wd-50 2004 - 2007

[greensNbeans]

Going tonight...  so very much looking forward to it.  Will try to make a note of what the chairs feel like...

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Great - Enjoy your evening and we await your return. Cheers!

[Bux]

A question to those who have the pleassure of dining at Wd-50.  Are the chairs comfortable?  I want to know if the became a little tough to set in by the end of your meal.

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I think the booths are actually rather plush. I don't recall the chairs being other than normally comfortable. I don't think WD-50's tasting menu is any longer than that of Per Se in either the number of courses or time it takes to be served and to eat the dinner. It didn't seem like an unusually long period of time to sit at a table, at least if one is used to tasting menus.

[BryanZ]

Ideally you'll be too blown away by the food to even notice the chairs, or the people around you for that matter. You might even be levitating in a state of nirvana.

On a more serious note, I'm going back to wd-50 with the family this time and want to do the tasting menu again. If I'm going with 3 people would it be uncouth to ask for 2 normal tasting menus and one made up one. As some of you know, I went recently with one other person and was blessed with two different menus. I would like to recreate the experience but am considering if asking for 2 different tasting menus for a party of 3 is a little too confusing.

[greensNbeans]

Thanks for the info on the chairs, I simply wanted to know for because I needed to know if the guest "bottom" became sore for the duration of time it takes to get thru a tasting. Thanks again! Cheers!

[iheartoffal]

There's a short interview with Wylie and some footage from his appearance on ICA up on the Food Network site. Here's the link.

Looks like he's facing off against Batali. Should be a good show.

[Bux]

Thanks for the info on the chairs, I simply wanted to know for because I needed to know if the guest "bottom" became sore for the duration of time it takes to get thru a tasting.  Thanks again!  Cheers!

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I might suggest that if you have a need to to know, you have a need to get the experience first hand.

[dipardoo]

the chairs at wd 50 are jean prouvé standard chairs. design classics. never sat on one so don't know if they're comfy.

[Dryden]

So, my sister, wife and I dined at wd-50 this past Friday. First, the chairs. They are all wood, contoured and not at all uncomfortable - we were there for 3 hours. If you are the sort of person who finds unpadded chairs extremely hard or something, you might have a problem, but there's plenty of room to walk around and stretch your legs.

We ate:

Venison tartare, edamame ice cream, crunchy pear

Corned duck, rye crisp, purple mustard, horseradish cream

Roasted foie gras, passion fruit scramble, saltine puree

Shrimp noodles, smoked yogurt, sweet paprika, nori

Scallops, celery noodles, hazelnut-potato, pine needle oil

Ocean trout, quinoa, fennel, blood orange puree, toast oil

Duck breast, pickled leg, parsnip pudding, rye berry

And a whole host of desserts, which I'll get to.

The "all-shrimp" noodles were simply amazing. The difference in flavor and texture from these to any other noodle any of us had ever had was incredible. The foie gras was very interesting, too. I think I read something about it upthread (too lazy to check) but the texture was unlike any other we've come across - it was clearly a hot preparation, but there was no runniness to it, and the flavor was very clean. The passion fruit scramble was awesome, to boot.

I thought the scallops were the best of the mains, although my sister had an interesting comment - she mentioned that she felt they were unusually chewy. Given that the server informed us that the scallops were done sous vide, it leads me to wonder if this isn't a fundamental trait of sous vide seafood (as the sous vide lobster discussion from Per Se would also suggest). I haven't made it a habit to eat pine needles, but the pine needle oil was something pretty special as well.

The ocean trout was interesting - having had it earlier this year at Tetsuya's in Sydney (the definitive ocean trout to be anywhere, supposedly) I would have to say that this version compares very favorably to it, although totally different. The toast oil was pretty mind-blowing, though - grapeseed oil with pureed toast in it. Just delicious.

The desserts were all they have been billed to be, here and elsewhere. Without getting into too much detail, we did have the "soil" - actually freeze dried coffee grounds (it does look like soil, and it tastes awesome) and while you might not think of a basil merengue as being something you'd want to eat for dessert, it was. Wylie will clearly have an unfair advantage on iron chef, simply by bringing Sam with him.

One last interesting aspect to our meal. About halfway through, our server stopped by to tell us that the kitchen had asked us whether or not we found the chairs to be comfortable. After the meal, we were invited to visit the kitchen and speak with Wylie.

Yes, they do read eGullet. Yes, they are awesome. Yes, we will be back again.

[Bux]

. . . .

The "all-shrimp" noodles were simply amazing.  The difference in flavor and texture from these to any other noodle any of us had ever had was incredible.  . . . .

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I expect to taste them again soon, but I'm curious about your reaction. The version I had was very different in texture from any pasta I've ever had. It had a most un-noodle like texture and consistency and although it looked like noodle, it didn't move like noodle or particularly have a mouth feel like noodle. It was perhaps closer to Asian fish cakes, which is not a bad thing as I like them when done well.

[tan319]

Cool about the chairs observation

OK, I have to ask about the purple mustard...

What exactly is it?

[Dryden]

. . . .

The "all-shrimp" noodles were simply amazing.  The difference in flavor and texture from these to any other noodle any of us had ever had was incredible.  . . . .

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I expect to taste them again soon, but I'm curious about your reaction. The version I had was very different in texture from any pasta I've ever had. It had a most un-noodle like texture and consistency and although it looked like noodle, it didn't move like noodle or particularly have a mouth feel like noodle. It was perhaps closer to Asian fish cakes, which is not a bad thing as I like them when done well.

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I'm agreeing with you - they didn't feel like noodles, they didn't feel like shrimp, either. I really don't know how to categorize them, but they were delicious.

[greensNbeans]

I'm not sure how Wylie does it at Wd-50, but I make it with port wine, purple mustard seeds, and mustard powder. The Aquavit cookbook has a method for it, also.

Cheers

[silentbob]

I am headed there tomorrow night. Does the tasting menu generally include anything from the main menu or is it a completely separate entity?

Also, how big are the portions? I'm tempted to stop by il Laboratorio beforehand, but don't want to ruin my appetite either.

[Bux]

. . . .

The "all-shrimp" noodles were simply amazing.  The difference in flavor and texture from these to any other noodle any of us had ever had was incredible.  . . . .

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I expect to taste them again soon, but I'm curious about your reaction. The version I had was very different in texture from any pasta I've ever had. It had a most un-noodle like texture and consistency and although it looked like noodle, it didn't move like noodle or particularly have a mouth feel like noodle. It was perhaps closer to Asian fish cakes, which is not a bad thing as I like them when done well.

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I'm agreeing with you - they didn't feel like noodles, they didn't feel like shrimp, either. I really don't know how to categorize them, but they were delicious.

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Actually Wylie had sent a note to me urging me to try them again as he's made some changes in the dish he thought I might find interesting. They were not on the tasting menu, but they were on the a la carte menu and the tasting menu had many of the dishes we had the last time we were there. Thus I had good reasons to answer my own earlier question about what it was like to eat off the a la carte menu. The short answer to that is that it's great. The success of a meal doesn't depend on the progression of so many courses. Three is fine and I think four courses is ideal. Wylie's course are not large, so it's easy enough to order two appetizers if you're hungry.

The food is creative, perhaps even experimental in some people's view, although I don't mean to imply he's using his guests as guinea pigs. The courses are tried and true, but the combinations are often unusual and the results difficult for the diner to assess just from the menu description. My experience is that that they all work well, and some are spectacularly effective. Given the subjectivity of individual tastes however, I'd not predict that every diner will love every dish. The longer the menu, the more likelihood a diner will come across one that simply makes the whole evening a success. Of course that also assumes one dines with that kind of attitude.

I had too appetizers, a main course and a dessert. In some cases I didn't even choose my favorite food, preferring not to order what Mrs. B was having so we could share, as well as focusing on the wines we were ordering. I enjoyed every dish I had and probably three would rate as exceptional and dishes I might order again, although there were other dishes on the table that caught my eye and which a small taste put them on my "look for" list. Two of the things that separate exceptional restaurant from those that are just very good are having a great meal you'd want to repeat and even better having a great meal you'd want to repeat, but seeing other items you need to try. What's becoming clear is that in spite of its reputation as an avant garde destination, WD-50 also works as a place for three course meals in a regular rotation.

Back to the noodles. They're not really made to fool anyone that they're an Atkins friendly pasta replacement. Wit will always remain as part of the reason for the name, but they did take a giant step towards acting like noodles on my fork. I guess the problem is that there will always be a tendency for the noodles to stick together a bit once the dish is plated and that's related to the binder used to form the noodles. (The noodles are about 99% shrimp.) Anyway, I enjoyed the dish a lot the first time and they were better yet, this time. For me the warm roasted foie gras with passion fruit scramble was the hit of the night. The foie gras itself was ethereal and it was hard to believe the passion fruit scramble was not a perfect rendition of haute cuisine scrambled eggs -- basically a custard -- flavored with passion fruit. There are no eggs, I was told.

Special mention has to go to the panna cotta dessert. I actually found the desserts on the tasting menu less than inspiring although certain more than acceptable. The desserts on the a la carte menu appeared to have greater depth. If I thought the foie gras was ethereal, the caramel panna cotta set a new bar for panna cotta desserts. It is hard to imagine one could have used any less gelatin and it was brave of Sam to make it so tall. The caramel flavor with the corn crunch -- I don't exactly know what that was, and sometimes I just want to enjoy the flavor -- was a great combination. I think I could add that those who don't want to know at all and just want to enjoy the flavor could do very well at WD-50 if they have some sense of adventure and aren't looking for meat and potatoes or what they've had elsewhere. It is the kind of restaurant I was reluctant to recommend to a general audience after one meal, but as I get to know it better, I feel it has the ability to appeal to a wide audience.

[Bux]

I am headed there tomorrow night.  Does the tasting menu generally include anything from the main menu or is it a completely separate entity?

Also, how big are the portions?  I'm tempted to stop by il Laboratorio beforehand, but don't want to ruin my appetite either.

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My understanding is that you can order items off the tasting menu as a la carte dishes. I thought someone said that last night. Then again I had a lot of wine. Portions are not large, but they are not unusually small by any means. I don't know that ice cream makes a good hors d'oeuvre before dinner thought. As much as I like Il Laboratorio's ice creams, I think I'd just save room for another dessert at WD-50.

One more thing. We found service good, but a little slow. The room seemed to be full and we had good company, so other than perhaps its contribution to ordering one more bottle of wine than we might otherwise have done, it wasn't a problem. We sat in one of the booths which offer a kind of privacy some might not want. I often enjoy the spectacle of seeing a room full of people eating and being served. Nevertheless, the booths are plush and comfortable and allow you to focus on your own conversations. We had a choice and Mrs. B chose the booth.

[docsconz]

One of the regrets I have about not living in NYC is that I can't get to this restaurant more often. Great descriptions, Bux.

[Bond Girl]

I ate there with Bux and Mrs. B. The meal was a lot more enjoyable than I expected. I am always surprised at how wonderful a dining experience at WD-50 can be. The Octopus order was nice and rich with great balance, the skate was a bit unskate like but interesting nonetheless. I had a bite of Bux's pork belly, which I did not like at all, but I don't like to eat that many meat so I'm probably not a good barometer.

Sam's desserts rock big time. I ordered 2 desserts being the worst dining partner for anyone on a diet. The parsnip cake, which according to Sam is a deconstruction of the Carrot cake, and the hazelnut parfait-an orgasmic concoction that should be made illegal. Even my adopted brother-the dessert hater-ate a great deal of my desserts.

Can't tell you about the wine, but the fruit punch they made me kept me very happy all evening.

[Bux]

The pork belly is very rich. If an order of dense rich ice cream, or a large portion of triple creme cheese scares you, pork belly is not for you. If you don't eat meat, or worse yet, you're the kind that trims all of the fat, you might find nothing to eat here.

The skate at WD-50 is quite something else. At first glance it seemed really thick for skate. At second glance, I didn't understand how you could cut a skate and get anything like what Wylie served. Later he explained that it's made by laminating many pieces of skate together and slicing it in a way that produces an unexpected product. The "glue" used to make this "plyfish" is the same stuff that holds the shrimp noodles together. That product, made by the Ajinomoto Company of Japan was the subject of a cooking thread some time ago. Both the noodles and the skate are processed products in the same way that mousse, pate and even a soufllée are processed products. Of course it's just as easy to say that heating a steak over a grille is simply a way to process the meat for consumption. People like Wylie and Ferran Adrià are simply using techniques we might associate with industrial processing, but there's no reason to assume they don't produce food that tastes good. I only had a small bite of Ya-Roo's skate, so I can't comment too much on the success here. As with the shrimp, there is a change in texture, that's unexpected at first, but agreeable in its own right.

[docsconz]

Yet another must-try dish. I am going to have to find some time to get down there!

[BryanZ]

I had the pleasure of enjoying my second tasting menu at wd-50 this past weekend. The restaurant was, again, excellent, and it solidified its spot as arugably my favorite restaurant in the city, four-star big boys notwithstanding. My meal at wd-50 came immediately after the traditional tasting menu at Babbo, another of my favorites, the preceeding evening, and the stark differences in the food at the two restaurants is so striking in such rapid succession.

The differences between the tasting menus in July and August were subtle enough so that this time I felt in control of the food that I was eating and was able to understand the dishes and their various components. The new dishes I tried, however, were excellent and just as intriguing as nearly everything else on the menu.

Both of fish courses I tried on this most recent visit were particularly noteworthy and superior to those served on my visit in July. The blood orange sauce with the sea trout was especially striking. Unfortunately, the poached egg dish is no longer offered on the tasting menu. Also, the "grapefruit in grapefruit" has been replaced by a celery sorbet with crispy peanut butter and poached raisins. This dish was especially playful, as it is a reimagining of the "ants on a log" snack that many remember from childhood.

I believe that neither Chef Dufresne nor Chef Mason were in the restaurant, but I noticed no difference in the quality of the food. In conclusion, another great meal at one of the city's best restaurants.

[Sethro]

I know it won't be easy, but could you try explaining the "crispy peanut butter" to me?

[BryanZ]

I know it won't be easy, but could you try explaining the "crispy peanut butter" to me?

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It was very tasty, seemed relatively simple, and fit the "retro-childhood" theme of the dish very well. Our sever actually said that it was made with Rice Krispies, thus making it crispy and not crunchy, as one might initially expect. In its most simple form, it seemed to be a peanut butter flavored cereal product that was enjoyable by itself but clearly elevated by the other components of the dish. Sorry I can't offer more.

[Dryden]

For more on the famed shrimp noodles (the entire recipe/process, actually) see this month's Food Arts.

[greensNbeans]

Please do not let this thread die - I don't live in NYC so I have need to keep up with Wylie and Sam thru all of you. Anybody been since the new menu items are listed : Zucchini gazpacho? Saltine puree? Mustard consume? ... I need details.

[BryanZ]

The zucchini gazpacho is a very interesting dish. It's like a deconstructed soup that uses flavors that are rather harsh on their own but more soothing when put together. I must admit it's not one of my favorites on the menu but, as usual, something that needs to be tried at least once.