Giving thanks, down under

I won’t lie, we missed not being in the US for Thanksgiving.  I didn’t particularly expect the feeling; I’ve only been part of five or so Thanksgivings and one of them was in England.  But, seeing my Facebook newsfeed over-run with pictures of turkey and messages of thanks, I definitely felt some pangs for pumpkin pie and the sights and smells of fall.

Sooo, after a particularly un-Thanksgivingy dinner that Thursday, we decided to turn our Sunday BBQ plans into Sunday Thanksgiving plans and show our Aussie friends a true American tradition. We jumped right back into our usual cooking roles:  pumpkin cheesecake, salad and cornbread for me; turkey, stuffing and root vegetables for Niraj.

Easier said than done.  After trips to Harris Farms, IGA, Woolworths and Coles, all hopes of finding canned pumpkin in Sydney went out the window.  Heck, we couldn’t even find a fresh pumpkin (nope, butternut squash doesn’t count). Along with pumpkin, we jettisoned the idea of fresh cranberries and cornmeal. D’oh! Defeated, we were sitting outside Coles in Bondi Junction at 7pm when Niraj had the idea to make a sweet potato pie instead. Say what? I know it’s a popular Thanksgiving dish, but the thought of putting potatoes in a dessert pie had never caught my attention.  We pulled up a celebrity chef’s scathing review of a sweet potato pie recipe that was “too similar to pumpkin” — bingo. I ran back inside Woolies and grabbed an armful of sweet potatoes and a spring form pie dish.  We were ready.

I think we spent a good 4 or 5 hours in the kitchen that night.

The pie ended up taking some time because I made the crust from scratch, using this classic Martha Stewart recipe.  It was simple enough but the breadcrumb stage, the flaky dough stage, the chilled dough stage and finally the rolled dough stage all took their sweet time. Scalloping the edges of the crust was tricky in a spring form dish because it extends so much farther above, but I think it came out great. More importantly, the pie was delicious and tasted just like pumpkin pie! I shall definitely be making this again.  An added bonus is that it requires less sugar (sweet potato is naturally sweeter than pumpkin).  Here’s the delectable Paula Deen recipe I followed (sans the marzipan).

The cornbread, in comparison, was quick and easy.  I ended up making a couple of batches — a more traditional one and one with parmesan and jalapenos.  Pro tip: if you’re living down under and don’t have access to cornmeal, do *not* reach for the cornflour, use polenta instead.  Cornflour is much finer and used as a thickener in soups; polenta isn’t quite as coarse as cornmeal but at least your cornbread will look and taste almost exactly like the American version.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Niraj’s magnum opus was, as usual, the stuffing.  He decided to make it in the crockpot this year and we snuck in quite a few bites during its journey from frying pan to slow cooker.

Add a watermelon and haloumi salad (to-die for recipe from a fellow halloumiholic), a dish of roasted root vegetables, a cheese plate and of course, the turkey, and you’re done.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Being Manly

This past Saturday, we took the ferry out from Circular Quay to Manly.  Manly is technically “a suburb of Northern Sydney”, but that description just doesn’t do it justice.  Manly is a beautiful beach town sitting atop a piece of land that juts out into the sparkling Pacific Ocean.  18 pristine beaches surround the town and the Sydney Harbour National Park as well as several historic aboriginal sites are easy neighbors.  Best of all, Manly is a mere 9 miles northeast of Sydney’s CBD or 7 nautical miles by ferry.

Manly Beach (from someone else’s lens)

The journey is an enjoyable one – full of idyllic ocean views and the occasional sailboat.  One view in particular, as a ship staring out at the open seas, just glimpsing two peninsulas reaching out to one another, stands out as spectacular.  (More pics to come.)

Our hosts in Manly for the afternoon have a breathtaking view of the ocean from their back terrace.  To welcome us from New York, they’d made, amongst other delicious things, an impressive looking watermelon ring – a favorite of theirs from trips to Norma’s on 57th and 6th.

Watermelon ring a la Norma’s

We had dinner at Hugo’s on our way back, a modern Italian restaurant on the wharf that had managed to transform itself from beachy casual to uber trendy between the afternoon and the evening.  The place was packed but the food remained delicious.  Sydney rock oysters are a staple (and favorite) on seafood menus here and Hugo’s did an amazing job with them.  We can’t wait to go back!

Sydneysiding

G’Day from Sydney!  It’s been nearly a week since we hopped aboard a one-way flight to Australia and after 5 fantastic days exploring our new city, it feels about time to start documenting our adventures.  Niraj and I are currently staying downtown, in what the locals call the ” CBD” or Central Business District, but we’ve managed to get out and about and have seen a fair bit of Paddington and Woollahra (the “Eastern Suburbs”) as well as Bondi Beach and Bondi Junction.  To kick off the Australia section of this blog, here’s what I’ve found interesting so far:

1. The people of Sydney refer to themselves as “Sydneysiders”.  I’ve never heard of any other “-sider” but I suppose Sydney-er, Sydney-an or Sydney-ite just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

2. Sydneysiders love their coffee. Independent coffee shops and pop-up stands litter the bustling sidewalks of the CBD, boutique cafés adorn the cobbled streets of Paddington and artisanal roasters peek out from among the sunscreen- and flipflop-touting bodegas at the beach. Australian coffee is delicious and warrants a language of its own.  Asking for a “coffee” won’t get you very far in Sydney.  Drip coffee is something of a rarity here with locals preferring instead to sip espresso machine concoctions with mysterious names like flat white, short black and piccolo. You’ll also be hard pressed to spot a Starbucks in Sydney — no complaints here but I did come across this interesting case study by the University of NSW on the topic.

Flat whites at Sean’s Panaroma in Sydney

3. Another trend I can get on board with is Sydney’s love affair with muesli.  The supermarkets are laden with muesli of all kinds and in a variety of preparations – boxes of organic muesli fill the cereal aisles, stacks of chocolate muesli bars form pyramid displays and rows of muesli yoghurt pots and smoothies occupy the refrigerated shelves.  Another ubiquitous preparation is Bircher muesli, which, as anyone who knows me well can attest, has been a long-time favorite breakfast and snack food.  Who’d have thought that soaking muesli overnight in apple juice and yoghurt would taste so good?  Seeing it at every coffee shop and on every restaurant menu warms my Bircher muesli loving heart but it doesn’t come cheap – prices seem to range from $6 for a grab and go snack to $15 for a brunch-sized portion.

Bircher Muesli we had at Icebergs; Bondi Beach

4. Sydneysiders love their acronyms.  The first time I heard the term “GFC” was when the Commonwealth Bank of Australia employee opening our new accounts began explaining how it had made Australian workers reluctant to invest their supers in American equities. The GF what? Seeing my blank expression, he stopped what he was doing, looked up and said, rather matter-of-factly, “the global financial crisis, you know, in 2008?” Ohh.  Besides “NSW” (New South Wales) and of course “CBD”, I’ve since encountered “EFTPOS” (Electronic Funds Transfer Point Of Service) meaning something that will let you pay by credit card.  Oh and did you know that QANTAS stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services?  Quite a mouthful. The Aussies also seem to enjoy abbreviating words and phrases they consider unnecessarily long to make cuter, undoubtedly more efficient words —  “Paddo” is Paddington, “Goodo” is good on you and “How ya goin’?” is the Aussie way of asking “How are you doing” AND “How is it going?” Clever, eh?

5. Sydneysiders’ reaction to their city’s weather is also something to be marveled at.  The Sydney winter is mild by most standards, probably most comparable to the New York fall.  So far (in early July), we’ve seen temperatures vary quite a bit, peaking at around 20C (68F) during the day and dropping to 5C (41F) in the nights and mornings.  For a city that is used to much warmer climes (summer average daily high of 25C or 77F), I was expecting Sydneysiders to approach their winter wardrobes with the gusto that Miami and California folk do – seizing any opportunity to don their boots, jackets and scarves.  Instead, we’ve seen people surfing in the 14C degree water sans wet suits, walking the boardwalks in shorts and heading to corporate offices in shirts and dresses (no jackets, no tights and definitely no coats).  We’ve even seen women brave the evening chill in mere cocktail dresses.  I suppose when it comes to facing the elements, the Aussies are more akin to the Brits than the Californians and Miamians and, for anyone who’s had a night out in Northern England or really at any British college, you’ll remember the superhuman strength that’s on display when venturing into the freezing cold in skimpy outfits.

Winter surfing at Bondi; photo by Acquabumps

6. Spice.  Whether it’s Malaysian sambal, Singaporean laksa or simply a spicy sushi roll, Sydneysiders don’t hold back when it comes to their spice!  We haven’t yet ventured into Chinatown, we’re eating at mainstream, if anything nicer, restaurants, frequented by mainstream guests, and everyone seems to be savoring the spice.  The Indian in me is rejoicing.  Respect.

7. Sydneysiders are an international bunch.  In our short time here we’ve encountered Brits, Kiwis, Americans, Indians, South Africans and Sri Lankans as well as people from Hong Kong, China and France.  Of the local Aussies we’ve met, many have lived abroad, whether they’re a customer service guy at Vodaphone or a lawyer at an elite firm.  Manhattanites like to think of themselves as a “diverse” group…whether they’ve lived outside the New York area (let alone the US!) or not.  Sydney’s international diversity is refreshing by comparison.

I could write more about Sydney and Sydneysiders but I’m not sure I know either well enough yet.  What I do know is that the people here seem a helpful and welcoming bunch.  Many of the people we’ve interacted with over the last week have offered up tips on navigating the city, shared favorite restaurant and bar lists and invited us over for dinner.  We’ve received a load of useful opinions on Sydney neighbourhoods along with ample thoughts on where to reside.  I’ve lived in four countries and 12 cities now, but the level of warmth we’re encountering in Sydney is truly unique.

Signs of Sydney

After our afternoon in Bondi this Sunday, we took the 333 bus over to Bondi Junction, the suburb with Sydney’s major train station and, what’s been described to us as, the biggest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere.  We had to check it out.  Here are some of the funny stores we came across.

Burger King meets Dunkin Donuts?

Target!

Bed Bath n Table….why stop at Beyond!

Sound familiar?

On a road to Bondi Beach

After our beach epiphany last night, we decided to spend the day exploring Bondi and Bondi Junction and testing the commute to and from the CBD.  We walked down to Circular Quays and hopped on a ferry to Rose Bay.  Ten refreshing minutes later, we were strolling along New South Head Road and gazing out at the serene waters below us.

View of Sydney’s Iconic Opera House from the ferry

Sydney Harbour from the ferry

Rose Bay from The Swimmers Club

We settled in at The Swimmers Club for lunch and feasted on a delicious open face trout sandwich along with a dish of coddled eggs with portobello mushrooms, Sydney’s take on oeufs en cocotte aux champignons de Paris.

Smoked Ocean Trout, avocado chili smash and sweetcorn soubise on toast

Coddled eggs with mushrooms at The Swimmer’s Club

After lunch, we were able to hail a cab and to North Bondi Beach.  Our plan was to walk from one end of the beach to the other while zigging and zagging through some of the inner streets.  Campbell Parade, the main strip on the beach, is a lot quieter in the winter time.  You’ll still encounter ample surfers and beach side activities but it isn’t as packed as when we were here in March.  The walk along Bondi was awesome.  Going even one or two blocks in from Campbell gets you away from the hubbub and into some fairly residential-feeling territory. It’s definitely bustling but I think, if anything, we’ll appreciate that, coming from New York.  We walked up to Icebergs and took in the view from the top of the hill.  I think we’re sold!

View of Bondi Beach from near Icebergs

View of Bondi Beach from Campbell’s Parade

Hooroo New York, G’Day Sydney!

It’s official… we are moving to Sydney!  I turned in my resignation last month and my last day at work is tomorrow.  Time to get cracking on that New York bucket list!  Some of the restaurants on my to-eat list:

1. ABC Kitchen (Flatiron)

2. L’Artusi (West Village)

3. Sushi Azabu (Tribeca)

4. Hakkasan (Hell’s Kitchen)

5. Kajitsu (Midtown East)

6. Hudson Clearwater (West Village)

7. The Spotted Pig (West Village)

8. Little Owl (West Village)

9. Per Se (Midtown West)

10. Dominique Ansel Cronuts (SoHo)

Cant Stop Eating Chocolate Digestive Biscuits

It’s been a while, I know.  But I promise I’ve been really really busy.  For example, two weeks ago I was in England, hopping between London, Cambridge and Leeds as I re-connected with some of my all-time favorite foods.  After 30 painful months of separation, I am in love, all over again, with British food.

Now, I know what you’re going to say and I’ve heard it all before: British food is terrible, bland, over-cooked, stodgy stuff that no one should have to eat.  But you’re wrong and here’s why:

1. British breakfasts are awesome.

Yes, fry-ups are bad for you, but that’s not what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about variety.  As much as I love bagels, cream cheese, capers and lox and even though I’ll admit to sneaking eggs on a roll with Tabasco from my local street cart every so often, New York’s breakfast options are surprisingly limited beyond that.  And no, I don’t really consider Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme to be purveyors of real breakfast food.

For starters, there’s EAT.  Yes, they’re a chain but they’re also dedicated to fresh, quality food.  EAT serves a delicious selection of toasted breakfast sandwiches, muesli, granola, yoghurts and fruit salads.  EAT doesn’t buy a single mass-produced sandwich, soup or salad – they make everything fresh in their own kitchen with a one day shelf life.

High on their heels is Pret A Manger which, like EAT, prepares its food fresh every day (each store has a kitchen), abstains from any “factory stuff” and changes its menu regularly to incorporate seasonal ingredients.  Pret started in 1986 as a London venture by college friends Julian and Sinclair; today the company has 240 stores.  They’ve  always been a socially conscious business, giving leftover food to charities, but this year Pret launched the “Really Big Christmas Dinner“, whereby they will donate 5p from every sandwich sale through Nov and Dec to hot Christmas meals for the homeless.  While I personally prefer the breakfast food at EAT, Pret has been more successful / aggressive about growing the business.  Besides offering a wider variety of products, they have grown their presence in several American cities as well as parts of Asia.

There’s also Apostrophe, a modern London take on the boulangerie-patisserie, and Innocent Drinks, a fantastic company that makes delicious smoothies and breakfast thickies with 100% pure and fresh fruit.

So yeah, British breakfasts are awesome and worth missing.  Bircher Muesli (Jamie Oliver recipe here), REAL bacon, sausage rolls, fresh yoghurt pots (none of that giant, mass-produced, sugary parfait stuff) and yes, a “Full English” are all hard to come by in the States.

2. Sandwiches

Sarnies, butties, baguettes, paninis…. call them what you will, they run rings around their American cousins.  And to be clear, I’m not talking about artisanal American sandwiches, prepared with whole grain mustard aioli, Vermont cheddar and what not, I’m talking about the average grab and go American sandwich, vs. the average grab and go British sandwich.

First is the issue of height.  I am well acquainted with the bigger is better way of American life, but there is really just nothing pleasant about 3″ of bland meats and salads packed inside 2″ of bland bread, held together by what looks like a toothpick.

No one can fit a real American sandwich in their mouth… and even if you somehow manage it, you’ll probably end up eating an entire piece of meat or a bland tomato slice because the fillings aren’t chopped up.  Throwing together a bunch of coarsely chopped ingredients with some mustard and ketchup does not a sandwich make.

Second, is the issue of cheese.  The average American sandwich contains American cheese, a processed cocktail of emulsifiers, preservatives and colorings engineered to melt obediently at the slightest application of heat.

Finally, there’s the issue of the bread.  I don’t know why but whether you order a sandwich at your local deli, restaurant or cafeteria or buy the bread at a supermarket, American bread just doesn’t taste as good.

In contrast, the average Britain sandwich offers you Crayfish and Rocket (yes, instead of watery iceberg lettuce), Cheddar and Branston Pickle, Egg & Cress…multigrain, wholegrain, German rye… the options are endless.

3.  Desserts

As much as I respect America’s penchant for pie-baking, England definitely wins when it comes to the sweet stuff.  Maybe it’s proximity to chocolate-loving Belgium and dessert-loving France, maybe it’s a history of cakes and trifles, no matter how you slice it, the Brits come out ahead.  England has chocolate digestive biscuits and Cadbury’s. ’nuff said.  Oreos and Hershey’s taste like cardboard in comparison.

4. Borough Market

If you’ve ever visited Borough Market, you’ll know that it puts even the San Francisco Farmers’ Market to shame (which, for the record, is fantastic). Hundreds of small artisans, wholesalers, foodies and retailers flock to this bustling space each Saturday to partake in the exchange of local ‘honest’ food.  Wander past the cafes and al fresco restaurants to take in the colourful displays of fresh fruit and exotic vegetables.  Nibble on stilton and shropshire and sample the pungent patés and spicy curries.  Recharge at the fresh juice station and sip on mulled wine and hot cider at the beverage corner.  If you feel up to it, stand in line for a serving of rich, gooey raclette or for a freshly grilled burger.  Munch on your meringue, pick up some elderflower jelly and make sure you pack some Turkish delights for later.

5. Maroush, CTM and Nandos

I hate using the term ‘ethnic foods’ so I’m going to boil this down to the crux of the argument: England is really good at sussing out the “best” [insert cuisine type] dish and selling it en masse.  Rather than view this as an adulteration or departure from authenticity, I consider this a warm embrace of “foreign” culture by a hungry British public.  I love that Chicken Tikka Masala, or CTM as it is affectionately known, is India’s national dish, but only in England.  I love that people go bananas over an £9 chicken wrap at Nandos and I love that I can buy taramasalata in pretty much any grocery store.  England’s physical and psychological proximity to Continental Europe, Asia and Northen Africa uniquely positions it for access to a variety of rich culinary traditions. Joking aside, Indian food (as an example) has progressed well beyond the ubiquitous CTM and made its way into the vernacular and essence of British life.  It’s pretty easy to walk into one of Masala Zone’s many London outposts and walk out 20 minutes later with a happy tummy full of lamb roganjosh.  The same applies to the mind-blowing Lebanese food at Maroush, which you will likely encounter 11 times while walking down Edgeware Road.

I could go on for a while in defense of what has come to represent British food, but I’ll stop here.  My point is certainly not (entirely) to rail on American food since I’m a big fan obviously, but to point out just a few of the highlights of food in England which is by no means inferior to food in America.  If you’re still hesitant to skip the pond and see for yourself, I’d encourage you to try some classic British dishes like shepherd’s pie and Welsh rarebit or indulge in some cream tea, a Sunday roast or even just some fish and chips. Until then, enjoy the pics!

Full Disclosure: I got engaged in London this past weekend and it is therefore entirely possible that I am writing this post on a (British food?) high 🙂

Van Leeuwen’s Artisan Ice Cream

I’ve never been a huge ice cream fan. Unlike my childhood friends, I rarely chased after the ice cream truck and unlike my college friends, I bailed on day 3 of our Roman gelato expedition (sorry!). Ice cream was nothing more than a molten chocolate cake compliment as far as I was concerned and didn’t hold a candle to Tiramisu.

If your feelings toward icecream sound similar to the above, Van Leeuwen just might change your mind. Launched in 2008 by New York entrepreneur and ice cream connoisseur Benjamin Van Leeuwen, these sunny lemon trucks deliver artisan ice cream to the masses. Van Leeuwen’s ice cream is made from organic, locally sourced ingredients including fresh cream, fresh milk, sugar and egg yolks. The manufacturing process abstains from preservatives and thickeners like condensed milk and corn syrup, emphasizing tradition rather than efficiency.

Another differentiating aspect of Van Leeuwen is its menu. Exceedingly simple, the 12 flavor offering represents seasonal ingredients and is neatly presented through hand painted herbs and spices. We chose a scoop each of Earl Grey Tea and Ginger – yum! The Earl Grey was delicate but complex and left a fantastic aftertaste of bergamot. The Ginger, in contrast, was unmistakably bold and masterfully combined the sharp tanginess of ginger tea with the sweetness of crystallized ginger.

I rarely get to the bottom of these giant ice cream cups, but the lightness and flavor of Van Leeuwen’s is hard to resist.  If you haven’t already, go check it out.  The trucks are usually parked in central NoHo, SoHo and the West Village and there’s usually one uptown near 60th and Madison; follow @VLAIC on Twitter for location updates. At $5.75 for a medium-sized biodegradable cup, Van Leeuwen’s doesn’t come cheap, but it is soo worth it 🙂

Summer Salads: Salmon Niçoise

After watching Julia Roberts indulge her appetite for spaghetti bolognese, pizza napoletana and fluffy Italian desserts in Eat Pray Love, I decided to go back to Italy do some cooking of my own. I’ve had the good fortune to eat at some mind-blowing restaurants this summer, but I’m excited to try out some new recipes and tinker with some old favorites. So, to ease into it, here’s my simple spin on a hearty, healthy Salade Niçoise:

Salad Ingredients:
One cup salad leaves (mesclun mix works great here, but you can substitute with whatever you like / have on hand)
2 eggs, boiled and cut into wedges
A handful (100gms) of green beans
A few artichoke hearts in brine, drained
2 plum tomatoes (or other tomatoes, in season) cut into wedges
10 black olives (no big deal if you use green)
200gm canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (you can also use butter beans aka lima beans)
200gm canned salmon in brine or spring water, drained and separated into chunks (you can also use the more traditional tuna)
1 tbs capers
1 tbs chopped tarragon

Dressing:
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil and balsamic vinegar (traditional recipe calls for French Dressing)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

For perfectly boiled eggs, place them in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. There should be enough water to cover an inch above the eggs. Cook over medium heat until the water comes to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge the eggs into cold water to stop the cooking process (you don’t want the whites to taste rubbery or the yolks to turn grey). Peel and cut into wedges.

Next, you need to blanch the green beans. Prepare them by washing thoroughly and then snipping the tip off with a paring knife (the stem end tends to be very tough). Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Do not add salt as this will draw water out of the beans. At the same time, ready an ice bath with ice cubes and cold water. Drop the beans into the boiling water and let them cook for 2 minutes. Then drain with a slotting spoon and let them chill in the ice bowl for about 5 minutes. This will halt the cooking process and prevent them from turning soggy.

Arrange the salad leaves on two plates and add the tomato, artichoke, salmon, egg, green bean and cannellini beans. Top with the capers and olives.

To make the dressing, put the ingredients together in a bowl or cup and whisk until blended. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle over the salad and sprinkle with tarragon. Done!

Rachel Ray’s salmon niçoise

*Note: you can also add back in the sardines as well as red potatoes. I deliberately excluded them from this recipe because sardines are the one thing I absolutely refuse to eat and because cooking potatoes will add 15 minutes to this recipe 😉

Zenkichi, Brooklyn, NY

Urban jungle getting you down?  Elbows sore from fighting through the Manhattan sea of humanity?  Just wanna see some trees?  Fear not, for Brooklyn is but a hop, skip and an L train ride away.

Last Friday, with friends visiting from London and Philly, we headed over to Williamsburg for a propuh night out.  First stop: the Gutter.  If you’re tired of paying an arm and a leg to listen to cheesy house music and eat artery clogging pizza at Chelsea Piers, the Gutter is a refreshing change of pace.  Eight lanes, $3 shoes and just $45 to rent a lane for a an entire hour on weekends.  We snacked on disco fries (yum) and drank beer while indulging our my poor bowling skills. A few pitchers later, we began walking over to Zenkichi.

The quiet, tree-lined streets we’d crossed earlier were now swaying to the rhythm of canvas-toting, sandal-wearing Brooklyn hipsters.  We passed bars, clubs and even the occasional all-night bookstore (what?) before arriving at our destination – a giant warehouse, boarded up with what looked like planks of wood.  Welcome to Zenkichi.

Opened in 2006 by a homesick Tokyo native, Zenkichi describes itself as “a modern Japanese brasserie providing an authentic dining experience of popular Tokyo establishments”.  I’ve never been to Tokyo, so I’m not the best person to opine on its authenticity, but if the ambience is anything to go by, you’ll feel as far away from the urban jungle as possible with a 20 minute train ride.

Ambience:
The entryway is dark and cave-like, the hostess is Japanese.  She politely enquires if any one in our 10 person party is pregnant or under 14 (children are not welcome) and then introduces us to our waitress, who smiles and begins guiding us carefully up a lantern-lit staircase.  The walkways are strewn with pebbles, sectioned off by mirrors and punctuated, of course, by bamboo stalks.  The dim lighting, abundant foliage and babbling of moving water will lull you into a dream-like state, making you think, for an instant that you’re in some sort of secret lair – a maze leading to a Bond movie rendezvous.  Our table, like everyone else’s was cloaked in bamboo curtains, secluded but by no means isolated.  A tiny button at the end of the table could summon our waitress should we need her. Exciting, if you’re into that sort of thing.

If you google “Zenkichi” you will find that a lot of foodbloggers, magazines and food critics have written about the place.  It’s a favorite amongst Japanese food purists and amateurs alike.  I will not, for that reason, spend a lot of words on the food, but I will strongly recommend getting the omakase, the chef’s tasting menu. Thrust upon us for being such a large group, the omakase costs $55 and comprises eight unique courses – absolutely fantastic value.

Food:
Over the course of 2 hours, we slurped oysters (fresh and delicious), munched on vegetable tempura, sampled the signature Zenkichi salad and tucked into the silky richness of the famous miso-glazed cod.  Being a traditional Japanese brasserie, Zenkichi does not serve any sushi which can be a tad disappointing if you’re looking for your Saturday night sushi fix. That said, the variety of dishes was impressive and while portions were small, the meal overall was very filling.  Some dishes, such as the duck (too tough) and the yellowtail sashimi on rice (not properly vinegared) were mediocre but, overall, the food was very good.

Course II (a): Asparagus Appetizers

Course II (b) Kumamoto Oysters

Course II (c): Maguro Tuna

Course II (d): Hiramasa Tartare

The slew of sakes, variously described as “earthy”, “rich” and “fruity”, perfectly complemented the dishes and the  desserts (try the black sesame mousse) were interesting enough for us to sample despite being stuffed.   We also received a tray of complementary truffles as a “second dessert” which we were all too full to partake in.

Black sesame mousse – a little too frozen to really be a “mousse”

Summary & Verdict:
Zenkichi was really interesting and different and cool.  It’s a great place to take your out-of-town friends because it has that “wow” factor people come to New York for, as well as the authenticity that every foodie likes to brag about.  The stellar ambience however, perhaps unfairly, generates sky high expectations for the food.  While nothing is terrible, some of Zenkichi’s dishes are mediocre and the Omakase, I thought, could be more creative.  Maybe I need to develop my Japanese purist palate since a lot of foodbloggers absolutely gush over this place but, for now, I’m reluctant to give it the same sort of rock solid recommendation as some of the ol’ favorites.

Details: http://www.yelp.com/biz/zenkichi-brooklyn

Damage: $98 including tax and tip, for the Omakase ($55) and a lot of sake.

Other reviews: Serious Eats, Peck the Beak