17-Course Meal at The Chef's Table – Brooklyn Kitchen

A-Tooch and three fellow foodie friends anxiously awaited dinner at Brooklyn Kitchen, following a 6-week wait on the reservation list. This review comes purposely a few days delayed, to allow the writer some time to mull about the experience… and in a true test of memory, to remember as many items on the menu as possible.

The experience, quite simply, is put best in this GQ review. There were MANY courses, but naturally that did not stop foodie friend Camo and me from eating the entire bread basket as well. I might also highlight that the place is BYOB – and that we did, 5 bottles of our “OB” to be precise.

Pictures? None. Photo-taking was not permitted nor was offering any kind of commentary that wasn’t praise, we later found out. But that’s neither here nor there. (FYI if you are in the market for some pictures there are some good ones here.)

My own review lies best in just itemizing the outstanding, unique and extremely under-priced 17-course meal we had that night. (Mind you, I do not care for seafood but ate every course here, liked it, AND was bored by the time the lamb dish came around!)

1. Sweet pea soup with warm coconut foam, served in a shot glass
2. Sardine wrapped in sage, on a crisp potato chip
3. Sea urchin encrusted in grapefruit gelatin (not a crowd favorite and I admittedly felt a bit queasy afterwards)
4. Frog’s legs fritter
5. Grilled octopus, topped with a spicy mustard
6. Langostine, lightly fried in a bread dough
7. Kumomoto oyster topped with oyster juice glycee
8. King crab meat topped with diced pineapple and vanilla oil
9. Yellowtail topped with mustard-soy sauce
10. Crabcake with a cucumber-dill yogurt sauce, topped with crispy phyllo strings
11. Duck frite ball, with a smoked paprika sauce

The main courses (if you can even call them that after 11 amuse bouches):

1. White asparagus sauteed in a parmesan sauce, with daikon and microgreens
2. Scallop, lightly seared and topped with a piece of pork belly, pea shoots, white truffle foam
3. Black bass with crispy skin, buttery, over kale
4. Monkfish paired with foie gras, wrapped in wilted cabbage, in a “stew” with chanterelle mushrooms, squid and escargot
5. Lamb over (we can’t remember) with a charred eggplant paste
6. Egg custard coasted with a sweet and tart fresh rhubarb sauce

Now, you had all better be thankful I have a decent memory because the gentleman sitting next to us was chastised by the chef for attempting to write down his experience.

Chef Ramirez is a force to be reckoned with and while certainly a master of his trade, sarcastic, chatty or inquisitive folks beware.

Truly a memorable experience.