cabrales

I had a disappointing meal at ADNY recently. Amuse consisted of small pieces of cooked tuna, coupled with slightly larger pieces of soft pork. Also included were a slice of boiled egg, lettuce strands and various Mediterranean-type spicing. We purchased the $160 menu for three courses. First, veloute and royale of sea urchin -- average. Second, turbot cooked on the griddle, spread with minced shrimp and fresh herbs. This dish was poor. The "layer" of minced small shrimp and herbs was not appetizing. Worse, the saucing had cooled prior to serving, causing a bad consistency. Then, Maine lobster in a cast iron cocotte, squash blossoms with zucchini filling, Choron sauce. This was alright. Meyer lemon souffle, juice and zest in a delicate gelee was good. It is sad that the dessert was the best dish of the evening. We drank Alain Ducasse private-labelled Champagne, Domaine Rulot Mersault Perrieres (spelling) late 1990s, and a white Burgundy-based dessert wine ($50/glass). The only item I sampled from the lollipop/candy cart was the lemon lollipop. While I had great company and therefore had a great evening, the meal itself was, as was the case on other visits to ADNY, disappointing. I rate ADNY a good-minus. Note I am not eager to spend time discussing this evaluation of my meal; subjectively, I have written ADNY off (not that that is different from before the meal).

In the recent edition of Food & Wine, Patricia Wells furnished an article entitled "Where To Go Next In Paris". Among the restaurants discussed was L'Astrance: "Baby turnips, fava beans, and begonia flowers -- chef Pascal Berbot's [obviously, a wrong spelling -- it's Barbot] delightful combinations, as in this delicious salad, reflect a poetic sensibility. Just about everything here is a surprise. Bright red tuna comes with a delicate, ginger-flavored yoghurt sauce and a carrot puree; mussels are tinged with cumin and chervil. Th dining room, a gray and white sapce trimmed with gilt-framed mirrors, is a soothing counterpoint."

Jinmyo -- I see. I don't know if there was predominantly white sesame, but I believe it was white sesame together with other items that rendered the tofu the texture of normal tofu. This was a tiny taste -- literally less than one bite. Note that the (primary) sushi chef assisting us was Kazuo Yoshida.

The May 23-30, 2002 edition of TimeOut lists this stand as Most Inspired Hot Dog Stand in its 5th Annual Eat Out Awards. Apparently, the Chicago-style franks are of the Usinger's brand, and prepared in a broth flavored with garlic, coriander seeds, onions and bay leaves.

Jinmyo -- The tofu amuse had no soy in it; it bordered on the sweet side, as far as seasame sensations went. Almost like certain soft almond tofu. An appropriate, moderated sweetness.

Below are thoughts on my first meal at Jewel Bako: -- "Dancing with the Gods" sake -- This was complimentary (ostensibly due to the limited wait we experienced relative to our reservation time). Production was described as being limited to 1000 bottles per year, with some exclusivity to JB indications. The sake menu describes this Kan No Mai Yamahaj Junmai -- dry and complex. I felt that my appreciation of sake in general was limited, and could not meaningfully assess this drink. -- Amuse of homemade tofu and miniature baby ebi -- The tofu was a small square, smaller than the size of one's fingernail on the thumb. The base taste in the tofu was a clear, white sesame seed-based flavor; the texture was smooth and soft. The main taste in the amuse was the tiny shrimp sitting above the tofu, on a little green non-shiso leaf. The shell of the shrimp had been included. -- Seared O-Toro with miso and red onion. A tasty dish, with three good-sized slices of O-Toro, beautifully coloreed and raw in the centre. A nice touch was the dried green tea powder that added a sense of mattness in the mouth and a hint of bitterness. I ordered a glass of the Chateau Carbonnieux Graves 1999 (pour is not on the generous side, but price of $11/glass was reasonable; the per glass white selection consisted of four to five selections, and was fairly good in quality as far as wine by the glass goes). -- O'Toro with creamy avocado sauce, and oscetra -- This was a nice dish. A small column-shaped section of good quality diced O-Toro, with an appropriate amount of creamy avocado puree above it. The dining room team member indicated that the O-Toro that evcvening had been harpooned off Cape Cod. The slices of cucumber and radish on top were nice. I had switched to the Chassagne Montrachet, Les Masures 2000, Gagnard ($15/glass). This was one of the dishes that grillboy, Soba and I each had, unlike, for sample, the prior appetizer (dishes prior to the sushi/sashimi course are called appetizers at the restaurant). -- Chawanmushi -- How wonderful! Steamed egg with dashi, a bit of mushroom and a section of medium shrimp. A nicely developed taste from the dashi, and a touch of caviar on top. Soft, appropriate chanwanmushi, an egg preparation I like. -- Pike eel in ume broth with geleed bits of an unknown purple vegetable -- Apparently, this eel is very time-consuming, requiring the picking of tiny bones from the flesh. "Muscular" flesh for a fish, somewhat reminding me of monkfish (certain parts). A very good pairing with blush-colored ume broth -- slightly sour, complex-- that rendered the flesh of the pike eel in it very beautiful. Nice utilization in the broth of small bits of apparently vegetables (??)) that had a gelee coating, slippery in the mouth. By this time, I had switched back to the Carbonnieux Graves. -- Agedashi miso, with Japanese chervil and small non-enoki mushrooms (perhaps shimeji?) Sashimi -- For the $75 omakase, there is a choice between sushi and sashimi platters. The $100 version offers both. As I had signalled to the chef my preference for uni, my sashimi platter included a generous amount of uni atop a column of cucumber carved to form a cup. It was Santa Barbara uni, and not as good as some of the uni I have had at Sushi Yasuda. Still, a nice combination. The sashimi included is not amenable to enumeration, but included: 4 tpes of hamachi (one of the fresh catches), sweet shrimp, scallop, ebi head (uncooked -- nice), Japanese sardines, stripped bass, O-Toro. Desserts -- As Soba described, we received a coconut litchee sorbet pre-dessert. For the main dessert, there were flavored items. There were sweet beans, but not overly sweet, in the saucing, with two different types of smooth, sticky rice, small discs (elasticity-based sensations). Afterwards, the small bit of peanut-based Japanese candy presented to the diner in a pretty container. Tamago lollipop -- Presented on a long, thin stick, this candy resembled the egg omelette-based sushi item visually, but unfortunately not with respect to taste. A small piece of dried seaweed encircled the yellow and white candy. The thought was nice, and interestingly I received the tamago version. Overall, a good-to-very-good meal with respect to the appetizers (i.e., the items before the sashimi) and good with respect to the sashimi. Jewel Bako is among the strongest Japanese restaurants in NY. As Soba mentioned, with respect to the appetizers, there is good technique and, for certain dishes, interesting combinations of spicing and flavors. After dinner, Soba and I stopped by nearby Pommes Frites (123 2nd Ave., between 7th St. and St. Marks Place, 674-1234). It was 1 am, and the store was still busy. While Soba and I were full from the Jewel Bako dinner, we nonetheless ordered a regular-sized helping (the smallest available size) of Belgian Frites. Soba utilized vinegar and salt. I ordered the Smoked Eggplant Mayo as my accompaniment. Nice end to the evening.

David -- I usually use a small piece of paper, although I sometimes use a page in my Filofax. (I don't like electronic versions that have been available to date) Note I am not affiliated with a restaurant. If I were and I shared my affiliation, I might give significant consideration to how note-taking might be perceived by the restaurant at which I dined (i.e., its wondering whether I might be interested in replicating certain dishes).

Leslie -- I'd appreciate your thoughts on "Burgundy Stars", which chronicles the pursuit by La Cote d'Or's Bernard Loiseau of his third Michelin star (to the extent you have read the book).

guru -- Thanks for your report. Of the price you paid (in C$?), what very rough amount related to the food, as opposed to wine?

A party recommended a vendor with the last name of Tetsuit (or a similar spelling) in the 1st arrondisement. Are members aware of such a wine vendor?

Suvir -- When you have a chance, please consider discussing whether the consistency of Maggi Hot and Sour is that of Maggi Sauce (thin). The latter is one of my favorite seasonings, including on a sunny side up egg.

Bouland -- When you have a chance, please consider describing how quick freezing would work, relative to regular freezing.

Toby -- For the benefit of members who have not yet visited the cart (myself included), could you describe some of the items offered, your assessment of their quality, and their approximate price?

kjohn -- I'm uncertain whether the hot dog cart is up and running yet. If you are considering purchasing from the cart, please consider confirming with Eleven Madison. I summarized a recent $20.02 lunch at Eleven Madison under the thread "Restaurant Week" -- the choices are decent, and the special price continues at least through Labor Day (if not beyond, in the case of Eleven Madison). If you arrive at around 11:45 am (lunch begins at 11:30 theoretically), you beat the rush and could be done with lunch in 1 hr 15 min, I would imagine.

The following update on Eleven Madison Park was furnished by New York magazine: "Eleven Madison Park Hot Dog Cart. For the second summer running, Danny Meyer parks his friendly frank stand in the refurbished Madison Square Park, where, to raise money for the park's upkeep, he offers the weekday lunch crowd street-cart rarities like veggie-crammed Chicago-style dogs, beet-stained potato chips, and lemon-verbena-ade. Through October."

Agreed. I don't think that Doraine is at the La Turque/La Landonne/La Mouline (spelling) level.

Soba -- Could you describe banana ketchup?

Holly -- That's precisely why I like the squeeze bottle. If there is a restaurant I would like to sample, I attempt to go sample it. The same with dishes; I dislike waiting for the ketchup pour when the item is before me. I do not necessarily anticipate visiting new restaurants because I doubt their cuisine would be to my liking. I might be curious and still go, but the anticipation of a lyrical experience is not generally there (even in France, in almost every instance). I'm open to having such an experience, and seek to capture it when available. However, there is no real "anticipation" of something extraordinary when I visit new restaurants. Perhaps, prior to going to El Bulli and some of the Spanish three-stars, I might feel that sense of anticipation? Even though I may not anticipate anything special, it's wonderful when one identifies a restaurant that one finds special, like Blue Hill (in the context of the US). Perhaps that's the only restaurant (apart from the old Bouley) that I experienced it in the US. Note I have not eaten at Charlie Trotter's.

Jardin des Sens' sommelier and partner (Olivier Chateau) played a significant role in the promulgation of Languedoc wines. While three-starred JDS in Montpellier is not a restaurant I like, its wine list has many interesting Languedoc wines. I would imagine zero-starred La Maison Blanche in Paris, established by the Pourcels as a less formal restaurant, would be a good place to sample Languedoc wines for potential purchase, if one were visiting Paris. http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Main/Fea...197,334,00.html

Ketchup is helpful with most burgers and even good french fries (which I would subjectively take with a bit of fleur de sel only). Also, onion rings. To clarify my prior post, I was hoping to convey that ketchup has many uses beyond just burgers and fries. Oh, to clarify, I use good old Heinz, in a squeeze bottle.

In the July 3, 2002 edition of the NYT ("Shameless Secrets of the Chefs", by Amanda Hesser), there is a reference to the use of ketchup at Cello and AZ in NY: "At Cello, the pancetta-wrapped ahi tuna and foie gras . . . The base of the foamy sauce splashed across the plate is Heinz ketchup. Laurent Tourondel, the chef, squeezes it from a plastic bottle into a pan and caramelizes it. The sauce is then built by adding soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and ginger juice. It is thickened with cold butter, whisked in a little at a time. For years the trend in cooking was toward from-scratch absolutism, but now some chefs seem to be loosening up. Mr. Tourondel and Ms. [Patricia] Yeo, for example, have plenty of prep cooks to whip up some ketchup or fetch some caramel. . . . 'Ketchup,' she added, 'is a huge part of our peanut sauces. It has just the right sweetness and acidity.' . . ."

Leslie -- I'd appreciate your thoughts on the inclusion, at Daniel or other French or French-style restaurants in NY or LA, of chefs of Asian or Asian American background in the kitchen teams. Did you detect issues that Asian American chefs (particularly those who were lower down in the kitchen hierarchy) had to address that their Caucasian counterparts might not? (Please separately address Asian Americans from, for example, temporary traineees from Japan who did not intend to remain in the US.) Alex Lee, Boulud's Executive Chef at Daniel, is described in your book as being Chinese-American, and as being known among Daniel alumni as being an impressive teacher, among other things. Did you learn about how Lee developed, from the time when he began working with Boulud at Le Cirque in 1989? Note that Boulud also helped recruit Sottha Khunn to Le Cirque. Khunn is of Cambodian background. While (i) Khunn had immense experience in France prior to arriving in the US, (ii) Boulud is not necesarily the chef with the greatest influence on Khunn's development (??) and (iiii) Sylvian Portay succeeded Boulud directly at Le Cirque, Boulud was nonetheless quite influential with respect to Khunn's cuisine. How did Asian American, Latino American, African American, Native American and other chefs of racial minority groups fit into Boulud's goal of "keep[ing] a balance in the ratio of French to American chefs in the kitchen"? Also, your book mentions that Boulud was not "entirely comfortable" with the apparent tipping of the balance towards American chefs. Why might that discomfort have been experienced? Finally, what are your views on other Asian American chefs in NY restaurants, such as Patricia Yeo (AZ) and Anita Lo (Annisa)? What was the representation of women among the cuisinier ranks at Boulud like?

For other members, below is an excerpt from Leslie's book in which Berasategui and El Bulli are mentioned. "Now [Alex] Lee [boulud's Executive Chef at Daniel] brings in a two-foot clear plastic bag, knotted at the top, full of baby anguilla, tiny wormlike Spanish eels. Each one is a little fatter than a strand of sphaghetti. . . . Lee can still taste them as he ate them in Spain -- sauteed with garlic, olive oil, hot pepper, lemon and parsley. Lee plunks the wobbly bag down on the cool surface of the indiction range. . . . Damien, a new French garde-manger cook, has poured the baby eels into a big wodden saladier in the meantime. 'Put your hand in,' he tells Kevin, his partner. Like Lee, Kevin did a stage at Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, as well as at El Bulli, Ferran Adria's outrageous house of surreal cuisine just outside Barcelona -- The restaurant that's on everyone's lips this year. Clearly, he's seen a few anguilla in his time. Kevin's hands goes in and he feels the slimy eegls wiggle against his skin . . . ." wink:

Steve Klc -- No. Shaun Hill, like most of the other restaurants Behr visited, only had a small paragraph at the back of the article, under "A Scattering of Addresses in England". Blumenthal was in that section, and also had 2 pages+ of description in Behr's lead article on English Food. "Especially recommended places" were The Crib Box in Cornwall (for Cornish pasties and saffron buns), The Fat Duck, The Fox (a pub in London), La Fromagerie (Patricia Michelson's shop), The Merchant House (see Ludlow thread -- "[t]he best meal I ate in England, nearly perfect"), Monmouth Coffee in London, Neal's Yard Dairy and St John ("Henderson's excellent cooking is pure, plain English, using top quality raw materials"). Also included were Borough Market, J Sheekey, Lindsay House ("unfussy, excellent modern food"), and The Square ("French-style cooking at this luxury restaurant is extremely good, although two red meats were damaged by oddly sweet sauces").

A New York magazine article on M Batali's exploration of panini places (posted as its own thread in the NY forum previously) notes that 'Ino spurred the panini craze. It also notes that 'Ino owner Jason Denton is one of Batali's partners at Lupa. Batali is described as ordering the portobello-grana-sundried tomato pesto panino. Batali makes particular note of the lightness of the bread utilized at 'Ino. I forgot to note that an exploration of Italian cheese utilized for panini made me realize how limited my cheese knowledge is (i.e., to French cheese). Separately, an older edition of New York magazine describes San Domenico as having instituted a tramezzini lunch menu (white bread, not pressed). The sandwiches vary on a daily basis, and might begin at as reasonable a price as $4.50. Examples of combinations are vitello tonnato; Gorgonzola and walnut; proscuitto and fontina.