Degustation/Room 4 Dessert, New York
This city is just incredible! There is such an abundance of nearly everything. Focusing within the food world, one is left wondering where to begin. There are the big names and the corner joints all offering their style and touch. I don't know if there ever could be a complete "Best Of New York" guide, the city as a whole is just too large. Truth is each neighborhood has its example of 'the best'. The famous landmark locations get all the coverage but I'm sure within the surrounding area there are many places that have as good if not better food. It comes down to personalizing. Restaurants come and go, and within the city of New York it is easy to loose touch of what is currently holding the location down the block from one's apartment.
Luckily I happened to be staying in an area where a certain tapas 'style' restaurant was being praised. Was it because it was close that I went? If I was just passing by unknowingly would it have stood out in my mind the same way? Either way, I went to Degustation with high hopes.
Degustation is arranged similarly to how a sushi 'bar' is. Everyone sits next to each other while the kitchen cooks a few feet in front. The focus is purposely directed towards the action of cooking, allowing all to see the quality, execution and completion of each dish. Sitting mid-bar could also be sitting up front and center, depending on how you look at it.
The meal began with a ingenious rendition of the traditional Spanish 'tortilla de patatas'. A thin slice of potato was folded over sweet shallots and a bare quail egg yolk. All the distinct elements melded together creating a flavor that was distinctly similar to that of a layered egg and potato tortilla.
Continuing with the Spanish influence: Grilled Mackerel with three stages of apple. The apple composition was well though through. Each texture (Puree, broth and cooked) fully captured the variety in taste of different types. The broth was like a concentrated tart cider, the puree was like a sweet but sophisticated 'applesauce', and the cooked slices held the slightest bite of sourness. Some calmed the intensity of the mackerel while others brought a brightness to the bold fish flavor.
Seared scallops in a Serrano-ham broth with sweet carrots, potatoes and a fried artichoke. The Serrano broth utilized the majestic salty meaty flavor of the ham while not being at all fatty. The creamy scallops stood out among the carrots and the artichoke added a contrasting sharpness in texture. Flavors of Spain with a touch of creativity and skill really made for some delicious eating.
The short rib filled squid atop lentils has become one of the more talked about dishes on the menu. Braised meat filled into the squid looked great on the plate but was slightly unnecessary. The squid didn't benefit from the beef, It just seemed to give a firm casing to the soft meat. The lentils were re-hydrated a little longer than I like but they were saved by the specks of fiery chorizo. The dish was good but a bit singular and one-dimensional.
The squab on the other hand was complex. The bird was marinated and grilled to an efficient level of doneness. The 'fourme' reduction was an almost syrup of sweet and sour wine, while the salad had a large overtone of bitterness. When eaten, the intense edges became softened and everything started to converge into a pleasant bite of synchronization.
One of the better flavors of the night was that of the Lamb belly. The majority of people that don't like lamb usually say its because of the 'gamey' flavor it has. Similar to the way truffles act, the 'game' that is so frequently frowned upon, is much more of an aroma to the senses than a distinct flavor on the tongue. And I love it.
This belly was like a large piece of slab lamb bacon. Fatty, chewy and completely enjoyable. The game that I enjoy was in full force but not at all intimidating. The light painting of beet essence gave an earthy hue to the flavors and the hash-brown was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The best sauce for this dish was that of the quail egg when broken and allowed to creep its way across the plate. Umami was used and utilized in every component.
The only real downfall was the lack of any dessert choices. They offered one item, and as good as it probably was, that night it just didn't strike me. Luckily there was a wonderful cheese plate that sounded too good to pass up. The four cheeses were:
Zamarano- Similar to the famous Manchego in appearance, but sharper and more lactic in flavor. Only a certain type of sheep are used in the making of this cheese and because of this designation the cheese is greatly desired.
Mahon- Cow's milk from Spain. Soft in texture, smooth on the palate with a flavor of scalded milk.
Robiola- More salty than it was rich but still luxurious.
Crottin de Chavignol- Goat's milk from France. Nicely chalky, with tart flavors.
All the cheeses had a pairing condiment. They served a nut-butter, a rough grind of dates, a smooth apple and mustard combination and extremely delicious honeycomb.
The meal was impressive. The chef and crew showed skill though execution, created unique experiences while upholding certain authentic principles and in the end made really good honest food. Best at what it does? I don't know. Good for where it is with what it does? Completely.
But, I would say things weren't quite finished for that night.
As great as the food was, and as satisfied as I felt, my sweet tooth was still unfulfilled. Once again being where we were, a certain dessert-only location wasn't too far off.
Room 4 Dessert is almost too practical after the style of food from Degustation. Similar tight spaced environment but with a much larger emphasis on the 'bar' setting. There are different types of dessert options to choose from. Large, full plates of multi-itemed compositions that reflected flavors based around a theme, to simple one dish selections such as chocolates or petit-fours.
The "voyage to India" was silly as much as it was brilliant. Chocolate chai parfait was smooth as silk, deeply flavorful and was accompanied by crisp disk shaped 'kit-kat' type wafers. The mango sorbet was clean with fruit and not the lest bit sugary. The large cookie was shaped in the form of the country of India, once broken it fell into the empty bowl and the powder of coconut all came together. At the end was a coconut panna-cotta with a small puddle of intense hooch flavored liquid. The flavors were spot on. The textures were as correct as any textbook could explain and the ideas were ingenious.
The ice-ice-cafe was much different than its name explained. The only real part that held any flavor of coffee was the scoop of gelato which in comparison of size to that of the other items, was more of an enhancement than a focus. The passion-fruit was tart enough to pucker the lips and curl the tongue. A small layer of lychees brought their unique sweet/licorious/jelly like flavor while the green 'pearls' of basil were amazingly untainted and tasted completely of basil. There were basil seeds that were hard to pick out but gave a specific aroma and a rough texture of what seemed nutty covered just the top.
Too many restaurants loose their footing when it comes to the dessert course. It shouldn't be any less important than any other part of a menu. And yet sweets are things that are only done by choice. As a food they are not necessary for survival but to some they are made a priority and turned into a necessity. Lucky for those Room 4 Dessert is there and putting dessert firmly in front focus. And besides all the rest, when things are as good as they are at Room 4 Dessert how could they not be a essential?
You gotta love this city.
Luckily I happened to be staying in an area where a certain tapas 'style' restaurant was being praised. Was it because it was close that I went? If I was just passing by unknowingly would it have stood out in my mind the same way? Either way, I went to Degustation with high hopes.
Degustation is arranged similarly to how a sushi 'bar' is. Everyone sits next to each other while the kitchen cooks a few feet in front. The focus is purposely directed towards the action of cooking, allowing all to see the quality, execution and completion of each dish. Sitting mid-bar could also be sitting up front and center, depending on how you look at it.
The meal began with a ingenious rendition of the traditional Spanish 'tortilla de patatas'. A thin slice of potato was folded over sweet shallots and a bare quail egg yolk. All the distinct elements melded together creating a flavor that was distinctly similar to that of a layered egg and potato tortilla.
Continuing with the Spanish influence: Grilled Mackerel with three stages of apple. The apple composition was well though through. Each texture (Puree, broth and cooked) fully captured the variety in taste of different types. The broth was like a concentrated tart cider, the puree was like a sweet but sophisticated 'applesauce', and the cooked slices held the slightest bite of sourness. Some calmed the intensity of the mackerel while others brought a brightness to the bold fish flavor.
Seared scallops in a Serrano-ham broth with sweet carrots, potatoes and a fried artichoke. The Serrano broth utilized the majestic salty meaty flavor of the ham while not being at all fatty. The creamy scallops stood out among the carrots and the artichoke added a contrasting sharpness in texture. Flavors of Spain with a touch of creativity and skill really made for some delicious eating.
The short rib filled squid atop lentils has become one of the more talked about dishes on the menu. Braised meat filled into the squid looked great on the plate but was slightly unnecessary. The squid didn't benefit from the beef, It just seemed to give a firm casing to the soft meat. The lentils were re-hydrated a little longer than I like but they were saved by the specks of fiery chorizo. The dish was good but a bit singular and one-dimensional.
The squab on the other hand was complex. The bird was marinated and grilled to an efficient level of doneness. The 'fourme' reduction was an almost syrup of sweet and sour wine, while the salad had a large overtone of bitterness. When eaten, the intense edges became softened and everything started to converge into a pleasant bite of synchronization.
One of the better flavors of the night was that of the Lamb belly. The majority of people that don't like lamb usually say its because of the 'gamey' flavor it has. Similar to the way truffles act, the 'game' that is so frequently frowned upon, is much more of an aroma to the senses than a distinct flavor on the tongue. And I love it.
This belly was like a large piece of slab lamb bacon. Fatty, chewy and completely enjoyable. The game that I enjoy was in full force but not at all intimidating. The light painting of beet essence gave an earthy hue to the flavors and the hash-brown was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The best sauce for this dish was that of the quail egg when broken and allowed to creep its way across the plate. Umami was used and utilized in every component.
The only real downfall was the lack of any dessert choices. They offered one item, and as good as it probably was, that night it just didn't strike me. Luckily there was a wonderful cheese plate that sounded too good to pass up. The four cheeses were:
Zamarano- Similar to the famous Manchego in appearance, but sharper and more lactic in flavor. Only a certain type of sheep are used in the making of this cheese and because of this designation the cheese is greatly desired.
Mahon- Cow's milk from Spain. Soft in texture, smooth on the palate with a flavor of scalded milk.
Robiola- More salty than it was rich but still luxurious.
Crottin de Chavignol- Goat's milk from France. Nicely chalky, with tart flavors.
All the cheeses had a pairing condiment. They served a nut-butter, a rough grind of dates, a smooth apple and mustard combination and extremely delicious honeycomb.
The meal was impressive. The chef and crew showed skill though execution, created unique experiences while upholding certain authentic principles and in the end made really good honest food. Best at what it does? I don't know. Good for where it is with what it does? Completely.
But, I would say things weren't quite finished for that night.
As great as the food was, and as satisfied as I felt, my sweet tooth was still unfulfilled. Once again being where we were, a certain dessert-only location wasn't too far off.
Room 4 Dessert is almost too practical after the style of food from Degustation. Similar tight spaced environment but with a much larger emphasis on the 'bar' setting. There are different types of dessert options to choose from. Large, full plates of multi-itemed compositions that reflected flavors based around a theme, to simple one dish selections such as chocolates or petit-fours.
The "voyage to India" was silly as much as it was brilliant. Chocolate chai parfait was smooth as silk, deeply flavorful and was accompanied by crisp disk shaped 'kit-kat' type wafers. The mango sorbet was clean with fruit and not the lest bit sugary. The large cookie was shaped in the form of the country of India, once broken it fell into the empty bowl and the powder of coconut all came together. At the end was a coconut panna-cotta with a small puddle of intense hooch flavored liquid. The flavors were spot on. The textures were as correct as any textbook could explain and the ideas were ingenious.
The ice-ice-cafe was much different than its name explained. The only real part that held any flavor of coffee was the scoop of gelato which in comparison of size to that of the other items, was more of an enhancement than a focus. The passion-fruit was tart enough to pucker the lips and curl the tongue. A small layer of lychees brought their unique sweet/licorious/jelly like flavor while the green 'pearls' of basil were amazingly untainted and tasted completely of basil. There were basil seeds that were hard to pick out but gave a specific aroma and a rough texture of what seemed nutty covered just the top.
Too many restaurants loose their footing when it comes to the dessert course. It shouldn't be any less important than any other part of a menu. And yet sweets are things that are only done by choice. As a food they are not necessary for survival but to some they are made a priority and turned into a necessity. Lucky for those Room 4 Dessert is there and putting dessert firmly in front focus. And besides all the rest, when things are as good as they are at Room 4 Dessert how could they not be a essential?
You gotta love this city.
posted by Bard at 8:42 AM
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