[Free stuff: August 2, 2011]
Belatedly, some photos from dinner a couple of week's back at Bar Basque where I had been invited (as had other NYC food luminaries) to work my way through chef Yuhi Fujinaga's summer menu.
It was a very enjoyable evening, everything attentively looked after from cava through to coffee. Not really a review then as a presentation of some highlights. I will say, though, that this pork belly is worth a detour.
It is a strange place to enter, through a door of midtown hotel, then up aloft into dark corridors lined, apparently, with red and black plastic padding - corridors which would later throb with drum and bass. There's a long, glass-roofed terrace but I was happy with an indoor corner where - against my expectations - the tables were brightly lit enough for photography to be viable.
Bar Basque was busy, indoors and out, on a weekday evening. The menu was prepared for me already.
Croquetas stuffed with Idiazabal cheese
Yellowfin tuna tartare, red wine caviar
This came in little plastic pop-up tubes which are currently the rage. The tartare had a nice little spice kick. What I will say is that these devices (you pump the food into your mouth by pushing up from the bottom) are great aids to consumption. You could eat a lot of food very fast this way.
There was some difficulty knowing where to put them afterwards. Once pushed, they couldn't easily be re-inserted in the holes. No big deal.
Octopus, tomato confit, black olives
A nice tribute to Basque tapas bars (Spanish tapas bars generally) where the high quality of much canned seafood is recognized simply by serving it straight from can onto plate. Here, of course, the chef makes the dish first, then cans it in the kitchen. Cute presentation.
A pair of crudi followed. Milky scallops with a touch of olive and preserved lemon were good. The raw tuna was the one clear disappointment of the evening, oddly firm-textured.
Heirloom tomato salad, dandelion, Pedro Jimenez vinegar
Fresh, seasonal, colorful, nice balance of sweet vinegar and crunchy salt.
Shrimp, garlic, garbanzo beans
Meaty shrimp, heft from the chickpeas, a generous serving. And then, for me, the highlight:
Slow braised pork belly, baby clams
Are we bored with pork belly? In general, yes. This unctuous cut was never meant to appear on every menu in town and be eaten twice a week, any more than that would be appropriate for cassoulet or zampone. It needs to be a special thing, and this is special. Poaching in Albariño leaves it incredibly pale in color. The fat, bravely, is not crisped - but it makes a succulent jelly. The meat falls apart at the touch of the fork. The clam broth adds sweetness. Excellent dish.
Piña colada flan on caramelised pineapple
Another bite? Why not? I could just manage...
Fried milk with a passion fruit reduction and chocolate ganache
And as if I had not been well enough, a pair of sherries arrived. An oloroso which made friends with the fried milk - and, curious but not unwelcome - a fino. I drank the fino with my espresso, and why the heck not?
I will add a note about the very interesting Spanish wine list later.
With thanks to Bar Basque, more information can be found here.
Comments