The Finest Blend of Taste & Technology » 2010 » June

Uchiko – What would it feel like to win the US Open, the College World Series, or the World Cup?

KeeperTeam — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:53:29 +0000

If there was a tournament for new restaurants today, UCHIKO would know how winning would feel, as this restaurant deserves a trophy. Chef Tyson Cole unleashed his creative Executive Chef, Paul Qui, to create the menu for their “Japanese farmhouse”. The food spoke of the huge talent Chef Qui possesses. Just like Uchi, Uchiko is aiming for perfection. As we sat down and were greeted by Chef Cole, he told us that we were in for a night to remember. And WOW, we are still remembering!

Uchiko was designed by Michael Hsu, aiming to provide an interior that is said to be of “aesthetic, crafted materials and warm finishes to round out the dining experience”. We really like the feel of the restaurant, starting with the backdrop at the entry, to the openness of the kitchen at the sushi bar, and continuing to the glass-front private dining room.

The comfortable feel of the elements of wood, leather, glass, and perfect lighting just added to the culinary experience.

Now, for the food. Along with a Drinks list overseen by Wine Director, June Rodil, the menu is divided into 7 sections – TASTINGS (a selection of delicate hot and cool items); GREENS; GRILL;

SUSHI & SASHIMI; MAKIMONO (sushi rolls);

AGEMONO (a category of deep-fried dishes in Japanese cuisine); and DESSERTS, created by who other than Uchi/UCHIKO’s talented Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Phillip Speer.

UH, oh – on our first dish, we will have to describe the dish only, because the Keeper Team Member in charge of photography went in full force before taking the picture. It WAS Kai Jiru, which is Atlantic mussels, in heirloom tomato water, along with basil blossom and celery. Great starter and so refreshing in the summer – this was a nice balance of salt and acidity. (Note: We have insider scoop that the Alcoholian Blog may have a great picture of this dish, so watch out for their blog about UCHIKO.)

Kai Jiru - Atlantic mussels, heirloom tomato water, basil blossom, celery

After reining our photographer back down to Earth, we were WOWed with a dish called Koviche, composed of fresh day boat scallop over tomatillos, kalamata olive powder, black lime salt, and a corn flake tuille. The scallops were perfect, and they had a sweetness that paired well with the tomatillos, which were tart but not bitter. Our server suggested that we use the tuille as a chip under the layers of scallop and tomatillo, and yes that was a hit!

Koviche, fresh day boat scallops, tomatillos, kalamata olive powder, black lime salt, corn flake tuille

Our next surprise was Avocado Sushi Pieces with Yuzu kosho and tamari. The Yuzu Kosho is something special, and we think can be used in many ways, especially with fresh fish sashimi. Wish we could get the recipe for Yuzu kosho – hint hint, UCHIKO!

Avocado Sushi Pieces with Yuzu kosho and tamari

Our next two dishes were sashimi. The first was amberjack and the second was mackerel. The Shime saba (mackerel) is so incredible and a NOT TO MISS dish, so we must focus our writing on this one. The Norwegian mackerel was salt cured and topped with heirloom yellow cherry tomatoes, a slice of fresh truffle, and basil microgreens. We did not want this dish to end. The mackerel was not oily or strong in flavor, but rather, melted in your mouth. Even though we dream of truffles dancing in our heads, we had no idea that truffle would take mackerel to this level – thank you UCHIKO.

Hiramasa Yaki - seared yellow tail amberjack, fennel, fuji apple

Shime Saba -cured Norwegian mackerel, tomato, truffle, basil

Surprise from Chef COLE – Grapefruit sorbet with a fine dice of avocado and asian pear, candied fennel chip – YUMMY

Grapefruit Sorbet with a fine dice of avocado and asian pear, candied fennel chip

AND NOW – to maybe, the dish of the night – Usagi yaki, a mold of rabbit confit that was made crispy and topped with fresh sweet pea, along with two sides- a lightly poached egg over pea puree and a pear, mustard seed sauce. The second picture shows the dish after the egg is broken and combined with the sweet pea puree – WOW WOW!

Usagi Yaki - crispy rabbit terrine, quail egg, pear mostarda, sweet pea

Two sushi pieces were next, one eggplant – one beef tongue.

Nasu Japanese Eggplant, sumiso (on left); Gyutan Grilled Beef Tongue, fish caramel, maldon salt (on right)

Just when we wondered what else could be coming, we were presented with a dish from the Agemono section of the menu. Chef Qui created UCHIKO’s version of a great, fried chicken dish with a twist. Cornish game hen is dipped in a batter, fried, and topped with shaved onion and a medley of fresh greens. The dipping sauce is such an interesting combination using primarily sansho pepper and lemon. We are sure that some secret ingredients are lurking in there too.

Chicken Karaage - Fried half cornish game hen, sansho pepper, lemon

We were then presented the Oyster Mushroom Nabe – a hot bowl with rice, egg, oyster mushroom, parsley, and bonito flakes. If you want a great, filling vegetarian dish, this is the dish for you. The dish has great layers of flavor and is good comfort food too.

Oyster Mushroom Nabe – oyster mushroom, rice, egg, bonito flakes, parsley

Many think “bacon fat rules”! Appropriately, we were brought the Bacon Sen, pairing pork belly with two completely different apple sides. The apple kimchi was our favorite of the two.

Bacon Sen - Berkshire pork belly, fried green apple puree, fugi apple kimchee

For a taste of the ocean, try Uchiko’s Uni sushi – Uni lovers will not be disappointed.

Uni Sushi

Of course, not one, but two desserts from Chef Speer appeared! These desserts were both very creative and unique. We are always amazed at Chef Speer’s desserts.

Sweet Corn Sorbet, Polenta Custard, Caramel Salt, Lemon

Chevre Fondant Tomato Sorbet, sicilian pistachio croquant

At this dinner, UCHICKO knocked it out of the ballpark, only had birdies and eagles, and won with a hat trick. Chef Qui worked intently throughout the night overseeing the taste and presentation of his creations along with the rest of the crew.

Chef Paul Qui & Crew

We counted 17 chefs/sous chefs in the kitchen, along with 9 chefs manning the sushi bar – quite impressive. The service had Uchi written all over it – upbeat, caring, customer-oriented focus. We can’t wait to go back to UCHIKO and often.

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CUF Chats with 2009 Winner, Loren Root

KeeperTeam — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:18:59 +0000

It’s been six months since Loren Root wowed the CUF Judges, specifically Chef Tyson Cole of Uchi, with his spectacular rendition of Chef Cole’s signature dish, Uchiviche. Chef Cole selected Loren’s Fuyuviche (recipe below and also featured in the Wine & Food Foundation’s Plate & Vine Interactive Cookbook) as the best dish in that category. Despite his demanding schedule with the opening his new restaurant in Austin this summer, Uchiko, Chef Cole has confirmed that he will be returning as a Chefs Under Fire 2010 Celebrity Chef Judge! With Chefs Under Fire™ 2010 now officially accepting entries, we were curious to catch up with the past winners to see what advice they can offer to the 2010 contestants, and if they plan to compete again! More interviews with the other 2009 winners, Keith Hildebrandt and Martin Weaver, to come soon! For more information, visit the Chefs Under Fire website at www.ChefsUnderFire2010.com.

Loren Root - Fuyuviche, Chefs Under Fire 2009 Winner, Chef Tyson Cole

Q: How would you describe your style of cooking?
A: Honestly, it depends on how much I’ve had to drink. But in general, I tend to lean towards “California Cuisine” – fresh, local, organic.

Q: Who are your culinary influences?
A: People who know how to use the whole animal and who respect the Earth. Oh yeah…and great sushi chefs.

Q: What’s your advice for Chefs Under Fire 2010 Contestants?
A: Know your audience.

Q: What did you learn as a result of competing in Chefs Under Fire 2009?
A: Winning gets you some pretty cool stuff!

Q: Will you compete in Chefs Under Fire 2010?
A: If my schedule permits, I would be honored.

Sounds like Loren Root is ready to compete again! Do you think you have want it takes to beat one of the returning champions?

Try this Chefs Under Fire 2009 Winning Recipe at Home

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Dinner at ABC, Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3

KeeperTeam — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:07:50 +0000

Restaurant Name & Location:
ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street
New York, NY 10003
ph:212.475.5829

Chef Name: Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten

Type of Meal: Dinner

What We Ordered:

abc kitchen menu

Fresh Radishes Roasted Turnips, Honey-Thyme Marinade

Roasted Portabellas with Celery Leaves

Roasted Turnips, Honey-Thyme Marinade

Peekytoe Crab Toast

Pear and Apple Salad, Endive & Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Mackerel Sashimi Marinated with Ginger

Sautéed Pork Terrine with Arugula & Sherry Vinaigrette

Roast Carrot & Avocado Salad, Crunchy Seeds, Sour Cream & Citrus

Whole Wheat Bigoli, Berkshire Pork Ragu

Sautéed Arctic Char, Sweet-Garlic Crumbs & Romanesco Cauliflower

Grilled Pork Loin, Apple-Meyer Lemon Puree & Swiss Chard

Kasha & Bowtie Pasta, Veal Meatballs

Doughnuts with Blood Orange Marmalade

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Ganache and Toasted Marshmallow

We are breaking away from our typical NYC restaurant review format for this one because our experience at ABC Kitchen was not a pleasant one. The service was appalling, and the food was uninspired. This may seem like a harsh review, so let us explain what constitutes a poor and disappointing dining experience for us….

On this evening, the Keeper Team of diners consisted of four people. We all ordered our dining selections at the same time. Our first course was served to our table, and only three of the four dishes were delivered. The server told us they would “be right back” with the missing dish, but offered no reason or apology. This immediately changed the ambiance of our meal. While three of us sat there with our dishes in front of us, the one with nothing insisted that we eat. We all uncomfortably obliged assuming the server would return any second. Nearly ten minutes later (that’s not an exaggeration and is a VERY long time in such a situation) the server finally delivered the missing dish, again with no apology or explanation.

For our next course, one of us was served a dish that was not ordered. While we did mention it to the server, we decided to just keep it after experiencing such poor treatment on the first course – not being able to predict how long it would take to present the correct dish and if it would be of decent quality. At the end of our meal, we were not offered compensation, reason, or apology for the unacceptable service we received. Having dined at a Jean-Georges restaurant before, we expected more. We do understand that this is a hip, young, contemporary, and less expensive restaurant theme; however, there was definitely a disconnect between the back end and front end of the house that night, and our experience significantly suffered as a result. There would have to be a compelling reason for us to return to ABC Kitchen (which we cannot imagine), even with the recent surprisingly generous review from the NY Times. There are so many more impressive alternatives in NYC for us to spend our dollars.

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Waking up with Wallse, NYC

KeeperTeam — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:29:55 +0000

Restaurant Name & Location: Wallse

344 West 11^th Street

New York, NY 10014

ph:212.352.2300

Chef Name: Kurt Gutenbrunner

Type of Meal: Brunch

What we Ordered: Download the Menu

Breakfast Breads Market Greens, Radishes, Pumpkin Seed Oil

Spätzle, Braised Rabbit, Wild Mushrooms, Tarragon

Hungarian Beef Goulash, Fresh Herb Spatzle

GET THE BEEF GOULASH RECIPE HERE

Wiener Schnitzel, Potato-Cucumber Salad, Lingonberries

Steak Rösti, Spiegelei, Fava Beans

Salzburger Nockerl

Thanks also to a talented New York sommelier and our good friend Jordan Salcito, we enjoyed a surprisingly delectable brunch at Wallse.

Favorite Dish: We started with the breakfast breads which were such a treat and really fantastic, especially with a good cup of java. Our overall favorite dish was the Hungarian Beef Goulash with Fresh Herb Spätzle. It was the texture and taste of the spätzel with the spices used in the goulash that made us want a second serving! Since demonstrating the Beef Goulash on Good Day New York, this dish has become a pretty popular dish from Chef Gutenbrunner, but it was a special treat to get to enjoy it with the Fresh Herb Spätzle as well.

Other Highlights: One of the highlights was getting started with the Market Greens, Radishes, and Pumpkin Seed Oil beacuse it was so simple and fresh. It was a nice way to ease us into the heavy dishes we had ahead. Also, it’s always nice to be able to recreate some restaurant dishes at home for yourself or others. Chef Gutenbrunner is nice enough to share several of his menu item recipes on the Wallse website. Below you can find the recipe for the Salzburger Nockerl – we haven’t tried this one in the Keeper Kitchen yet, but it sure sounds simple enough to try it out soon and trust us, if it is anything like the restaurant version, it’s worth it!

Salzburger Nockerl

INGREDIENTS:

1 Lemon
1 pint Raspberries
Soft butter and sugar
Large platter
10 Egg whites
4oz Sugar
4 Yolks
2oz All purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 380F

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brush your platter with butter and then sprinkle sugar on top, so it covers the plate except for the edges.

2. Then mix raspberries with lemon juice and put them in the center of your buttered platter.

3. Start to whip egg whites, when they get a little foamy, slowly add the sugar and finish whipping until stiff peaks.

4. Take meringue out of mixing machine and carefully fold in yolks followed by the flour. Use a rubber spatula. Also be careful not to mix too much so you don’t lose too much volume.

5. Then, scoop three quenelles of batter next to each other – on top of raspberries.

6. Put it in the oven for about 12 min – or until golden brown at 390F.

7. Serve as soon as it comes out, with powder sugar on top. It will be soft still in the center.

Ultimate Question – would you go back if you lived in NYC and often?: We would absolutely go back, the service, presentation, and flavors in the dishes were all fantastic. We would love to see if they could repeat this awesome experience of good food and great service. We’d also be interested to try Wallse for a different meal since they are open for lunch and dinner as well.

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An 11 out of 10 – Eleven Madison Park, NYC

KeeperTeam — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:10:52 +0000

Restaurant Name & Location: Eleven Madison Park

11 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010

ph: 212.889.0905

Chef Name: Daniel Humm

Type of Meal: Lunch

What we Ordered: See the Menu (Menu changes seasonally)

Assorted Breads

Cheese Gougéres

Amuse Bouche

Butternut Squash Velouté with Hawaiian Blue Prawns and Maitake Mushrooms

Composition of Spring Vegetables with Market Lettuce and Almond

Big Eye Tuna Tartare with Radish, Yuzu, and Sesame

Radicchio Tardivo with Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, and Champagne Mango

Balik Salmon with Pommes Dauphine, Frisee and Creme Fraiche

St. Canut Farm Cochon de Lait with Rhubarb, Spring Onion and Ice Wine Vinegar

Colorado Lamb with Artichoke Barigoule, Taggiasca Olives and Piquillo Peppers

Fregola Sarda with Veal Sweetbreads, Hedgehog Mushrooms and Fine Herbs

Spaetzle with Niman Ranch Pork Belly, Pommery Mustard and Spinach

Assorted Macaroons (Before)

Assorted Macaroons (After)

About three weeks after the Keeper Team dined at 11 Madison Park Chef Daniel Humm was deservingly awarded James Beard Best Chef: New York City; however, we knew long before of Daniel Humm’s talent.

What we Drank: We chose a lovely German Wine by Donhoff for our White and a beautiful Chambolle from Domaine Amiot-Servelle for our red.

Favorite Dish: This is really hard, because each time we tasted a dish we felt like it was the best. So, if we must pick only one, it would have to be the Cochon de Lait. Cochon de Lait essentially translates to “Pig in Milk” and is a common Cajun dish requiring that a pig roast for sometimes up to 12 hours. Having experienced first-hand South Louisiana Cochon de Lait all day feasts, we were ready and armed with our critical tastebuds, but again Chef Humm won the battle against our palettes. Chef Humm finessed this traditional dish with his own touch, preparing the pig in three different ways, and we found nothing but praise for all three.

Least Favorite Dish: Nada! It truly was all outstanding.

Other Highlights: The ambience of the room combined with the outstanding service we received from the moment we entered the front door until the moment we left makes 11 Madison Park a total team staff effort from the back of the house to the front of the house. Another highlight and something we’ve never seen before was that we noticed a staff member off to the side ironing a white tablecloth with an antique non-electric clothes iron. This was thoroughly impressive and our group marveled at this and the attention to detail that 11 Madison Park displays.

Ultimate Question – would you go back if you lived in NYC and often?: Absolutely.

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Calling all Chefs! Chefs Under Fire 2010 Entries Open Tomorrow – June 2

KeeperTeam — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:38:53 +0000

Calling all Chefs to the new & improved Chefs Under Fire 2010! If you thought last year was fun, wait ’till you see what’s in store for 2010. More events, more prizes, more chefs, and of course, more heat!

Beginning tonight at midnight, we will officially be accepting entries to compete in Chefs Under Fire 2010! Do you think you have what it takes? Prove it! Do you know someone in the food biz that you think can take the heat? Recommend Chefs Under Fire to them!

Visit www.ChefsUnderFire2010.com and read the Official Chefs Under Fire 2010 Rules to learn more about what it takes to compete in Chefs Under Fire 2o1o.

Follow Chefs Under Fire on Facebook and Twitter, sign up for email updates at www.ChefsUnderFire2010.com, and keep checking back here for the latest news and developments.

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