Birthday Celebration at Eleven Madison Park (food)

For a guy who has been known to regularly add dishes to tasting menus, including adding 4 courses to the old 12 course tasting at WD50, it's extremely rare for me to say that a meal was too much. But this meal definitely kicked my ass, in a good way of course.

While the tasting menu served as the foundation of this meal, we also added additional items and did the wine pairing. It was a birthday celebration after all. For comparison purposes, I think it's best to think of it like the extended tasting at Per Se, although with a lower price tag and less overly fancy ingredients. I believe that our experience was a good representation of what you would get with the tasting menu at Eleven Madison Park, but don't be disappointed if you don't get everything that's listed below. I mention this because we were the last table to leave that night, and the penultimate table asked us about the extra courses that seemed to differ in our meals.

***Please note that some of these photos are of the same dishes, but from a different dinner***

The meal begins with black and white cookies. EMP has really focused on celebrating old New York culture with many of their current items, and the black and white cookies are no exception, coming in a box with a card attached describing the origins of the treat.

SAVORY BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES
These are very different from the traditional sweet treats, however, featuring a savory combination of parmesan and black truffle flavors. However, there is only one cookie per diner, as opposed to the constantly refilled container of gougeres they used to have. As delicious as this is, I do miss the gougeres a bit.

TOMATO - TEA PARMESAN LAVASH AND LEMON THYME
Painkiller cocktail
The "tea" has been a staple of the canapes for a while, with the main ingredient changing seasonally. This time it was a flavorful yet light tomato tea that was extremely fragrant with just a hint of tartness to open up the taste buds.

The parmesan lavash was thin and crispy.

MACKEREL WITH HORSERADISH CHIP AND MUSTARD
SCALLOP WITH SCALLOP CHIP AND PICKLED DAIKON AND SESAME
The mackerel was fresh tasting and relatively mild considering the fish. But the thing that stole the show for me was the scallop chip. A crispy chip that tastes exclusively of scallop flavor. I don't know how they did it, but I can easily see it being used in a myriad of ways with other dishes and other cuisines.

CHICKPEA PANISSE WITH YOGURT
The fry-job on this was remarkable. Hot with just a slight crisp on the outside, giving away to a creamy and fluffy chickpea blend. I wondered if their fryer was used for just this item every night.

YOGURT LOLLIPOP WITH CURRY
Yogurt and curry is a good combination, and the cold lollipop provided a great contrast in temperature and texture with the panisse.

TROUT ROE MARINATED WITH DASHI, CANTALOUPE, ZUCCHINI, AND WATERMELON SNOW
This was the first item of the night that I hadn't had before, and it was spectacular. Phenomenal. Just wow. I couldn't stop talking about it. The fruit and vegetable flavors and textures seemed disparate at first, but came together in an amazing way with every pop of the tiny, slightly salty trout roe. While chef Humm is known for playing with textures and temperatures, the mixing of these components by the diner really brought it to another level, reminding me of the bibim at Jungsik.

SMOKED STURGEON
The next dish was EMP's ode to Jewish appetizing. A glass dome filled with smoke was brought to the table to keep smoking the fish while a chef elaborated on the tradition of Jewish appetizing.

Accompanying the smoked sturgeon was lettuce, pickled onion, a perfectly cooked quail egg, and in keeping with the theme, an "everything bagel" crumble.

There were also rye crisps.

As well as house-made pickles. I liked these a lot, as I felt that they weren't overly brined.

Their version of cream cheese was a tin of creme fraiche with a generous amount of caviar on top.

Finally, the dome is lifted and the fish is presented, already sliced. The applewood smoke permeates each bite of the tender fish. Everything worked well together, with the fish, caviar "cream cheese", and pickles on rye crisps my favorite combination.

At this point, we were given a tour of the kitchen. For pictures of the kitchen, please read this prior EMP review. They are busiest between 8pm and 10pm, so those are probably the toughest times to try to accommodate kitchen tours.

I did miss one thing in my previous visits, and it's this mission statement placard. On it are words that are used to describe the musician Miles Davis, and was put there in response to an early critic's comments that the place needed more Miles Davis.

THE COLONY
One of the great things about a kitchen tour at EMP is the cocktail-inspired, liquid-nitrogen-frozen alcoholic palate cleanser. I really liked this one, with its cherry base, and preferred it to the previous one, which was based on a Jack Rose.

COUSCOUS SMOKED WITH TOMATO, YOGURT, AND OLIVES
Domaine Terrabrune, Bandol, Provence France 2011
This was a wonderful, light starter that once again highlighted the season. Every bite of couscous throughout the dish was steeped in the smoked tomato flavor.

FOIE GRAS MARINATED AND SERVED WITH BLACKBERRIES
Agusti Torello, XII, Penedes, Spain 2010
This may have been new since the description I got with my menu is different from what I actually had. I tend to find that I have problems with foie accompaniments that are too tart, and this was just on the borderline while providing a nice sweet flavor. I did feel that the dish was missing a traditional crispy texture component though.

CLAMBAKE WITH CHORIZO, CORN, AND ZUCCHINI
Southampton, Saison Deluxe, South Hampton, Long Island
This was my first time having the clambake, even though they've served it for quite a while now. It is a beautiful presentation and the aroma itself gave me a wonderful sense of both excitement and comfort.

The cornbread with zucchini and chorizo was a good combination of sweet and savory.

Clams were featured with clam snow, again showing chef Humm's fondness of different temperatures and textures.

But the thing that really blew my mind was this tomato corn broth. Warm and comforting yet exciting and new. Rich yet light. Sweet yet hearty. Just delicious.

WHEY - FRESH CURDS, CARAWAY GNOCCHI, AND SPRING HERBS
Lieu Dit, Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara, California 2011
This was a rather unique dish. It was a purposeful dish, a pasta course that bridged the starters and the proteins with an earthy array of herbs. The slight buttermilk-like tartness from the curds was welcome in cutting the denseness of the gnocchi and herbs.

A look at the curds and gnocchi underneath the greens. It's a well composed dish, but I didn't get that "wow" feeling. That being said, it could be a matter of expectations going in, since I think if this was served to me at BHSB I'd be singing its praises.

LOBSTER POACHED WITH MEYER LEMON, BURNT LEEK, AND SHELLFISH BISQUE
Navazos-Niepoort, Vino Blanco, Andalucia, Spain 2010
A sizeable portion of beautifully poached lobster. The leeks and crumble provided a nice charred and earthy flavor that went well with the lobster. I actually prefer this to the sweeter pairings (such as carrots) they've done before, and I absolutely love when they use Meyer lemon with lobster.

LAMB ROASTED WITH ARTICHOKES, FREEKEH, AND SPRING ONION
Casanuova delle Cerbaie, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy 2004
So we finally found the other use for their fryer in the fried onion strands, which along with the freekeh (think bulgar wheat) and artichoke, provided good texture contrast to the supremely tender yet meaty lamb loin.

Why did I include this picture? Because this was how things looked to me by this time. Like I said, this meal kicked my ass.

DUCK - ROASTED WITH LAVENDER HONEY, CELERY, AND RHUBARB
Domaine de Courcel, Grand Clos des Epenots, Pommard 1er Cru, Burgundy, France 2007

The signature duck is delicious as always, with crispy skin, concentrated meat flavor, and the perfume of lavender. It feels like it's been fairly recent that they changed the way they present the duck in terms of the slicing, and I think it's because they wanted pieces with more skin in each bite.

The final blow is a small dish filled with potato mousseline and duck confit. For the potato, think along the lines of Robuchon's signature potatoes.

EGG CREAM - ORANGE, COCOA NIB, AND SELTZER
CHEESECAKE - GOAT CHEESE, CHAMOMILE
Two more preparations that fit the ode to old school New York theme. Both are delicious but perfectly light preparations of classics. The orange oil used in the egg cream is super aromatic, and the way they froth up the seltzer is perfect for a guy like me who isn't that much into carbonated drinks.

RHUBARB POACHED WITH COCONUT, OREGANO ICE CREAM, AND HONEY
Kiralyudvar, Lapis, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaji Aszu, Hungary 2003
I'm kind of indifferent when it comes to rhubarb, but the thing about this dish was that the oregano ice cream was too strong. This did allow me to focus on the wine, which was the first time I had a Tokaji (Tokay). I liked it very much as it had a great breadth of flavor, and reminded me of a sauterne.

QUARK SOUFFLE WITH APRICOT SORBET
The souffle was expertly made, and while I've never really thought of cheese and apricot, the combination worked well together.

SWEET BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES
Bookends to the meal.

CARAMEL POPCORN BONBONS
These reminded me of a cross between caramel corn and a butterfinger.

This was an extraordinary meal and I really do think Eleven Madison Park is the perfect place for a big celebration. In fact, there was a proposal the night we were there. In this regard, I think it stands head and shoulders above the other top tier restaurants in NYC (such as Le Bernardin, review coming soon), and even though Per Se is comparable, I feel a greater sense of giddiness going to Eleven Madison Park for the whole experience.

Memories of Spring Part 2: 15 East (food)

Even though sushi is now flash frozen and shipped from everywhere in the world, great sushi chefs still put an emphasis on what is fresh, with seasonal delicacies especially prized. My favorite sushi restaurant is 15 East, and on a visit several months ago, chef Masato Shimizu put together a wonderful Spring menu.

AMUSE: EDAMAME TOFU
Besides being green in color I didn't notice anything particularly interesting.

The signature slow poached octopus in all its glory. 15 East is not just about sushi. They excel at many different things, which is why I usually ask for a combination tasting menu of everything, including sushi, sashimi, and cooked foods.

SLOW POACHED OCTOPUS WITH SMOKED SEA SALT, JAPANESE CONCH SIMMERED IN DASHI, FIREFLY SQUID WITH EGG YOLK MISO
The octopus was tender as always, while the conch and firefly squid were items I hadn't had before and full of umami.

Sneak preview of the chef's cuts of tuna, featuring lean, medium fatty, fatty, and collar.

SASHIMI PLATE: CHERRY SALMON, SPANISH BLUEFIN OTORO, BOTAN EBI (SWEET SHRIMP), COLD SEARED ISAKI (GRUNTFISH), KAMPACHI (AMBERJACK), HIRAME (FLUKE), AWABI (ABALONE) AND FLUKE LIVER WITH PONZU AND SAKE.
Everything was delicious, but the side cup of liver cooked with ponzu and sake was especially unique and flavorful.

SAKURA SOBA
The house-made soba was a unique seasonal preparation, with sakura (cherry blossom) actually ground into the flour for the noodles. It gave the noodles a slightly softer texture.

KURUMA TEMPURA
Accompanying the soba was this huge shrimp tempura. The batter was a little thicker than regular tempura batter, making it in between tempura and katsu in texture. The batter was also seasoned, giving the whole thing great flavor.

After the cooked foods, the procession of sushi begins. Most if not all of the pieces were pieces I've had before and in the regular rotation. More detailed descriptions can be found by searching for my previous 15 East entries.

SHIMA AJI

SEA PERCH

SEARED KINMEDAI

CHUTORO

OTORO

SABA

BABY SNAPPER WITH EGG YOLK

SAYORI

IKA WITH SUDACHI

SHIRO EBI

There were two types of uni available that day, from Santa Barbara and from Hokkaido

SANTA BARBARA UNI

HOKKAIDO UNI

ANAGO

TAMAGO

After all that sushi comes dessert, another area which 15 East excels at because of their connection with Tocqueville. The pastry chef has experience from Jean Georges, so is adept at using Western techniques with Eastern ingredients.

STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA, MANGO SORBET, PINEAPPLE, AND BERRIES
A refreshing and light spring dessert

MIGNARDISES: PISTACHIO FINANCIERS, DARK CHOCOLATE CARAMEL, MILK CHOCOLATE PUFFED RICE

These meals were great tributes to Spring, but Summer is officially here and I'm looking forward to some great summer meals as well.

Memories of Spring Part 1: Kyoto Bamboo Tasting at Kajitsu (food)

With the weather changing frequently between an extremely hot summer to windy autumn-like conditions, I'm kind of longing for spring right now. So here are two wonderful, seasonal spring meals from earlier this year that I didn't get a chance to post.

This first meal at Kajitsu was one of the very last done by the recently departed chef. I don't know where he is cooking now, but I'm sure his star continues to shine brightly. I definitely enjoyed it when he created a menu around one special seasonal ingredient. In this case it was Kyoto bamboo shoots.

NAGAIMO HISHIMOCHI WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND SWEET SOY GELEE
A colorful first course featuring the crunch of spring vegetables highlighted by a subtle sweet soy gelee.

GRATED KOHLRABI SOUP WITH GRILLED GOMADOFU
The thick, almost milky, soup seemed light in comparison to the earthy sesame tones of the tofu, which had just a bit of chew to the texture.

SMOKED SATOIMO WITH TOFU-YO SAUCE, BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH FUKINOTO PASTE, SPRING SCALLIONS WITH WHITE WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS, AND MUSTARD MISO PEACH FLOWER NAMA-FU
A assortment of different tastes and textures, including the very seasonal fiddlehead fern, which is only available for a short time in Spring.

HOUSE-MADE SOBA WITH KYOTO BAMBOO SHOOT TEMPURA
The lightly fried bamboo shoots were delicious, delicate yet clear in their flavor.

SHREDDED PHYLLO WRAPPED YOMOGI NAMA-FU, HOUSE-MADE WORCESTER SAUCE
GRILLED CABBAGE, ARUGULA SPROUTS AND WATERMELON RADISH
SNAP PEAS WITH PARSNIP PUREE
SAUTEED GLASS NOODLES, KINUGASA MUSHROOMS AND LEEKS IN CORN HUSK
Another assortment of many different items is one dish. The shredded phyllo was an interesting preparation, adding a crunch to the gluten nama-fu that was different than just frying it.

Inside the corn husk was the richly flavored glass noodles. This was my favorite part of the ensemble and I would have preferred more of it.

The table being set for the main course of the evening.

DONABE CLAY POT COOKED RICE WITH KYOTO BAMBOO SHOOTS, RED MISO SOUP, HOUSE-MADE PICKLES
The aroma from the pot was quite intense. This was a wonderful preparation of the fragrant bamboo shoots. In fact, I think this is a great preparation to feature any fragrant, earthy ingredient, such as mushrooms.

A bowl of the rice along with the pickles. The textures worked beautifully to give it some contrast. Everything was cooked just right, allowing the bamboo shoots to retain their delicate flavor while the aroma permeated the rice.

The red miso soup was hearty and a good way to finish the savory portion of the meal.

SAKURA MOCHI
I'm usually not that big on the whole sweet and salty combination, but the salty sakura leaf did add some depth to a nice, not overly chewy, mochi.

CANDIES BY KYOTO SUETOMI
I think those were meant to look like fiddlehead ferns, but can easily be mistaken for dog treat bone shapes.

MATCHA

It was a wonderful meal that celebrated the spring season, as one would expect from Kajitsu. I really should go there more often, as I always leave satisfied and the price is very reasonable.

The NBA Finals 2011-2012 (sport, gambling)

Defense wins championships. Good defense also takes a whole lot more effort than good offense. Which, in hindsight, is exactly what happened in the conference finals. Both older teams just couldn't keep up with their respective opponents. When the shots were falling, they were right in it. If you look back at the stats for both series, both the Spurs and Celtics only won quarters where they scored a lot of points. But these two teams, well known for their defense during their title runs, could not shut down their opponents when they needed to. They simply ran out of gas.

I don't foresee that happening when the Thunder and the Heat go at it in the NBA Finals. With fresh young legs, I expect stellar defense from both sides. Miami had one of the best defenses in the league all season, and an underrated Thunder defense matches up well against the Heat.

NBA Finals Bet 1: Bet the under, especially the games in Miami.


Everyone saw the impressive numbers that Rondo put up in the Boston-Miami series, but in many sports analysts' eyes, he was still not Boston's MVP. That's because of the pivotal role Kevin Garnett played on defense. I still believe that Bosh's return was the main reason for Miami's advance because he was able to keep Garnett from just defending the middle and helping. However, the Thunder have two big defensive players down low in Perkins and Ibaka, and I don't think Miami will be able to score enough over the course of the series.

NBA Finals Bet 2: Bet OKC to win the series, most odds are around -175.


Once I decided that OKC was my pick to win the whole thing, I began to think about how the series would play out. So I looked up the exact games odds and found these:

MIA Heat win 4 - 0 +1850
MIA Heat win 4 - 1 +615
MIA Heat win 4 - 2 +750
MIA Heat win 4 - 3 +725
OKC Thunder win 4 - 0 +1050
OKC Thunder win 4 - 1 +685
OKC Thunder win 4 - 2 +305
OKC Thunder win 4 - 3 +285

I was at first caught off guard by the big disparity between the Thunder winning 4-1 and 4-2, but then I realized that the NBA Finals are 2-3-2 instead of 2-2-1-1-1. This format change is really significant in a sport where home court matters so much. It's often said that this format favors the team with home court more than the usual format, because it is harder to win 3 in a row, even if they're all at home. This sounds reasonable to me, so my first thought was why they make this format change for the finals. After some thought, I think I have the answer. This format makes it much more likely that the series will go 6 games or more (and therefore more revenue for the league). Just as it is hard for even a home team to win 3 in a row, it is also very hard for a team to win 2 out of 3 road games. This makes it very difficult for the series to end in 5.

But there was something else about those odds that didn't seem to make sense to me. It felt to me that a 4-2 win was more likely than a 4-3 win in an uneven series. Looking back at past finals results, there are indeed more 4-2 series results than 4-3 series results. Given this and the previous information about it being difficult for series to end in 5 games or less, my final pick is:

NBA Finals Bet 3: Bet OKC to win exactly 4-2. Anything above +250 seems like great value to me, but lines like these vary a lot by sportsbook.

Either way, I expect a very entertaining series. One that I can enjoy even without any wagers.