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Lacey Burke Blogs |
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8 Courses, 3 Girls, 1 Chef: Mendin's NYC Omakase Menu |
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Location: Blogs BlogsRestaruants |
 | | Posted by: laceyb | 5/19/2007 | Have you ever had the pleasure of sitting down to a custom Omakase menu? No? Well, let me tell you, it’s a must do. I feasted upon 8 delectable dishes hand- crafted and catered to my very own palate. My friend Jose Mendin of SushiSamba Miami was recently in town to bring some of his talent and flair to the New York locations. He cleverly concocted a mélange of exotic flavors in the form of my very own tasting menu.
 I had told Jose I was planning on coming in with a few girlfriends for his ultimate collection of dishes. Upon arrival, he presented us with our Omakase menus, hot off the press. Omakase basically means chef’s choice in Japanese. However, in this case, our palates were the first and only consideration. His attention to detail was impressive, as was the laundry list of luxury ingredients. We decided live up the luxe and pair our courses with a multi-faceted bottle Mutsu Hassen Junmai-Daigingo, laced with subtle cocoa notes and a dangerously smooth sexiness.
First out was traditional white fish tiradito. His recent trip to Peru shined thru in the explosive aji amarillo and cilantro sauce. He juxtaposed the textures of the velvety fish and Peruvian corn, toasted to crunchy perfection. I’d love to show a picture of this one, but Melinda and I lost our senses and immediately ate every last bite!.
Next out was my favorite, the heavenly Waygu Tataki with warm shitake mushrooms and truffled tofu crema. The paper- thin slices of ethereal beef satisfied the carnivore in us, while the elegant crema called to our softer side. It all came together brilliantly with herbaceous micro greens on top.
A truly beautiful dish graced our table next. Our server even mentioned how jealous she was! Hamachi “carpaccio” with a spicy lemon dressing, electric green pistachio coulis, Ikura and soba noodles. The colors and presentation were just beginning of this unique dish woven with stunning flavors and textures.
 I was a bit skeptical about Rockshrimp tempura until I tried it. I had never thought of it as something that would be on a tasting menu, but Chef Mendin blew those stereotypes out of the water with his airy crustaceans lightly tossed in a delectable sea urchin alioli with spring peas and black truffles. I call it “the evolution of tempura”.
 I have had the pleasure of sampling our 5th course once before. However, when he presented it, it’s the kind of thing I could never resist. His duck confit gyozas with kabocha puree’, almonds and soy brown butter are the sort of thing you crave for days after you’ve had them. The salty and savory duck confit was an ideal match to the creamy puree’ and the almonds added a desirable crunch.
 Jose appeared tableside to present us with a roasted Foie Gras with handmade coconut noodles. He drizzled a warm coffee and dashi broth on top of the succulent delicacy. As you all should know by now, I’m a slave for Foie gras, not to mention something of a connoisseur, so anything less than stellar would have been a disappointment. Believe me, this primo preparation was the stuff my ducky dreams are made of. We were licking our spoons till the next dish arrived.
 With a nod to my home state, a seaweed crusted Maine lobster and creamy Peruvian corn was next. Not only did this dish have style, the lobster was some of the best quality I’ve had in New York. The seaweed was a unique touch that balanced the overall sweetness.
 Not to be trumped by the hard-shelled heavy hitter, our final indulgence was nori charred, dry aged Black Angus beef. The presentation was the most artistic and French influenced, and the beef itself was unparalled in taste and preparation. It was accompanied by smoky boniato croquettes, collared greens and roasted apricots. Despite the intense meal we were wrapping up, all of us found a way to finish every bite of that divine bovine.
 We left feeling like the pampered princesses and satisfied foodies that we are. Chef Mendin’s savvy and expertise was in top form that night, but I’m quite sure this young and gifted chef always puts his best dish forward. Keep your eye out for more of his exceptional fare, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of it.
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