THE JOURNAL
Rugbrod breaded Shigoku oyster with trout roe and dill emulsion. Photograph by Mr Jonnie Sirotek, Paper Laundry courtesy of Beckon
No longer are restaurants with tasting menus strictly reserved for those with four hours free to eat, and a spare mortgage payment to spend on the bill. While often delicious and challenging, dinners comprised of 10, 15 or 25 courses can feel grotesquely drawn out and leave us either confused or poor (or both).
Today, chefs across the US are re-invigorating taster menus with less formal service (and fewer courses) while maintaining meticulous standards of sourcing seasonal ingredients. Below, we have picked out six restaurants that are bringing a fresh, fun approach to the modern taster menu.
Erizo, Portland, Oregon, $125
Left: Erizo, Portland. Right: A selection of crudo. Photographs courtesy of Erizo
Led by Messrs Jacob Harth and Nick Van Eck, a pair of local chefs (who are also commercial fishermen), Erizo is an 18-seat spot that focuses on sustainable, non-traditional seafood. Taster menu attendees are treated to a dozen or so courses of locally caught or foraged ingredients – much of which the chefs find themselves – and wood-fired accompaniments. Dinners here are brilliant displays of resourcefulness. Whether it be squid or a slew of fresh clams, the duo takes full advantage of Portland’s location by the sea.
Aska, Brooklyn, New York, $265
Left: Grouse and berries. Right: Aska, New York City. Photographs by Mr Charlie Bennet, courtesy of Aska
Travelling to a Scandinavian nation for an extravagant New Nordic dinner is a worthy pilgrimage for many. But, tucked beneath the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, Aska is nearly as good as any of its overseas equivalents. Its taster menu, formulated by the Swedish-born and two-Michelin-starred-chef Mr Fredrik Berselius, consists of foraged and pickled ingredients found in New York State and cocktails in the same vein. Whether it be the bar’s house-made aquavits infused with local black walnut and Douglas fir or wild strawberries and salted immature pine cones, Aska represents resourcefulness in a city built upon excess.
Contra, New York, New York, $89
Left: Contra, New York City. Photograph by Frame Studios. Right: Honey and pear. Photographs courtesy of Contra
There’s incredible balance in everything the chefs at Contra do. Whether it’s offering both a standard and a vegetarian menu, to the latter being in every way just as delicious, chefs Messrs Jeremiah Stone and Fabián Von Hauske Valtierra can’t seem to do any wrong. Limited to just seven courses (and often only a trio of ingredients per dish), their taster menu is concise yet delicious. Recently, the pair served a delicate cut of halibut, browned slightly, alongside a relish-like sauce of cucumber and hyssop. Contra is at the forefront of the national movement to informalise taster menus.
Beckon, Denver, Colorado, $95
Left: Rugbrod breaded Shigoku oyster with trout roe and dill emulsion. Right: Beckon, Denver. Photographs by Mr Jonnie Sirotek, Paper Laundry courtesy of Beckon
Dinner at Beckon doubles as a theatrical number. Tucked behind a heavy black curtain, an eight-course dinner – that lasts about two-and-a-half hours – awaits. Here, excellent wine is served throughout and there’s a sole U-shaped table that wraps around the chef, allowing him space to introduce each dish to each guest individually – they all adhere to a seasonal storyline, so listen closely. But the real attraction here is watching the dishes being prepared right before your eyes. On last season’s menu, a smoked Colorado trout stole the show; meanwhile, a sausage patty made from goat, cooked and coated in its own fat, was delectable.
Nonesuch, Hudson, Oklahoma, $95
Left: Nonesuch, Oklahoma. Right: Mushroom cream and shiitake tart, and root veg salsa with raw lamb offal. Photographs courtesy of Nonesuch
Calling Oklahoman cuisine southern is limiting and the 10-course taster menu served at Nonesuch proves that. Diners tour the fields and prairies of Oklahoma’s terroir through their dishes. Here, locally grown nasturtium flowers are delicately cooked with a neighbouring farm’s lardo and topped with lantana mead vinegar; another course combines wild sour gherkins, house-made peach mayonnaise and a pork fat cracker. Despite none of the chefs in the kitchen having been classically trained or bred through mentorship, Nonesuch found success through ingenuity and an impressive invention of modern Oklahoman cuisine.
wa’z, Seattle, Washington, $110
Left: Yakimono(焼物) local troll king salmon and donut peach, sautéed Matsutake mushroom and Yu-Choy greens. Right: wa’z, Seattle. Photographs by Mr Roberto Cortez, courtesy of wa’z
Inspired by the centuries-old Japanese concept of kaiseki, wa’z features an eight-to-10-course dinner fusing Japanese technique and flavour with locally sourced Seattle fish and produce. There is excellent wagyu and uni, but there’s also delicate lingcod (native to northwestern North America) and king crab (native to Alaska). It’s adventurous and ceremonial-feeling; dishes are served gossamer-like, but remain rich with complexity. Sitting at the chef’s counter affords diners an extra peek at the skill required of Japanese food. And though Seattle is no newcomer to the national food scene, wa’z’s astronomical popularity represents a shift in preference for the choosiest diners in the US.