Brooklyn’s Finest: The Chef’s Table At Brooklyn Fare

Category : Casual, Celebrations, Date Night, Not NYC, Recent Chow Faves, Updates
Leave A Comment

Mar 22 2011

My friend and I headed to César Ramirez’s (Bouley Alum) eighteen-seat tasting restaurant in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago. It’s Brooklyn’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant. Scoring a ressie wasn’t as easy as it usually is for me. I booked it 4 weeks in advance, and once confirmed, they send you an email with details on the $165 multi-course tasting prix fixe. You’re pre-charged 2 weeks before and sent a reminder closer to the date.

The casual, laid-back resto that’s attached to a gourmet grocery store focuses primarily on seafood. We indulged in a culinary feast- every course was unique. It was a terrific dining experience. The exceptional menu is heavily influenced by Japanese, Italian and French cuisine. I had a few favorites but overall it was one of the best meals I’ve had in quite some time. The courses were innovative- full of flavor, wonderful combinations, textures and quality ingredients. And the greatness didn’t end with the food – the chef, his staff, the china and cutlery were also stars. Everything was beautifully plated and in total sync. There was extreme attention to detail. Cutlery changed with the rotation of every dish, and was even chilled when serving the sorbet.

CHOW FAVES:

My apologies for not including a lot of pictures but photos weren’t permitted (I was able to snap a few here and there). They want you completely involved in the culinary experience and I was happy to oblige!

There was a total of 24 courses including the canapes. The menu changes frequently with various rotations.

Here’s the breakdown:

To cleanse our palate – a shot of Orange Squash Soup with Yogurt.

Then we moved on to the Canapes- 17 amazing bites of genius. There was a wide range of fish with diverse preparations and temperatures.

17 Canapes: The fish was extremely fresh.

Fluke with Pickeled Onion

Japanese Snapper with Ponzu, Fried Leeks

Oysters with a Zest

Trout

Japanese Fish

Scallop

Mackerel with Blood Orange

Kampaci wtih Passion Fruit and Jicama

Flounder with Lime and Cucumber

Hamachi with Crispy Ginger

Langoustine with Sauce

Portuguese Sardine with Sage and Potato

Crab with Dill

Cod with Tartar Sauce

Ocotpus with Hearts of Palm

Squid

Sea Eel

7 Course Tasting: All the dishes were on point. Every bite was just as good as the last!

Dover Sole with Caviar and Spinach

Black Cod with Veggies and a Purée

Bass with Sea Urchin and Rice

Wagyu Beef with Miso

Cheese Plate

THE SWEET SPOT:

Sorbet

Key Lime Pie

SIP: It’s BYOB because they’re still waiting for their liquor license.

CHAT: Since it’s such a casual atmosphere and we were dining at the Chef’s Table- it was easy to engage in dialogue with Chef César Ramirez. I asked him about the china and cutlery because each piece was so unique and stylish. He said that he has a passion for fashion, and believes that the china and cutlery really adds to the overall experience. PS- The dishes are washed by hand.

JL Coquet

My next question was about expansion. He said it would be hard to keep the quality if he expanded to a larger dining room. I ended the Q & A with a question about his favorite dish at an NYC resto. He loves the tripe at Maialino.

Brooklyn Fare- 200 Schermerhorn St., nr. Hoyt St., Boerum Hill / 718-243-0050