Memorable bites are anything I have eaten over the last 5 years that left a defining memory.
Above I remember the amuse bouche.
West Coast Uni with as I remember Sudachi Lime or Yuzu.
Bursting with clean saline marine citrus flavors.
Simple . Clean . Done
Restaurant : PROVIDENCE Los Angeles.
Over the years as I developed as a cook, I always looked back at the initial sparks, travel through Europe, West Africa and Southeast Asia, pivotal books like old Larousse, Pepin, Wolfert, Palladin and in more recent history Bras, Bertolli, Keller. The most influential book was White Heat by Marco Pierre White, It was not about the actual recipes but the sharing of a passion and a vision. A restaurant is never easy even when you have 60 stages who want to work for you for free, details still need to be attended to and in many ways the more people who touch the food the more the possibilities of details getting overlooked.
Every cook eventually want's "his or her own place", there are a multiplicity of established models from cafes, fine restaurants, bars, gastro pubs, tapas and the list goes on. What is essential for everyone of us it to find the venue that best showcases our talents, continues to stimulate our passionate interest in what we do and provides the financial rewards that makes it all worthwhile. Money isn't everything but without money there is no art in the modern age. This business is as much about money as it is about food, it is important that the pursuit of one does not negate the other.
My basic point is every one finds their own road either directly or by circumstance, I have chosen to follow my own road by putting together a small team of people who want to work in a 30 seat restaurant that serves only dinner 5 days a week.
Why ?
It works, it's different and ultimately people want value both in the experience and the cooking, if all the energy went into the cooking and the food rather than the hype and the book matches, then food costs a lot less than you might think.
It does not require multiple investors whose vision or interest may diverge from yours.
It is the "un-restaurant"
Chang has done it at KO.
Talula has done it in Kennet Square.
I tested the idea several years ago.
In the end the landscape is better when everyone has a contribution and does it well.
My road forward is "Studiokitchen" currently under design in the space above.
As in everything I have always done, I started small and grew. I will start small and grow again.
As this process develops I will share as much as I can, I haven't figured it all out yet but that is the same creative approach I use to cook, let it evolve towards the best final product.
The plan is to be in business this fall and I will continue to hone my food concept by resurrecting the apparently missed Studiokitchen of e-gullet fame in the new test kitchen in less than 2 weeks.
More details will follow.
It's fun to see what other restaurants are doing and what better way to spend an evening off that roam around NYC, with passover and the pope in town it was a recipe for no waits anywhere, you could just walk right in and eat.
I much rather prefer sitting at the bar and haven't made a reservation in months.
Now that Wylie is all over Iron and Top Chef, I thought what the hell lets just go to WD-50 on an off night.
Guess who was standing at the pass...Ha!
It's impressive to see New York Chefs actually in their kitchens on a Saturday night.
After having a quite tasty Escabeche of Sawara at the tasting room earlier, I thought it would be a great time to finally try Alex Stupak's desserts finally.
I have to say the boy makes some good stuff, pistachio tube being my favorite.
They were quite nice enough to do a dual 3 course dessert tasting. Sadly no camera besides that would have attracted too much attention.
What next ? Thought I would find my pal Amador Acosta and headed to TAILOR for some chicken wings I heard about. I love whimsy when it works.
If you are in NYC, go try the "Tailor made wings".
As I am eating my perfectly geometrical wings, I said to the quiet looking Brit, "are you Paul Liebrandt"
Why yes indeed I am.
You never know where the winds blow in NY, after being dragged to Milk and Honey by Mssrs Freeman and Acosta, the evening ends at 3am on the lower east side.
New York stories indeed.
Sugar-up at WD.
Liquor-up at Tailor.
In our never ending quest for soulful ramen, we made a trip uptown to Menchanko Tei. You can find them HERE.
In any case, we tried the hakata ramen. Really good but I have to say at the end of the day, upon further reflection, I still like Setagaya at St Marks place better. The Hotate oil, charcoal grilled pork and salted eggs are just outrageous. Hakata Ramen or Cha syu men.
What do you say Al Wang ?
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