点评:Dinner, after an event we attended in Rye Brook. We had a tough time making the reservation through Open Table, because the system kept shunting us off to seats at the bar or an outside table, apparently on the front sidewalk, even though we specifically requested an inside table (and, as it turned out, there was heavy rain all day and well into the night !) However, after two or three calls to the restaurant itself, we were able to get assurance we would be seated at a table, and indoors.
The ambiance is quite warm, cheerful, and inviting. Even at 9pm on a stormy evening, the place was full and buzzing. It’s always good to see a restaurant that is busy, as that shows that they are doing something right... The bar, to the left as you enter, is inviting and well stocked with some superb sake and wines (if only one can have them all !) and does brisk service with some creative and attractive cocktails. I saw some on our neighboring tables that would work nicely on a stormy weekend, but restrained myself as we had a long drive home.
Our server, “Saldivar J” is cheery, welcoming, and happy to oblige with advice, sharing her likes and not-so-likes from the offerings, and guided us well. The food arrived quickly. However ~ there were some hiccups, of course.
The Edamame appetizer ($7) is superb… it comes simmered in a mix of oils, butter, deep friend garlic and soya. It was delicious, with softened pods and soft-scrumptious beans, and a vibrant taste quite unlike the steamed edamame served everywhere. Surprisingly good. We also shared the Kabocha Gyoza ($17) which are soft dumplings in browned butter, sage, and a pomegranate preparation… delicious, smooth on the palette, with sweet notes from the fruit, and a bit oily but with a pleasant aftertaste. Otherwise well balanced and cooked meltingly soft. Highly recommend this item.
Our mains, Okonomiyaki ($21) for my wife and Three Hand Rolls ($18) for myself, were different in taste (I tried some of hers though she didn’t try the rolls) and every other aspect:
~ we felt the Okonomiyaki lacked something: it was bland and lacking salt, and required adding soy sauce. The pancake was tasty but the pork-belly could not be divined. In spite of the soft egg, the generous toppings of roughly chopped scallion and nori (which were not crisp enough) overwhelmed the pancake and made the dish dry. The flavor was overly fishy, for a pork belly based dish.
~ the Hand Rolls were well portioned and superb. Wonderfully balanced and generously portioned. The chef chooses what is served, and I lucked out with scallops, salmon and tuna, wrapped in crispy nori, and surrounded with various herbs, vegetables and spices. Each roll had a distinct personality, and was delicious, though I had to add soy to the salmon as it was a bit inconspicuous. We eat a lot of fresh, wild caught North Pacific salmon (thanks to a close friend who runs a salmon fishing business in Alaska) so perhaps that was one reason it felt different.
On to the dessert…. The Ooey Gooey Cake ($12) is well named and hugely portioned, deeply drowned in excellent chocolate, and served with a nice chunk of smooth vanilla ice cream.. A bit large for one person (and I don’t usually share more than a spoon or two as I am more of a savory person..) However, the pebbles and crunchies in the cake added nothing to the taste, and the inside was wet and pasty.. not so much a pleasant eat. Maybe needs more thought ? This is coming from someone who loves desserts and is constantly making or researching them. But we’re also writing about a Michelin starred restaurant here, so go take sides !
Overall… great experience ~ another port in the storm… (Thank you so much, Saldivar J!) maybe will be back for more on some other stormy night in Westchester.
翻译:我们在拉伊布鲁克参加了一次活动后吃晚饭。我们通过 Open Table 进行预订时遇到了困难,因为系统不断将我们分流到酒吧的座位或室外的桌子上,显然是在前人行道上,尽管我们特别要求了一张内部桌子(结果证明) ,一整天都下着大雨,一直到晚上!)但是,在给餐厅本身打了两三个电话后,我们得到了保证,我们会坐在桌子旁,而且是在室内。
气氛非常热烈、愉快、诱人。即使在风雨交加的晚上九点,这里仍然挤满了人,热闹非凡。看到一家餐厅很忙总是一件好事,因为这表明他们正在做正确的事情...酒吧位于您进入时的左侧,很吸引人,并且备有一些一流的清酒和葡萄酒(如果只有一个人可以喝的话)他们全部!)并提供一些有创意且有吸引力的鸡尾酒,服务快捷。我在隔壁的桌子上看到了一些在暴风雨的周末可以很好用的东西,但因为我们要开车很长一段时间才克制住自己。
我们的服务员“Saldivar J”性格开朗、热情,乐于提供建议,分享她对所提供的产品的喜好和不喜欢,并为我们提供了很好的指导。食物很快就到了。然而~当然,也有一些小问题。
毛豆开胃菜(7美元)非常棒……它是用油、黄油、大蒜和大豆的混合物炖的。味道鲜美,豆荚变软,豆子软软可口,味道鲜活,与到处卖的蒸毛豆完全不同。出奇的好。我们还分享了Kabocha Gyoza(17美元),这是一种柔软的饺子,里面有棕色黄油、鼠尾草和石榴……味道鲜美,口感光滑,带有水果的甜味,有点油腻,但回味宜人。否则平衡良好,煮得软软的。强烈推荐这个项目。
我们的主菜,我妻子的御好烧(21 美元)和我自己的三手卷(18 美元),味道都不同(我尝试了她的一些,但她没有尝试面包卷)和其他方面:
〜我们觉得御好烧缺少一些东西:淡而无盐,需要添加酱油。煎饼很好吃,但五花肉无法预测。尽管鸡蛋很软,但大量切碎的葱和海苔(不够脆)盖住了煎饼,使菜变得干燥。对于以五花肉为主的菜肴来说,味道太腥了。
~ 手卷份量充足,非常棒。完美平衡且份量充足。厨师会选择上什么菜,我很幸运,得到了扇贝、鲑鱼和金枪鱼,包裹着脆皮紫菜,周围还有各种香草、蔬菜和香料。每个卷都有鲜明的个性,而且很美味,尽管我不得不在三文鱼中添加大豆,因为它有点不显眼。我们吃了很多新鲜的、野生捕获的北太平洋鲑鱼(感谢一位在阿拉斯加经营鲑鱼捕捞业务的密友),所以也许这就是感觉不同的原因之一。
到了甜点…… Ooey Gooey 蛋糕(12 美元)名字很好,份量很大,深深地沉浸在优质巧克力中,并配有一大块光滑的香草冰淇淋。对于一个人来说有点大(而且我通常不会分享超过一个)一两勺,因为我是一个比较喜欢咸味的人..)然而,蛋糕中的鹅卵石和脆饼并没有增加任何味道,而且里面又湿又糊……吃起来不太愉快。也许需要更多思考?这是来自一个热爱甜点并不断制作或研究甜点的人。但我们还在这里写关于一家米其林星级餐厅的文章,所以请站队吧!
总的来说......很棒的经历〜暴风雨中的另一个港口......(非常感谢你,Saldivar J!)也许会在威彻斯特的其他暴风雨之夜回来更多。