The View
So today I am having lunch at a lovely New York restaurant with the most amazing view. It’s Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental. The restaurant has stunning views over Central Park and the New York skyline as well as the plush decor of the Mandarin Oriental.
This is the view from my table.
First Course
I start with a beautiful Chablis to match my first course
Domaine Long-Depaquit (Albert Bichot), Chablis 1er Cru (2014 )
The wine is a dazzler on the nose with beautiful stone fruit aromas with hints of floral notes. On the palate beautiful peach and quince flavors dominate with notes of spice and a stony textured finish. The wine has good mouthwatering acidity to balance the fruit and makes for refreshing experience.
Tuna Tartar, Tobikko Fish Roe, Sesame and Ginger
The rich jelly-like oily tuna tartar is beautiful on the palate. There’s the saline hit of the fish roe which flows in an integrated fashion with the tuna. The cream of wasabi and ginger does hit quite hard balancing the tuna’s rich flavours quite well. The triangulation of acidity from the Chablis, wasabi and the rich tuna provides for a well matched tasting experience.
Second Course
Château de Pressac, Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Émilion, (2007), France
I opt for this lovely Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion. On the nose there are beautiful caramel, mocha and deep earthy notes. The fruit seems to have moved on and the flow on the palate seems to confirm this somewhat. The wine has some dark fruit flavours (although very dim) matched with tobacco, mocha and smoke notes. The beautiful earth notes in the finish dovetail well with the tannins, which is what I’m after. The wine’s tannins are perfectly matched to the fat and richness of the short rib (below). It proves and excellent choice.
Glazed Short Rib, Shallots, Ginger, Horseradish Soubise, Cauliflower, Asian Pear
The short ribs are rich with a mix of its inherent salinity and some sweet stickiness (probably from some syrup). The mix of salt and sweet is paired with a harsh bite of ginger and horseradish which makes this more than just comfort “fall of the bone” ribs. There is a lovely crunch of cauliflower and Asian pear which is lovely. Its quite a fusion dish; fat, sweet, sticky, salty and crunchy. It’s quite the sensory experience.
As I enjoy the dish, I gaze at the view that is the epitome of New York. The beautiful buildings that form this concrete jungle; where hopes, dreams and the magic of the American capitalist system infuses to deliver a city beyond imagination. At the base of those buildings is the beautiful greenery that is Central Park. It is quintessential New York and it has me so in love with this city.
The background tune I have used is “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris – I don’t own the rights to the song.
Dessert
Christian Moueix, “Carpe Diem,” Cabernet Sauvignon, (2014), Napa, California
The wine certainly has its contrast to the Bordeaux. Its full of fruit and floral aromas which flow onto the palate with beautiful flavours of strawberry, blackcurrant liqueur and some soft tannins. There’s not a lot of complexity, this wine is well balanced and makes for a leisurely drinking experience.
Blanc Manger – Jasmine Rice Custard, Blood Orange Sorbet and Misago
I did not eat all of the dessert. The jasmine rice is sweet and aromatic with little sweet floral tinge on the back of the tongue. The sorbet is quite sugary and too sweet for my liking. There is some good textural contrast with the crunchy misago which is quite nice.
Petit Fours
Some complimentary petit fours are brought out to finish proceedings. I actually enjoy them more than I did the dessert.
Asiate is a wonderful restaurant and there are good examples of good culinary flair and their dinner menu is little more extensive and I suspect if you didn’t care too much about the view, you’d want to come for dinner. But if you’re in New York for the afternoon then one should always consider having a leisurely lunch here with a view to match.