I had heard a lot of great things about Frederik Berselius' acclaimed restaurant Aska in Brooklyn. I had never really tried the high-end Nordic food that famous restaurants like Noma popularized, so it was a pretty new experience when I visited with Al in early 2019 for our annual dinner together.
Aska
47 South 5th St, Brooklyn, NY
askanyc.com
The restaurant is minimal and unassuming from the outside. Inside, it features an old warehouse feel, with lots of brick, wooden beams, and high ceilings. The tiny kitchen is open in the corner and visible to the diners. The space is also pleasantly dark, with black linens and decorations, and softly glowing candles everywhere.
Cocktails
Wild Negroni: Chrysanthemum-Infused Gin, Salers Aperitif, Cocchi Americano
Snake In Eye: Rye, Dark Rum, Bäska, Kronan, Oleo Saccharum
Bladderwrack
Blue Mussel Emulsion
This first bite reminded me of the "snack" Leah and I had at
é by José Andrés in Las Vegas. It was essentially a long chip made of seaweed with dots of mussel cream. It may sound strange, but it tasted great.
Potato Pancake
Pommes Soufflé, Salted Winter Flounder Roe Smoked in Dried Carrot Tops, Elderflower
This was incredibly savory and warming, with a wonderful mix of soft, creamy texture from the pancake and crispiness from the potato bits on top. The richness was cut by the zing of the flounder roe. One of my favorites of the night!
Kohlrabi
Compressed with Linden Leaf Oil and Linden Flower Vinegar
The kohlrabi had a lovely crunch and a light, slightly tart flavor that was quite refreshing. We doubted whether the teeny little specs on top added anything to the flavor though.
Grenache Gris
We opted for a beverage pairing mixing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pourings. Our first was this straightforward white with a nice minerality, which paired very nicely with the first few small bites.
Oyster
Glidden Point, ME - Salted Green Gooseberries, Kelp, Juniper Needle Oil
Unquestionably our favorite dish of the night. The oyster emulsion (basically oyster mayo) left a linger flavor on the tongue which transformed as it was combined with the gooseberries and kelp gel. I had never had anything like this, and the flavors stayed with me long after our visit to the restaurant.
Champagne
An odd champagne, as it was from a region that shouldn't have classified for that appellation. It was also made with pinot gris, not normally part of champagne. Still, it tasted quite nice.
Caviar
Finnish Caviar from Carelia, Cabbage, Dulse, Fermented Asparagus Juice, Whey
A fascinating take on caviar service. The strong cabbage flavors actually went very well with the caviar, and the foam added some additional pleasingly subtle notes.
Carrot & Pear Juice
Our first non-alcoholic beverage pairing was this nice blend of carrot and pear juices. The service staff made a point of saying that the carrot had been grown just down the block near the Williamsburg waterfront. Cool I guess?
Langoustine
Tail, Brain, Chamomile
Another huge winner of the evening. The bowl contained a small amount of very rich langoustine stock with the shellfish's brain. The second plate (which was astonishingly beautiful in its presentation) contained the super-tender, buttery langoustine tail wrapped in edible flowers.
Riesling Spätlese
From Rheingau, this Riesling had an incredibly funky flavor, which Al described as "petrol", but I felt was more barnyard-y.
Onion
Grilled Onion, Scallop Broth, Roasted Onion, Black Currant Leaf
This was maybe my second-favorite dish. The onion broth was superbly savory, tasting like it contained a hundred sweet onions in each sip. The beautiful centerpiece was presented along with the onion and scallop. We were told that these were the shells from the scallops we were eating, shucked that morning.
Manitoba Bread
Cultured Butter with Dried Yarrow Flowers
Whipped Pork Fat with Brown Sugar
These rolls were so warm and hearty. They came at a perfect point in the meal when we wanted something a little more substantial in our bellies. The pork fat spread in particular reminded me of the flavor of my family's Easter lard bread.
Douglas Fir Juice
Another non-alcoholic pairing was this spectacular juice made from douglas fir needles and sorrel. It was sweet and tasted like a Christmas tree in a glass.
Poached Hake
Sunchoke, Roasted Yeast and Rapeseed Oil Sauce
Yet another hit. The delicate flavor of the fish still came through despite the rich sunchoke accompaniments.
Roasted VT Quail
Winter Truffle, Burnt Pine
I enjoyed this quite a bit, particularly the rich jus in the bottom of the plate, though the flavor of the truffle was not as pronounced as I expected. The glazed legs (with feet still attached) were a fun add-on.
Not pictured - this course was served with a red wine, a Burgundy 1er Cru which I forgot to photograph. They described how it was a new winemaker who used the spent lees to scrub the wine barrels. Interesting story, but we thought the wine was outright gross. It had a highly acrid, almost vinegar-like flavor. Al said it was a poor representation of a Burgundy. I said it tasted like piss.
Trockenbeerenauslese
This was a very nice dessert wine from Austria, which, in addition to strong sweetness, contained flavors of perfume and floral essence.
Black Currant
Tart with Preserved Black Currant and Fresh Cheese
One of a small handful of misses. The black currant was so tart as to completely overpower the cheese.
Thyme Soda
Our last pairing of the night was this incredibly fragrant thyme soda which accompanied our desserts.
Birchwood Ice Cream
Pine Mushrooms, Black Trumpet, Woodruff Syrup
I don't know if I would have been able to tell that this ice cream was made from birch, but it was incredibly delicious nonetheless. The candied mushrooms added both texture and a hint of woods-y flavor, while the warm woodruff (similar to maple) syrup made the whole thing feel like a maple affogato.
Æbleskiver
The ice cream was also served with hot, doughy little balls filled with liquid mushroom. These were absolutely amazing.
Espresso
Mignardises
Chewy Beet
Crispy Reindeer Lichen and Gold
Blood and Rosehip
White Chocolate and Sourdough
We had wondered where all the unusual Nordic ingredients like lichen and pig's blood were, only to be presented with them in the very final bites!
I absolutely loved the rich pig's blood bite, which reminded me of a sweeter, almost chocolate-y foie gras. The white chocolate and sourdough was also delicious. The beet was kinda meh, and the reindeer lichen was outright gross - it had an unpleasant, extremely dry texture and dusty, bitter flavor which reminded me of eating a tumbleweed made of sawdust.
Final Menu!
All in all a very delicious and memorable meal. We thought that some of the fussiness on the dishes wasn't actually noticeable in a practical sense, and a few of the dishes fell flat. But there were many more highs than lows and Aska struck a major chord with me as a unique and very "worth-it" fine dining experience.
