The Insatiable Palate Review #23: Perla (Greenwich Village, New York)

May I Shave Some Foie Gras on Your Cavatelli?

Monday dinners are Perla are subdued, but still pumping with wonderful surprises. The Jay-Z & Nate Dogg playlists are replaced by Adele’s 21 and all the seats at the bar are unfilled until 6:30PM. Luckily, the delicious pastas and friendly service are around every evening. Gabe Stulman’s ten-weeks-old spot is making great strides to serve quality Italian meals.

Braised Octopus with Oven Dried Tomatoes, Eggplant & Fett’unta

I’ve been going to bed for the past few days just dreaming about this dish. As I was growing up, Mama Cho would make Nak Ji Bokum (spicy stir-fried octopus) for the Cho family. Every component of the dish was perfect except for the octopus itself. We bought it from the dreaded frozen seafood aisle and that monster was a total bitch to chew. The octopus here has a different story to tell. It’s perfectly braised and soft like every octopus should be. The tomatoes are sweet and aromatic. The eggplant is succulent and tender. Most importantly, the fett’unta soaks up all the elements on the plate. It’s a must at Perla.

The Pasta Tasting

Our server hesitated when my friend and I ordered four pasta dishes AND the octopus AND the guinea hen. I knew it was a lot of food, but my eating capacity has developed quite tremendously since arriving in Manhattan. I wanted to try everything on the dinner menu.

Gnocchi, Tomato Sauce, Ricotta

The piping-hot morsels of pasta have a spicy kick which I truly appreciate. It’s delicate and has a similar texture to Korean rice cakes. However, my first-love gnocchi is still at Barbuto.

Tortelli with Asparagus, Ricotta Salata

The Tortelli with asparagus offers…….to be honest, I don’t remember anything about the tortelli. I dropped the ball, again. I apologize. I think I was still dreaming about the octopus.

Garganelli with Tripe, Guanciale, Tomato & Chile

I certainly remember the garganelli. My friend preferably does not prefer offal so I insincerely nodded my head when he asked me if the tripe was duck (sorry, Ryan). The chili from the garganelli brings in a pleasing spiciness and the guanciale adds a wonderful meatiness to the pasta (pork jowl does wonders). The garganelli was one of my favorite pastas of the night.

My other favorite was the cavatelli incatenati with Egg, Pancetta and Pecorino Molise. Maybe I actually fell in love with the foie gras preparation. YES, the foie gras did indeed win me over. The smell of the liver and the pancetta resonated throughout the entire plate. The aroma and the taste of the ingredients on this dish are captivating.

Guinea Hen

Chef Toscano truly knows how to build the better chicken. Perla’s succulent guinea hen is poached in its own juices at a very low heat for a few hours and then pan-seared. The inside is moist and the skin is crisp. When I visited last week, I was treated to scallops and asparagus instead of the usual black trumpet mushrooms. The entire plate is then blessed with stock and foie gras sauce. It melts in your mouth.

Chocolate Crostata with Almonds, Salted Caramel & Banana

To make me feel less conscious about my figure, I asked my friend Ryan to share the crostata with me. He refused to take any more bites so I soldiered on by myself. I justify ordering dessert by saying it’s for the blog. That always seems to take the pain away.

The presentation of the dish does not do justice to how delicious it is. The smooth dark chocolate and the crunch from the almonds are intoxicating. The subtle notes of banana and salted caramel at the end of the experience are what I’d call a “happy ending.”

This place is my vision of what an Italian restaurant should be like. All the dishes are dependable and the service is accommodating and friendly. Perla’s open kitchen seems to create a constructive interaction between the front of the house staff and the chefs. The members of restaurant look like they’re truly passionate about serving the food.

There is no doubt in my mind I’ll be back for more wonderful meals. Even if I know that the lines are going to get longer once Perla becomes widely known, I’ll patiently wait for my turn again and again.

P.S. I saw Padma Lakshmi after my meal y’all. It was a pleasant surprise at the end of the night. She was dreamy, just like the braised octopus.

The Insatiable Palate Review #22: Yakiniku Takashi (West Village, New York)

Takashi Serves Memorable Yooke and Mouth-Watering Beef Belly

It’s 9:30, Friday night. I should have been done with dinner by now. I should have been slightly intoxicated while treating myself to beer pong or Pat Lafrieda’s Meat Men (pre-midnight halal). Unfortunately, I dropped the ball and forgot about making the crucial 6:30 dinner reservation. My friends and I now had to wait until 9:30 to get our hands on the luscious Creekstone Farm beef. Thankfully, Takashi was well worth the long wait and the heavy price tag.

Takashi  has recently turned offal into a delightful treat. After the Anthony Bourdain’s stamp of approval on The Layover, Americans are either discovering/truly falling in love with internal organs or they’re just pretending to like everything that Tony and Zimmern put on their plates. Hopefully, it isn’t the latter. It’s definitely nice to see more people venture outside filet mignon and New York strip steaks.

Yooke

Our table started off dinner with yooke, thinly-sliced chuck-eye tartare in a sauce topped with a raw quail egg yolk. The strands of raw beef are accompanied by Japanese seaweed and a wedge of lemon. It’s remarkable. It’s just a good as the refreshing tartare I had at Danji. The quail egg yolk just binds the aromatic sesame-oiled beef perfectly. Compared to Takashi’s expensive non-grilled items like the Niku-Uni and the Beef Shank, the yooke has big portions and great value. It’s a shame Ben & Jerry’s hasn’t turned this yooke into an ice cream flavor yet. I’d give up my pints of Americone Dream for tubs of this beauty.

Grandmom’s Steamed Beef Shank Buns with Spicy Mayo

Do I Remind You of Someone Else?

The buns were one of the disappointing dishes of the dinner. For the heavy price tag, I expected the beef shank to be more tender and tastier than the pork buns at Momofuku Ssam. Although the combination of the greens, shank, and spicy mayo are a wonderful addition to the menu, for sixteen dollars (for two), I personally think you can make it through dinner without this one. If you do order the buns, make sure to hold onto that bottle of spicy mayo for dear life. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to the side order of white rice ($3).

The Main Event

The Tongue Experience

I have no idea what the fuck Tan-saki, Tan-suji & Tan-moto are. I do know that all three parts of the beef tongue have a fragrant, spicy smell and chewiness comparable to the texture of chicken gizzards.  Do not confuse the toughness of the organ with the toughness of an overdone steak. The tongue is subtly leathery, but still easy and fun to gulp down.

Horumon-Moriawase (chef’s selection)

The horumon-moriawase consists of the five best organs of the day. On Friday, my friends and I were treated to Sweetbreads, Liver, First Stomach, Second Stomach, and Heart. Get your iPhone timers ready, y’all. You have to enjoy every single piece of meat at its optimal time. The stomachs, liver, and heart take about two minutes to grill on each side. The sweetbreads take about four to five minutes to fully cook through.

The first stomach and second stomach have similar textures and smells as the internal organs that are accompanied with deluxe sets of soondae (Korean blood sausages) at Korean specialty restaurants. The liver takes the fucking cake in terms of wonderful pungency and flavor. After putting a piece of liver in your mouth, you don’t realize it is liver until two seconds later when the smell overwhelms your entire palate. I can’t understand why I love the taste so much, but it’s definitely something I grew up since I was little.

Oh and the beef belly pictured at the top of the blog is one of Takashi’s best cuts. I could have easily downed four portions I I hadn’t ordered anything else. The wagyu is soft and so fatty that it melts in your mouth. I’d say it’s similar to how I felt when I had medium fatty tuna for the first time. I really should have brought a spare change of pants.

As for the kalbi, I’d recommend staying away from it because  it’s no different than the cuts of kalbi offered at stereotypical Korean barbecue restaurants on 32^nd street.

There is One Dessert and ONE DESSERT ONLY on Takashi’s Menu

I don’t know where Homemade Madagascar Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream comes from, but it is a great way to end the meal. Takashi’s vanilla ice cream is thick and creamy as any ice cream should be. The green tea and salted caramel syrup are wonderful because they don’t have the artificial, metallic syrupy tastes that are common in conventional Asian-themed ice cream parlors. They also have goji berry syrup, rice-flour dumplings, and sweet beans if that sort of thing turns you on.

This place is a wonderful addition to West Village. My friend and I joke around about how some farmers jerk off their cows to breed the finest quality Kobe/Wagyu available. Places like Yakiniku Takashi only add to our suspicion. It’s so good.

The Insatiable Palate Review #21: HanGawi (Midtown East, New York)

A Korean Haven for Adventurous Vegetarians

After Frank Bruni revealed his battle with gout last month, I began to wonder if I should refrain from excess eating. I have no sense of urgency to slow down because my metabolism is so fast. But learning from Papa Cho’s dramatic body transformation, I know that all the pork shoulder and the fried chicken wings aregoing to come back to haunt me at the end of my life. Better lay off the Bo Ssam and Pies n Thighs.

This week, I’m at HanGawi for their April 2012 Emperor’s Tasting Menu, consisting of 9 distinct vegetarian courses. The restaurant prides itself in providing healthy, balanced portion selections for its guests.

Our table sampled a plate of spicy baby dumplings before the tasting. The dumplings skins are moist and the filling is warm. You’ll notice that Hangawi, like many other international restaurants, tries to appeal to western diners by placing microgreens and vegetables randomly throughout the plate for presentation purposes. I absolutely despise this. It really doesn’t serve a useful purpose.  I really could have done without the broccoli arrangements.

April 2012 Prix Fixe
Emperor’s Tasting Menu

Organic Noodles in Wild Sesame Broth

The noodles (I’m assuming they are made with rice instead of flour) are served in a bland sesame broth. Instead of serving the bowl already piping hot, Hangawi decided to serve the lukewarm soup under a candle-light. It became really troublesome to enjoy the soup without the thought of my sleeves catching on fire. The spoon didn’t fit in the bowl which made it extremely inconvenient to drink the broth at the end.

Ginseng Salad with Pear, Lime and Sesame Dressing

The second selection was quite similar to house salads that are served as banchans (side dishes) that are served at any other Korean restaurants. I could have made the sesame salad dressing myself. On top of this, the ginseng added bitterness that overpowered the rest of the vegetables. However, I gorged it down and reminded myself of all the male enhancements the salad was going to provide me that night.

Spring Appetizer Platter: Stuffed Apple, Organic Tofu Steak, Grilled Abalone Mushroom & Todok Fritters

These four selections were the highlights of the night. The stuffed apple with water chestnuts was refreshing and the tofu was savory and crispy. The dodok fritters (unlike the ginseng) had a soft texture and a clean aftertaste. The grilled abalone mushrooms had a wonderful briny finish. I really wish they provided this on the a la carte menu.

Mini Combination of Pancakes

Here we go again. A plate of mediocre pancakes served with a scatter of carrots and chives. The pancakes arrived cold and soggy. My favorite about boochimgae (pancakes) is the crispy bits at the outer-edges. Unfortunately, it was virtually non-existent at Hangawi. I was sad.

Tofu stone Bowl Rice with Sesame Leaves, Kimchi and Condiments

New Yorkers have recently embarked the bibimbap craze in the past two years. Although I much prefer Korean fried rice to the vegetable/rice medley, the dolsot bibimbop at Hangawi is delicious. When they ask if you want it spicy, they mean “American spicy,” not “Korean spicy.” For spicy-food lovers, ask for a generous amount of gochujang (red pepper paste). I recommend scraping off all the crispy bits of rice at the bottom. It’s my favorite part of the dish.

Tofu Cheesecake and Chocolate Pudding

I was mildly disappointed with the dessert as I don’t recall Korean kings and queens feasting on chocolate and cheesecake.
By participating in the Emperor’s Tasting Menu, I expected more effort from Hangawi. Although the texture was enjoyable, the tofu cheesecake was over-sweetened and the pudding was mediocre. It felt like a cop out.

Although my time wasn’t very enjoyable, I completely understand why Hangawi is popular. It’s a change of pace from other loud casual-dining Korean restaurants and the ambiance is the ideal date-spot for adventurous vegetarians.  The whole peace and tranquility and “removing your shoes before y’all enter” rule add to the mysterious, idiosyncratic South Korean experience (we’re not talking about onion volcanoes here).

I support the restaurant’s conscious effort to provide an authentic Korean dining experience, but I won’t be returning unless HanGawi puts all of the dishes on the emperor’s tasting menu on the a la carte menu. Until then, I’ll be stuffing my belly at Momofuku Ssam and Danji.

The Insatiable Palate Review #20: Mile End (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York)

Death to Nostalgic Jewish Delis | Hello to Delicious Smoked Meat

I’m enraged when tourists believe that Katz’s and Carnegie Deli represent the New York Dining scene. People travel from thousands of miles away to taste New York. The least the city can do is send these people back home at the end of their trip with a stomach full of delicious food.

Instead, the guide books direct passionate visitors to restaurants that serve overpriced corn beef/pastrami concoctions (which will eventually end up in the garbage). Tourists may take pictures of their colossal Carnegie Deli Woody Allen sandwiches and send these photos to their friends back home, but in all honestly, the sandwiches are not very tasty. They just assume they’re having a good time at Katz’s while soaking up Klezmer music and blending in with the locals of the Lower East Side. These NYC guide books are seriously fucking people over.

This week, my roommate and I are at Mile End, a Montreal-style Jewish Deli in Brooklyn serving remarkable poutines and smoked meat sandwiches. Their menu selection is small, but delivers quality, fairly priced dishes for their passionate fans. Owner Noah Bernamoff also honors a famous Jewish tradition, serving Chinese Feasts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I’m in love.

 Chopped Liver, Onion Relish, Egg, Pletzel

I grew up eating Korean Blood Sausages and steamed cuts of liver from Seoul Soondae. Although I’ve learned to appreciate offal, steamed liver (in the Korean form) is chalky and often very dry.

Consequently, I’ve chosen with Mile End‘s interpretation in Battle Liver. The chicken liver is grinded into the texture of pâté and served with pletzel. Although I love bread and butter, this could definitely be a long-term replacement. The onion relish and chives also balance out the subtle bitterness of the organ.  The egg brings out a wonderful aroma. It’s so smooth and velvety like chocolate ice cream.

Poutine

Behold: A wonderful hangover cure (if you can crawl all the way to Brooklyn). I live relatively close to Pommes Frites that serves pretty good poutine, but Mile End’s version is superior. The poutine at Pommes Frites comes in a styrofoam bowl which causes the fries at the bottom to get mushy (which isn’t too bad). However, Mile End’s poutine is served on an oval dish that maximizes surface area. The frites are still drenched with gravy and cheese curds, but they’re still crispy. Well done.

Smoked Meat Sandwich: Cured & Smoked Beef Brisket, Mustard, Rye

Lunch service starts at 12PM. By 3PM on Saturdays and Sundays, all the smoked meat is sold out. You have to check the Twitter feed consistently, you have to be conscious about the 45-60 minute waits for a table. You have to arrive by 2PM to get a taste of greatness.

We were privileged to sit right in front of the meat station. The cook taught us that the prime cuts of brisket go into their smoked meat sandwiches. The rest of the cuts go into the hash or the smoked meat poutine. During my meal, I like to keep a bottle of yellow by my side and spread the mustard after every three bites. The slices of rye bread keep the piles of meat together relatively well. I’m impressed.

The journey from Union Square to Boerum Hill is extremely hectic on the weekends (5 Express from Brooklyn Bridge City Hall->Fulton Street is sometimes closed) so the solution is to travel to W 4^th Street and take the A, C train to Hoyt Schermerhorn Sts.

I’d travel to Brooklyn every weekend for smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. You don’t have to rely on nostalgia after all.

The Insatiable Palate Review #19: Sushi Yasaka (Upper West Side, New York)

$40 Omakase: A Hidden Gem at the Upper West Side

After witnessing Sukiyabashi Jiro’s greatness in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I came to a conclusion that I would never be able to taste perfection unless I flew over to Japan within the next five years. It’s probably going to be as sad as the closing of elBulli when Jiro Ono retires.

To make myself feel better, my friends and I gathered at Sushi Yasaka, a newcomer in UWS. This place is for students who want to experience quality without having to sacrifice their kidneys to pay the bills.

Steamed Monk Fish Liver, Ponzu Sauce, Scallion, Spicy grated Radish
(アンキモ)

Our table started with a sampling of ankimo often tagged as the foie gras of the sea. I stumbled on a rather tough portion of the liver during my first bite and noticed that the texture reminded me of weeks-expired low fat spam (not the best first impression). However, some of the soft, creamy bits are delightful and buttery like our beloved foie. The citrusy notes from the lemons and the savory elements of the ponzu sauce balance out the monkfish quite well. A wonderful start to dinner.

Fried Japanese Oyster(カキ)

I often notice that the taste of fried oysters often range from “refreshingly briny” to “he-pissed-in-the-pool fishy.” I admit that the fried oyster roll isn’t listed as traditional Japanese fare in the history books, but anything reminiscent of a delicious crunch roll gets a greenlight into my mouth. When the rolls arrive at the table, please remember to graciously offer the pretty-looking pieces to the guests and to hog all the meaty end pieces to yourself. It’s extremely satisfying.

Chef’s Omakase Vegetable Tempura

A tempura tasting can become tremendously exhausting after the first few rounds. Our table became worn-out after the 4^th piece of tempura, but we finished the entire plate (of course we did).

At Sushi Yasaka, the chef offers homage to the twelve seasonal vegetables from the farm (it’s probably from C-Town). It’s served with a dipping sauce and shredded daikon as well as a trio of salts (green tea, sea, and curry).

My favorite tempura during the tasting was the kabocha, the green Japanese pumpkin that are common stables in Asian households during the winter-early spring. The squash is moist and sweet. When it’s dipped in Yasaka’s panko and tempura-ed to perfection, it’s even better.

The Main Event: Chef Omakase

The chef’s omakase is the Sushi Yasaka team’s selection of the best fish. At $40, the 12 courses + toro maki roll is an absolute steal. Although it’s no Masa’s ($450) omakase, the taste is still remarkable for the value. The staff initially asked if we had any allergies or restrictions. Of course we don’t. WE EAT EVERYTHING. Well then, these are some of my favorites.

Sake

Although salmon is very prevalent even in fast food nigiri sushi, the quality is noticeable after one bite. The sake has a subtly salty note and a clean finish.

Japanese Snapper

You might notice from the picture that there is a generous dollop of wasabi tucked inside this baby. I almost choked to death. I gathered myself and gulped it down. The texture is very delicate.

Medium Fatty Tuna (中トロ)

HOLY MOSES. The medium fatty tuna is the greatest-prized possession in the fish market. After entering the mouth, the tuna melts at the tip of your tongue. Although chu toro ranges from $6 to $15 per piece at m/p (market price), we were delighted to see that these babies arrived at our table. It’s like the excitement you feel during New Year’s Money season. You can probably picture how happy I was.

Horse Mackerel

Mackerel is notorious for being the stubborn member of the sushi family. As soon as they are caught and caged in water tanks, the fish will start banging its head and instantly commit suicide. The mackerel has a subtly spicy texture and also has a nice gamey taste.

Giant Clam

The giant clam tastes very much like….CLAM. It’s chewy and tough, but goes down well.

Tuna

The tuna is probably the most distinguishable piece of sushi after the salmon. The perception of tuna is ruined by fast food sushi. At Yasaka, the quality is evident. I just wish the experience lasted longer in my mouth.

Botan Shrimp

Compared to some of my friends who are grossed out by the taste of raw shrimp, I take tremendous pleasure in sampling briny, salty, juicy goodness. I wish that SYbrought the head of the shrimp as well.

#12: Sea Urchin (Uni)

The servers instructed us to sample the uni at the very end of the meal. For people who are accustomed to sea urchin, it can pretty much taste like….poop. Sea poop to be exact. However, this delicacy gets better and better the more you try it.

Toro Oshinko Maki Mono Roll

The chefs at Sushi Yasaka must have seen our table’s reaction to the chu toro. At the end of the meal, we were treated to toro rolls. Although it’s nowhere comparable to the nigiri sushi, these rolls are delectable as well.

My only gripe was that the ambience of the restaurant was clinical. The white walls, the stairs in front of the entrance and the table arrangements made it look as if Sushi Yasaka was still under construction. The takeout man rushing back and forth also slowed down dinner service.

The meal still exceeded my expectations. The quality (for the value) and the service were exceptional. I couldn’t believe how the place wasn’t packing in every table on a Friday night.

[REVISITED] The Insatiable Palate Review #18: Momofuku Ssam Bar (East Village, New York)

Momofuku Weekend Just Got a Little Brighter

I recently booked my second Bo Ssam trip to Momofuku. I rarely wake up before 10AM on Saturdays and Sundays, but I knew I had to get my hands on the eight pounds of glistening pork shoulder. AGAIN.

As soon as I booked my trip for April 28^th, I publicly announced an open invitation to my friends. BAD MOVE. My friends started leaving Facebook messages and many of them were too late. The ten spots filled up quickly. I felt horrible. It’s such a typical Scumbag Jason thing to do.

So today, I want to invite these people, who aren’t able to attend Bo Ssam, to Ssäm Bar Weekend Lunch. The three course (~$25) pre-fixe is one of the best deals & meals in East Village. 

Corvina, kumquat, mitsuba, green peppercorn

My Koreans friends are probably familiar with ChoGee, often dried and fried to perfection at your local BCD Tofu Houses. Although the portion is somewhat very small compared to the size of the pork buns, the freshness of the raw fish speaks for itself.  The slices of kumquat elevate the quality of the saltwater fish. It’s so refreshing.

Steamed Buns, Pork belly, Hoisin, Cucumbers, Scallions

In many Asian countries, when a hideous-looking baby is born, strangers and family friends will refer to him/her as “healthy.” They reserve the word “beautiful” for attractive babies.
Hence if Momofuku Pork Buns were reincarnated as Asian newborns, they will be the most gorgeous babies in the country. They’ll manage to be healthy and beautiful at the same time. LOOK, they’re glistening!

Fried Duck Dumplings, Sriracha Mayo

The Momofuku fried dumplings are in a different world compared to the fried dumplings from the sampling ladies at H-Mart. H-Mart are so delicious, but these dumplings are filled with generous duck fillings. After the first bite, I realized they resemble delicious Korean fried chicken. The skin is so light and crispy.

Duck Sandwich, Iceberg, Crystal Mayo, Peppadews 

The sandwich is a generous serving of duck slices groped by slabs of toasty bread. It reminds me of an upscale interpretation of the Italian from Potbelly Sandwich Shop. It puts Subway sandwiches to shame.

Prince Edward Island Mussels, Apple Cider, Jalapeno, Pork Jowl

Of the three entrees at Ssam, I felt disconnected to this dish. Although the mussels are filled with generous portions of meat, the jowl fat began to loosen and made the pork tough to swallow.

Grapefruit Pie, Candied Grapefruit, Grapefruit Cream

But it’s okay. The grapefruit pie makes up for any damages caused by the mussels. The pie has a subtle sourness that makes it so wonderful.  Even with the addition of the candied grapefruit, the dish doesn’t taste artificial to me. This is a total turn on.

Pear Sorbet, Pumpkin, Cornflake Crunch, Blue Cheese

The pear sorbet hits high notes as well. The cornflake crunch makes the sorbet shine, but is often overpowered by the finishing notes of the cheese. Fans of blue cheese are in for an absolute treat.

It’s ramps season so I definitely want to Momofuku Ssam for weekday rotisserie duck over rice. But the weekend pre-fixe is so delicious that I want to go to that too. My waistline wants to take me to the gym.
Looks like Momofuku rotisserie duck and weekend pre fixe it is….

The Insatiable Palate Review #17: Barbuto (West Village, New York)

The Breasts Don’t Have to Be Dry After All

It is Saturday lunch. Mama Cho will take a couple nibbles of Costco Combo pizza, express her disappointment by pretending to organize items in the kitchen and then start gorging her beloved fermented-to-perfection kimchi and brown rice as soon as the rest of the family leaves the dining room. Although Mom has opened up to American fast food during our twelve years in the states (yes, I was born and raised in Korea until I was seven), there is no hiding her dissatisfaction when the family has to resort to anything other than a Korean sit-down meal.

To cater to both Mama Cho and my meat-driven needs, my parents would make their rounds to Costco and often bring back a tray of Rotisserie Chicken for lunch. I must say, my memories of the roasted chicken are incredibly disappointing.  By the time the poultry arrives at home, the chicken is lukewarm (but not cold enough to reheat in the oven) and the crispy skin has virtually turned into a stringy mess.
The worst part of it all, THE BREASTS ARE SO DRY. Chewing through silicone implants might be an easier task.

This might be why I find comfort eating/covering my body with juicy pork belly on weekends. Pork belly never lets me down.

However, when Top Chef Master Contender, Jonathan Waxman says he can build a better roasted chicken, let us trust his word.

After mopping up the mess of drool I made on my keyboard after watching the Untouchables video, I HAD TO HAVE IT. His roasted chicken and potatoes with pecorino cheese had to be inside my mouth as soon as possible.  After gathering five of my close friends, we devised a menu to keep us full for the entire weekend.

Gnocchi, Spicy Sausage Ragu, Ricotta

The Gnocchi is incredibly soft and delicate. Imagine taking a bite of a cloud formed by silky ricotta. An edible Jigglypuff, perhaps. This earned the seal of approval from my friend who had her share of delicious gnocchi in Italy. If this is just a sample of how good Italian food is, then I am ready to Eat, Pray, and Love my ass all the way to Florence.

The JW Chicken and Salsa Verde

When an Italian Grandmother wishes a perfectly cooked roasted chicken for her last meal, this might satisfy her insatiable standards. The white meat is incredibly moist and the skin is perfectly crisp. I SINCERELY would replace this chicken skin for bacon. It’s so delightful.

My British friend even gave up her vegetarian card just so that she could have a taste of the hen. She obviously isn’t going to give it to cup of chicken strips at Kimmel.

Potatoes, Pecorino, Rosemary

The hint of rosemary permeates through the table as soon as the potatoes arrive. The potatoes are first poached and then deep fried to perfection. Although the bite-size chunks are delicious, my favorite is the crispy bits at the bottom. Calories? Just chew. Just chew…..

I loved this meal so much that I even put a job application a few days later. I’ve never heard back from them though. BUT IT’S OKAY. I feel at peace when I know that the art of roasted chicken and potatoes will never be lost as long as Chef Waxman and Barbuto are in West Village.