StudioKitchen (2002-2007)

[mrbigjas]

... swoon ...

"Pickled grapes poached in olive oil." Must... have... more... information....

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come on down and ask him about them. one of the fun things about sk is that shola is not secretive at all about techniques or ingredients, and he'll totally tell you how to make them yourself.

at that point it's just a matter whether you have the mad skillz or not...

[Andrew Fenton]

This has to be one of the most interesting dining experiences in the US right now. Not only does the food look fantastic and very interesting, the whole concept of the smallness and privateness make for what must be an extremely intimate experience. Whether in a small restaurant,, a private home or a large Michelin 3-star restaurant or equivalent, I find the best meals give a great sense of intimacy along with great food.

This is absolutely right; as wonderful as the food is, what really sets it apart is the opportunity to talk with Shola, hear what he's trying to do with his dishes, and see how he puts them together. It really brings out the role of food as a gift from one person to another-- okay, you're paying for the experience, but you have a connection, and as you say, intimacy, with the person who's making it. (And I'm going again in ten days! woo!)

Fabulous photos, Philadining!

Indeed. You da man.

[Chris Amirault]

... swoon ...

"Pickled grapes poached in olive oil." Must... have... more... information....

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come on down and ask him about them. one of the fun things about sk is that shola is not secretive at all about techniques or ingredients, and he'll totally tell you how to make them yourself.

←

Since I got this anniversary gift, I've been tryin', man, I've been tryin'!!!

[KatieLoeb]

... swoon ...

"Pickled grapes poached in olive oil." Must... have... more... information....

←

come on down and ask him about them. one of the fun things about sk is that shola is not secretive at all about techniques or ingredients, and he'll totally tell you how to make them yourself.

←

Since I got this anniversary gift, I've been tryin', man, I've been tryin'!!!

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Chris:

We PhilleGulleteers are anxiously awaiting your arrival. I'll ask Shola about availability in the New Year on your behalf when I see him next.

It's true that while the food at SK is beyond compare, the most fun (along with good company and wine) is having the chance to pick Shola's brain on how he conceived the dishes, what went into the preparations, how and where he sourced some of the more unusual ingredients he uses, etc. Having a private chef at your disposal (particularly one of such an advanced level of skill) is not an opportunity many of us have. It's akin to strolling into the kitchen at Per Se, leaning on a gleaming stainless steel counter and sipping on your glass of wine while Chef Keller tells you how he created your dinner and plates it in front of you. That's the real show right there. Eating the food is only completing the experience and making what you've learned really sink in.

[shacke]

... swoon ...

"Pickled grapes poached in olive oil." Must... have... more... information....

←

come on down and ask him about them. one of the fun things about sk is that shola is not secretive at all about techniques or ingredients, and he'll totally tell you how to make them yourself.

←

Since I got this anniversary gift, I've been tryin', man, I've been tryin'!!!

←

Chris:

We PhilleGulleteers are anxiously awaiting your arrival. I'll ask Shola about availability in the New Year on your behalf when I see him next.

It's true that while the food at SK is beyond compare, the most fun (along with good company and wine) is having the chance to pick Shola's brain on how he conceived the dishes, what went into the preparations, how and where he sourced some of the more unusual ingredients he uses, etc. Having a private chef at your disposal (particularly one of such an advanced level of skill) is not an opportunity many of us have. It's akin to strolling into the kitchen at Per Se, leaning on a gleaming stainless steel counter and sipping on your glass of wine while Chef Keller tells you how he created your dinner and plates it in front of you. That's the real show right there. Eating the food is only completing the experience and making what you've learned really sink in.

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Having just rolled in the door from lunch at Per Se, I can say that although marvelous, I have been much more thrilled with my overall experiences at Studiokitchen. My wife and I both talked about this on the ride home. As Katie said, it's the "total package" that counts at SK. The candles burning, the jazz in the background, talking to Shola, having a great meal in a small and immaculate space with friends and bringing your own damn good wine.

Evan

[handmc]

Visual crack! I cannot imagine eating any of these meals!

This guy has the gig we all fantisize about. small, loving crowd where we can roll out the love. I have to think this is very gratifying for him regardless of the price.

It sounds as if we have the whole art/craft matter raised in Rulman's soul of a chef.

His life - my fantasy.

M bud and I are looking for reservations in early 06.

[ferky]

I can't eat shrimp. so I can't tell you much about them, except that there was no shortage of volunteers to eat the ones I wasn't!

Makes you wonder how Shola does it so well considering that he can't eat shellfish either! An interesting revelation to find out that he has that allergy as we were devouring his delicious rissotto with peas, edamame, crabmeat with truffle foam.

[M.X.Hassett]

Between everyones coments, photos, and offline comments this is now on my 2006 restaurant wish list

[hathor]

I had a sh*t load of work to do today. What did I discover, this incredible StudioKitchen thread. What did I get done? NOTHING! But read about this amazing chef. It was like reading a suspense novel. Will he really close in September? What new soup will come in the bowl? Can a dessicated tomato really taste good? It was great to see the evolution of his cooking while I read all 9 pages of the thread.

Here are my New Year's Resolutions:

I will check out the ISO thread thing.

I will beg, borrow, or steal, or knock some one down to get a reservation.

I will e-mail the great chef himself.

Its a very long story..but my husband and I are spending quite a bit of time in Philadelphia recently and we are having a blast trying restaurants and speaking Italian to that lovely white haired man at DiBruno's. After a lifetime of NYC dining, Philly is a breathe of fresh air.

There, I've said in public.

Now, anyone going to StudioKitchen??? Why no 'grovel' smiley??

[mrbigjas]

we went last night and it rocked. but i don't have time to do a full post about it quite yet. monday probably.

[Curlz]

I don't know what to do. After last night's meal, everything else pales. I'm waiting for our official 'scribes' to post content and pics, but suffice it to say that this was a spectacular meal. Likely the best overall meal I have EVER eaten. I've been thinking about it, talking about it and showing off the few pics I took all day. SHOLA RULES.

[philadining]

I don't know what to do.  After last night's meal, everything else pales. 

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yeah, that is the downside of dinners at StudioKitchen, even really good meals you have afterwards tend to elicit comparisons: "sure this is good, but at StudioKitchen...." Some of us were even doing that at Per Se!

One could have worse problems.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and we all look forward to hearing more of your reactions. (please post pics!)

[Andrew Fenton]

All I can do is echo what others have said: the Sholapalooza Year-End Blowout/ Livin' Sous-Vida Loca was fantastic. This was my fourth Studiokitchen dinner over the course of a couple of years, and I can say that one of the less obvious, but most satisfying pleasures of SK has been the chance to watch a really creative chef grow and stretch his abilities. New flavor combinations, exotic ingredients, and maybe most of all, new culinary technology, have kept Shola continually on the move.

As seems to be pretty typical, the menu expanded, changed and morphed between initial email and ultimate execution. The amuse, for instance, was a nice surprise: a little shot of kohlrabi soup with seaweed (adding a little saltiness) and hazelnut oil:

Next up, yuzu kosho roasted hamachi hara; poached Asian pear, scallion oil, golden pea shoots and Sudachi lime "beurre noisette":

Surf n' turf (Studiokitchen-style) followed- "Bincho-Tan" grilled foie gras; shime saba, salicornia, matsutake, Nigella sprouts and a smoked "Yosenabe" broth.

Shime saba was the real ringer here; it's pickled mackerel, usually found in sushi. The dish presented a mix of sour (the mackerel), saltiness (from the broth) and the richness from the liver that's not like anything I've had before. Salicornia, aka "sea beans" are a nice touch; they're like something that the Little Mermaid would serve at her dinner party:

Three of the courses were prepared using a sous-vide cooker. All the cool kids are hopping on the sous-vide train, I guess, and I can see why. This was my introduction to the under-vide world of Jacques Cousteau: langoustine, served with roasted veal sweetbreads, topped with a lemongrass and galanga-infused coconut froth and served with combava leaf nage. What was really striking about the dish was the way that the sous-vide transformed the langoustine. It looked like any other shrimp... but the texture was creamy and custardy. Amazing stuff, and a great pair with the crispy sweetbread.

I'm sorry that the picture isn't very good:

Katie wanted pork, and pork we had!

"72-72" Kurobuta pork "Kakuni" (pork belly cooked sous-vide at 72 degrees-- that's celsius, for the ignorant folk among us. And by "ignorant folk", I mean "me".)

Liquid pistachio-anchovy praline, wasabi peas.

You can't go wrong with pork belly; this was one of the crowd-pleasingest highlights of the meal. The pistachio was also amazing, too; tasted like Sicily:

A wee error in plating (the quail eggs that were supposed to accompany the pork were left off) led to a secret bonus course. (Also, we flashed our Stonecutters rings and entered the cheat code.) Quail egg, truffle sauce, grated Parmesan and shaved truffle. Is there anything wrong with egg and truffle? No, I thought not:

Next up was another sous-vide course, something I call the "bionic lamb". As in, "we can rebuild it! We have the technology." Lamb shoulder, de-boned, de-fatted, pounded flat, rolled into a cylinder, frozen, wrapped tight with caul fat, sous-vide'd, and roasted a little. The end result is a perfectly round disc of lamb, tender all the way through, served with a juniper infused tomato-chamomile broth and thin slices of daikon.

It's really a striking dish. On the one hand, it's incredibly simple- I mean look at it, just a disc of meat in broth. But it's also the most labor-intensive dish on the menu. It also has a certain... artificiality about it. I don't mean that in a negative way (as if it were a Twinkie): rather, it's something that, through technique and technology, has become something completely different from what it was: complex in its simplicity:

Here's the cheese course: Italian goat cheese, and "olives". These are blueberries, cherries and grapes poached in their own juices and redolent with the essence of their own fruitiness. Let's call them "Sholives". The spoon has a dab of funky Manni olive oil:

And, dessert: lemon-Chaource "cheesecake", aka lemony-cheese ice cream. Below it is a "terroir" of black olive, Marcona almond and demerara sugar. Sort of a joke there, 'cuz it looks like dirt... Anyway, it was a good blast of sweetness and saltiness, all at once:

Here's the menu at the end of the meal. Umm, professor? Is this going to be on the exam?

Finally, a random shot of one of the Batcave-esque gadgets that fill the Studiokitchen space. As you can see from the label, this is the "anti-griddle" mentioned above. Sadly, we didn't get to see it in operation...

I realize that I haven't said a word about Katie's exemplary wine pairings- somebody else can handle that. I'll just mention the funky-ass Brunello brought by mrbigjas that we had with the lamb. It tasted like feet, in the barnyard... and I LIKED IT.

Anyway, word on the street has it that Shola is taking a working vacation in the spring... What new creations will emerge from Studiokitchen Labs then? Time will tell...

edit: ah, the anti-griddle has already been discussed. But I note that the second Google hit for "anti-griddle" pulls up this thread. Yow.

Edited December 31, 2005 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[mrbigjas]

OK andrew, since you beat me to it, literally posting your stuff as i was batch processing and uploading my pics, i'll just comment on your comments rather than posting any of my own pics.

Katie wanted pork, and pork we had! 

"72-72" Kurobuta pork "Kakuni" (pork belly cooked sous-vide at 72 degrees-- that's celsius, for the ignorant folk among us.  And by "ignorant folk", I mean "me".)

that's cured first, then 72 hours at 72 degrees.... THEN chilled and slow roasted for six more hours... then seared. it's kind of a lot of work. you might say.

Here's the menu at the end of the meal.  Umm, professor?  Is this going to be on the exam?

hey, i got one of them!

I realize that I haven't said a word about Katie's exemplary wine pairings- somebody else can handle that.  I'll just mention the funky-ass Brunello brought by mrbigjas that we had with the lamb.  It tasted like feet, in the barnyard... and I LIKED IT.

unfortunately for that one, it was one of those wines that... well, put it this way: when i was a kid my dad used to say when he wanted to get us out of the house, "go outside and get the stink blown off ya." and that one needed the stink blown off it. and we had just come off of the bolognani armilo, which was a much brighter, mellower, fruitier, less tannic wine, so the funkiness of the brunello was really jarring. as it turned out by the time we were pretty much done with it, the bottle was starting to get a lot nicer, and it went really well with the lamb. ah well. wish i'd had the two bottles of it i thought i had.

other than that, the wines we had were:

with the first several courses (links take you to moore bros website): 2003 Peter Jacob Kuhn Oestricher Lenchen Reisling Kabinett. nicely honeyed but with an acidic backbone that helped it stand up to the foie gras, the mackerel and the hamachi. also it comes in a coolio bluish green bottle.

with the langoustine, 2004 beckman sauvignon blanc purisime vineyards. this was a rockin SB which changed in the glass as it warmed, the gooseberryishness of it giving way to an essence of grapefruit peel...

with the pork the bolognoni, which i mentioned above, and with the lamb the brunello.

finally, with the cheese, a bodega ferris la cosecha moscatel sacristia sherry, which was just right, and especially for the price (about $15). it was rich and oxidized, but had a solid acidic side to it that ... well, it matched shola's dessert and cheese course, a contrast of sweetness with acidity (cf. cheesy ice cream with salted orange brittle, lemon oil), so that things work together to produce a sum that's greater than its parts. i could drink this on a regular basis, and need to buy a couple bottles for after dinner at home on a regular basis. katie, have i mentioned how glad i am that you did the whole amada thing? because she's got a better palate than i do and has now tasted through most of the wine and sherry available around here.

shola really is outdoing himself on a regular basis, if everything i read and my last couple of experiences are any indication. it's way cool.

i'm setting a studiokitchen budget for 2006 of six visits, so you folks who are going? keep posting in the ISO thread or PM me. i'm down.

[handmc]

Sigh. Wow. I'm looking in Jan or Feb but the schedule on my end is ugly.I hope he can fit us in.

[Vadouvan]

"living Sous-Vida loca"....

That just may be the funniest thing I have ever heard.

[shacke]

I have had my eye on the Manni oils. Do elaborate....

Evan

[Andrew Fenton]

I have had my eye on the Manni oils.  Do elaborate....

Not too much to say. I only had a little dab (of the per mio figlio oil); it's complex, not as fruity as some oils, and quite extraordinary.

Edited December 31, 2005 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Curlz]

Where to begin...where to begin? First of all, a thank you again to Andrew and Katie for coordinating the res and the vino! And to all of the Philly eG'ers and their friends for their wonderful (ahem) hospitaliano. More hours have passed since my last post, but the glow is still with me. Andrew, your pics are WONDERFUL--I'm so glad, since mine aren't as good, and I haven't attempted to use ImageGullet yet.

A few additional comments:

Shola's ingredients are all the best of the best (i.e. the pork belly was from a Berkshire pig). The quality is further emphasized by the oh-so-anally arranged spices, flours and other ingredients on the shelves at SK, including his little bottles of various 'essences.' Upon opening any of them and taking a snif, you know it's the freshest and highest quality ___ he can get.

Shola is just so open about how and why he does things, and it's a joy to chat with him as he explains his work. To say he is passionate is a tremendous understatement. He asked each of us which course was our favorite, and it was almost impossible to choose one, but I finally went with the lamb. It was definitely the best lamb I've ever eaten. And the broth...OH, the broth. Pure genius. I was happy to hear Shola admitting that it was an experiment (the broth) and that he was thrilled with the results too.

I also have to comment on the "Sholives" with the cheese course. Please believe me that the blueberries were the BEST--the most blueberriest is what I said that night--that I've ever eaten. They were just blueberries to the nth degree, as were the black grape and the cherry. Unbelieveable.

The wines all worked well, but I must admit that I couldn't drink the wet dog, even when it became damp dog. Just didn't work for me, esp after the Teroldego, which I really enjoyed. I had never had that wine before, but it worked really well with the food, and the price point is also appealing! I would have to say that I loved the sherry most of all, though--it was fantastic on its own as well as with the last two courses.

Finally, I would like to offer up an ode to StudioKitchen. Ahem...

S is for Studio, but it's also for:

Sharing

Shola

Spectacular

Stunning

S'wonderful...S'marvelous!

K is for Kitchen, but it's also for:

Karma (something was at work when that seat became available and my schedule worked!)

Knock-you-off-the-planet food

Kudos to Shola

Mostly, K is for the KMost amazing meal I've had not only this year, but I do believe, EVER. (The K is silent on that last one.)

Here's to at least a few SK dinners in '06!!

[rlibkind]

S is for Studio, but it's also for:

Sharing

Shola

Spectacular

Stunning

S'wonderful...S'marvelous!

K is for Kitchen, but it's also for:

Karma (something was at work when that seat became available and my schedule worked!)

Knock-you-off-the-planet food

Kudos to Shola 

Mostly, K is for the KMost amazing meal I've had not only this year, but I do believe, EVER.  (The K is silent on that last one.) 

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So, Curlz, I guess you liked it?

[KatieLoeb]

I'm still recovering. That was a truly outstanding and over the top meal. It's good to be the last customers of the year. When I clean out my refrigerator it's like an archeological expedition. When Shola cleans out his fridge, delicious things happen.

My thanks to James, for posting the wines for me. After dinner Miss Claire, Curlz and I went down to Rouge for a glass of wine and then my car wouldn't start again so I've been dealing with that for the last day and half. All's well now and I have time to post.

I really enjoyed the little shot of kohlrabi soup that started the meal. Kohlrabi is a much underutilized veg and makes for a delicious soup. Who knew?

I really loved the Asian pear that came with the hamachi. It proves that my favorite fruit can go anywhere and do anything. And again, the textures were a wonderful contrast. The pea shoots tasted so fresh and "vegetably" for lack of a better phrase. The butter sauce was sublime.

The "surf n turf" (Andrew - ) was awe inspriring. The sudden silence around the table when everyone tasted the foie gras and shime saba was like walking into a church. The reverence. The serene smiles. Amazing.

Shola is definitely giving his new toys a workout. The sous-vide-a-thon was just beginning. The langoustine has the most perfect texture. It had turned almost gelatinous (in a very good way) and the flavor was quite concentrated.

My thanks to Shola for remembering his promise to me of a Porkapalooza worthy dish. The "72-72" pork belly was insanely good. Perfectly cooked throughout but with crunch on both sides. Oh yeah! That was soooo good.

The lamb was probably my favorite course if I were forced to just pick one, which is neither fair nor possible to do. I normally love lamb anyway, but this was soooo tender and flavorful, I've never tasted anything quite like it before. And the tomato-chamomile broth is just brilliant. I mean, who'd have thought to put those two flavors together? We know that lamb and tomato are a natural flavor combination because so many different cuisines pair those flavors together, but this was so much more subtle and elegant. Hard to really describe it, but like any good pairing of food or wine, the sum was greater than its parts.

I have a soft spot in my heart for cheese course as well. I love soft spreadable young goat cheese in any form. Queso di Cabra from Spain is my latest addicition that way. The cheese went so well with the No'lives that were the very concentrated essence of each fruit. I was thinking about using the No'lives as cocktail garnishes too. The blueberries would be delicious at the bottom of a blueberry-pomegranate mimosa, or the cherries would be an interesting addition to an Old fashioned or a Manhattan. The mind reels with possibilities. Someday Shola and I are going to have to play mad scientist together behind a bar. I think that has a lot of potential for both fun and interesting drinks resulting.

I really laughed out loud when Shola showed me the "terroir" under our dessert. Such outright pretension is so unlike Shola, and then I realized that that was the joke right there. Great contrast of sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy with the ice cream on top.

My thanks to all of my dining companions for a fantastic evening with lots of laughter and good cheer. Thanks to Curlz for driving all the way to Philly for dinner and for being such a menschette and waiting with me for the tow truck! My thanks to James for the Brunello. It was fabulous, wet dogs be damned. I loved it! A lovely meal with great company, amazing food, fabulous wine and a charming host. What more could one ask for to end the year with?

[Curlz]

In addition to the "surf 'n turf," Shola said we were to have had "bacon and eggs (the pork belly + quail eggs)"...but instead, we got a bonus course!

[shacke]

The fact that it is nearly 10 o'clock the next morning and philadining has not posted details about our ethereal dinner at Studiokitchen last night is a testament on its own to the sheer breadth of the meal we experienced.

Although I am only barely awake at this point as well, I had to drag my sorry self to work this morning. And so life trudges on....

I am sure if I looked back at this long thread I would see repeated posts (by me) that this or that meal was the "best" ever at SK but this may have been the best ever.

Experimental courses, culinary "ridiculousness" in a grand and positive way, great wine and lots of it, meeting egullet folks for the first time and seeing the regulars again. All these pieces made the evening once again far greater than the sum of its parts. This is what overall makes SK on par with no other dining experience.

I look forward to the photos to relive it again.

I was pretty sure when I woke up this morning that eating cauliflower ice cream was not a dream I had last night. I did eat that ... right?

Evan

[wkl]

yes, cauliflower ice cream with hungarian tokay, or was it px sherry, or pineau de charentes. where are you philadining?

Edited January 11, 2006 by wkl (log)

[I_call_the_duck]

Exactly how much did you guys drink last night? The last (well, the first too) time I did SK on a school night, I was not a happy camper having to get up at 7am to go to work.

philadining, where are you?