Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare w/ Al

After several COVID-19-related setbacks and reschedulings, Al and I were finally able to venture out and enjoy our annual tradition of a fine dining meal together. Though our 12-year streak - which started back in 2007 at Perilla - is now broken, we nevertheless enjoyed a wonderful experience at the acclaimed Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. 

I'm a bit fuzzy on many of the dishes, as it was occasionally difficult to understand the masked servers (many of whom also had accents). I've done my best to recall the menu, though I wish I had jotted down some quick notes in addition to snapping photos. It's worth mentioning that Chef Ramirez's one-time (arguably) draconian anti-photos policy is now a thing of the past, though I still recommend being quick and not fussing over your shots, so as to enjoy the experience as it happens. 

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
431 W 37th St (inside Brooklyn Fare market), New York, NY

The restaurant moved to Manhattan in 2017 but is still located in a Brooklyn Fare grocery store. It certainly makes for a strange scene to see people dressed in formal eveningwear wandering the store aimlessly looking for the entrance (which is located in the back right). I do wish they had a sign or two pointing the way, but it made for a humorous experience nonetheless. 

The interior features one of the most beautiful bars I've ever had the pleasure of sitting at. Though the space is larger than the original (including room for a few tables in addition to the bar seating), it still felt quite intimate. Each counter seat sports an uninterrupted view of the entire narrow kitchen, where diners can watch the chefs prep the food.

A warm, scented hand towel was the first offering of the night. Shortly after we sat, Chef Ramirez walked past and greeted us, welcoming us to the restaurant. He made a few such passes by the different customers as they were seated, which I appreciated. 

When asked what we would like to drink, we asked if they served cocktails and were surprised that they do not (though they do have a limited selection of spirits and sake for straight pours). It makes sense given their tiny space. Instead, we chose to select a couple bottles of wine a la carte, which Al handled since he's a knowledgeable wine hobbyist, though the sommelier helped us narrow things down. 

Caviar

The first several dishes were single-bite finger foods, each consisting of some sort of vehicle on top of which sat a fish item and several other accoutrements. This generous spoonful of golden caviar contrasted wonderfully with the crisp tart shell and marinated fish. It was buttery and salty, with just a light hint of acid and a touch of dill coming through at the end (though I may be misremembering - I know one of these early courses had some dill). An instant hit!

Bluefin Tuna

Avocado, Wasabi

Another outrageously delicious bite, this was essentially a riff on spicy tuna. We were pleasantly surprised by the level of heat here (it wasn't actually a lot, but many fine-dining restaurants shy away from spice completely) and I now realize that it likely came from fresh wasabi, as the heat dissipated within only a few seconds of eating. Again, the softness of the fish and the delicate crunch of the tart shell (and crispy threads on top) made for a nicely balanced textural experience. 

Aji (Horse Mackerel)

A third home run. This time, instead of a tart shell, the fish was delivered atop a crisp, puffed sheet of nori, which released toasty, sesame-like flavor as we chewed. I love mackerel and find its oiliness perfect when paired with contrasting elements. I wish I could remember what the other aspects of this dish were because it was one of the best of the night. 

Santa Barbara Uni (Sea Urchin)

Black Truffle, Brioche

At the beginning of the meal, each diner was offered fresh black summer truffles for a supplemental price of just over $100. The truffles were to be shaved over the uni and wagyu courses. In both cases we declined, feeling that truffles would overpower, rather than complement, those two delicacies (we also just didn't feel like shelling out the extra hundred bucks, especially as Al's tongue can't really taste truffle). 

I was very happy we didn't opt for extra truffle here - I found the single slice already slightly overpowering compared to the sweetness and delicacy of the uni. Moreover, we both agreed that the brioche was just a little too thick. Buttery and golden as it was, the brioche was another element that competed with the uni. While this was a delicious two-bite dish, it was the first we felt was less than perfect. 

Fluke

Dashi, Shallot

After the richness and luxuriousness of the first few dishes, this fluke served as a sort of palate cleanser. It was bright, acidic, and very refreshing, if slightly difficult to eat given the shallowness of the bowl and shape of the spoons we were provided. 

Custard

Roasted Corn, King Crab, Foie Gras, Consommé

In keeping with the Japanese theme, the next course was a riff on chawanmushi. Each little cup contained a steamed egg custard, over which was poured a very rich poultry consommé (chicken? or was it duck?). Al loved this dish, though my taste buds lost the normally rich, luxurious flavor of the crab and foie gras against the intense soup and same-y textures. 

Madai (Sea Bream)

Razor Clams, Dill Sauce

All evening, we watched as one of the chefs tended a bed of Japanese charcoal, using a hand fan to keep the coals glowing. Over the heat, skewered filets of madai were lightly cooked on and off until their desired temperature had been reached. The fish was left juicy and succulent by this painstaking process, with a razor-thin layer of just-crisp skin on the bottom. The sauce was wonderfully creamy (probably a beurre blanc), but tempered with dots of refreshingly bright dill oil and bits of buttery razor clam. Amazing. 

After finishing a very nice bottle of white wine, Al worked with the sommelier to choose this Auguste Clape Cornas to go with the rest of our meal. Though I enjoyed it and thought it paired well with our remaining courses, my tongue's threshold for perceiving the value of wine ends at precisely the $50 mark, so this was a bit lost on me. 

Koshihikari Rice

Saba (Mackerel), Squid Ink

I was excited to receive another mackerel plate, though unfortunately this was the one miss of the night. There was nothing wrong with the dish per se - it was tasty enough - but it simply didn't feel very special or novel compared to any of the others. 

Duck

Vegetables, Mushroom

I recently enjoyed A5 wagyu beef for the first time over at American Cut, one of celebrity chef Marc Forgione's many restaurants. It was an astonishing culinary experience, one which I will not forget any time soon. I mention it because this duck reminded me of that very beef (more than the actual wagyu beef course we were served next!). 

For the better part of an hour, we watched as the same chef tending the charcoal grill meticulously rubbed what appeared to be bone-in poultry carcasses (which we later deduced were these duck breasts) on a nearby flat top. It was as if he was scrubbing the grill with the duck, repeatedly performing "wax on / wax off" in a large circular pattern with two breasts at a time before setting them aside after five minutes and starting again with the next two. As it turns out, there was truly a method behind that madness, as it resulted in the best-cooked duck I've ever had the fortune to experience. 

Everything about the bird was perfect, from the impossibly juicy, fatty meat to the impossibly thin, crispy skin. It needed absolutely nothing else, and in fact I found everything else on the plate to be a minor distraction. Though I love duck, I never imagined I would compare it to ultra quality steak. 

Wagyu Beef

Cippolini Onion, Mustard Sauce

The actual wagyu steak was delicious as well, but as a piece of meat, it did not stand up to the variety I had about a month back. Don't get me wrong, this was a fantastic bit of steak - it was still very beefy and juicy, but it did not possess the near-gelatinous fatty quality I enjoyed last time (which is fine - not all steak need be like that). This was a great main course nonetheless, and I found the mustard sauce to be the real hero of the plate. 

I noticed that the tips of our fork prongs had a burnt metal gradient on them. This tickled me a bit, as it reminded me of some recent model painting I did, which used a painstaking paint process to achieve this same look. 

Fromage Blanc Sorbet

Riesling Gelèe, Cherries

With the savory courses completed, it was on to dessert. First we were offered this lovely little palate cleanser. It was utterly refreshing and reinvigorating, bursting with bright flavors without a trace of heaviness. 

Frozen Corn Soufflé

Corn Custard, Corn Powder, Corn Kernels

I had seen these oddly shaped puffs being carried across the restaurant earlier in the night and speculated as to what they were. They looked vaguely like cotton candy but were in fact a form of frozen soufflé. Leah and I ate something similar a few years back at é by José Andrés in Las Vegas - the appearance was that of an airy bread, but the texture was like ice cream. Same concept here, and I imagine it was made with liquid nitrogen or some other fun trickery. The corn flavor was all over this delightful plate and made for a great sweet/savory experience. 

Jean-Marc Roulot l'Abricot

Our sommelier convinced us (and, apparently, most of the other diners) that this apricot liqueur would pair perfectly with our next dessert, so we obliged and were very happy with the result. 

Vanilla Apricot Cake

The aforementioned dessert was in fact an apricot "cake," though there was no solid crumb to speak of. Instead it was a sort of smooth apricot gel coated in an airy cream-like substance (that may or may not have simply been whipped cream). Though the exterior had the unlikely appearance of mold, the flavor here was spectacular. I found this dessert to be both delicious and innovative, and yes it went wonderfully with the apricot liqueur.

The only minor gripe was that this plate was intended for two people to share - not an issue for close friends like Al and me, though we could imagine the slight discomfort that might be shared by, say, a business worker and client if asked to eat from the same plate (really I just wanted my own entire plate of apricot cake, though). 

Petit Fours

Another example of wishing I had taken some notes. Al remembered the first bite as being "coffee" - it was a little bit like a spherical macaron, with a delicately crunchy exterior, chewy interior, and cream center. I know the spherical yellow balls were white chocolate with a liquid pineapple center, which I loved but Al didn't. Lastly, the little tartlet was surprisingly complex and delicious, leaving us with a very satisfying caramel taste in our mouths as we settled the bill and headed out. 

Some striking scenery greeted us as we exited the grocery store. 

The final menu. You'll notice that there is a typo - they omitted mention of the uni and instead mention kinmedai (albeit in a different spot). While I understand that fine dining restaurants often produce minimalist menus highlighting just the main ingredient, I feel this is a miss and would have liked a bit more detail as to what was in each dish. 

Ultimately, the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare was an absolutely extraordinary, if slightly imperfect, dining experience. I don't know if I feel it's worth the price, which currently sits at $395 plus tax and gratuity (as well as any drinks) per person, though we paid less since we were locked into pricing from 2019 when we originally made the reservation. The meal was tight, well-executed, and clearly the product of Chef Ramirez's singularly focused mind. While it didn't have the wow factor of something like Eleven Madison Park, I appreciated the restraint and subtlety, which lent to a "true" dining experience rather than something approaching theater.