While we had enjoyed the weekend brunch at Asiate since 2010, our recent visit in June had been a disappointment. But after combing the "best brunch" lists to find an alternative, we decided to give chef Angie Berry another chance. There were worse things to do on a Sunday in New York than sip a Bloody Mary on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, with its breathtaking view of Central Park and the city.
The restaurant was bustling, more so than in the past. There had also been a makeover, with new furnishings, although the floor-to-ceiling windows still dominated. The menu looked familiar; the Asiate brunch had always consisted of tasting portions of four first courses, two second courses and two desserts. But our waitress informed us that in addition to new tables and chairs, there had also been modifications to the brunch format. While the four starters and two desserts were left intact, the brunch now consisted of one larger-portion second course. She also informed us they had "upped their game" overall. More window dressing? We would soon find out. As in the past, a tray soon arrived with our four starters, each in its own individual vessel.
All four tasted fresh and delicious, the salmon tartare and the Thai beef roll leading the way. A good start. The sorbet intermezzo, a brunch staple in the past, had also been jettisoned; we moved right on to the second course.
Spiced Pumpkin Waffles - heirloom apple compote, cinnamon cream, warm maple-toffee syrup
Smoked Salmon Pastrami Benedict - toasted Pretzel, lemon-dill hollandaise, arugula, roasted tomatoes We shared the two dishes, and they tasted even better than they looked. We asked for second helpings of the maple-toffee syrup (which contained pecans) and the cinnamon cream. There was plenty of the yummy lemon-dill hollandaise. We cleaned our plates. The two desserts followed. Could we really eat more? For better or worse, we could.
Café Noir Chocolate Torte - philo crisp ● Blood Orange Curt Tart - dulce cream Chef Angie Berry had indeed upped her game. We liked the new format; this was our best Asiate brunch to date. Our 8:15 dinner reservation was another repeat — The NoMad, Daniel Humm's restaurant off the lobby of the NoMad hotel in the Flatiron District. We were drawn back by the elegant private library bar; we arrived an hour early. We were also drawn back by Humm's signature roasted chicken for two.
We started with a nice Gamay and the addictive onion-fingerling potato loaf. We truly could have devoured the entire loaf.
We shared two first course, the scallops and the tortelloni. Neither presentation was inspiring, but both dishes were excellent. The marinated scallops and apples blended perfectly. The stuffed pasta was melt-in-your-mouth; a spoon was included to get up every drop of the foamed parmesan truffle sauce.
APPLE, with marinated scallops, sea urchin & fennel
TORTELLONI, with celery root & black truffles The star of the evening was the roasted chicken, stuffed with brioche, foie gras and truffles. It was presented at the table and then taken back to the kitchen for carving.
When represented, we were both served a generous slice of crispy skinned breast, stuffing and sides, plus a skillet with dark meat to share.
Whole-Roasted Chicken for Two: foie
gras, black truffle & brioche,
Dark meat chicken, with Brussels sprouts The chicken was tender and incredibly delicious. Daniel Humm does chicken right. Everything was perfect, except for the service. While professional, we were served at a much slower pace than everyone around us. It took forever for our first courses to arrive, another forever until the chicken was presented and a final forever until our dirty plates were removed. While not optimal, we preferred it to Bâtard's impeccable service and tasteless chicken schnitzel. We will return. Copyright © 2014 TwoForTheTable.com |
