StudioKitchen (2002-2007)

[Jeff L]

Of all the great dishes these last two dinners, I am strangely enamored with poached eggs now.  A perfect example of complex simplicity - poaching an egg in a 63.8 (+/-1) degree bath for 1 hour exactly.  The squirt bottle of maple vinegrette for the egg was a particularly nice touch to the skate course which needed no additional power to make it shine - but got it anyway.

Evan

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I must agree with the poached egg review, but how about that surprise Parmigiano-Reggiano soup? And of course the delectable braised veal cheeks atop the coco beans and cocoa nibs...not to be outdone by the chocolate cherry galette with that cardamon infused mineola syrup.

My god this meal was insane!!

My expectations were already so high from reading this thread and they were well met, in some cases exceeded. I found one of the most interesting and entertaining aspects of the evening was Shola's accessibility and full disclosure of all ingredients and processes used in cooking this meal. The fact that he never made any of the dishes served last night is really a testament to his confidence as a master chef who likes to take risks.

[I_call_the_duck]

Beautiful pics as usual, philadining. And what looked like an amazing dinner once again. You guys are starting to get a little lax...where are the descriptions and wine notes?

Edited February 22, 2006 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[Jeff L]

Beautiful pics as usual, philadining.  And what looked like an amazing dinner once again.  You guys are starting to get a little lax...where are the descriptions and wine notes?

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Did we have wine last night?

[philadining]

Evan, what was in that bibimbap-y looking egg dish?

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Good call, Chris! While it didn't really taste anything like Bibimbap, that was definitely an inspiration for this dish. The official menu reads:

Pulled Skate Wings

Mushroom Ragout

Hot Spring Egg

Scallop-Morel Emulsion

Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette

"pulled skate" ?!? yep. Next big thing, you heard it here first!

[mrbigjas]

That meal looked particularly Japanese-inspired, especially the above dish. Did Shola talk about his inspirations for this particular meal?

Shola is good friends with Alex Talbot and his wife Aki Kamozawa, he said some of the inspiration for this dinner was provided by thier "working relationship".

For more info on who Alex and Aki are ....

Click...http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/

These two Rock.

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i've spent a lot of time reading that site these last couple years, and i've decided that those two are insane--in a very very good way.

[Chris Amirault]

Evan, what was in that bibimbap-y looking egg dish?

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Good call, Chris! While it didn't really taste anything like Bibimbap, that was definitely an inspiration for this dish. The official menu reads:

Pulled Skate Wings

Mushroom Ragout

Hot Spring Egg

Scallop-Morel Emulsion

Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette

"pulled skate" ?!? yep. Next big thing, you heard it here first!

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Well that sounds remarkable.

BTW, I once made "pulled skate" when I left a nice piece of the fish in shreds after my attempt to fillet it.

[Vadouvan]

"pulled skate" ?!? yep. Next big thing, you heard it here first!

I have seen pulled skate only one time 2 years ago.

Josh Dechellis of SUMILE restaurant here in NYC.......Now at JOVIA.

[philadining]

(added menu to photos upthread...)

Edited February 22, 2006 by philadining (log)

[I_call_the_duck]

Thanks for the update, philadining. All the dishes look great, but I'm especially intrigued by the pulled skate wings and the hot spring egg.

[Mummer]

Beautiful pics as usual, philadining.  And what looked like an amazing dinner once again.  You guys are starting to get a little lax...where are the descriptions and wine notes?

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After all, we left there 11 hours ago.

Was somebody taking notes?

[I_call_the_duck]

Beautiful pics as usual, philadining.  And what looked like an amazing dinner once again.  You guys are starting to get a little lax...where are the descriptions and wine notes?

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After all, we left there 11 hours ago.

Was somebody taking notes?

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Can't blame a girl for being impatient. Now that I think about it, I'm one to talk. About one month after my last SK dinner, and I have yet to post the wine notes.

Edited February 22, 2006 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[philadining]

That meal looked particularly Japanese-inspired, especially the above dish.  Did Shola talk about his inspirations for this particular meal?

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This is also correct, good eye prasantrin! While nothing was especially Japanese or Korean tasting, there was certainly a bit of that aesthetic in play. That dish you pointed out (the pulled skate wings) didn't have any rice in it, but was certainly inspired by the bibimbap/donburi thing of a bowl of warm earthy goodness with an egg integrating itself into it.

I haven't drizzled bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup into my donburi lately, but you know, maybe I'll try that... We were laughing about how we were drinking wines that had been aged less than the maple syrup! Weird world.

[Roonytunes]

Last night was my first SK experience and while I already had expectations set from this thread, I will have to say that they were all well surpassed.

I am a chocolate freak and the dessert was just decadent. I had to stop myself from licking the plate (I don't think I succeeded though)

The veal cheeks were some of the best meat I've ever sampled.

There were more wine bottles present than people which only added to the conversation and overall experience.

Thank you, Jeff, for organizing this dinner! You really should charge an organizer fee for all the prompt emailing and excellent photography.

[philadining]

As our trusty wine scribe organizes his notes, I added some commentary to the original post, if you're amused by futile attempts to capture the essence of these foods in words...

[Jeff L]

As our trusty wine scribe organizes his notes, I added some commentary to the original post, if you're amused by futile attempts to capture the essence of these foods in words...

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OK, I sure hope I'm not the trusty wine scribe. If he (or she) is reading this, I am curious as to the name of the dessert wine redolent of that awesome figginess.

Picture me in the Newtown State Store an hour or so ago trying to describe this wine whose name I forgot! You know it tastes like figs, went over really big!

[shacke]

As our trusty wine scribe organizes his notes, I added some commentary to the original post, if you're amused by futile attempts to capture the essence of these foods in words...

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OK, I sure hope I'm not the trusty wine scribe. If he (or she) is reading this, I am curious as to the name of the dessert wine redolent of that awesome figginess.

Picture me in the Newtown State Store an hour or so ago trying to describe this wine whose name I forgot! You know it tastes like figs, went over really big!

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While I leave scribing to Percyn, that wine is Alvear "de anada" PX sherry. Damn fine and a great value. Not in PA stores.

Evan

[Jeff L]

As our trusty wine scribe organizes his notes, I added some commentary to the original post, if you're amused by futile attempts to capture the essence of these foods in words...

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OK, I sure hope I'm not the trusty wine scribe. If he (or she) is reading this, I am curious as to the name of the dessert wine redolent of that awesome figginess.

Picture me in the Newtown State Store an hour or so ago trying to describe this wine whose name I forgot! You know it tastes like figs, went over really big!

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While I leave scribing to Percyn, that wine is Alvear "de anada" PX sherry. Damn fine and a great value. Not in PA stores.

Evan

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Yeah, Evan it was great. Didn't you say you picked it up at Moore Bros?

[percyn]

Sorry for the delay in posting about the wine...I guess better late than never

StudioKitchen February 21, 2006

Aperitif : Chateau Frank Brut Champagne (2000) Limited

Togarashi Caramel Corn

Dried Tomatoes

This was really fun: spicy, sweet, crunchy, tangy..  This is what happens when Cracker Jack and Screaming Yellow Zonkers spend all weekend watching Kurosawa DVDs and inevitably want to be as cool as Toshiro Mifune.

Smoked Salmon

Pickled Fruits

Maple Cured Wild Steelhead Roe

Celery Confit, Spicy Herb Coulis

Sorrel Salad

G.D. Vajra Moscato d'Asti 2002 - I really enjoyed this wine, who's floral notes transport you from the midst of winter into summer. The slight sweetness played well with the saltly, sweet, crunchiness of this dish.

The lightly smoky fish played beautifully against the sweet and sour fruit, what else could it need? Ahh.. a little crunch.  And finally a Napolean with some height!  The celery had been tamed by sous-vide, but still retained a bit of snap, and gained a depth of flavor and a pickled tang that played nicely against the salty roe. The maple curing contributed an ethereal sweet edge to those sharper tastes.

Those of us prudent enough to save a little of the Chateau Frank NYS sparkler we were drinking at the start would have found a simpatico accompaniment in their attempt at a classic champagne.  On the other side, a sweet moscato played off different aspects of the dish, to no less pleasing effect.

Parsley Soup Two Ways:

Roasted Parsley Soup

Last Summer's Corn Milk

Chicken “Para Bistek”, Aromatic Spices, Roasted Garlic

Parsley Root Soup

Leek Confit, Grapefruit Emulsion, Lemon Oil

2004 Corte Gardoni Bianco di Custoza - Supposed to be a food friendly wine. IMHO this wine did not stand up to the bombardment of flavor from 2 different types of parsley soup and the chicken in the soup which had been liberally spiced with black pepper.

The root soup, sharing the shotglass with some chunks of grapefruit  was both earthy and airy, not too different from other root vegetable purées, brightened with citrus essences. And it's that combination that really lifts this, the broth itself would be perfectly satisfying and comforting, but that grapefruit edge somehow fits comfortably in, while simultaneously pulling the flavors up and out.

But it's the roasted parsley soup that stole the show, maybe took the prize for the whole meal. The green broth was as vivid a flavor as it is a visual statement. What you can't see is the mellowing sweetness of the corn soup that resides underneath, giving a creamy richness to the soup, and offsetting the spicy chopped chicken. That chicken had been given a rustic grilling after being encrusted in too many spices to count, which added mostly complexity, but a little heat too. Somehow this was not too much going on, rather it was a concert of flavors pulling together, an orchestra paying attention to the conductor.

I completely misunderstood where these flavors would be going when reading the menu, and had selected a dry Italian white to pick up the parsley and garlic and corn. Sadly it was a complete mismatch, in fact rather unpleasant with the root soup. This may be the only time I've ever failed to bring a Riesling to Studio Kitchen, and I think one might have done the trick if I'd just listened to my inner voice and thrown one in the cooler!  Or perhaps, with the assertive spice and earthy Mexican flavors of the green soup, we would have been well-served by Shola's suggestion of a nice cold beer.  Ahh.. we live and learn...

Pulled Skate Wings

Mushroom Ragout

Hot Spring Egg

Scallop-Morel Emulsion

Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette

2002 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet - A crowd favorite...we never seem to get sick of this wine (must have consumed a case by now). Amazing pairing...the skate...the egg...and the aged maple syrup..words escape me 

This was a really comforting, tasty homey-feeling dish, inspired by those warming Asian  meals in a bowl, such as bi-bim bap or donburi.  In this case the egg wasn't meant to be stirred-in, it was much too much of a work of art for that, precisely slow-poached in its shell in the circulating bath so that it reached a perfect just-barely-set consistency.  Doesn't hurt to start with excellent cage-free eggs either... A little drip of barrel-aged Maple Syrup from our own little squeeze bottles really took that egg to an even higher plane.  The pulled skate wing had a delightful texture, cleaving along its natural striations, ultimately reminding me of the most artfully thin-sliced meats in Chinese stir-fry that roll up on themselves to almost resemble a noodle. The combinations of the tender ribbons of fish, the pillowy egg and deep dark mushroom base made this another supremely satisfying dish.

It wasn't too hard of a call to drink a Chassagne-Montrachet with this, that clean yet full white burgundy was just perfect.

Braised Veal Cheeks

Seared Foie Gras

Pickled White Asparagus

Coco Beans and Cocoa Nibs

Banyuls Vinaigrette

1998 Lynch Bages - Classic Bordeaux...leather, cassis, pencil lead. Could have benefited from a little more breathing.

2001 Almaviva - This probably had to be the star of the night !! HUGE, bold wine, with tobacco, chocolate and plum notes, which went perfect with the veal cheeks. I preferred this over the Lynch-Bages...where can I find a case?

A few at the table cheated and headed straight for the foie gras, but I'm not sure which components of this plate offered the most rewarding richness. Those full flavored cheeks were concentrated by a slow braise, the cocoa nibs and banyuls adding to the intensity. The pickled asparagus offered a crucial acidic counterpoint to the richness of the meat. I loved eating the asparagus and the foie together.

The strong flavors of this meat allowed us to bring out the big guns for a change, and both an Almaviva and the Chateau Lynch-Bages were worthy companions to this plate. I thought both wines were delicious, and very good matches, and if I gave an edge to the Lynch-Bages, it would only be by a nose.

Parmesan Soup

“Sholives”

Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

1989 Le Clos Baudoin Vouvray Aigle Blanc - Another great wine, which was just sweet enough to counter the saltyness of the parmasean

Creamy, cool, cheese soup, Shola's trademark pickled grapes, some fresh greens and twists of fresh reggiano make for a beautiful if unconventional cheese course! Shola joked that it was almost a liquid caesar salad.  Don't worry, that version is coming... a couple of tweaks...

Some sweet, but not too sweet, Vouvray was a lucky coincidence, it ended up complimenting this dish beautifully. Wish we could take credit for the paring, but we didn't know this course was coming! It's good to have spare wine...

Chocolate Cherry Galette

Smoked Chocolate Crumble

Cardamon Infused Mineola Syrup

Cauliflower Foam

2001 Recioto Le Tordare - I was not familiar with this wine, but this Italian red went very well with the chocolate

Alvear "de anada" PX - In what seems to be the birth of a new tradition, we opened a sherry which was so sweet and thick, we were joking that we should have a vertical tasting with the maple syrup 

It's hard to go wrong with a big, intense chocolate dessert, and this was all that, and then given a spin of complexity with the spiced orange syrup, and the now-familiar cauliflower flavors. The cauliflower and orange are for some reason a beautiful combination, as are orange and chocolate, so... guess what? they all play well together.

And this occasioned one of the wine highlights as well, a Recioto della Valpolicella that was quite lovely on its own, but freaking awesome with the chocolate.  Major thanks to the folks  down at Moore Bros in Wilmington for that excellent tip.  And we're never going to dissuade Evan from popping a bottle of PX for good measure...

To sum up, see earlier posts, you know, the ones about how this somehow topped the meals before and was a truly magical experience and blah blah blah...  it must seem so trite from the outside. But really, yet another amazing meal, all the way through.

Big thanks to my dining partners, who did indeed help make it an even better night. It's always fun to have some new folks along, and watch as they get that possessed, addicted look in their eyes... I'm quite sure we made some converts last night! 

Special thanks to JeffL, Percy and Evan for donating some truly awesome wines, and of course to Shola for somehow topping himself again and again...

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[TarteTatin]

I betcha he'll go to Spain or Asia.

He knows too much for France.

[Chris Amirault]

Best line in this thread so far:

This is what happens when Cracker Jack and Screaming Yellow Zonkers spend all weekend watching Kurosawa DVDs and inevitably want to be as cool as Toshiro Mifune.

This is what happens when a great chef cooks for some great diners.

[philadining]

StudioKitchen February 23, 2006

Maguro, Yuzu Kosho, Sorrento Lemon Oil, Takikomi Wakame

Shime Saba, Granny Smith Apple, Blood Orange Oil, Radish

Hamachi Belly Tataki, Preserved Lemon, Ponzo Froth

Blue Moon Acres Mezza Arugula

Three fresh and intense, fairly traditional Japanese preparations: the maguro was all luxurious tender tuna goodness, brightened with a snap of citrus and a little marine saltiness; the strong mackerel was perfectly balanced with the sweetness and crunch of apple; the star of the dish was the Hamachi, a decadently fatty belly cut, just barely seared to give that dark-sweet edge of caramelization, and perked up with the citrus saltiness of ponzu. And OK, maybe the arugula was mostly filling space in the 4th hole, but it was a nice cleansing accent!

Smoked Salmon and Dill

Truffle - Egg Chiboust

Chlorophyll Sauce

Wild Maple Cured Steelhead Roe

Simple smoked salmon, rolled with a dill-impregnated crepe, contrasted beautifully with the creamy, airy egg salad, which carried the subtle, but unmistakable aura of truffles. And that maple-cured roe... that's just amazing stuff: sweet, salty, springy, practically self-luminescent...

Parsley Root Soup

Pink Grapefruit Salad, Melted Scallions

Candied Pecans

Sorrento Lemon Oil

This is pretty much the same as was in the little shotglass from tuesday, and I was thrilled to have a bit more to taste. I don't think I'd had parsley root before this week, but after tasting it I don't know why it's not more common. It made a delicious, earthy soup, not too different from turnips or heck, even potatoes. But that sharp, sour snap from the grapefruits, the sweet crunch of the candied pecan, the light aroma of the lemon oil, all conspired to lift this above mere comfort.

Australian Barramundi

Brandade Croquette

Nicoise Condiment

Lobster Piperade Jus

The light sea-bass-ish barramundi had a nice crust on it, and was accented beautifully by the relish of olives, capers and other strong mediterranean flavors, as well as the intense jus. But I almost forgot about the rest of the dish when biting into the airy, crunchy, perfect mcnugget of salt cod and potato, crusted with croissant crumbs. Whoa, that was good! Our menus accidentally carried the brainstorming-note Shola had written when planning the dish: "appropriately salty brandade" and indeed it was just right, with an unapologetic fish presence, but not too much...

Hot Spring Egg

Unagi Kabayaki, Preserved Nameko Mushrooms

Roasted Foie Gras, Sancho

“Blis” Maple Vinaigrette

The amazing texture of the just-barely set egg, injected with maple and a touch of vinegar to restrain the sweetness would have been enough. But if you can have it with roasted foie, and grilled unagi, it's even better!

Peanut Scented Rolled Cap of Mishima Ribeye

Caesar Salad Stew

Condensed Madiera Jus

Gratuitous Vegetables, Gratuitously Stacked

Any sous-vide skeptics just need to try this dish. That slow, long cooking concentrated the beefiness of the meat, and softened, but did not lose, the decadent marbling of this incredibly tender, juicy meat. A quick sear on the outside gave that charred complexity, while leaving the bulk of the meat at an ideal medium rare. Perched atop some braised lettuce, strong with the flavors of a caesar salad, drizzled with a dark wine sauce, this would knock them dead even at a mainstream steakhouse. The texture and flavor of that meat was just mind-blowing. We got a good laugh out of the next accidentally-included menu prose: "gratuitous veg." And maybe they were beside the point, but the tender discs of carrot, zucchini and tomato made good companions to the beef.

Ginger Scented Peaches

Crystallized Orange

Sweet Fennel Compote

Cauliflower Ice Cream

Elderflower Syrup

Shola's been riffing on the cauliflower ice cream thing, and it's different every time. In this incarnation, that earthy vegetal edge, in concert with the uncooked, but softened fennel compote, served to counter the sweetness of the Peach purée and the crunchy orange disc in a way that balanced just perfectly. Yet another unlikely, but very tasty combination.

It's very interesting to experience the different expressions of similar ingredients, and even small tweaks create a whole new thing... I'd be perfectly happy to eat some of these things over and over, but entertained that I never have, it's always a novel experience, and a delicious one!

As always, big thanks to the folks around the table for the good company and sharing fabulous wines. And thanks to Shola, again, for yet another revelatory experience!

Edited February 24, 2006 by philadining (log)

[stephenc]

whoa, that japanese looking menu is outta control

[philadining]

Those of us lucky enough to eat at StudioKitchen often talk about how the experience is made even more special by the interaction with the chef, by being able to observe some of the techniques employed in making the food we're eating and learn about the inspirations and concepts behind them. Here's a taste:

One of the highlights of our recent meal was an amazing egg preparation, inspired to a degree by the Shirred Eggs with truffle and Foie Gras Shola had enjoyed at the new Philadelphia restaurant Ansill. Not surprisingly, he put his own spin on it!

His version:

Hot Spring Egg

Unagi Kabayaki, Preserved Nameko Mushrooms

Roasted Foie Gras, Sancho

“Blis” Maple Vinaigrette

If you don't happen to have a natural hot spring in which to submerge your eggs, you could use a finely-calibrated laboratory water bath:

Exactly 63.8 Celsius for about an hour will produce a beautifully poached egg, still in its shell, all you need to do is carefully crack it!

It doesn't hurt to start with excellent eggs, from hormone-free, cage-free, free range chickens.

We didn't witness all of the background prep, but final assembly started with a piece of grilled Unagi:

Add a piece of roasted foie gras:

very gently crack those slow-poached eggs into a separate bowl and then spoon them alongside the unagi and foie:

Make a simple vinaigrette using maple syrup that has been aged in bourbon barrels:

Inject that maple flavoring into the eggs:

Add some mushrooms:

and you're done!

Watching it go together was almost as interesting as eating it.

Wait, no it wasn't, eating it was WAY better...

[philadining]

Many of the soups at Studio Kitchen contain hidden treasures, and that was certainly the case with the:

Parsley Root Soup

Pink Grapefruit Salad, Melted Scallions

Candied Pecans

Sorrento Lemon Oil

here's what it looked like before adding the creamy soup:

and here's the finished product, in progress:

Again, immensely entertaining to watch, even more fulfilling to eat!

[Jeff L]

Many of the soups at Studio Kitchen contain hidden treasures, and that was certainly the case with the:

Parsley Root Soup

Pink Grapefruit Salad, Melted Scallions

Candied Pecans

Sorrento Lemon Oil

here's what it looked like before adding the creamy soup:

and here's the finished product, in progress:

Again, immensely entertaining to watch, even more fulfilling to eat!

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Twice in three days? Isn't that a personal record Jeff?