Nico Osteria
This was unfortunately the first disappointing meal I have had at Nico and it wasn’t even their fault. We started this day attending a James Beard Foundation sponsored cooking demo at Sur la table where Chef Achatz did the Carbonara Explosion, a Parmesan version of BTE. I’m not going to say it was better than BTE but it was a VERY close second.

So of course we left with an intense craving for pasta carbonara, which Nico luckily had on the brunch menu, but there was just no comparison.

Chestnut coffee cake

Kouign Amann

Madai Snapper – kohlrabi salsa verde, nasturtium

Soft scrambled eggs – peperonata, prosciutto, olive focaccia

Spaghetti carbonara – bacon, egg yolk, bottarga

Cotechino – lentils, sunny side egg

Momotaro
I really wanted to love Momotaro but I just didn’t. Many friends have prior to my visit and since. Maybe it was just an off night, maybe we made poor menu choices, but I was just left feeling like it was just ok.
Tuna Jaga – tuna loin, gochujang miso, wasabi crispies

Smoked bacon & Eggs – soy marinated quail eggs, bliss maple syrup

Angel prawns – red chili yuzu kosho, ohba butter

Diver scallop – uni, ponzu butter, seabeans, ikura

Wafu potato salad – wakame, hakurei turnips

Aji Yakusugi – smoked jacked mackerel, 1000 year old cypress

Kurosawa Saba megamaki – seared marinated mackerel, sudachi lime

Wasabi salmon – marinated salmon, wasabi crispies

Curry udon – heritage pork curry, futo udon noodles, shishito

The Office
A bittersweet ending to the evening with the last drinks I will have made by the amazing Charles Joly at the Aviary. I wish I could remember the ingredients but they were all absolutely perfect. Dinner was washed away by the tartare by which all others are measured (and maybe a black truffle explosion or 2).

Wagu tartare