Recette at West Village

So I landed in NYC on my birthday, and I kept really quiet about it - it would have been rather awkward for the group since I wasn't close to any of them (well I got to know them a bit better during the trip, and really liked them after that), and didn't want them to feel obligated to do anything. I had a really close childhood friend living there who was really excited about me being there over my birthday, and we arranged to have dinner that night. Incidentally it was the eve of the 10th anniversary of Sept 11, and the streets were all jammed with police cars and roadblocks. But that's a story for another day.

I had googled looking for restaurant recommendations and came across Recette - or French for recipe - in the New York Magazine Restaurant Guide, after being unable to get a Saturday night reservation at Eleven Madison. The reviews looked reasonable, and I was game to try anything new. Since I was scheduled to land in JFK from Minneapolis at 7pm, the reservation was made for 9.30pm. The place was so packed when we got there (on time, mind you) that we had to wait about 20 mins for a table.

So we were at the bar, starting with cocktails- the Pink Grapefruit Margarita in the foreground, and the Lavender Honey Sidecar (with brandy) in the background.

We decided to go for the 7-course Chef's Tasting Menu for $100. This was a combination of anything on the menu, with supplements for certain items like wagyu - we requested a surprise of most of the items, including the foie gras.

The amuse bouche consisted of aji sashimi, sea urchin and I can't recall what - but it was a great way to start the evening.
The beef carpaccio, burrata, tomato jam, porcini puree, basil and watercress was really amazing - the beef was super tasty and I loved the porcini puree.

Heirloom tomato with peekytoe crab, heart of palm and tarragon. The tomatoes were really tasty.

Scallop, artichoke, asparagus with caviar beurre blanc. The scallop was perfectly cooked - seared on the outside and still semi-raw on the inside. Loved the butter sauce.

So good it deserved another photo

The soft luscious meat

The place was packed at 11pm. It was super dark inside so I had to photograph the food by candlelight and with a super long shutter speed.

Ocean trout, spaetzle, cockles, hummus, cilantro, pickled onion - this was normal.

Another shot for posterity

The foie gras with a peppercorn biscuit, chicken skin, and spiced honey was so good. So so so sinfully good. Caramelised to a perfect crisp on the outside and lusciously sweet and fatty on the inside.

And then came the sweetbread. "It must be fish", I told my friend. She laughed and said, I'll tell you more after the meal. When someone says that, you know something's wrong and that the best thing to do is not to ask, shut up and eat everything cos it's not going to be eaten once you know the ugly truth. It had a lovely crusty texture on the inside and a semi-hard, semi-chewy, semi-soft inside.

Lobster orzo, chorizo, burgundy truffle, lemon, lobster emulsion. This was so yum.

Berkshire pork belly, rock shrimp, turnip, romesco, sherry caramel. Ooh the pork belly was so wonderfully soft, tasty and fatty. It must have been stewed for hours.

The lamb breast, smoked yogurt, fried corn bread, pickled jalapeno. This was nice too, but the pork was to die for.

Both meats juxtaposed. By this time we were really quite full.

Dessert- this was some sorbet

Another shot of the sorbet

And I loved the deconstructed Smores. It was like chocolate sauce with melted marshmallow.

The place wasn't cheap, but given the quality and quantity, it was certainly worth the money. I loved the vibe of the neighbourhood, and after eating all this, declared that I loved NYC for ever and ever.

Oh and the sweetbread? That was cow's brains, deepfried to an unrecognisable crisp.

328 West 12th StreetNew York, NY 10014(at the corner of Greenwich Street)

T 212 414 3000