ChikaLicious

[Holly Moore]

I still think fried chicken whenever I hear the name.

[Varmint]

I still think fried chicken whenever I hear the name.

Ah, but it's pronounced, SHEEK-alicious. Maybe that'll help. Or not.

[Fat Guy]

It's CHEEK-A-LICIOUS, pronunciation-wise.

I've e-mailed to ask if there's a firm opening date. I'll let you know if I hear back.

[Holly Moore]

I still think fried chicken whenever I hear the name.

Ah, but it's pronounced, SHEEK-alicious. Maybe that'll help. Or not.

Sheek-alicious. Aha, Middle Eastern Food.

I should have said whenever I read the name.

[vengroff]

I still think fried chicken whenever I hear the name.

Ah, but it's pronounced, SHEEK-alicious. Maybe that'll help. Or not.

Sheek-alicious. Aha, Middle Eastern Food.

I should have said whenever I read the name.

It's CHEEK-A-LICIOUS, pronunciation-wise.

Or was it braised veal cheeks you were thinking of?

[phaelon56]

Someone..... please, please, PLEASE tell me that they'll take coffee seriously in this place. I can think of few things better than pairing top shelf fresh roasted varietal coffees with excellent desserts(straight black for me when consumed with sweets, contrary to my normal practice of adding half 'n half). Even better would be a variety of espresso blends and some suggested pairings that provide interesting contrasts. Good espresso blends and varietal coffees can display a range of flavors akin to that found in wines (perhaps less broad a range but significant none the less).

I know I'm just dreaming here but there are those of us who'd gladly add an extra $10 onto that $25 to have the right coffee/espresso pairings.

Edited July 2, 2003 by phaelon56 (log)

[Fat Guy]

Chika says: "ChikaLicious' most recent projected opening is mid-JULY. I will be able to set a date once the final plumbing inspection is complete...which my contractor assures me will be next week sometime." I'll check in with her next week and try to learn more about what she's doing with coffee.

[NY News Team]

I stopped by Chikalicious on Friday afternoon, the place is really coming together. Chef Donna Ryan told me that the menu is expected to change constantly, and the menu she provided me seemed to reflected the changing style of the place. Some of the more interesting choices on the menu are Fromage Blanc Island Cheese Cake, Dialogue of Fresh Fruit Puree with Honey Parfait and Lace Crisp, and Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorm Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. This is definitely not a place for traditionalists. There is also a cheese plate for those disinclined to sweet things. Each dessert on the menu is paired with a wine suggestion. Separately, you can order from a selection of dessert wines, port, sherry, beer and the standard coffee and tea. Desserts are priced at $12 each, $7 additional with wine pairing--Y. yang

[foodie]

Hi, is this ChikaLicious the one reviewed in today's New York Post? Good reivew, will have to try it out.

[Varmint]

Here's a link to the article: http://www.nypost.com/food/1855.htm

[Bond Girl]

Foodie, do try it. I stopped in last friday night and had a beautiful peach sorbet with sweet basil jello, and a cantloup dessert with quinoa and cream fraiche. Both are unlikely combinations that worked very well.

[JohnnyH]

ChikaLicious will be at 203 East 10th Street (between First and Second Avenues), New York, NY 10003, 212.995.9511. A Web site www.chikalicious.com is under construction.

I'm in trouble -- I live on 14th between 2nd and 3rd...

(edited for a typo.)

Edited July 31, 2003 by JohnnyH (log)

[foodie]

Just got back from my first of many visits to ChikaLicious. Wow! These desserts are the kind served in a 3 star restaurant prepared just for you while you watch and interact with the two chefs. Very innovative concept. Get there before the Hamptons' crowd returns to the city. Loved the corn ice cream.

[Bond Girl]

ChikaLicious will be at 203 East 10th Street (between First and Second Avenues), New York, NY 10003, 212.995.9511. A Web site www.chikalicious.com is under construction.

I'm in trouble -- I live on 14th between 2nd and 3rd...

(edited for a typo.)

Hey egullleters in my 'hood! Awesome! I'm on 14th and 1st.

[NJ beer belly]

Be sure to chat up the staff at ChikaLicious! as they work. It makes for a really fun time. I went there on a first date and it was a great ice breaker.

[Pan]

I took Meg to ChikaLicious tonight. The front is very understated, and it's hard to even make out the name of the place from across the street. The atmosphere inside is very relaxed and pleasant. We sat at the bar. The pastry chef/owners, Chika and Donna, were friendly, explaining to us what everything was, and it was really interesting to watch them work. I thought of Louisa and her work in France as I watched their technique.

We were given a spoonful of very good mango puree topped with a little cube of citrus gelee' as a sort of pre-amuse while we looked over the menu. Donna explained that we would order main courses and we'd be provided with an amuse and petits fours as well. I ordered stewed apricots with what I think was a vanilla glaze and lemon-verbena ice cream (the online menu is behind the times and doesn't list the dish). Meg ordered Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. The amuse was Basil Gelee and Peach Sorbet. Both elements of that amuse had a strong flavor, and the herby and unsweet basil gelee was a good counterpoint to the peach sorbet. The apricots were high quality and whatever that caramely glaze was, it was tasty (the dish was made by blow-torching the thing that became the glaze). The lemon-verbena ice cream was very interesting and good. Meg liked the chocolate tart, but I thought it was mainly very buttery, though I agreed that the chocolate was good. (I'm a little uninterested in chocolate tarts lately.) But the pink peppercorn ice cream was really interesting and we both liked it. The petits fours were a tart filled with raspberry whipped cream (or creme fraiche or whatever), which was a tasty morsel; a chocolate chip-ginger cookie, which was a good cookie but had barely a trace of ginger taste; and a coconut marshmallow which was really superior.

I had never tried Mas Amiel Maury Cuvee Special 10yr before, so I decided to go for the wine pairing, though it was really for Meg's main course. She had some of the glass too, though. We both liked the wine, which had interesting complexity and a good aftertaste. Mostly, Meg had Saratoga Sparkling Water, which she liked.

The whole experience was very pleasant, and I think that the owner/chefs are working under very good conditions and having fun, while at the same time selling fun. The only thing that I think is strange is that, as far as I know, no-one has done this before.

I did feel sorry for one waiter who got repeatedly elbowed by me because he picked inopportune times to walk behind me and I unfortunately have no eyes on the back of my head.

The bill was $12 for one prix fixe menu plus $19 for one prix fixe plus wine pairing, and $3 for the bottle of sparkling water, plus just under $3 tax - that is, just under $37. I thought they were really nice, so I left an extra dollar for the tip and tipped $7.

[Fat Guy]

Thanks for the report, Pan.

I know of at least two other places that are doing something like this: the Sugar dessert bar in Chicago, and the Finale dessert bar in Boston. Both are on a larger scale than Chika's place, though.

Here's the Finale site: http://www.finaledesserts.com/

I can't seem to find one on the Chicago place but here's some info: http://centerstage.net/restaurants/sugar.html

[alanamoana]

in addition (which may be where this trend started) there's a restaurant in spain doing only desserts. i think it is a prix fixe multicourse type of thing with multiple dessert courses. of course, being in the home of el bulli, one would imagine it much more of an envelope pusher...there was an article about this place in the ny times...i think spring of 2002. sorry i don't have more info.

p.s. the sugar dessert bar in chicago. i think i read an article about that...didn't they say that it was sort of a club-like atmosphere and overall i didn't get a very good impression from it (the article and the place). i feel that just from pr alone, chikalicious appeals to my sensibilities more than these other places. it seems more attainable (for the proprietors) and more approachable (for the customers).

Edited August 31, 2003 by alanamoana (log)

[Fat Guy]

Both Sugar and Finale seem to be more like highly produced mega theme restaurants than ChikaLicious, which seems to be more of a boutique.

[Steve Klc]

Yes, despite the pr, and intent at opening, Finale is a regular restaurant/cafe type place. I've been twice and it does a better job with the food than the desserts. Very disappointing.

Alana--you're talking about Espai Sucre and that Amanda Hesser article. She did a really good job with that piece. Dig around the site, you'll find that article and Jordi have been mentioned a lot in the Spain and Pastry forums.

I hope this place succeeds on its own terms and is appreciated for what it is trying to do. We need another model, a more ceative model, beside restaurant, hotel, bakery and pastry shop.

[Rail Paul]

.....The pastry chef/owners, Chika and Donna, were friendly, explaining to us what everything was, and it was really interesting to watch them work. I thought of Louisa and her work in France as I watched their technique.

We were given a spoonful of very good mango puree topped with a little cube of citrus gelee' as a sort of pre-amuse while we looked over the menu. Donna explained that we would order main courses and we'd be provided with an amuse and petits fours as well. I ordered stewed apricots with what I think was a vanilla glaze and lemon-verbena ice cream (the online menu is behind the times and doesn't list the dish). Meg ordered Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. The amuse was Basil Gelee and Peach Sorbet. Both elements of that amuse had a strong flavor, and the herby and unsweet basil gelee was a good counterpoint to the peach sorbet. The apricots were high quality and whatever that caramely glaze was, it was tasty (the dish was made by blow-torching the thing that became the glaze). The lemon-verbena ice cream was very interesting and good. Meg liked the chocolate tart, but I thought it was mainly very buttery, though I agreed that the chocolate was good. (I'm a little uninterested in chocolate tarts lately.) But the pink peppercorn ice cream was really interesting and we both liked it. The petits fours were a tart filled with raspberry whipped cream (or creme fraiche or whatever), which was a tasty morsel; a chocolate chip-ginger cookie, which was a good cookie but had barely a trace of ginger taste; and a coconut marshmallow which was really superior.

I had never tried Mas Amiel Maury Cuvee Special 10yr before, so I decided to go for the wine pairing, though it was really for Meg's main course. She had some of the glass too, though. We both liked the wine, which had interesting complexity and a good aftertaste. Mostly, Meg had Saratoga Sparkling Water, which she liked.

The whole experience was very pleasant, and I think that the owner/chefs are working under very good conditions and having fun, while at the same time selling fun. The only thing that I think is strange is that, as far as I know, no-one has done this before.

I did feel sorry for one waiter who got repeatedly elbowed by me because he picked inopportune times to walk behind me and I unfortunately have no eyes on the back of my head.

The bill was $12 for one prix fixe menu plus $19 for one prix fixe plus wine pairing, and $3 for the bottle of sparkling water, plus just under $3 tax - that is, just under $37. I thought they were really nice, so I left an extra dollar for the tip and tipped $7.

Pan -

thanks for an interesting report on Chikalicious. Dee and I had dessert there on Sunday, and shared many of the same thoughts.

Our amuse was a tiny scoop of cinnamon ice cream with the gelee of basil. Very concentrated taste which I thought might go well with lamb in another context.

The "main courses" were made to order, directly in front of us. Chika explained each item, and made a melon sorbet as we watched. (The ice cream maker is on the back counter, as are all the prep tools. The main courses were similar to yours, although I understand the menu changes daily.

I had a fromage blanc, soft white cheese plated on a bed of ice with chocolate straws. The plating of the courses was very careful, and I wasn't surprised to see Donna Ryan using a ruler to assure proportions. We had the same petit fours, except the creme fraiche had a lemon taste to it.

Chika Tillman mentioned that it is unusual for a pastry chef to watch customers as they sample desserts. It was obvious that gives her great pleasure.

[Fat Guy]

Did you elbow the waiter? Repeatedly?

[Rail Paul]

The layout is an L shaped bar seating about 12, which lets you look into the prep area, kibitz the chefs, listen to the why of prep, etc. There are an additional 10 - 12 seats at tables, where waiter service is provided. The tables don't have a view of the prep area.

The waiter, when we were there, was Don Tillman, an owner. Nice guy. Looked like he could bench press me 500 times before he broke a sweat.

[Blondie]

I stopped in last night and had a delightful time. My pre-amuse was brown sugar panna cotta topped with an organic grape. The amuse was a cucumber poached in white pepper syrup with orange-watermelon granita. I chose the warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream and red wine sauce. Petit fours were a tiny orange-chocolate chip cookie and coconut-covered marshmallow and a bite-size tart topped with a honeyed pecan. Everything was top notch, including the service.

As others have already pointed out, Chika and Donna are very friendly and the space itself is lovely. Highly recommended

[vengroff]

I am a big fan of the combination of chocolate and pink peppercorns. If you have the chance some time, try Recchiuti's ganache infused with star anise and pink peppercorn.