Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

08 Oct 2009

Minca Ramen Factory – New York City

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I know this sounds absurd, but flying to New York to eat ramen in the East Village seems almost more convenient than braving L.A. traffic to slurp noodles in the South Bay. My logic is admittedly flawed, but there’s no denying my intense disdain for driving and congestion. Plus, my brother’s apartment on Houston and 2nd is the gateway to Manhattan’s finest ramenyas (ramen shops). A short walk to gratification will always beat a long drive, even with a flight penciled into the equation.

Before boarding the Chinatown bus to Philadelphia for a weekend of Swarthmore XC alumni fun, The Astronomer and I carbo-loaded at Minca Ramen Factory, which is a favorite of both my brother and Iron Chef Morimoto.

Unable to find a suitable bowl of authentic Japanese ramen in New York City, Shigeto Kamada, a Japanese expat and musician, opened Minca in 2004. The musician turned ramen master learned the art of noodling by eating in Japan’s greatest ramenyas while on tour with his band and by training at a friend’s restaurant. “I only started making ramen here because I needed some to eat,” Mr. Kamada told the New York Times in the article “Here Comes Ramen, the Slurp Heard Round the World” by Julia Moskin. “I can’t live without it.”

According to Ms. Moskin, “The classic ramenya meal starts with a plate of gyoza and a beer, followed by a big bowl of soup and noodles, eaten with as much slurping as possible.” It was too early in the day for a beer, but a plate of homemade pork gyoza ($4.85) was definitely in order. The piping hot, thinly wrapped pork and vegetable dumplings were seared to a golden char and served with soy sauce on the side. The gyoza didn’t pack as much juicy, meaty oomph as their Chinese counterparts, but still provided a satisfying start to our meal.

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Now Closed

06 Oct 2009

Corton – New York City

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My brother has averaged a visit a month to Corton since its doors opened last October. With endless dining options at his fingertips, my brother insists on returning here time and again because the food is phenomenal, the menu is constantly evolving, and the value is superb. Plus, being a regular has its perks. Although he’d prefer to keep Corton a secret, my brother is not alone in his affections. Frank Bruni dolled out three stars last December in the New York Times and most recently, Corton received two stars from the Michelin Guide in its 2010 edition.

Located in the heart of Tribeca, Corton is a partnership between renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Nobu Fifty Seven, Nobu London, Next Door Nobu, Mai House, Centrico and Crush Wine & Spirits) and Chef Paul Liebrandt (Pierre Gagnaire, Bouley Bakery, Atlas, Gilt). Chef Liebrandt’s modern French menu melds the tradition of classical cuisine with a contemporary approach to ingredients and technique.

My brother treated The Astronomer and me to dinner at Corton during our week-long stay in New York. Arriving earlier than our dining mates, we grabbed two seats at the bar. I sipped a very potent Spencer (Cîroc vodka, Lillet, grapefruit juice, candied grapefruit), while The Astronomer drank an extremely manly Brazilian Breeze (Leblon Cachaça, pineapple, pomegranate). Both cocktails were $15.

As soon as I whipped out my camera to take happy snaps of our brilliantly-made adult beverages, the maître d’ swooped in to inform me that the restaurant has a no-photo policy. In my three years of covering restaurants on gas•tron•o•my, I have never encountered a situation like this before. I was mildly sad that I wouldn’t be able to share plate-by-plate details of the meal with the Internet, but excited to dine like a normal person for the first time in years! You win some, you lose some.

Corton offers a three-course prix fixe menu ($85), as well as a chef’s tasting menu ($135). My tablemates and I chose the three-course affair. We began our feast with two canapes and bread service. The first canape consisted of a bagel adorned with egg, caviar, and flecks of gold leaf, while the second one was a luscious foie gras mousse with tomatoes. The highlight of the bread service were the thin and crispy raisin toasts swathed in seaweed butter.

My foie gras appetizer with sour cherries, Chioggia beet, and Cataluña spice was sublimely executed. The preparation was so fantastic that it rivaled The French Laundry’s. If the torchon had been accompanied by luxurious slices of toasted and buttered brioche rather than ordinary toast points, Corton would’ve nudged ahead.

My entree of Maine lobster with heirloom beets, Parmesan crumble, and Bergamot orange ($6 supplement) wasn’t as life-affirming as the one I’d eaten the evening prior at Blue Hill, but seriously solid nevertheless. The hunk of tail was accompanied by succulent lobster knuckles.

Following a Kaffir lime sorbet, I indulged in Corton’s signature dessert, “brioche, passion fruit, coffee, banana.” The caramel brioche was topped with brioche ice cream, passion fruit “mayo,” and banana pâte de fruit.

What sets Chef Liebrandt’s style of cuisine apart from the fine dining pack are his “side dishes.” Two or more of these artfully plated flourishes accompany almost every appetizer, entree, and dessert. At times all of the different bowls and plates could barely fit on our tabletop. The Chef also likes to add various finishing touches, like pouring sauces and foams, right as the plate lands at the table.

When the mignardises arrived, my brother dared me to disobey the restaurant’s wishes and snap away. Corton’s selection of mignardises—handmade chocolates, truffles, and macarons—were some of the best I’ve ever encountered. Each delicate nibble was a thoughtful and delicious creation.

One of the perks of being a regular is not having to be modest. Restaurant Director Arleene Oconitrillo left the trays of beautiful mignardises at our table so that we wouldn’t have to choose which of the four different chocolates to indulge in. We could have them all! And we did.

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Corton
239 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-219-2777

Restaurant Review

02 Oct 2009

Doughnut Plant – New York City

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Doughnut Plant was on the itinerary for our spring 2007 New York City food tour, but due to its odd hours of business, The Astronomer and I left the city without doughnuts in our gullets. We were bummed out at the time, but not incredibly so because we managed to eat at seven different places in 36-hours during that short trip. We knew we’d be back at a later date, and hoped that Doughnut Plant would still be around for us to have a taste.

Two years later, Doughnut Plant sits largely unchanged on Grand Street in the growing-cooler-by-the-minute Lower East Side. The tiny shop has been given a fresh coat of paint and the once bare walls are now lined with blown-up press clippings.

What initially brought me to Doughnut Plant were its trans-fat free doughnuts. In the early days of the trans-fats are more evil than communism movement, it was widely believed that hydrogenated oils were absolutely essential to producing a light and airy doughnut. When I read about Doughnut Plant’s superior-tasting, trans-fat free products, I was curious to see how they measured up to their hydrogenated counterparts. While I’m not nearly as vigilant about trans-fats as I was two years ago, Doughnut Plant’s significant breakthroughs and creative innovations in the field of doughnut making merited a return visit.

After browsing the drool-inducing selection, The Astronomer chose a white peach doughnut ($2.25)—one of the seasonal offerings available. The doughnut looked ordinary on the outside, but its texture and flavor were extra special. The batter contained bits of actual fruit, which imparted a mild peachy undertone throughout the doughnut. The doughnut’s texture was so delicate that it nearly folded in half when The Astronomer went in for his first bite.

With so many delicious choices, it was difficult for me to pick just one. I eventually settled on the crème brûlée doughnut ($2.75) because cream-filled doughnuts are my favorite.

The palm-sized sweet was piped full of smooth vanilla cream and topped with caramelized sugar, blow-torched to perfection. Trans-fat free or not, crème brûlée in doughnut form is just plain brilliant.

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Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street
New York, NY 10002
Phone: 212-505-3700