Blu

[richl2214]

Going tonight and bringing two bottles of "Italian alcoholic grape juice" for levity. I'll report back.

[Tracey868]

Just came back from an amazing meal with my friend at BLU....

What a great place.. We shared two appetizers, and they were very kind and split the dishes for us. We started with seafood dumplings in a spicy cocnut sauce.. Excellent had a hint of curry. Next was probobly the best mushroom risotto I have ever had. Big, juicy pieces of portabello mushroom over a creamy risiotto. Very well presented and tasted great!

For entrees my friend had the Mahi crusted with seasme over a bed of BokChoy.. Knock you out good. my Pallete was so happy with all the flavors.

I had the monk fish served with a green sauce and cannellioni beans. There was two very nice sized pieces of monk fish, very well proportioned.

Ok we had to have dessert and we fought over what to share. We decided on the pumpkin panna cotta. Well I have never had anything like that in my life. YUM YUM YUm... A pumpkin/ carmel flavored flan is the best way to explain it.

Dinner was 34$ each and that was with tip......

GREAT FOOD GREAT PRICES.

service was top notch

Bravo Blu , you are now on my top 5 list!

[jpr54_]

has any one eaten at this new restaurant-

my son and i are going this evening

[jpr54_]

I took my son to Blu last nite(Sunday) for an early dinner to celebrate his birthday-

All the goodos are well deserved-one of the best meals I have eaten in a long while-

The prices were extremely reasonable and service was top notch.

Bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts plus tip was $80-

The portions were small but very filling-

I had the duck-my son the lamb-delicious and prepared perfectly

I enjoyed the candied olives- a nice touch

The presentations were simple yet beautiful-

[Rosie]

We have been dining at Blu alot as we want all of our friends to experience Chef Zod Arifai’s food. His menu changes often and if the sake marinated salmon topped with tapioca and surrounded with cucumbers and wasabi are on the menu be sure to order this dish. It was exceptional. We also swooned over the mocha panna cotta and were fighting with each other for the last spoonful. But everything is excellent at Blu. Haven’t had a miss yet. Additionally, the appetizers range in price from $5 to $8 and the entrees are $15 to $18. A great deal for such sophisticated food made with quality ingredients.

We started off with a butternut squash soup with crisp duck skin and chestnuts; endive, pear, and gorgonzola salad with toasted walnuts and dried cranberries; and smoked trout, apple and roasted beet salad with fresh horseradish –yogurt dressing.

All that was left of the entrée of lamb shank with roasted root vegetables, citrus-mint oil and black peppercorn was a bare bone on the plate. Lowell had a special of pasta with duck served in an oversized bowl which I would love to try the next time we are there. I had a special of skate -- one of my favorite fishes. The full flavored and extremely tender beef short ribs which were slow cooked in a 200 degree oven and served with barley, caramelized onions, and roasted portobello was a perfect dish for a cold fall evening.

Caramelized apples in the luscious apple tart tasted almost like a very rich apple sauce. We also loved the light coconut tapioca pudding with mango and papaya and a new richer dessert of saffron tiramisu with orange powder.

Try to go to Blu mid-week when the dining room is not as crowded or noisy. Blu is open Tuesday through Sunday 5:30 to 10 PM. For reservations call 973-509-2202; BYO.

[jpr54_]

we went on sunday at 5 pm and the restaurant was empyt-

[ejebud]

OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!! We had an AMAZING dinner at Blu last night, and as always I've got the pictures to prove it. If any of you have not yet turned your palletes over to Chef Zod, there are clinical therapists to help you. Those of you who have eaten at Blu will surely agree that his food is the apogee of creative, minimalist cuisine served in a warm, casual atmosphere at prices that leave you wondering why you hit the ATM so hard before you got there! (BTW they do take credit cards) If you haven't been; GO and if you have; GO BACK!! Now on to the show:

AN AMUSE BOUCHE:WHITE BEAN PUREE W/ PEI MUSSEL AND TRUFFLE OIL,

CHICKEN BROTH EMULSION WITH CITRUS AND GINGER(it's hard to tell in the picture that it is in a shot glass on the plate), GOAT CHEESE POLENTA WITH FRIED OLIVES

CRISP SWEETBREADS, SWEET AND SOUR ONIONS, CRUSHED HAZELNUTS, BBQ FIG SAUCE- It was nice to have sweetbreads that weren't thinly sliced but presented as a whole lobe.

CHARRED OCTOPUS, ORANGE, GREEN APPLE AND BLACK OLIVES-This was tender and sweet, EXCELENT!!

ROASTED MUSHROOM AND SHAVED CELERY ROOT SALAD, ARUGULA GELEE, PECORINO FRAPPE- This was the least favorite of our group- a simple salad that Chef Zod feels "required" to have.

RISOTTO WHITH WILD MUSHROOMS, WHITE TRUFFLE OIL-C'mon, it's got Truffle oil in it, how bad could it be?

P.E.I. MUSSELS WITH GARLIC, GINGER, SPICY CHILI BROTH- The broth was nice and light, and the consensus was it could have been spicier.

CHATHAM COD FISH, CAULIFLOWER PUREE, ALMOND-BLACK OLIVE PESTO- This was a surprise from the chef. the fish was absolutley delicious and the cauliflower puree was to die for!!

BEEF SHORT RIBS SLOW COOKED AT 200 DEGREES, BARLEY, CARMELIZED ONIONS, AND ROASTED PORTOBELLO (ON THE TOP)-Incredibly well executed dish- a crowd pleaser at our table

SEARED DUCK BREAST. CARMELIZED TURNIP, BRAISED RED CABBAGE, APPLE RED WINE EMULSION

LAMB SHANK, ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES, CITRUS-MINT OIL, BLACK PEPPERCORNS

CRISP ROASTED CHICKEN, POTATO PUREE, SAUTEED SPINACH, MIXED MUSHROOMS-Juicy and crisp-perfectly cooked

CARMELIZED APPLE "TART" VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM- This dessert was outrageous, a must have!!

CHILLED LEMON GRASS SOUP WITH FRESH BERRIES, BASIL, PINEAPPLE, AND AVOCADO-The consistency of theis dish was slighly jellied and was a creat pallete cleanser- quite refreshing.

COCONUT TAPIOCA PUDDING WITH MANGO AND PAPAYA

HOT CHOCOLATE SOUP WITH BANANA AND WALNUT-This was sheer culinary genius

SAFFRON TIRAMISU WITH ORANGE POWDER-If the Chocolate soup was genius this is a culinary masterpiece-Phenominal flavor combination.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TERRINE, CHERRY SORBET, BLACK OLIVE CANDY-Yes I said Black Olive Candy! Chewy and sweet in a Calamata sort of way-interesting.

CHOCOLATE CAKE- ANOTHER GIFT FROM THE CHEF

[Curlz]

This place is truly a hidden gem in northern NJ...some of the most creative/innovative food I've had in a long time, and completely without pretention, which is a fantastic mix, imo.

I have one word for the saffron tiramisu: STUNNING. Then again, the chicken broth emulsion in the amuse was amazing too. I loved the octopus and duck as well, although the octopus as a dish had a very spring/summer flavor profile, but I didn't care. The cod fish and cauliflower puree were just gorgeous--definitely the best cauliflower puree I've ever eaten! Every piece of fish I saw and tasted was pristine--clean and very fresh. Turns out that the only freezer in Blu's kitchen is for sorbet and ice cream. Finally, I never expected to love the lemongrass 'soup' as much as I did. One of the cleanest and best palate cleansers I've ever had, and it wasn't overly gelatinous, so I didn't have an issue with the texture.

We were very generous in the sharing department last night, so we all had the opportunity to taste each others dishes, and I can honestly say there wasn't one miss in the bunch. And as Rosie has mentioned upthread, the prices are beyond reasonable. $45pp for everything Eric posted, and that was with an extremely generous (and well-deserved) tip. SICK, SICK, SICK!!

The restaurant is easy to miss from the outside, as the only signage is etched in the window; it's next door to the Soda Shop, almost to the corner of Park St. and Bloomfield Avenue.

Catch some of Chef Zod's cooking before the word really gets out.

Edited to add that the chef changes the menu almost weekly, so you may find variations on the theme when you go. I also wanted to mention that the decor is tasteful and minimalist, and dress was all over the place, from people dressed up a bit to someone in jeans and a sweatshirt. Any/all were appropriate. It's the food that really matters here.

Edited December 10, 2005 by Curlz (log)

[Rosie]

You forgot to post my entree. I had a double serving of an appetizer: sake marinated salmon with tapioca , cucumbers and wasabi. I had this dish last week and loved it so much that I ordered it again.

Ditto to the above comments. The dinner was extraordinary. Great food, wines and dining companions all came together for a truly epicurean feast.

[ejebud]

You forgot to post my entree. I had a double serving of an appetizer: sake marinated salmon with tapioca , cucumbers and wasabi. I had this dish last week and loved it so much that I ordered it again.

Ditto to the above comments. The dinner was extraordinary. Great food, wines and dining companions all came together for a truly epicurean feast.

←

I don't think I took a picture of it, Rosie. If Lowell has one please send it to me and I'll put 'er up there.

Eric

[=Mark]

Was quite a good meal! Some of the best food I've had the pleasure of eating in a while. Sorry I had to bug out early, and I'd like to thank all who made this an event worth travelling for...

[eatingwitheddie]

Was quite a good meal!  Some of the best food I've had the pleasure of eating in a while.  Sorry I had to bug out early, and I'd like to thank all who made this an event worth travelling for...

←

Treat youself really well for the holidays and eat Zod's cooking - some of the best anywhere. And a bargain!

[bp1123]

My first dinner at Blu - we had the muchroom risotto and octopus appetizers, both were good but we agreed the risotto was better. Both the duck and lamb shank entrees were excellent, for dessert I had the special - chocolate hazelnut cake with banana ice cream (excellent), he had the chocolate truffle with cherry sorbet. The truffle was just ok, if I went back I would go with something else. LOVE the coffee, we make it this way at home & it's the only way to go in my opinion.

The prices are a bargain considering the food we had, I would go back just to have the lamb shank again for under $20. Neither of us cared for the atmosphere, it's somewhat of an Asian decor, but the lighting is horrible, overhead flourescent lights that cast an ugly green hue on everything. Not romantic in the least & the music changed from Frank Sinatra's greatest hits to some kind of annoying big band/jazz thing (think loud harsh trumpets).

Service was steady enough, although we had to ask for bread & we were served by several people which gave me the impression that no one person was really taking care of the table - kind of whoever was around would help you. Also one waiter told us there was only one dessert special left, I ordered it & then watched as at least three other people ordered it after me. I also overheard him tell another table as we were leaving that there was "only one dessert special left" - just annoyed me for some reason.

Go for the food & value, hopefully others will agree with me about the atmoshpere and they will tweak it a little.

[xyz123]

I just heard that Blu got only 2 stars from NJ monthly.

how is this possible?????? has anyone read it ??, its not in stores yet.

[tommy]

I just heard that Blu got only 2 stars from NJ monthly.

how is this possible?????? has anyone read it ??, its not in stores yet.

←

2 stars in NJ Monthly and "Excellent" from tomorrow's NY Times.

[Curlz]

2 stars in NJ Monthly and "Excellent" from tomorrow's NY Times.

←

'nuf said?

Congratulations to Chef Zod! I hope his somewhat stealth existence changes now...he is certainly one of the most creative chefs I've encountered in a long time!

[Rosie]

CONGRATULATIONS to Chef Zod and the EXCELLENT he received from David Corcoran in the NJ section of the New York Times January 29, 2006.

I love the last line of the review. Corcoran writes, "That missing E stands for excellent."

Blu is an outstanding restaurant and I'm thrilled that Chef Zod has received the praise that he deserves.

[xyz123]

[dRock]

Based on the NY Times review I will check this place out but based on the photos, the food looks a little sloppy. But as long as the flavor is there its worth a try I guess.

[jwjojo]

Based on the NY Times review I will check this place out but based on the photos, the food looks a little sloppy. But as long as the flavor is there its worth a try I guess.

You are kidding, right?

[dRock]

You are kidding, right?

←

Edited February 5, 2006 by dRock (log)

[tommy]

DRock, are you a cook or are you otherwise in the business? if so would you feel comfortable revealing where you work?

[dRock]

DRock, are you a cook or are you otherwise in the business?  if so would you feel comfortable revealing where you work?

←

I am not a professional cook, but I do some private catering in the Saddle River area. I would like to own and run my own place some day, but for now, all I have is E Gullet.

How pathetic am I?

[jwjojo]

Had dinner last night at Blu. We ordered the Mahi encrusted with sesame and ginger sauce, Maine Monkfish, and the Chatham Cod. We had the risotto as an app, and choc. w/banana ice cream as dessert. The Risotto was perfection. Just perfection. The Mahi..delicious. The Monkfish was good..but missing something..I don't know what, but something. A little bland for my taste. My friend said the same thing about the Cod, and upon tasting I agreed. It is so subtle as to what is missing, and it certainly is a good dish, but needs a little umph..IMO. The dessert and coffee, always great. We arrived at 8:00, with a reservation, but waited 20 minutes or so for a table. Service has been better. The waiter seemed rushed to go home..which he did, mid dinner. The second waiter seemed a little happier to be helping us...not bad, just not up to par.

[JohnnyH]

Deleted after further consideration.

Edited February 6, 2006 by JohnnyH (log)