Chef’s Table At Brooklyn Fare (New York, NY)

Finding different expressions to describe an experience maybe the toughest thing I have to do while writing this review.  Perfection, elegance, and astonishing are a few words that come to mind when thinking about this establishment.  I can’t remember the last time I was excited about dining at a restaurant and it exceeded my expectations.  (Now that I think of it, I can’t remember the last time I was excited about ANYTHING and it exceeded my expectations.  I need to choose better in life.. Atleast that what it sounds like).  I’ll give you a minute to go get your bib.  (Nevermind why! Just do it.)  You got it?  Great!  Put it on…

Chef’s Table At Brooklyn Fare, a 3-Michelin Star recipient, is an upscale course tasting restaurant that fuses French and Japanese flavors.  I would say this is a hidden gem, but the awards and accolades they received would make my statement asinine.  The only reason I would state that is because the exterior of it, is an actual grocery store.  You may be confused by the look, but if you walk directly to the back you are greeted by those most pleasant hostess that’ll guide you to the “gates of heaven”.  The interior seats about 40 people at once.  You have the option to be seated at a regular table or at the Chef’s Table.  I’ll let you decide on where you’d like to be seated, but I’ll also look at you sideways if you choose not to sit at an area that’s named after the restaurant.

My course tasting menu was composed of 13 courses.  Ten sea, two land, and two desserts.  I’ll start off with the bite sized pieces first.  Bluefin Tarlette, Sea Urchin, and Fluke were my starters.  Bluefin Tuna Tarlette was the first bite of the night.  This dish was a fabulous start to the things I was in store for.  Ocean flavor with a slight kick which was defined as the wasabi had me begging for another bite.  It was flavorful, fresh, and moist.  The second course was the Hokkaido Sea Urchin.  It consisted of a buttered toasted brioche, sea urchin, and black truffle.  The Sea Urchin was smooth with a slightly sweet taste which was perfect because it’s usually known to have a slight fishy taste to it.  The black truffle added an earthy flavor and the brioche gave the requisite texture to the overall dish.  The third course was the Fluke.  A light, raw texture with a slight acid taste from the sauce this dish was one to ponder.  You weren’t too sure if it was the broth that made the flavors so rich or the actual fish, nevertheless, this Fluke is a great ending to the small dishes that were provided.

The next four courses were comprised of slightly bigger fish.  Trout, Sawara, Chiba Akamutsu, and Cod.  The Trout had a very earthy taste to it but was very delicate.  This dish was interesting because the crumbles on top consisted of the bones the trout came from.  They incorporated it with different ingredients to make it a crumble to go on the delicate fish.  The fifth course was the Sawara.  It is apart of the mackerel family fish.  The fish was a little fishier than I liked, which didn’t bother me but you could tell the distinction from the others. It had a meaty texture as well.  The outer layer was smoked and worked well with the rice vinegar at the bottom to provide a robust flavour. Chiba Akamutsu was the sixth course of the night.  This was one of my favorites of the evening.  The flesh was rich, and flaked apart with ease.  The oils from the Akamutsu were sweet with a sharp contrast.  Almost as if you were eating a Chanterelle Mushroom cooked with different juices and butter.  The Cod was the seventh course of the night.   The Cod was delicate and fermented in a creamy rich buttery sauce.  Cod is generally a flaky fish, but for some reason this piece was a bit meaty.  A win/win for me.

The last two dishes from the sea were the King Crab and the Langoustine.  The King Crab consisted of King Crab (duh) and Caviar.  It was served in a vin jaune sauce and was one of the most unforgettable dishes of the night.  The caviar provided the saltiness that worked well with the sweet flavor of the Crab.  The Vin Jaune sauce combines the smoothness of cream with the slight acidity and typical flavouring.  The ninth course of the night was the Langoustine.  The sauce was more of an orange buttery sauce, and couldn’t be devoured in one bite.  This flavorful piece was treated exactly how it is supposed to be treated.  Lightly cooked, holding the correct texture, and having a slight ocean flavor with each bite.  This was a dish that I wish I could have a thousand times.

The final meat courses consisted of Squab and A5 Wagyu.  The Squab (Family of the Pigeon) consisted of Peas and Foie Gras stuffed Chanterelle Mushrooms.  Unbelievable!  The Squab was cooked at a perfect medium rare temperature and worked well with the creaminess of the Foie Gras that was stuffed inside the mushroom.  The peas added the earthy flavor to the dish for balance and coloring and the sauce was a red wine reduction that completed the entire dish.  The eleventh course of the night was a special treat.  A generous sized Wagyu was cooked at a medium rare temperature and to perfection.  The unimaginable snowflake marbling was mesmerizing to look at. This melted like butter. The velvety texture was very light on the palette and worked well with the smokiness of the grilled asparagus.  If there was a way to describe heaven on a plate then this would be it.

The last two courses rounded the evening.  Gelato Stewed Rhubarb and Strawberry were the final courses.  Stewed rhubarb is a slightly sweet yet tart sauce which goes well with granola or vanilla ice cream.  My dish was served with an in house vanilla ice cream that worked magic on your taste buds.  Sweet, delicious, and decadent.  The thirteenth and final course were the strawberries.  The strawberries were picked from a local farm and were some of the sweetest most fresh fruit you’d ever taste.  I was expecting a bit more for a final course, but the overall experience of the previous courses were so perfect it was easy to ignore.

Overall, this restaurant is a stop what you’re doing and make reservations as soon as possible.  It’s not everyday you’ll splurge on a meal, but every once in a while it’s worth doing.  This is the place to do it.  Reservations have to be made a month in advance and don’t forget to ask for the kitchen counter seating.  I can honestly say this is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant.

OVERALL RATING : FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE