations of the world's most famous sandwich." Mr. Rubin also has Chef Katy Sparks as The Melt Shop's culinary/chef consultant.

Everything is made to order, so we were patiently waiting for our food to be ready.

I decided to go with the aged cheddar grilled cheese with maple glazed bacon on sourdough. My three favorite things, all lopped together in one of my favorite sandwiches of all time -- can't get simpler than this. Melted cheese? Check! Sourdough bread? Check! Crispy bacon? Check! Check! Check! Each side of the sandwich was toasted/seared/browned very well (the bottom side was just a bit overdone, though), and the grilled cheese's contents were perfect.

I ordered a homemade tomato soup to have with my aged cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. The homemade aspect of this tomato soup was what sold me, and it was soo good, especially with my grilled cheese. It was nice and chunky, but not creamy (which would render me a twisting stomach in minutes), and you could still feel the texture of the nearly melted onions within the soup. The combination of salty, savory, and a tinge bit sweet meshed well with the melted and toasted goodness that encapsulates the best grilled cheese sandwiches. Only complaint as a ratio eater is that there wasn't enough grilled cheese to get through this soup! Maybe a smaller portioned soup or a larger grilled cheese would help remediate this!

Marcus had the smoked turkey reuben with swiss, smoked turkey, and melt sauce (he held the mustard, red cabbage slaw, and red onions -- not really a reuben anymore, I suppose, haha). Considering Marcus was a bit dubious about going to a shop that only has grilled cheese on its menu, it was nice to see that thought completely dissipate once he told me that this was probably the best grilled cheese sandwich that he's ever had. I love it when they slice the grilled cheese sandwich diagonally -- makes for easier eating on the first bite. "Melt sauce" at The Melt Shop is almost like Shake Shack's "Shack sauce" -- a mayonnaise-based "mystery" condiment, giving the sandwich a flavorful moist layer against the meat/cheese/bread.

We also had a side of shop tots with melt sauce. Can never go wrong with a side of tater tots, especially since the ones at The Melt Shop are deliciously crisp and brown, and the melt sauce goes great with them.

Findings: If you're jonesing for a solid grilled cheese sandwich, The Melt Shop is the perfect destination. There will be something on the menu for grilled cheese aficionados and connoisseurs alike. The homemade tomato soup and a side of shop tots are great additions to any grilled cheese sandwich there, too.

Price point: $6.95-7.95 for each grilled cheese sandwich, $2.95 for shop tots, $3.50 for tomato soup.

--March 4, 2012

The Melt Shop

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

http://www.meltshopnyc.com

Toasts | in memoriam of Baba

PI(E) DAY: IN MEMORIAM
This isn't something I talk about frequently -- not because I don't wish to or it makes me sad, uncomfortable, or the like -- but for the complete opposite reason. It usually makes the people around me feel uneasy, resulting in being unsure of what to say, and in most cases (especially if they are individuals I haven't known for very long), having downcast expressions of pity. I know they would mean well, but it would subsequently make me feel uncomfortable, causing me to regret even bringing it up in the first place. Nevertheless, since I'm sharing whatever I wish to say out in the blogosphere, quasi-soliloquy, all of those collateral situations will be minimized and mostly circumvented.

Back in 2000, my mom and I lost my father (I called him Baba, for "father" in Cantonese) to his three-year, formidable battle with hepatocellular carcinoma (i.e., cancer of the liver). At the time, I was only thirteen. It was a rough adolescence for me and more of a trying time even for my incredibly resilient mother. While the wounds have long since ebbed from the incessantly afflicting bouts of grief, the void is still there, and we miss him every single day that has passed since. It has been difficult to find the perfect way to honor his memory over the years, mainly because I couldn't figure out what would work best without appearing clichéd and contrived. Even in the deepest of losses, I still wished to be original and personal.

Baba, Mom, and me visiting my cousin at Cornell University, circa 1990.

Baba always encouraged and pushed me to do and be my best every single day, and just like my mom, humility was paramount in doing so. In many ways, he was stubborn and fastidious (at times, ridiculously so), but mostly in a reasonable manner, and I see so much him in myself as I've grown much since those impressionable teenage years. Even though he is no longer with us, I continue carry his memory in the personality traits we shared. He was also a man who appreciated good food and would treat my mom and me to some quality dining a few times a year before he fell ill. Baba was the one who first introduced to the art of eating (i.e., outside of our family's kitchen), which included fancy seafood dinners over in The Highlands of New Jersey (Doris and Ed's comes to memory) and white-clothed tables in New York City (my first being at Union Square Café). I have him to thank for bringing me into the world of toques, haute cuisine, and enjoying all things culinary -- Four Tines could scarcely exist without him.

Today is the twelfth anniversary of his passing. Though it may be many years too late, I believe that I have found the best way -- poetic at best, naïve in the least -- to remember him. In a nutshell (you'll find out shortly but please pardon the pun), here is the train of thought behind what I wish to do:

{1} March 14 is informally celebrated as "Pi (π) Day" (as π is approximately equal to 3.14), a "holiday" that many elementary school mathematics teachers use to encourage students to learn more about geometry by doing activities related to the actual figure of π and to any related homophonic things (like dessert pie);

{2} Along with this, my entire extended family is obsessed with nuts (salted cashews, whole peanuts, toasted almonds, butter pecan ice cream, etc.);

{3} We also jokingly call ourselves "the nutty Addams Family" because of our quirky ways and crazy idiosyncrasies;

{4} My dad's American name begins with a P, and with our last name being Kan (pronounced kahn), I used to call him "P-Kan Nut" (my attempt at a clever play on "pecan").

So with the anniversary of his passing falling on "Pi Day," my family's "nutty" obsession, and my "punny" nickname for Baba, I thought it'd be equally appropriate to bake a pecan pie in his memory and continue making it as an annual ritual for years to come. This combination of cheesy, possibly witty, and maybe even nutty (ha-ha-ha) begins my attempt to create a pecan pie from scratch.

IN THE KITCHEN: "RYE PECAN PIE" - THE PREP AND THE DOUGH
I found a recipe for rye pecan pie from The New York Times recipe archive. It seemed pretty straightforward, plus the included photograph made it even more enticing. Since pies are quite time-consuming to make from scratch, I divvied up the project over two days, so I could dedicate enough time for all of the steps.

The first part involved making the pie crust dough.


{1} The ingredients -- sugar, flour, cold unsalted butter, and kosher salt -- were {3} combined using a paddle attachment for my stand mixer on low speed. {2} The two pounds of cold butter needed to be cubed, added to the dry mixture, and mixed in until pea-sized lumps formed.


{4} Once the tiny lumps formed, I added half a cup of ice water to the dough mixture, just until it holds together. {5} Once the dough was ready, I rolled it until a ball, wrapped it loosely in Saran wrap, and rolled/flattened it into a disk, followed by placing it into the fridge overnight.

{6,7} To prep everything I could before the part of the recipe where I would bake the pie crust and fill the pie, I also took apart my springform cake pan and flipped the bottom over so that the outside surface faces in. This is to help prevent the pie dough from sinking into the pan's crease.

{8} Here are all of the pecan nuts needed for this recipe! {9} I poured the pecan halves from Whole Foods into a Pyrex container to store away overnight. These will be used to top the pie at the end. {10, 11} I also took the pecans I ordered from Fresh Direct and finely chopped them using my mini food processor. These will be used for the pie's filling. I did all of this on Monday night.


IN THE KITCHEN: "RYE PECAN PIE" - THE BAKED CRUST
First thing to do when baking commences is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.


On Tuesday evening, I was to finish the recipe. {1} I took the chilled dough out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes prior to rolling it out, my reason being that my refridgerator tends to be colder than most, so this would make it easier for {2} my spanking new silicone rolling pin to flatten it out!


I had never used a rolling pin before this recipe, so I lightly floured the parchment paper surface as instructed. {3} Man, did this take some muscle! I will have to flatten the dough out into a thinner disk for next time! {4} After about 10-15 minutes of really getting the rolling pin to knead the dough evenly flat to a 16-inch diameter, I lifted the flattened dough and {5} let it settle into the springform pan, fitting the dough down into its edges while pressing the sides firmly against the pan. Then I pinched around the top rim. I refrigerated this dough pan for about 45 minutes before taking it back out to finish the crust making process.


Once 45 minutes was up, {6} I took the pan out of the refrigerator and {7} placed a layer of parchment paper followed by some aluminum foil. Thanks to Linda, I was able to {8} use ceramic pie weights instead of the dried beans for which the recipe called, filling the foil lining with them. Then I put the pan into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, once the crust turns light golden brown.


{9} After the crust became light golden brown (after about 20 minutes), I removed the parchment paper/foil lining along with the pie weights and returned it back to the oven for another 15 minutes. Once this step was completed, I let the pie cool for another 30 minutes before adding the filling.


IN THE KITCHEN: "RYE PECAN PIE" - THE FILLING AND THE FINAL PIE

While the pie crust was cooling, I lowered the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and I got started on the filling. {1} Ingredients included molasses and bourbon. {2} I mixed the eggs, melted unsalted butter, molasses, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and bourbon to be {3} whisked in my stand mixer on low-medium.


{4} After the crust finished cooling, {5} I added the mixed filling.


{6} I sprinkled the chopped pecans over the surface of the pie filling. {7,8} Then, working from outside in, I arranged the pecan halves in concentric circles without overlapping until the entire surface became covered. I put it back in the oven for a good 60 minutes until the filling became firm.


{9} An hour later, the pie was ready, and {10} I used a serrated knife to saw off the overhanging pie crust. I think the springform pan I had was a little deeper than the recipe had needed. Oh wells!


Ta-daaa! The finished rye pecan pie!


Here's the first slice, dedicated to my wonderful father, Baba, on Pi(e) Day.

Findings: Considering this was my first attempt at ever baking a pie, I would have to say that this was quite a surprising success -- I didn't expect it to turn out this delicious! The crust was golden and flaky -- I mean, think about how much butter I put in there! :P The recipe was pretty easy to follow, and the only hardship I encountered was rolling out the dough with my French-style rolling pin. What a workout! Also, I will have to find a shallower springform pan and get better with shaping pie crust. So for the coming years, I invite anyone who has a great pecan pie recipe to send them my way -- it is much appreciated!

All in all, I think I've found the perfect way to honor my dad's memory -- every Pie Day, pie will be eaten -- whether baked or bought -- and I'll reminisce about all of the great times I had with him, however limited they were. Missing you and thinking about you every day, Baba -- hope you like my P-Kan pie! :)

So if you can, please have a piece of pie today in memory of my dad on Pi(e) Day! :)

Price point: $6.99-10.99 for assorted packages of pecans, $20.99 for a bottle of bourbon.

--March 14, 2012

Whole Foods Market
4 Union Square South
New York, NY 10003
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/unionsquare/

FreshDirect
http://www.freshdirect.com

Union Square Wines
140 4th Avenue
New York, NY 10003
http://www.unionsquarewines.com

Fresh Find | Make My Day kitchenwares

I stumbled upon these Comfort double-wall glasses by Make My Day over at an Argo Tea here in the city, and I couldn't help but pick one up for myself (I got mine in red). What I love about these are that they're made of glass and completely versatile. It can store both hot and cold beverages and the little silicone collar/cozy makes it easy to hold. Also dishwasher safe -- another plus in my book!

When I found out Make My Day makes other quirky kitchenwares, I stumbled upon these other cool items.

This is the Coffee City Nespresso capsule holder with a cute cityscape theme. It is now on my wishlist since my mom got us a Nespresso Pixi machine for Christmas. I like that it's slim and space saving while aesthetically pleasing and will match any décor.

This is the Tea Cube, a modernly designed teapot. It just looks really cool and atypical from the more round teapots that are more common.

Check out Make My Day's official website for other cool kitchenwares!

Make My Day

assorted kitchenwares, here at Make My Day Products

Price point: $12.95 for the Comfort double-wall glass, $19.95 for Coffee City Nespresso capsule holder, $40 for the Tea Cube.

Dinner | Zenkichi

Marcus and I had a "date day" two Saturday afternoon ago over in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The reason for our trip was that I had stumbled upon a deal on Gilt City in January for Zenkichi, a Japanese restaurant right in Williamsburg (and to make a detour for a visit to Bellocq Tea Atelier). When I contemplated purchasing, I thought it'd be a nice little day trip for us to explore Brooklyn a little bit (after all, I'm trying to stay true to those New Year's resolutions!), and I'm glad I decided to go for it, making reservations in March with our "date day" would conclude with dinner at Zenkichi.

Arriving twenty minutes to Zenkichi, we were a little thrown off as to where the restaurant was located. Luckily, we realized that wood-paneled exterior along a good portion of the street's corner was in fact home to Zenkichi -- almost like a secret restaurant. Little did we know, this was indicative of the ambiance we would encounter once we got inside.

The waiting area inside Zenkichi.

Zenkichi was opened in 2006 by a homesick Tokyo-native who wished to create a "modern Japanese brasserie with an authentic dining experience of popular Tokyo establishments." The restaurant places emphasis on its omakase (chef's tasting menu), which will change every five weeks in order to showcase the best locally sourced and imported fish and produce of the season at hand.

Once the hostess was ready to seat us, we were lead upstairs and then through a series of labyrinthian corridors with little curtain-swept doorways.

As it turns out, the majority of seating at Zenkichi "takes a style of intimate semi-private booth tables," also popular back in Tokyo, the argument being that "most diners in Japan prefer a hideaway feel over a festive see-and-be-seen scenes, as this relaxing setting enables them to concentrate on food, sake, and their dining companions." I like where the Japanese are going with this -- this kind of philosophy is just my style! Each booth even had a little buzzer bell to call over the service team to assist you with whatever you may need. With some modern jazz softly playing in the background, it was quite a lively yet relaxing place to dine out. I also liked the selective lighting design throughout the restaurant's interior -- it was dark to emanate a romantic ambiance yet had a bright focus on the table for the dishes to come. Definitely made for documenting more effectively!

Zenkichi's menu extends well beyond the typical sushi and yakitori you see in Japanese restaurants in America. Instead, the menu invites patrons to enjoy its specialty --Tokyo-style seasonal small plates for sharing (with particular emphasis on "the harmony of subtle and bold flavors"), and if you're up for it, pairing with sake. While I have already mentioned that the omakase changes every five weeks, the small plate a la carte menu changes every three months. This makes subsequent visits back to Zenkichi more likely as we can explore the menu once again, tabula rasa.

I think one of my favorite things about authentic Japanese restaurants is its offering of Japanese green tea, which in many cases (as it is here) is genmaicha. Genmaicha is Japanese for "brown rice tea" as the tea is a combination of green tea leaves combined with roasted brown rice. I like the additional toasted flavor from the brown rice to my tea -- it gives the tea a little more character.

To start, we had some chilled edamame -- chamame black soy beans served chilled with some salt. Chamame, which are a kind of green soy bean, are crisp and have a rich aroma and elegant flavor. They are sometimes referred to as "the king of edamame." These were good to get the munching started, as we had ordered seven small plates to share.

First up was the maguro carpaccio -- medium tuna sashimi with green yuzu pepper sauce. This cut of Bluefin tuna was surprisingly soft, not at all stringy. The highlight for me here was the green yuzu pepper sauce -- it was perfect in texture, similar to the dressing you would find in complimentary salads at Japanese restaurants, and striking in taste. The refreshing citrus taste complemented the tuna and the pickled slaw underneath -- kind of an unconventional salad. Really, really loved this.

Next, we had the washugyu beef tataki -- a crossbreed of Tajima and Black Angus, thinly sliced and lightly seared (rare) with ginger garlic soy sauce. Slightly more seared/cooked than the washu-beef short rib sashimi that I had at Bohemian, the beef tataki at Zenkichi were thinly sliced, just seared rare, giving the beef lots of marbled flavor and texture. The marbled slices allowed it to melt directly in your mouth, as the ginger garlic soy sauce very much highlighted its flavors, meshing well with the slaw underneath and the radish slices and scallions atop. Another small dish hit! Must order!


We also had the nagoya teba wings -- crispy chicken wings with special blend of Japanese spices. These were lightly battered in that really awesome Japanese fashion (like tempura and katsu-style). The "special blend" of Japanese spices were great with the juicy meat on the wings.

The following dish was {1} the Camembert and shrimp corn tempura with {2} green tea salt and {3} tempura sauce -- resembling a shumai at dim sum, only with creamy Camembert at their centers (instead of crab roe or carrot) and with lightly fried tempura batter (instead of the usual thin layer of delicate dumpling skin). Marcus and I were not crazy about this one at all. It was too creamy for my stomach (it had a heavy consistency of really, really chunky corn chowder), and overall, it just seemed every "un-Japanese" to me (even if it may be a traditional Tokyo-small plate). The green tea salt gave it an interesting turn of flavor, but not enough to have me write home about it. We were kind of bummed for not ordering the other tempura small plates -- the others seemed a bit more our style.

Luckily, the lamb chop tataki (atop sliced crispy potatoes) with rocksalt, coarse black pepper, and ginger onion soy sauce gave us reprieve from our ordering faux pas in the previous small plate. Also seemed a bit un-Japanese to me in flavor, but I enjoyed it very much anyhow. Pardon my use of a word I don't normally like to use, but it was incredibly tasty! Succulent, evenly charred, and densely flavored (thanks to the ginger onion soy sauce) with a little gaminess. The crisp slices of potatoes were great, too, as they added a starchy textural contrast to the chops of lamb. Overall, I really enjoyed these chops -- definitely worth ordering.

We also had the rocksalt jidori chicken -- simply grilled free-range chicken with lemon and yuzu pepper on the side. The skin was loose and crisp with the meat deliciously juicy underneath. We spritzed a little lemon juice and dabbed a bit of yuzu pepper (that daub of green off to the right side) on top for a very kicky punch. I was worried the chicken would be dry and hard to eat, but this was not the case at all -- it was so moist and tender!

The last of the small plates was {1} the white kakuni -- pork belly with egg and tofu, all simmered in a simple chicken broth with {2} Japanese mustard and yuzu citrus pepper on the side. The white kakuni was very congee-like (i.e., Chinese porridge) with the way the pork belly was prepared. Clean yet flavorful, the pork belly had that texture of falling right off the bone while the tofu was silky and delicious. The Japanese mustard was biting like a mustard, while the yuzu citrus pepper was super spicy, in the same way that wasabi clears your sinuses. But what really pulled all of this together was the chicken broth. Its simplicity in appearance led me to believe it was going to be shallow in flavor, but this wasn't the case at all. I normally don't really enjoy soup broths (noodle soups or other dishes that include it) where I can drink almost all of it and really say, "Wow, that's really good broth!" With this thinking of mine, I usually just eat the contents within said broth and leave the broth -- it's usually too salty, too concentrated, or too bland for me to drink by itself. However, this broth at Zenkichi took me by a pleasant surprise -- there was a striking balance between clean and rich flavors. It was like drinking satin without any richness (e.g., butter) or rough texture (e.g., brininess from salt). The contents within the broth definitely took in the best qualities of the broth, and it was a great small plate with which to conclude the entree portion of our dinner. I can still hear myself slurping in delight, even a week later.

For dessert, Marcus and I shared the frozen black sesame mousse which was chocolate-based. So very silky, sliding right onto our palates, the frozen black sesame mousse was like a frozen black sesame tong jyun (i.e., glutinous rice balls filled with ground black sesame seeds inside). Nutty, smoothly grainy, and creamy from its mousse state (a little lighter than the gelato/ice cream variety), it was heavenly. Now, I really, really want to learn how to make it!

Findings: Marcus and I very much enjoyed our dinner of small plates at Zenkichi over in Williamsburg. It was nice to have a taste of authentic Japanese cuisine that wasn't necessarily all-sushi. One of our favorite things was the ambiance -- the modern jazz echoing in the background whilst seated in semi-private booths made for a more relaxing enjoyment of dinner as we could focus more easily on the food and cuisine at hand. Additionally, the food was quite impressive -- with exception of the Camembert and shrimp corn tempura, we were very content with all of our choicse. Our must-orders: maguro carpaccio, washugyu beef tataki, lamb chop tataki, white kakuni, and frozen black sesame mousse. Also, we hear the omakase here is also worth checking out as well.

Though it was a trek to get over there (especially when the L train wasn't running that weekend and the East River Ferry closes around 7 PM), I definitely see myself returning for the next season's menu of small plates. So if you're in the neighborhood, make time for ressies at Zenkichi! Also great for date night and catching up with friends, too!

Price point: $4.95-16.95 for each small plate, $5 for each pot of genmaicha, $6.95 for each dessert; $50 worth of food for $25 via Gilt City!

--March 3, 2012

Zenkichi
77 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
http://www.zenkichi.com

Gilt City
http://www.giltcity.com
Zenkichi deal was available here*!

* This deal is no longer available, as the event was sold out and has passed.