[Free stuff by Wilfrid: February 6, 2012]
The Toucan and The Lion is such an earnestly adventurous little spot that I almost wished I'd visited anonymously so I could give them the big critical cheer. As it is, Tabitha, the charming owner, invited me along.
Together with her partner Craig and the enthusiastic service staff, they gave me quite a night out. Suffice to say I'll be going back - as a paying customer.
I took a Thai Fighter with me to my table. This was a tart blend of Ezra Brooks bourbon with lime, yuzu, and simple syrup, decorated with Thai basil leaves. A grown-up whisky sour. As for the tables, it should be said that they are small, white, plasticky - the dining room seems essentially furnished like a garden patio. This is the space in which, for many years, Mara's Homemade was the little train which did (or died trying). We are talking small quarters, low lighting, a fair amount of noise. Not my favorite environment, but the small plates (to share? I don't think so...) compensated.
About the only two things I miss from my homeland are pork pies and scotch eggs. After momentarily stopping my heart by saying the kitchen was out of them, my server discovered they'd just made some more. It's a dish representative of The Toucan's approach. This would count as a very good rendition of a straightforward, classic scotch egg (or scotch egg-and-a-half). Served warm with the eggs still soft-yolked, the outer coating crisp.
But they add surprises. Rather than sausage meat, the eggs are robed in five-spice duck sausage. Instead of mustard, a gently sweet kaffir lime ailoi finishes the plate. I could have eaten the other one-and-a-half. soft boiled with five-spice duck sausage, kaffir lime aioli
I didn't really mean to order another round of egg, but I couldn't resist seeing what the kitchen would do with the concept of mofongo. Mofongo - let's be honest - can be hard going. At its worst, it's a big, leaden ball of mashed plantains, over-garlicked, and studded with unpromising nuggets of pork or chicken or seafood. I am sure it can be sublime. It isn't always. To me, it's the knish of the Latino kitchen.
Here they lighten things up immediately by replacing the plantains with taro root, and allowing crisp pieces to vary the texture of the mash. Don't get me wrong: there are many good things you can do with plantains, but when mashed, unless eaten immediately, they turn to concrete. Rather than chicharons, we have tender duck confit as the garnish along with little crunchy discs of Chinese sausage. Salsa verde to restore the Latino accent, and yes, a fried egg on top. A fine combo.
Even better than the Thai Fighter was the shiso Julep; a very simple piece of tweaking indeed. This was a well-made, ice-cold and very strong julep - Rittenhouse Rye and simple syrup, which simply swapped out the mint for fresh shiso leaves. Same drink, different flavor profile, classic presentation.
The main event, under dim lights, was a pot pie. Or not. I am not the biggest fan of pot pies, the flaky pastry cap often seeming a superfluous garnish to what is basically a stew. Here the pastry is replaced by a couple of rolled, hot roti - light, good for dipping. The stew was based on goat meat, helped out with purple and sweet potatoes, in a nutty massaman curry sauce. This reminded me, partly in presentation but also in flavor, of dishes I'd greatly enjoyed at the short-lived Merkato 55.
An impression only heightened by a side of fried bao buns, as good as the roti for dipping in the stew. (I rarely take issue with a fellow blogger, but I was struck by Marc Shepherd's comment at New York Journal that many of the dishes here "have the distinct feel of a snack." I found the "sharing" plates quite hearty, and the goat pot pie was a rib sticker. I should think the burger, the tacos and the ribs could stand examination too.
And honestly, I didn't have room for dessert. But bacon donuts, showered in coconut, warrant a response. Plenty of bacon involved here, and honestly they were too rich for me. Maybe if it hadn't been for the duck and goat and breads and taro and... No, I think they were just a little too rich.
You too can eat like a lion here. Oh, shut up. Here's the unfinished Website (with menu), and their Facebook page.
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